What casino game should i play
New casino sites to play real money
To answer your question – which should I play at? You need first to make a list of the things you are looking for in a casino site. There are thousands of online casinos, each has its uniqueness, but you need the best. Best casinos offer their customers free sign up bonuses so that they can test their services. They should also provide secure and manageable deposit payment options. You should be able to withdraw your money fast, and in case of any issues, they should be able to answer you promptly. Best online slots provide long hours of incredible reel spinning fun to players around the globe. They make some players richer than they ever dreamed, and for others, it becomes just a fun pastime. A way to relax or kill the dull moments in life. But it is great to play and know that every spin could make you a winner. You need the best casino for this to happen. Best slots give no deposit bonuses and free spins and they are highly rated on many review sites.
Which casino should I play at?
There are many online casinos and thousands of slots and games online. Which should I play at? You may be wondering. You are not alone. Choosing the best casino and a game to play is not an easy task. Check out the list over at aboutslots.Com – top casino game providers. The number one rule for online gaming is to have fun; winning is just a perk of the entertainment that you choose to enjoy. If you play only to win then, you are missing out on the fabulous opportunity to experience a thrilling new world of entertainment. How do you then choose the best casino where you can play the best games?
Best casinos to play at
To answer your question – which should I play at? You need first to make a list of the things you are looking for in a casino site. There are thousands of online casinos; each has its uniqueness, but you need the best. Best casinos offer their customers free sign up bonuses so that they can test their services. They should also provide secure and manageable deposit payment options. You should be able to withdraw your money fast, and in case of any issues, they should be able to answer you promptly.
Best slots games
Best online slots provide long hours of incredible reel spinning fun to players around the globe. They make some players richer than they ever dreamed, and for others, it becomes just a fun pastime. A way to relax or kill the dull moments in life. But it is great to play and know that every spin could make you a winner. You need the best casino for this to happen. Best slots give no deposit bonuses and free spins and they are highly rated on many review sites.
Remember to look for slots that have the best odds, where the payout is the highest. It will not make sense if you choose a slot with low odds. You are selecting a casino because you want to win big, the slot machine should have the most significant jackpot that runs into the millions. Who knows, that jackpot might be yours! Slot popularity is a factor that should not be overlooked. The reason why many people will play a particular slot is that it pays well and the odds are high.
In summing up
In gaming, where and what you play matters. That is why you should put effort into selecting the best casino as well as the best online slots to play. If you choose a lousy casino, you will receive inadequate services, and the games you play will be less fun and with low earning potential. The casino should be legitimate, provide secure payment options and have excellent customer service. The games should fun and give players a chance to win big.
Which game should I play?
Bonnie and I were attending a square dance convention where we had to stay for two nights. Close to the dancing venue was a harrah’s casino. Having seven stars status within the caesars entertainment system gets me a room “for free,” but a certain amount of play is expected. I don’t have to play every time I stay at one of these casino/hotels, but a certain percentage of time I do. And it’s a guess as to what that percentage is.
I decided to give them a minimum amount of play, which I arbitrarily defined to be 1,000 reward credits a day.
For their “regular” video poker, which takes $10 to earn a reward credit (meaning I would need to play $10,000 coin-in daily to earn the minimum I decided upon), the loosest game I found was 9/5 jacks or better, returning 98.45%.
For their “premium” video poker, which takes $25 to earn one reward credit (meaning I would need to play $25,000 coin-in for the same benefits), the loosest game I found was 9/6 jacks or better, returning 99.54%.
For both games, they had $1 and $2, triple play and five play. Playing this much for these stakes is acceptable to me.
So, the primary choices are:
- Play $25,000 daily at 9/6 jacks?
- Play $10,000 daily at 9/5 jacks?
- Avoid the problem by paying retail at another hotel where no play is expected?
They had a full array of games in each category, so if you’re a double double bonus person, or a deuces wild player, or perhaps some other particular game satisfies your itch, you could find a tighter version to play at $10 per reward credit or a looser version to play for $25 per reward credit. The same technique I describe below may be used for these games as well, but since they all return less than the jacks or better games at this casino, I’m personally not interested.
First the math: for 9/6 jacks, $25,000 * (1-99.54%) = $115 daily expected loss. For 9/5 jacks, $10,000 * (1-98.45%) = $155 daily loss. The other hotel, $80 + tax + $15 daily resort fee, but you get a free continental breakfast.
For me, the other hotel is not a good option. The dollars came out to be similar, but I receive extra benefits at harrah’s. Access to the diamond lounge, which offers snacks and free drinks, easily offsets most free continental breakfasts. For every reward credit you earn, you also earn a tier credit, which go towards your tier level one thousand reward credits in a day earns you a bonus of another 1,000 tier credits. Consequently, for each day I earn 1,000 tier credits, I reduce my annual tier credit requirement to stay at seven stars by 2,000. (it takes 150,000 tier credits annually to remain seven stars and I’ve made the decision that it’s worth getting.)
So, between the two games, the looser game is the better choice, even though it requires 150% more coin-in to earn the same number of reward credits. This is a conclusion that was for these particular games only. For specific games at other casinos, the “lesser” game may well turn out to be less expensive.
Another consideration is how much time it takes to play. Clearly it takes longer to play $25,000 than $10,000. If I were a single-line quarter player, that would be a showstopper. I could play $10,000 per day for quarters if I basically played all day, not but $25,000. (but even then, I wasn’t in town to gamble but to participate in several hours a day of a square dance convention. Playing quarters was simply not an option.) but someone willing to play, say, $2 triple play is going to be finished in less than an hour, so that wasn’t a consideration for me this time.
Another consideration is the variance. Even though playing $25,000 at the better game has a lower expected loss than $10,000 coin-in at the lesser game, if things go badly, you can lose a lot more playing $25,000 than you can $10,000.
Another consideration is the theoretical (i.E., “theoretical” is the percentage of coin-in the casino expects to win from all play on a particular machine or game). Very possibly, you’ll receive better offers down the road playing $10,000 at a 98.45% game than $25,000 at a 99.54% game. Will those offers be $90 better? Who knows for sure?
Also, it depends on whether you’re planning on coming back or not. If you regularly visit a casino, the size of your offers is important. For bonnie and me at this particular casino, probably not so much. One reason we attend this location is bonnie’s daughter lives somewhat close to here and that’s an attraction. But bonnie’s daughter is moving in a few months, so it’s very possible we will not be coming back to this casino again. Building up offers here, then, isn’t that useful. Where bonnie’s daughter lives doesn’t matter to my readers, but adding personal considerations into a decision makes a lot of sense.
Still, caesars has local offers and national offers. Even if we won’t be back to this casino, we will likely remain in the caesars system for several years and we don’t want to leave dirty footprints behind us.
What casino games should I play?
Choosing the right game to play is important. A good approach for a novice would be to research several. They should get an overview of as many casino games as possible. They would find that eventually they would be drawn to one table or game over another. And that’s exactly what they need to know at this stage.
While most players fare much better with a good working knowledge a novice can still find something suitable while they learn the ropes. Having a genuine interest definitely helps the learning process as well. Here’s an overview of what you could expect to find at a typical casino. Starting with games requiring the least experience. Keno is basically playing a lottery. The object is to guess which numbers the computer is going to select. The drawings occur frequently usually every 5 minutes. Depending on how many numbers you get right and what amount you played, the winning game can pay up to 1 million dollars. Slot machines were at one time referred to as one-arm-bandits and for good reason. They had a reputation for slowly stealing everything you played into them. In the earliest of days these had mechanical movements that could be adjusted to pay out or not. Nowadays they are all controlled with computer software.
There is still some strategy involved in how one approaches playing them. Mostly with respect to the differences in payouts versus amounts played for each pull. There are more ways to win on today’s slot machines and the prizes are typically much higher for those that play the higher value machines.
Roulette is considered a good game for the novice. Within a short time they will be able to grasp the basics. It doesn’t require any real skill. But there is some strategy and discipline involved if you want to put some winnings into your pocket. For an even better experience it’s suggested to study up on some of the more involved strategies before placing any bets. This is a game of odds. There are definitely some mathematical calculations involved. Visiting an online casino would go a long way toward developing your playing strategy and skills.
Even though roulette may be easier to play craps offers the best odds for the player. To those people who haven’t played before it can appear to be a difficult game. But after watching a few rounds one could quickly pick up on how to bet. And most players consider craps to be one of the more lucrative of all the casino games.“where should I focus and what casino games should I play as my experience grows?”
Poker and blackjack are best left to seasoned gamblers. These games require the most experience in this list. They rely more on skill than luck. If you sit down at the table with seasoned players you are expected to understand the rules and strategies involved. By not knowing the game well enough you could negatively affect another player’s results. For that reason novice gamblers should probably keep their distance until they have researched and gained some experience. Practising in an online environment would be considered a low risk option.
If these games interest you then spend some time learning each in detail. Play as many hands as possible in a low risk environment such as an online casino. Or you could download one of the many practice programs available on the internet. Once you have reached a certain level of expertise the only thing left to learn are the rules and procedures to each casino.
Once you gain some real-time experience your skill level will demand new answers. New insights will naturally lead to new questions. You may now be asking yourself what casino games should I play with regards to a particular type of opponent or specific odds? Hopefully this article has answered some of that question for you but one thing is for sure. When it comes to gambling learning is truly lifelong.
The 10 best games in the casino
There’s bound to be a lot of disagreement about what the 10 best games in the casino are. After all, different gamblers have different temperaments. I might enjoy playing blackjack because I count cards, while you might play slot machines because you don’t want to have to think about what you’re doing.
But some games are just too good a deal to pass up, while others are really awful. Some games are boring for almost everyone. Some just have terrible odds. And some games qualify for this top list if you make certain bets but not if you make others.
All that being said, don’t let anyone judge you based on what casino games you enjoy. I’m offering my opinions below, but yours might differ. Everyone has his or her own reason for gambling in a casino.
At the end of the day, all casino games favor the house. How much of a favorite the house is doesn’t matter as much as you might think. After all, if you play a negative expectation game long enough, you’ll lose all your money—no matter whether the game is on this list or its companion, “the 10 worst games in the casino”.
The games are listed in no particular order:
1. Blackjack
Not everyone likes blackjack. In fact, I’m going to start off by listing some of the downsides to playing blackjack. I’ll get into the reasons why it’s on this “best of” list after I’ve admitted to the game’s flaws.
Blackjack is not a good game for introverts unless you can find a table where no one else is playing. Even then, you’re still going to interact with a live human dealer—unless you’re playing online. But human interaction is almost always a given with a blackjack game.
Also, some people just don’t like card games. Maybe they didn’t play cards when they were growing up or something, so they don’t know much about how they work. Some people just don’t like math at all, even simple addition, and blackjack just becomes incomprehensible really quickly because of all the addition and subtraction.
Finally, some players don’t want to have to make decisions. Blackjack is most certainly a game of decisions, and what you decide has an effect on your outcome. A lot of the other players at the table think that what you decide has an effect on their outcome, too.
They’re wrong about that, but for an introvert who doesn’t want to make decisions and also doesn’t want to deal with other people, blackjack might be one of the worst games in the casino.
Blackjack has the lowest house edge in the casino. The house edge is the percentage of each bet that the casino expects to keep over the long run—thousands of bets. The higher the house edge is, the worse the odds are for the player.
If you find a game with a good set of rules, and if you play using basic strategy, the house edge might be under 0.3%. That’s the lowest house edge in the casino usually. Sure, you might sometimes find a video poker game with a comparable number, but even the best video poker games only tie blackjack when it comes to offering the player great odds.
Even blackjack games where the game conditions are less than favorable offer better odds than most casino games. The worst blackjack games usually have a house edge of around 1%.
Basic strategy refers to the correct decision for every potential hand in blackjack. You compare the total in your hand with the dealer’s up card, and there is one decision with the best expected value. If you make that decision every time, you’re using basic strategy.
Expected value is a mathematical term that expresses how much a particular decision is worth over the long run. You multiply the odds of winning by the amount you stand to win and subtract the odds of losing multiplied by the amount you stand to lose.
Luckily, you don’t have to figure out the correct basic strategy for yourself on every single hand. You can find detailed guides to basic strategy right here on our site. You can even print up a table to take into the casino, and the dealers will even let you use that printout while you play.
Even if you ignore basic strategy and just follow your hunches, you’re only losing between 1.5% and 3.5% per hand—unless you’re just making purposefully boneheaded decisions, that is. If you hit every hand until you bust, the house edge is 100%.
Another great thing about blackjack is that it’s one of the only gambling games where a talented, smart player can get an edge. Counting cards is the best known advantage gambling technique used in blackjack, but there are several other ways of getting an edge over the house.
Counting cards is easier than you think, too. This site has an extensive series of pages about how to count cards in blackjack. We even have pages about other advantage blackjack techniques like shuffle tracking.
Blackjack is a great game, and even if it’s not your go-to game at the casino, it should be on the menu of games that you choose from. It’s just a lot of fun, and the odds are some of the best in the casino.
2. Video poker
Video poker games resemble slot machines, but they offer players much better odds of winning. And getting better odds of winning is something everyone should be interested in.
As with blackjack, I’m going to look at the pros and cons of this game versus other games. I’ll start with its drawbacks.
If you’re a social gambler, video poker might not be the best choice. You don’t generally interact much with other players when you’re sitting in front of a jacks or better machine.
Also, if you’re a high roller or a low roller, video poker might not be available in the denominations you’re looking for. The lowest end video poker games cost $1.25 per hand to play (25 cents with a max bet of 5 coins), and even the highest end video poker games top out at less than most whales want to play.
Finally, video poker is a game that rewards skilled play. This is just too much pressure for some players. The idea is that they’ve come to the casino in order to relax, not to think about what they’re doing.
But the pros of video poker outweigh the cons in a significant way.
The main reason is that the odds are so much better. It’s also a much more transparent game.
A video poker game uses a random number generator that duplicates the kinds of odds you’d see if you were playing with a real deck of cards. That means if you need an ace to fill your straight, you can calculate the odds of getting that card. There are 4 aces in the deck—no more, no less.
With a slot machine, you have NO way of knowing what the likelihood of getting a particular symbol on a particular reel is. A cherry might be programmed to come up once every 10 spins, or it might be programmed to come up once every 100 spins. You have no way to know.
As a result, the payback percentage for a video poker machine can be calculated. You’re just multiplying the odds of achieving each hand by the payout for that hand. The payback percentage for a slot machine can be calculated, too. But not by you. You don’t have access to the information you need, and you’ll never be able to get access to it.
The best video poker games, like full pay jacks or better, offer a payback percentage of over 99% when played with appropriate strategy. Most slot machines, on the other hand, offer a payback percentage of 95% or much less.
Even video poker games with less than ideal pay tables pay more than slots. Even the worst jacks or better games, like the ones you’ll find at the airport, have a payback percentage north of 94%. Compare that with the slot machines there, which often have a payback percentage of 75% to 80%.
Having to learn how to use a little bit of strategy in order to get these better odds isn’t too big a drawback, either. In fact, for players with my temperament, learning strategy is fun. I like having some control over my destiny, even if I can’t turn the odds to my favor. I still want to get as much gambling for my money as possible, and I don’t mind making the effort to get there.
3. Craps
Craps might be the most intimidating game in the casino. You have lots of people standing around the table, the bets all have funny names, and you even need an entire crew of people just to run a single game.
I’ll start again with the drawbacks to craps, but I’m a firm believer that this is one of the best casino games for anyone, no matter what their level of experience is.
The first drawback is that the gameplay is actually a little bit complicated and hard to follow, especially if you’ve never played before. This is a game with a lot moving parts, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to someone shooting dice and hoping to get certain numbers.
It’s just that there’s a difference between the come-out roll and the subsequent rolls when the player is trying to make a point. Heck, even some of the bets on the table aren’t labeled.
Another drawback is that the game is as streaky as a casino game can be. You can easily lose hundreds of dollars at the craps table in a matter of moments. That’s a two-edged sword, though, as you can also win hundreds of dollars really fast, too.
Finally, some of the bets at the craps table offer some of the worst odds in the casino. The house edge for some of these bets is over 10%, in fact. But that’s not such a big drawback, either, as it’s pretty easy to choose the better bets.
Here are the advantages to craps:
Once you learn how to play, it’s not that hard at all. There are only 2 dice in use, and there is only one shooter at a time. And the shooter’s goal is simple enough—she wants to roll a 7 or an 11 on the come-out roll, and she wants to avoid rolling a 2, 3, or 12.
If she rolls any other number, she’s set a point. Her goal then changes. She now wants to roll the point before rolling a 7.
The simplest bet at the table is a bet on whether or not the shooter is going to succeed or fail. This bet is called the pass/don’t pass bet, but subsequent bets also have a come/don’t come option, which treats those subsequent rolls as new come-out rolls.
But the game also offers the only bet in the casino which has a 0 house edge. This is called an odds bet. When a point is set, you can place an additional bet behind your original pass or don’t pass bet. This bet is a multiple of your original bet, and the maximum amount you can bet on this option is pre-determined by the casino.
But since this bet pays out at the actual odds of it being won, it’s a bet with a 0% house edge. This hedges your risk in a dramatic way. The more money the casino lets you place on the odds bet, the better your odds become.
It’s also easy to avoid the high house edge bets. Just stick with the simple bets on the table and avoid the ones that seem complicated. If you stick with pass/don’t pass, come/don’t come, and odds bets, you’ll be facing a house edge of around 1% or less. That puts this game on a par with blackjack.
But unlike blackjack, you don’t have to know any kind of strategy when you play craps. The only strategy for this game is to avoid the bets which have a high house edge and focus on the bets with a low house edge.
Craps is also one of the most social games in any casino. People are jumping up and down, yelling, and giving each other high fives constantly.
I mentioned earlier that the game is, by its nature, streaky. That’s a feature, not a drawback. Few gambling experiences are more exciting than getting involved with a craps table with a hot shooter.
And if you think the game is too intimidating, look for the casino game class schedule at the casino. Almost all casinos offer these in the mornings and in the afternoons. Once you’ve taken one of these classes, you’ll be able to play craps as if you were an old pro.
4. Baccarat
I’ll admit that baccarat isn’t one of my personal favorites, but it’s been a favorite of casino high rollers for decades—maybe even longer. It has advantages and disadvantages over other card games in the casino, but one of the biggest advantages the game offers is its relatively low house edge.
You don’t make any decisions when playing baccarat. This isn’t like blackjack at all, really—the only thing the games have in common is that they’re dealt from a traditional deck of cards.
This game is perfect for high rollers, as the stakes are generally available. It’s also perfect for players who aren’t looking for something especially fast paced. It’s a leisurely game that offers a certain amount of elegance.
It’s also a good game for players who don’t want to learn a strategy and who aren’t interested in trying to get an edge over the casino. Baccarat is not as streaky as craps, but players can get on a winning streak without too much trouble.
5. Slot machines
I probably sounded pretty down on slot machines when I wrote about video poker earlier, but the reality is that for the right type gambler, slot machines are an excellent choice. But not all slot machine games are created equally.
Slot machines are the right games for people who aren’t interested in socializing with other gamblers. They’re also the right games for players who don’t want to make decisions. You put your money in, you spin the reels, and you accept your luck. That’s just how they work, and that appeals to a lot of people.
The best slot machines are the ones played at the higher denominations. If you look at any table comparing payout percentages at the various denominations, you’ll see that the higher denomination games always have the best payouts. That doesn’t mean you should play above your bankroll, though.
Here’s how the math of that works out:
You make 600 spins per hour on a $5 slot machine. That’s $3000 in action, and if you’re losing 5% on average, then you’re looking at an expected loss of $150 per hour.
You trade up to a $25 game, so now you’re putting $15,000 per hour into action. But now you’re only losing 4% on average, because the payout percentage is better. That’s an expected loss of $600 per hour.
Even if the payout percentage dropped to 3%, you’re looking at an expected loss of $450, which is still triple what you’d lose on the$5 game.
So it’s not all about payback percentage. The stakes for which you’re playing also make a big difference.
Another consideration is how complicated the game is. The general rule of thumb is that the payback percentage on the simpler games is higher than for the more complicated games. A 3 reel slot machine almost always has a better payout percentage than that of a 5 reel slot machine. A slot machine with a flat top jackpot almost always has a better payout percentage than that of a progressive jackpot machine.
So if you’re an introvert who’s not interested in making decisions, give the slots a try. Just stay within your budget and stick with the simpler, more traditional games. Slot machines get a bad rap, but that’s a little undeserved.
6. European roulette
In general, roulette gets a bad rap among so-called sophisticated gamblers. They cite the lack of a skill element and the high house edge for the game. But somehow roulette has managed to remain popular for centuries.
One reason is because the relatively high house edge is mitigated by the pace at which it is played.
Consider this. European roulette, which only has a single 0, has a house edge of 2.7%. Let’s say you found a really great slot machine that also has a house edge of only 2.7%.
Most roulette tables probably don’t see 60 bets per hour—less if the table is crowded. Suppose you’re betting $5 per spin of the wheel. That’s only $300 that you’re putting into action each house. With a 2.7% house edge, you’re looking at an expected hourly loss of $8.10.
Say you play that really good slot machine for $5 per spin. You’re looking at 600 spins per hour, which amounts to $3000 in action. Remember we said that it had the same house edge, too? Now you’re expected hourly loss is $81.
You’ll notice that I specified european roulette on this list. American roulette is going to make my list of worst casino games. That’s because the house edge for american roulette is almost twice as high as for european roulette, and there’s no advantage to playing it. The game simply has worse odds for the player.
Not all casinos have european roulette. My recommendation is to just skip roulette if the only version you can find is american roulette. There are other options with much better odds which suit similar temperaments—baccarat is one choice that might work well for you.
If enough gamblers start ignoring the american roulette wheels, the casinos might start putting in more european wheels.
7. Pai gow poker
I love pai gow poker for multiple reasons, but the main reasons have to do with the pacing. It’s a leisurely game. In that respect, it resembles roulette or baccarat. But the game also presents opportunities for pushes on a consistent basis, which lowers your expected hourly loss even further.
Like craps, though, pai gow poker can be intimidating for beginners. I’ll make the same recommendation for this game that I made for craps—take one of the classes that the casinos offer for free. This game is fun enough and offers a good enough deal that it’s worth learning how to play.
Pai gow poker is played with a 53 card deck—it includes a joker as a wild card. Like blackjack, it’s a house-banked game. So it’s a “casino poker” game rather than a “real” poker game. In casino poker, players only compete with the dealer’s hand. In real poker games, the dealer doesn’t usually even have a hand, and all the players compete with each other.
The gimmick is that each player gets a 7 card hand. You’re required to set that hand into 2 hands—a 2 card hand and a 5 card hand. The dealer has to do the same, but the dealer has to do so in a prescribed way. (this is another similarity to blackjack.)
If the player’s 2 hands are better than the dealer’s 2 hands, he wins even money less a 5% commission. If the dealer’s 2 hands are better than the player’s 2 hands, the player loses his bet. Other outcomes result in a push, which happens more often than you probably think.
This game does require a certain amount of strategy, because you do have to make decisions about which cards to put in the 5 card hand and which cards to put in the 2 card hand. If you enjoy the mental challenge of making decisions that affect your bottom line, then pai gow poker, like blackjack or video poker, is probably a good choice for you.
The house edge for this game is only about 1.5%, which isn’t as good as blackjack, but it’s still a great gamble. Even players on a budget can usually afford this because of the leisurely rate of play and the plentiful pushes.
8. Spanish 21
Some people consider spanish 21 just a blackjack game with some rules differences. They’re not wrong about this, necessarily, but I think that the rules changes are significant enough that spanish 21 deserves to be listed as its own game. It has most of the same pros and cons as blackjack.
Here are some of the differences between spanish 21 and standard blackjack:
Spanish 21 uses a “spanish deck”, which is a deck of playing cards with all of the 10s removed. This confused me the first time I read it, but I later realized that the face cards were still in the deck. It was literally just the cards with the number 10 on them that had been removed.
Late surrender, which is not available in most blackjack games, is always available in spanish 21. Doubling after splitting is also always allowed in spanish 21—most traditional blackjack games have limits to this, if they allow it at all. Aces can be re-split, too, which is also unusual in traditional blackjack games.
One of the other advantages a player gets in spanish 21 is that a total of 21 for the player ALWAYS wins, regardless of the dealer’s total. That’s a huge difference right there. This includes blackjacks on both the dealer’s and the player’s side—the player always wins one of these ties.
Spanish 21 also has several bonuses for various hands. A 5 card hand totaling 21, for example, pays off at 3 to 1. A 6 card hand totaling 21 pays off at 2 to 1. 7 cards or more with a total of 21 pays off at 3 to 1.
A 678 or a 777 also gets a bonus payout—3 to 2. But if the cards are suited, the payout is increased to 2 to 1. And if the suit is spades, the payoff is increased again, this time to 3 to 1.
Like regular blackjack, players who are willing to learn and implement basic strategy are able to reduce the house edge dramatically. The house edge for spanish 21 never goes above 1% as long as you use basic strategy, and under ideal conditions, the house edge is only 0.4%,
Spanish 21 is often a better game than blackjack, although the rules variations do mean you have to adjust your strategy in some significant ways. Still, it’s worth learning how to play. It’s often the best bet, mathematically, out of all the bets available in any given casino.
9. 3 card poker
3 card poker makes the list not because of its low house edge but because it’s so much fun. In fact, 3 card poker has some of the worst odds of any game on this list. But the odds aren’t terrible, and the game has some other perks which might make up for the relatively high house edge in some ways.
I mentioned earlier that there’s a difference between a traditional poker game and a casino poker game. That’s because in traditional poker you’re competing with the other players. In a casino poker game, the house is banking all the action. It’s like blackjack—you only have to beat the dealer; you don’t have to beat the other players at the table.
Of course, in a poker game with only 3 cards, the odds of getting certain hands change quite a bit. That’s part of the fun of this game. It’s easier to get a straight, a flush, or a straight flush when you only have to get 3 cards to match.
Here’s a look at the probability behind that.
Suppose you want to determine the probability of getting a flush. In probability terms, this is an “AND” question. The 2 nd card needs to be of the same suit as the 1 st card, AND the 3 rd card has to match those suits, too.
In probability, when the question uses the word “and”, you multiply the probabilities of the separate outcomes by each other to get your overall probability.
To keep things simple, I’m going to estimate these odds without taking into account the cards that have already been dealt. There are 4 suits, so the probability of getting a card of any particular suit is ¼.
¼ X ¼ is 1/16, which is a reasonable approximation of your odds of getting a flush in 3 card poker.
In a 5 card poker game, the odds would look like this, instead:
That’s an order of magnitude in difference.
The bottom line is that you’ll see bigger hands more often in 3 card poker, and that’s just more fun. Of course, your hand still has to beat the dealer’s hand in order to win.
The house edge for 3 card poker is around 3.3%, making it a worse bet than european roulette, but not by much. It’s also a considerably better bet than american roulette, which has a house edge of 5.26%.
10. Caribbean stud poker
Caribbean stud poker is another house-banked poker game, but this one offers a progressive jackpot. I recommended avoiding slot machine games with progressive jackpots earlier, because they offer worse odds to the players. If you’re looking for a fun game where you get a shot at a big prize, caribbean stud poker is a good place to look.
Also, caribbean stud poker is a game in which you can socialize with other players. I’m not a fan of gambling alone, although I know some people prefer slot machines and video poker because they ARE fans of gambling alone. As shakespeare said in hamlet, “to thine own self be true.”
The house edge on this game is relatively high, about the same as that for roulette. So on our list of best casino games, this is the worst of the bunch. I wouldn’t recommend this at all if it weren’t for the fun factor and the potential progressive jackpot.
This is also a game that rewards strategy, but the strategy for playing is more complicated than just learning basic strategy in blackjack. This is a plus and a minus.
I enjoy a challenge. Learning a complicated strategy for a game is entertaining to me.
But why would I want to spend my time learning a strategy for a game with a house edge that’s 10 times as high as that of blackjack? I could just use that that time learning basic blackjack strategy and enjoy a much better house edge.
The truth is that it’s all about the progressive jackpot. Most blackjack games don’t offer a progressive jackpot, and sometimes I just want to dream about the big score. And you can’t ever get a big score if you don’t play a game where a big score is available.
Heck, even if you don’t hit the progressive, some of the hands pay out at 100 to 1 or 50 to 1. You won’t see that at the blackjack table, either.
Conclusion
What constitutes a casino game in the “best of class” category is largely a matter of personal preference. You know your goals as a casino gambler better than I ever could. Beware of people offering blanket black and white advice about which casino games are better than others and why.
A lot of these gambling pundits base all their advice on one factor—the house edge. As factors go, that isn’t a bad one, but it’s not the only thing most people consider—or even SHOULD consider—when choosing a casino game to play.
You should also think about whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. You should think about whether you like fast paced game or slow paced games. Would you prefer to have frequent small wins, or do you prefer to go for a big jackpot?
All of these are factors that you can and should take into consideration when choosing a casino game. The games on this list represent my favorites more than anything else, although I tried to provide objective reasons for the inclusion of each on this list.
Which game should I play?
Bonnie and I were attending a square dance convention where we had to stay for two nights. Close to the dancing venue was a harrah’s casino. Having seven stars status within the caesars entertainment system gets me a room “for free,” but a certain amount of play is expected. I don’t have to play every time I stay at one of these casino/hotels, but a certain percentage of time I do. And it’s a guess as to what that percentage is.
I decided to give them a minimum amount of play, which I arbitrarily defined to be 1,000 reward credits a day.
For their “regular” video poker, which takes $10 to earn a reward credit (meaning I would need to play $10,000 coin-in daily to earn the minimum I decided upon), the loosest game I found was 9/5 jacks or better, returning 98.45%.
For their “premium” video poker, which takes $25 to earn one reward credit (meaning I would need to play $25,000 coin-in for the same benefits), the loosest game I found was 9/6 jacks or better, returning 99.54%.
For both games, they had $1 and $2, triple play and five play. Playing this much for these stakes is acceptable to me.
So, the primary choices are:
- Play $25,000 daily at 9/6 jacks?
- Play $10,000 daily at 9/5 jacks?
- Avoid the problem by paying retail at another hotel where no play is expected?
They had a full array of games in each category, so if you’re a double double bonus person, or a deuces wild player, or perhaps some other particular game satisfies your itch, you could find a tighter version to play at $10 per reward credit or a looser version to play for $25 per reward credit. The same technique I describe below may be used for these games as well, but since they all return less than the jacks or better games at this casino, I’m personally not interested.
First the math: for 9/6 jacks, $25,000 * (1-99.54%) = $115 daily expected loss. For 9/5 jacks, $10,000 * (1-98.45%) = $155 daily loss. The other hotel, $80 + tax + $15 daily resort fee, but you get a free continental breakfast.
For me, the other hotel is not a good option. The dollars came out to be similar, but I receive extra benefits at harrah’s. Access to the diamond lounge, which offers snacks and free drinks, easily offsets most free continental breakfasts. For every reward credit you earn, you also earn a tier credit, which go towards your tier level one thousand reward credits in a day earns you a bonus of another 1,000 tier credits. Consequently, for each day I earn 1,000 tier credits, I reduce my annual tier credit requirement to stay at seven stars by 2,000. (it takes 150,000 tier credits annually to remain seven stars and I’ve made the decision that it’s worth getting.)
So, between the two games, the looser game is the better choice, even though it requires 150% more coin-in to earn the same number of reward credits. This is a conclusion that was for these particular games only. For specific games at other casinos, the “lesser” game may well turn out to be less expensive.
Another consideration is how much time it takes to play. Clearly it takes longer to play $25,000 than $10,000. If I were a single-line quarter player, that would be a showstopper. I could play $10,000 per day for quarters if I basically played all day, not but $25,000. (but even then, I wasn’t in town to gamble but to participate in several hours a day of a square dance convention. Playing quarters was simply not an option.) but someone willing to play, say, $2 triple play is going to be finished in less than an hour, so that wasn’t a consideration for me this time.
Another consideration is the variance. Even though playing $25,000 at the better game has a lower expected loss than $10,000 coin-in at the lesser game, if things go badly, you can lose a lot more playing $25,000 than you can $10,000.
Another consideration is the theoretical (i.E., “theoretical” is the percentage of coin-in the casino expects to win from all play on a particular machine or game). Very possibly, you’ll receive better offers down the road playing $10,000 at a 98.45% game than $25,000 at a 99.54% game. Will those offers be $90 better? Who knows for sure?
Also, it depends on whether you’re planning on coming back or not. If you regularly visit a casino, the size of your offers is important. For bonnie and me at this particular casino, probably not so much. One reason we attend this location is bonnie’s daughter lives somewhat close to here and that’s an attraction. But bonnie’s daughter is moving in a few months, so it’s very possible we will not be coming back to this casino again. Building up offers here, then, isn’t that useful. Where bonnie’s daughter lives doesn’t matter to my readers, but adding personal considerations into a decision makes a lot of sense.
Still, caesars has local offers and national offers. Even if we won’t be back to this casino, we will likely remain in the caesars system for several years and we don’t want to leave dirty footprints behind us.
Play online casino games at casino.Com UK
Table of contents:
There’s no better way to play casino games for real money than at the online casino, and there’s no better online casino in the UK than casino.Com. Whether you’re at home or on your mobile device, it’s a convenient, secure, and fun way to gamble. We have all the latest and most popular casino games from top gaming developers such as playtech, netent, microgaming, and more.
All games are tested by a third-party testing facility to make sure that the results are fair and the RNG algorithm is accurate. With a wide range of over 700 casino games, casino.Com is the ultimate destination for UK punters looking to play real money casino.
How to play casino games online
Before you can start playing, you will need to create an online casino account. It’s a quick process, click on the JOIN button at the top of the page to open the registration page. All you need to get started is your name, date of birth, email address, physical address, and phone number. The next step is to transfer funds to your account. Casino.Com UK accepts a wide range of secure payment methods, that can safely deposit the money directly to your account.
After the account is ready, you will have unlimited access to the casino game lobby. Here you will be able to search for games by category, name, jackpot, software provider, or just from A-Z.
In addition to online casino games, casino.Com UK, through the playtech eurolive platform, offers a wide selection of live dealer games. While these two types of casino games have many similarities, such as odds, payouts, and rules, there are some key differences.
Online casino games | live dealer games |
uses a random number generator to determine the outcome of a game. | Games use real cards or roulette wheels. |
The game is completely online | HD streaming cameras bring real-time action from casino to your computer, phone, or tablet. |
Can play at your pace | have to have your bet in before the timer reaches “0” |
play by yourself, against a computerized dealer or roulette wheel | can play with punters from around the world and chat with the dealer or croupier |
game is always available when you want to play | while the live casino is open 24/7, you may have to wait for a dealer to come back from break, for a seat to open at the table, or find a different table. |
What are the best online casino games?
One of the great things about casino.Com UK is we won’t tell you what the best casino games are. Instead, we have a wide range, from the popular table games such as online roulette, blackjack, baccarat to hundreds of online slot games, scratch cards, online craps and so much more. We’ll leave it up to you to play them and decide which you think are the best.
Blackjack – one thing that makes online blackjack even better than regular blackjack is the variants that are only available online. The base game is usually the same, make a bet and then you’ll receive a pair of cards. Then you have to beat the dealer at a game of 21.
However, many of the blackjack tables have different variants that put a different spin on the game.
If you prefer a game with a real deck of cards, check out the many live dealer blackjack rooms. You’ll be able to play at the table with punters from around the world and watch as the dealer passes the cards around the table.
Roulette – there are dozens of online roulette tables at the casino game lobby. With european, american, and french roulette wheels, there is something for everyone. In addition to the standard roulette wheel with 36 red and black numbers, you can spin the mini roulette (12 numbers) or 101 roulette (101 number) wheels. There are also several online roulette games with a progressive jackpot.
If you’re wary of an automated roulette table, come to the live casino and check out our many live roulette tables and watch in real-time as the croupier drops the roulette ball on the wheel.
Slots – there are so many online slot games it’s hard to fit it all in a short paragraph. From one-armed bandit style slot machines to games that have over 116,000 paylines we’re confident you’ll find multiple slot games to play. There are sports, destinations, superheroes, fantasy, fruit, and TV/movie themes games. There are also slot games with progressive jackpots and fixed jackpots, with tons of possible bonus features.
Live casino – casino.Com uses the playtech eurolive platform to bring live dealer blackjack, roulette, and baccarat to our UK punters 24/7. The casino is in latvia, and has hundreds of HD streaming cameras that bring the action directly to both computers and mobile devices.
Video poker – try your luck in both single-line and multi-line video poker games
Baccarat – baccarat may have the reputation as the “game of kings,” but this is really a simple game to learn and play. You can find both commission and non-commission baccarat tables. Live baccarat is available at the live dealer casino.
Craps – perhaps no casino game is as exciting as craps, and you can make all the bets from the convenience of home.
Safe and secure
Safety is one of the top concerns for any online company that has private user data, and casino.Com UK is no exception. We take every possible step to ensure that our punter’s data and money are protected. It should go without saying that we won’t share or sell any user data to third-party marketers. We have a detailed privacy policy that outlines what information we do collect and what we do with it.
Along with software developers like playtech, netent, microgaming, blueprint among others, we are regulated by multiple gaming commissions, including in the UK, to make sure that our systems are secure and the games are paying out fairly.
Software
Casino.Com believes that to be the best, we have to work with the best. You can find games from playtech, netent, microgaming, realistic, and many others. While the games have their own styles, graphics and features the overall look and feel of the games are uniforms. Every game has the highest quality graphics, is optimized to work on mobile, and a detailed help menu.
As long as you have a stable and fast internet connection, you should experience smooth gameplay, without lagging, and excellent animations that almost make you forget you’re not looking at real cards or roulette wheels.
Mobile experience
As convenient as it is to play at the online casino, playing on your mobile takes that convenience to a whole new level. Take our entire collection of casino games with you while you’re away from the computers. The games are fully responsive and will adapt to all screen sizes, regardless of size. Enjoy the touch-friendly games wherever you are, as long as you have a stable network or wifi connection.
Promotions and bonuses
With your first deposit, you instantly become eligible for the casino.Com UK welcome package. The promotions will continue as we are constantly offering different promotions. They can be tailored to a specific game, holiday, or time of the year. The promotions are a great way to get introduced to new games or just enjoy some of your favourites with the bonus coins. The offers are always changing, so make sure to check out the promotion page for all the latest offers.
Where do I register to start playing casino? Click on the JOIN button on the top of the page and enter your details in the proper fields to register your account.
What is a welcome package? It’s our way of welcoming you to the casino.Com family. The details always change, but it usually includes matching funds up to a certain number. Check out the bonus page for all the different types of bonuses and wagering requirements.
How do I get into the VIP program? There are many perks to being a VIP, so this isn’t just something that we give away. You can join the casinoclub and start earning your way to VIP status. You will also have to deposit and play with a set amount of money. For more information, check out the VIP page today.
How do I know if a casino is safe? Check out the fine print. Don’t trust your money with an unregulated online casino, or one that isn’t licensed by a recognizable gambling commission.
Can I play for real money? Of course! To win real money, you will need to play with real money. Register your account and make a deposit to start playing for real money today.
Are there withdrawal limits? Yes, but it can vary based on which payment method you use for withdrawals. Check out the payment method page for complete details. VIP players also have higher withdrawal limits than regular punters.
How are live dealer games different? Live dealer games don’t use an RNG to determine the outcome of the game. Instead, you’re playing with a real deck of cards or a roulette ball in a casino in latvia and watching the action in real-time.
What are RNG, and why do they matter? This stands for random number generator. It is an algorithm that is used in our online casino games to ensure that the odds of winning are consistent with the odds of winning with a real deck of cards or a roulette wheel. It’s important that RNG is there to ensure fair play so our players know that if they make a bet with a 25% odds of winning, then the actual odds are 25% as well.
I don’t know you, what can you tell me about you? Casino.Com is part of the mansion LTD family of online casinos. We have been operating for over a decade, and took home the award for online casino operator of the year at the 2018 IGA awards.
Are you regulated? Yes, casino.Com is regulated by the gibraltar gambling commissioner and in the UK under the united kingdom gambling commission remote operation license.
Play casino games for real money
Casino games are very easy to learn, and if you have any questions, every game, regardless of the software developer, has a detailed help menu. Register your account today and enjoy unlimited access to both the live dealer and traditional online casino games. Whether you a new punter or an experienced gambler, make sure to check out the welcome bonus packages and promotions before playing any of the casino games, who knows what you might find.
Free online slots and casino games
If you like casino games but don’t want to risk your own money, this section of our website with free online casino games is just for you. Most of the games available here are slot machines, as they are the most popular, but there are also other kind of games.
Feel free to use it to try out the free gambling games before playing them for real money, or simply just have fun playing your favorite online casino games in demo mode without any risk and with no registration and no download required.
Before you get started, you might find it useful to read our answers to some of the frequent questions:
Casino guru
We want players to understand gambling.
7,798 games found based on your search. Showing 1 - 12
If you like casino games but don’t want to risk your own money, this section of our website with free online casino games is just for you. Most of the games available here are slot machines, as they are the most popular, but there are also other kind of games.
Feel free to use it to try out the free gambling games before playing them for real money, or simply just have fun playing your favorite online casino games in demo mode without any risk and with no registration and no download required.
Before you get started, you might find it useful to read our answers to some of the frequent questions:
Types of free casino games you can play for free on our site
Slot machines are by far the most popular online casino games. That’s why most of the games you can find here are free slots to play for fun. However, we also support other kinds of casino games, including:
- Free slot machines
- Online roulette
- Online blackjack
- Video poker
We are always working on expanding our library of free casino games. Right now, it’s mostly dominated by slot machines, but we plan to add more games like bingo, baccarat, craps or scratch cards.
If you want to display only a specific type of casino games, use the "game type" filter and choose the game category you want to play. All of the filters should help you find the game you are looking for as quickly as possible.
List of supported game providers
As I already mentioned, we do our best to expand the list of online casino games you can play for fun our site. However, with games from some game providers it’s easier that with others. That’s why you can’t find all of the popular video slots here, but we did well to cover the most well-known games and game providers.
Here’s a list of game providers whose games you can find on the casino.Guru website:
- Netent – play netent slots for free and try the demo mode of extremely popular games like starburst, gonzo’s quest or jack and the beanstalk. Many of netent games use HTML5, which means they can be played on mobile devices as well.
- IGT – play your favorite IGT slots online for free and try classic games like cleopatra or davinci diamonds.
- Novomatic – everybody knows sizzling hot, right? Try it out together with other free novomatic slots.
- Aristocrat – play queen of the nile and other free aristocrat slots online for free.
- Microgaming – microgaming might be most well-known for a slot game called mega moolah, which has broken the record for a biggest online progressive jackpot win several times. Enjoy the free play on hundreds of free microgaming slots on our website.
- Playtech – the series "age of gods" represents the most popular slots by playtech. Feel free to try them out, as well as other playtech slots using our free play feature.
- WMS – WMS slots and games are most widely known amongst american players, but also popular in europe and on other markets. Try online WMS slot for free on our website.
- Konami – konami is a japanese entertainment company; whose slots are probably most well-known because of their special free spin feature that can award the player with hundreds of free spins at once. Try out konami slot machines online for free.
- Merkur – merkur slots have become popular mostly thanks to their presence in brick-and-mortar casinos in germany and other european countries, but you can also try merkur slots online for free.
- Yggdrasil – yggdrasil is a young company, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the games created by this company. Yggdrasil slots generally don’t require flash thanks to HTML5, which means you can try yggdrasil slots for free also on your mobile phone or tablet.
- Kajot – kajot is mostly popular amongst czech and slovak players, thanks to the availability of kajot slots in czech and slovak land based casinos. Try kajot slot games online for free.
Of course, the list doesn’t stop there. You can also play slots and games made by other companies. Use the "game provider" filter to display online casino games made by selected game providers.
Technologies used to run our free video slots and other casino games
Despite the declining usage of this technology, flash is still needed to play many of the games you can try out on our website. That being said, more and more games are being created or reworked using HTML5. These casino games generally run more smoothly, don’t take up as much resources and most importantly can be played using mobile devices.
Note: flash is a bit outdated multimedia software platform which was (and still is) used to produce animations, games, web applications and much more. That makes it great for creating online casino games, but it has many disadvantages, which is why it’s being replaced by newer technologies like HTML5.
If you are accessing the casino.Guru website using a mobile device or a computer without flash player installed, the "mobile devices supported" filter will be extremely useful to you. Use it to display only the casino games you can play without flash.
Free slot casino games available only to players from certain countries
If you weren’t able to start some of the games, it might be because of the restrictions based on your location. Some of the free slots and other types of casino games are only available to players from certain countries. If you are from one of the restricted countries, you are simply out of luck. If that happens, you can still choose from a wide selections of other games which you will be able to play for free.
Note: your inability to play a game for fun can also be caused by the fact that you don’t have the flash player installed for a game which requires it.
If you want to display only games which you will be able to play, use "allowed for ips from…" filter and select your country. Then, you shouldn’t have any issues related to restricted countries and you should be able to run each of the displayed games.
How to play online casino games for real money
If you like some of the games and want to play for real money, you should find a casino which meets all of your requirements and also enables you to play the games you like. After selecting a game, you will see some casinos you can play it in for real money under the game window.
However, don’t choose a casino too quickly. Some casinos are much better than others, which is exactly why we spend a lot of times creating and fine-tuning our casino reviews to provide you with all the relevant information you need. You want to find a reputable casino that will actually pay out your winnings if you manage to make a profit, right? Our reviews will help you find a safe, reputable and secure casino you can rely on.
If you are new to the world of online casinos, read the how to start guide and my detailed instructions on how to choose an online casino. I believe this information will help you make a good decision.
Red or black? You decide.
Red or black? You decide.
Red or black? You decide.
Featured live casino games
Game shows
Live roulette
Live blackjack
Live table games
Play live casino games at paddy power
Technology, eh? What a wonderful thing. Amongst the wonderful gifts it has given us are ample opportunities to play our favourite casino games on our computers, laptops, tablets and phones without even having to change out of our onesies.
But do you ever feel like there’s something missing? Hitting the blackjack and roulette tables is exciting enough, but wouldn’t it be cool if the games were overseen by real human dealers, who you could interact with as the action unfolds?
Well, good news friend: you already can. That’s the magic of live casino games.
What is a live casino?
What are live casino games?
From roulette and blackjack to baccarat, the basic principles of your favourite casino games are exactly the same in their live dealer versions.
But as the name suggests, in a live casino online your bets are taken by an actual human being, who just happens to be working in a proper casino hall that is being streamed directly to your chosen device courtesy of paddy power.
What is the difference between an online casino and a live casino?
Good question! A live dealer casino features a number of edge-of-the-seat games where the action unfolds in the safe hands of a professional dealer. They take your chips, deal the cards, spin the wheel and so on, and you can interact with them as the game takes place.
All of the drama is live streamed in HD too, so this is the closest you can get to the thrills and spills of the casino without having to get up off the sofa, if that’s where you choose to spend your time.
On the contrary, an online casino is a website or platform, like paddy power, that offers casino games online. These can be live or traditional, non-live online games.
All about live dealers
So, who are these mysterious live dealers? The first thing to note is that they are all professional croupiers; they’re not actors or merely people selected because they look good on screen. You can rest assured that they are highly skilled and know each of the games they oversee like the back of their hand.
In many live dealer casino games, you can interact with the dealers too. So it helps a lot that they are all good fun and up for a laugh as well - we know, because we've picked them carefully.
Can live dealers see players?
No, the live dealer cannot see you at home. So, if you’re sat in your superhero pyjamas down, don't worry!
Can players see other users?
All you can see on your game screen is the dealer going about their business and the game board – whether that’s the roulette wheel or the green felt of the blackjack, or baccarat. You’ll see cards and chips and useful information about betting options on your screen, but certainly not other players.
Can users talk to live dealers?
You can interact with the live dealers - in fact, we encourage you to. Occasionally, they will be able to hear you directly, and for other live dealer casino games you can talk to them via a live chat interface.
As ever, the usual rules that apply to society are in play: don’t be rude, don’t be inappropriate and don’t act the fool, as you may find yourself banished.
Can live dealers influence the game?
Live dealer games are no different from traditional bricks-and-mortar casino offerings. Would you expect the dealer in a high street casino to tell you to hit on 17 when sat at the blackjack table, or tell you which numbers are hot on the roulette wheel?
Of course not, and the same rules apply in the live casino. All the dealers are there to do is take your bets, hand out the cards and spin the wheel. If they can provide some light-hearted fun along the way then great, but don’t expect to be getting any expert strategies from them that are designed to bring down the house.
Where can you find the best live dealers in UK?
Right here at paddy power casino, of course!
We’ve got plenty of options for players, including traditional roulette and blackjack, as well as more diverse variants of those games.
You can also try your hand at casino hold ‘em, spin A win, sic bo, 3-card brag and more.
Playing live casino streamed from a studio vs playing in a land-based casino
The concept behind live dealer games is to enhance the experience of users and bring them a step closer to land-based casino gaming while maintaining that play on the move vibe that so many players love.
You might be too busy, not have a casino on your doorstep, or be something of a home bird who prefers staying in to going out.
Live casino games are as close to the las vegas experience you’ll get without having to pay through the nose for flights and accommodation.
Play live casino with paddy power
As mentioned already, you’ll find a comprehensive range of live dealer games available at paddy power casino, and we’ve left no stone unturned in providing an exceptional user experience to all who come to visit us online.
Like any good live casino online, you’ll find stacks of games available, with each vetted by paddy himself to ensure they are of the highest quality.
And with our traditional casino and sportsbook, as well as some hunky promotions and bonuses, there really is no better place to continue your live game odyssey.
Types of live casino games
There’s a fantastic selection of live dealer casino games, with all of your traditional favourites ever-present alongside some unique titles you may not have had the pleasure of playing.
The presence of the live dealers can be a real asset in this latter category, as they can help you with the rules of the game as you get to grips with it.
How do live casino games work?
In short, the action of a live dealer game is exactly the same as any other casino offering.
The difference here is that instead of clicking icons on a screen to place your bets and deal the cards, the dealer is on hand to oversee matters in the same way as they would if you were in a land-based casino.
The graphic overlays still let you know how many chips you’ve got (relating to your account balance), and any wins are totted up and displayed on-screen for you to savour too. You'll often find even more useful stats and options on the game screen.
What games can be played at live casino tables?
Live roulette
An end to impersonal games of roulette – a 2D wheel designed by a computer programmer whizzing around – is possible thanks to live roulette games, where the dealer will accept your wagers before setting the wheel in motion.
Of all the live games online, live roulette is one of the most satisfying, with the clanking of the wheel as it grinds slowly to a halt to reveal the location of that little magic ball of destiny being incredibly exhilarating. Live casino games online don’t get any better than this!
Live blackjack
While traditional online blackjack is a fine way to spend your time, the action is elevated to a new level thanks to the presence of the live dealer. Suddenly, you feel like you are taking on the dealer and battling for supremacy, which is a nice little adrenaline rush on a cold and rainy tuesday afternoon.
Live table games
There are plenty of niche titles to enjoy in paddy power’s live casino too. You can try your hand at 3 card brag, baccarat, sic-bo, hi-lo, casino hold’em and the legendary spin-a-win, which will leave you feeling like you’ve wandered onto the set of a '90s TV game show.
Exclusive live blackjack tables
Here at paddy power towers, we’ve gone that extra mile as far as our live blackjack channel is concerned.
We’ve exclusively created a series of tables which will give you the taste of venues across the globe, from miami and havana to tokyo, shanghai, monaco and paris.
Each of these tables has a different buy-in range and varying limits too, so there’s plenty of options for players to explore.
How to play live casino games
Playing your favourite live casino games is a breeze at paddy power, and your hardest choice is narrowing it down to playing one at a time!
All you need to do is select your chosen game from the lobby and wait to be connected to an empty seat at your chosen table.
Once seated, you will be able to interact with the dealer at the table and place your bets in the ordinary fashion, with on-screen prompts helping to keep the action flowing.
Live dealer casino games - rules and strategy
The rules for our live dealer casino games are the same as they would be for any other version of the title you have chosen.
So, the rules for live dealer blackjack are the same as for traditional versions of the popular table game, and so on.
As for strategy, it’s a case of each to their own on that front. If you have experience of playing at a live casino online then you may want to stick to the games that you are familiar with.
If you are a complete newcomer to a live dealer casino, then take the time to read our rules and strategy guides for each casino game. It may just take your enjoyment of the game to the next level.
Live casino lobby
This is the engine room of paddy power’s live casino. Here you will find all of the available games, listed by type and buy-in, and you will see highlighted in green how many seats are available at the table.
All you have to do is decide which game you want to play, click or tap, and let the good times roll.
Should I choose a full table or one that has empty seats?
This is the million dollar question.
If a table is full, it is generally a sign that the action is unfolding at a nice pace – nobody has ‘rage quit’ the table – and that the dealer is doing a great job.
Having said that, just because a table has free spaces it doesn’t mean that the experience is below-par. You simply may have chosen a more niche game to play, or you might be online outside of the most popular hours to play.
Our advice is to simply stick with your favourite game(s). If a seat is free then happy days, if not you know it will be worth the wait.
Can players sit at more than one table?
Yes, you can. You can usually sit at up to three tables at any one time, although please be courteous to your fellow players and make sure you remain focused.
There’s nothing worse than a player whose mind has wandered elsewhere and thus slows down the pace of play for everybody else!
Play live casino games for real money
Paddy power is a live casino dedicated to UK and ireland players, where you have two options: you can play some of our games in ‘demo’ mode, which basically means you can throw around play money as liberally as you like, or instead you can tackle the dealer in an attempt to win real cash prizes. To access the demo versions of the game, you need to create an account.
Welcome bonus for new live casino customers
Paddy is certainly a generous soul when it comes to our live casino bonuses and promotions.
Alongside the standard casino offers, there’s a welcome bonus specifically for those who want to partake in some live dealer game action.
These terms are subject to change from time to time. For example, at the time of writing, new players will bank a 100% bonus on their first deposit with us, worth up to £100. You'll find welcome offers, casino match deposits, freebies and more on paddy power.
Is playing at live casino safe?
That’s the thing with the internet: are your personal details safe, or is your identity currently being stolen by a 22-year-old in peru who’s a whizz with microsoft paint?
At paddy power casino, you can rest assured that you are in the safest hands. Our site is encrypted with the latest SSL technologies, so any information you share with us – and us alone – is kept secure.
We also continue to be regulated by the UK gambling commission, who ensure the highest standards of practice are adhered to.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today and choose your favourite live casino table.
Top 8 casino card games you need to try this year
Table of contents
How many casino card games do you know?
I dare you, count them all.
If you play online games as much as I do, you know dozens of casino card games. Some of them depend purely on luck, others depend purely on strategy and smarts.
Most of them are extremely fun to play.
But do you know which casino card games are the very best ones? You can be sure you’ll find them in this article.
The most iconic casino card games
Some casino games are so iconic, you won’t imagine a casino without them. Slots and roulette always fall to this category.
When it comes to card games, blackjack, baccarat, and video poker are the most iconic games at a casino.
Blackjack
Editor’s rating | 10/10 |
best for | players who like skill games |
basic rules | get a hand that’s higher in points than the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21 points. To do so, you can hit (ask for more cards) or stand (play with the current hand till the end). |
Min/max bet | 0.50/500 |
difficulty level | simple rules but a difficult strategy |
games online | classic blackjack, european blackjack, double xposure blackjack, single deck blackjack, vegas strip blackjack gold series |
Blackjack is the ultimate card game you can play at a casino.
Not only it’s the most popular casino table game, but it also has the best return to player (RTP) percentage of all table games (! 99.7 percent !).
Many different variants of blackjack games will keep you entertained while it’s easy to learn the rules of this game even for the beginners.
If you want to win at blackjack, using the basic strategy is the way to go. You can find a blackjack strategy table right here.
Baccarat
Editor’s rating | 8/10 |
best for | players who like games of chance |
basic rules | predict the hand that will be closer to 9 or that there’s going to be a tie. To do so, you can bet on punto (the player), banco (the banker), or the tie. |
Min/max bet | 1/100 |
difficulty level | simple rules and no strategy needed |
games online | baccarat pro, punto banco pro, punto banco pro low limit |
If you found your way to casino card games from the roulette wheel or slot machine, baccarat (a.K.A. Punto banco) should be the first card game you play.
It’s also a game of chance. Whether you win or lose depends on luck, there’s very little place for strategies.
Unless you’re talented in edge-sorting. But we all know what happened to phil ivey when he tried that, right?
The only strategy tip you need when playing baccarat or punto banco is this: never bet on the tie.
The punto (player) bet has a house edge of 1.24 percent, the banco (banker) - 1.06 percent. Meanwhile, you’d lose $14.44 of every $100 you bet on the tie.
Video poker
Editor’s rating | 10/10 |
best for | slot fans and newbie poker players |
basic rules | make the best poker hand by keeping and discarding particular cards in your 5-card hand. |
Min/max bet | 0.25/25 |
difficulty level | simple rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
games online | deuces wild, double double bonus poker, jacks or better, joker wild, bonus deuces wild poker |
Video poker is the only casino card game that’s not a table game. Instead, it’s played on a machine just like slots are.
But don’t underestimate it just yet.
It may seem like a lonely or boring game from the first sight but it’s anything but. If you choose the right video poker games, these machines payout better than blackjack or poker games.
Set the coin value, draw cards to make a qualifying hand, and reap the winnings of games with 99.5 percent and higher RTP!
Best casino card games for poker players
Let’s be honest, some players swear by poker games. So, naturally, at a casino they play card games that resemble the card poker.
It makes oasis poker, TXS hold’em, and casino hold’em the best choice for poker players.
Oasis poker
Editor’s rating | 8.5/10 |
best for | poker players |
basic rules | beat the dealer’s hand with a better ranking hand. You get to see one card of the dealer’s hand. Depending on your hand, you can switch some of your cards with new cards from the deck (it’s paid). Then you raise (bet more and see the showdown) or fold (quit your hand). |
Min/max bet | 1/40 |
difficulty level | simple rules but a semi-difficult strategy |
games online | oasis poker pro, oasis poker pro low limit |
Many casino poker games are pretty straightforward and oasis poker is no exception.
Both you and the dealer get five cards each. So, from the get-go, you know what hand you have. Until the showdown, you only know one card of the dealer’s hand.
You can improve your hand by switching one or more of the cards with new cards from the deck. But it’s paid and rarely advised.
Then, depending on your hand strength, you raise or fold.
Want a tip? Switch cards only if you’re one card short to flush, straight, straight flush or royal flush. Fold when you have less than an ace-king high.
TXS hold’em
Editor’s rating | 9.5/10 |
best for | fans of (texas hold’em) poker |
basic rules | beat the dealer by having a better ranking card. Your hand combines two of your initial cards and three of the community cards. |
Min/max bet | 1/40 |
difficulty level | semi-difficult rules, a difficult strategy |
games online | TXS hold’em, TXS hold’em low limit |
If you ever played texas hold’em poker with your friends, TXS hold'em casino card game will be easy to grasp.
The only differences from the classic texas hold’em game are these:
- You play only against the dealer (not the other players)
- There’s no point in bluffing - the dealer plays until the end
- Your call (to see flop) bet is always double your ante while the turn and river bets are always equal to your ante
It’s important to keep in mind that you’ll need to make an ante bet and call bet if you want to play. That’s at least $3 per hand.
After seeing the flop, you can either bet more before seeing the turn and river or check without making additional wagers.
Casino hold’em
Editor’s rating | 9/10 |
best for | newbie poker players |
basic rules | similar to TXS hold’em poker. You need to beat the dealer’s hand. There’s also a side bet available and the dealer needs to qualify for you to get better payouts. |
Min/max bet | 1/100 |
difficulty level | semi-difficult rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
games online | casino hold’em |
Casino hold’em is the easier version of TXS hold’em game. Mostly because there are fewer bets involved - only ante and call bets.
The game is also faster - after you decide whether to call or not, you won’t see the turn and river cards one by one. You’ll see them together right away.
But you can win both of your bets only after the dealer qualifies - has a pair of 4s or better. If the dealer doesn’t, the call bet is a push and only ante payout counts for the winnings.
AA bonus is an extra side bet you can make. You’ll win the bet every time your hand with the flop (and only the flop) shows a pair of aces or better.
Other casino card games worth your time
There are plenty of other casino card games that every player should try. But today I’d like to share only two more games with you - pontoon and red dog.
These games guarantee an exciting and different gambling session. You’ll see.
Pontoon
Editor’s rating | 9/10 |
best for | blackjack players |
basic rules | similar to blackjack. You also win by making a 5-card hand without busting. The dealer wins on all ties. |
Min/max bet | 1/40 |
difficulty level | semi-difficult rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
games online | pontoon pro, pontoon pro low limit |
Pontoon is one of the most fascinating casino card games you can play online.
Essentially, it’s a variant of blackjack. But it features different terms and slight modifications in the rules.
For example, you get the best payout not only when you have a pontoon (a natural 21-point hand) but also when you have a 5-card hand.
After all, it’s not that easy to draw until you have five cards without going bust. And thus, you’re awarded for your efforts.
Red dog
Editor’s rating | 8.5/10 |
best for | fans of simple casino card games |
basic rules | the dealer deals three cards: first and third face-up, the middle one face-down. You win if the middle card has a higher value than the first card but a lower than the third one. |
Min/max bet | 1/100 |
difficulty level | simple rules and a very simple strategy |
games online | red dog progressive |
Red dog is the perfect game for casino newbies. Both the rules and the strategy of the game are as easy as it gets.
You make your ante bet if you want to play and you get three cards. The middle one is facing down.
If you believe the middle card will have a value that’s in between the first and third cards - you make a raise bet. If you’re doubting it, simply call and play with your current wager.
The payouts depend on the spread - the number of possible cards that would make you win by ending up in the middle.
It’s important to understand the spread because you should always take it into consideration before you raise.
As far as the red dog strategy goes, raise only if your spread is seven cards or more. Pretty easy to remember, isn’t it?
The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.
Discover which casino card games are the best and play them all online!
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What casino game should i play
Roulette is a game that requires you to guess which number/collection of numbers will appear on the roulette wheel. To decide which number/s appear, the wheel spins in one direction and a small ball is spun in the other direction by a croupier.
This combination of opposing spins ensures that the croupier has no control over the outcome. Indeed, it’s virtually impossible to predict where the ball is going to stop because the speed and force of each spin will always be slightly different.
Once the ball comes to a stop, the number it lands on will determine whether you’re a winner or not. To show you want we mean, let’s run through a quick scenario:
You walk up to a european roulette table and place three chips on the following: 12, red and 3rd 12.
At this point, your bets will have covered the following number of options 12 = one number, red = 18 numbers, 3rd 12 = 12 numbers.
The wheel is spun, and the croupier calls time. This means the ball is about to be spun and your bets are locked on the roulette board.
Eventually, the ball stops on the number 34.
Because 34 is a red number located in the 3rd 12 section of the board, two of your bets have won.
If we take the same scenario but the ball stops on 13, you’d lose because this number isn’t 12, is black and is in the 2nd 12 section of the roulette table.
That, in a nutshell, is how roulette works. The reason it’s become popular with players of all skill levels is because you can be as general or specific as you like. For those that want high returns, you can bet on individual numbers. For those that prefer to win more frequently, outside bets are better. For more on roulette rules and payouts, check out the next section.
Online roulette betting rules
All forms of online roulette will have a general set of rules that include:
- Bet amounts must be equal to or greater than the table minimum and not more than the table maximum.
- Betting limits will vary. Limits are typically lower for inside bets than outside bets.
- You have to make your bet before the croupier calls time.
- Once you’ve made a bet, you have to wait until the croupier clears the table before collecting your winnings (only matters live).
In practice, the rules of roulette are fairly simple. As long as you stick to the right limits and get your bets down on time, that’s it. In terms of what you can win, payouts for each betting option are as follows:
Roulette betting options: inside bets
- Straight up/single number: this is a bet on just one number. Get this right and you’ll receive a 35:1 payout.
- Split: this is a bet on two adjacent numbers i.E. You’re splitting the two. The payout on a split bet is 17:1.
- Street: A street bet covers three numbers in row. When you place a chip on the end of a row and win, you’ll receive an 11:1 payout.
- Quarter: to cover four numbers at once, you place a chip in the centre of an imaginary square. Doing this will split four numbers and earn you an 8:1 payout if successful.
- Six-line: this is two street bets rolled into one and is worth 5:1.
- Top-line bet: this is a bet that’s exclusive to american roulette. To make this bet, place a chip on the line the runs through the middle of 0, 00 and 1, 2, 3. A successful top-line bet is worth 6:1.
Roulette betting options: outside bets
- Dozen: also referred to as 12s, cover 12 numbers and have payouts worth 2:1.
- Column: similar to dozen bets, columns payout at 2:1 and cover 12 numbers.
- Red/black: this bet allows you to speculate on whether the number that hits will be red or black. Wins are worth 1:1.
- Odd/even: by betting on the number being odd or even, you can win 1:1 on your bet.
- High/low: also known as 1 to 18 and 19 to 36, these bets cover half the board and payout at 1:1.
Online roulette strategies and tips
Okay, so now we’ve covered the basics, let’s think about the best way to play roulette. Although there are no guarantees when you play this or any other casino game, there are a few things you can do to improve your experience:
Bet what you can afford… the beauty of roulette is that you can be as general or specific as you like. Use this dynamic to your advantage and choose options that not only fit with your level of tolerance for risk but your budget.
Play in sessions… staying focused for an extended period of time is tough. To ensure you don’t lose your concentration and make silly moves, split your playtime into sessions. As a general rule, bursts of 10/15 minutes should ensure you’re always on the ball.
Go for the double dozen… perhaps the best way to play roulette is to bet on two 12s at the same time. Doing this allows you to cover 24 numbers with just two bets. What’s more, when you wager equal amounts, you can still make a profit if the right number comes in. In other words, if you bet £5 and £5, the potential return on either is £5. Therefore, you’ll make a £5 profit and have almost 66% of the roulette table covered.
Play online roulette
The final thing to look at when it comes to roulette is the evolution of the game online. Thanks to innovative software and some creative ideas, it’s now possible to play in a myriad of ways via your desktop or mobile. As a standard, european and american roulette are the most popular options inside any online casino. However, because virtual platforms don’t have the same space restrictions as live venues, new variants have emerged in recent years. A great example of this is multi-wheel roulette. Instead of betting on the outcome of a single wheel, you can speculate on as many as six.
Beyond the ability to try new variants, online roulette is great if you want to play for free. Using practice roulette tables, you can get a feel for the flow of a game, familiarise yourself with the general layout and try some betting techniques. More importantly, you can use practice roulette tables to have fun. Then, once you’re ready to win something tangible, you can play for real money by clicking a single button.
Okay, that’s great, but is online roulette fair? Absolutely. Just as the dealer has no control over the outcome in a live game, online casinos can’t influence the results in their own games. By using something known as a random number generator (RNG), casinos are able to offer games that are 100% fair. Rngs are audited and certified by third-party testing agencies and any operator without a fair system won’t be granted a gaming licence. Therefore, when you play roulette online for free or for real money, you can be confident the action is just as fair and entertaining as it was back in pascal’s day.
So, let's see, what we have: which should I play at? What should you look for when choosing the best casino and slot games to play? Read this guide to get you started at what casino game should i play
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