Online Casino Card Games

For years cards have been the main source of games for casinos, whether men in their smoking jackets would sit around a plush green felt table or in later years, card games were adapted for the computer such as video poker. Throughout history, cards have been the focus of leisure time gaming at casinos and other establishments.

The Three Most Popular Casino Card Games

Naturally over the years many different card games have developed across different continents but there are a few standard basic games that have remained the same for many years which you can still find today at online and land based casinos. Poker, Baccarat and Blackjack are the winners when it comes to casino card games. Poker has many different variations some with 5 cards, some with three cards and some with 7 cards. Blackjack also has a number of different variations but the basic idea of the game is the same, the player that reaches 21 first is the winner, whether you are playing straightforward Blackjack or multi hand blackjack or bonus Blackjack. Baccarat is the card game that has undergone the least changes and remains the same as it did in the 15th and 16th Century all over Europe where it was first developed.

Poker Hands and Variations

Poker is a wide term for a number of different games that have developed over the years. Although the aim in each variation is the same, winning hands and odds can vary from game to game. The basic game of Poker involves 5 cards which are dealt to the dealer and players. At the beginning of the game, each player has to put into the pot his initial bet which is called the ante, and then they can all look at their cards. Players take it in turns to decide if they are going to increase the bet because they have a good hand or hold or even withdraw from the game. Different variations on this theme will use cards in a central area to make up winning hands or will let players trade their bad cards for other cards.

Any Type of Winning Hand in Poker

When playing Poker the winning hands are all essentially very similar. 5 of a kind is the best hand you can achieve if you are playing with jokers and it is a hand of 5 of the same value card. A straight flush is 5 cards in sequential order of the same suit of cards i.e. 5, 6,7,8,9 or hearts. A royal flush is of course with face cards in the combination. Four of a kind is 4 cards of the same suit, and so on. Even for a pair of the same value card you can often beat your opponent if the does not have any matching cards. Playing poker is a lot about psychology and luck, you need to be able to hold your ground and try and force the other players to give up as they believe you have a better hand. The more rounds that there are, the higher the stakes and the more exciting the game becomes. Of the different variations of poker that there are today, 3 card poker and Texas hold'em are the most popular. 3 card poker is like playing 2 games in one as there is also an extra separate bet called pair plus which lets you as the player, bet on the chance of landing a pair in your hand. Texas hold'em is a 5 card poker game. Today online and land based casinos offer poker tournaments and individual games for all levels of players. At online casinos you can even play for fun before you take the plunge and place real money bets.

Blackjack: Aim for the 21

Blackjack is another extremely popular card game that you can find at land based and online casinos and has been around for years. In the UK it was originally known as pontoon or 21 and on other countries there are different versions but the basic rule is the same. The first player to reach 21 is the winner. The player and dealer are both dealt 2 cards; the player can look as his cards while the dealer can not. The player then decides if he wants to take another card or stand. This continues until he is ready to stand at which point he will reveal his cards and then the dealer will reveal his. The player that is closer to 21 is the winner. There are many extras that can be incorporated in a game of blackjack such as insurance against the dealer landing a blackjack on his first hand which is a royal and an ace. Or the player can choose to split his cards if he has the exact same value cards but then he has to place the same value bet again, in other words he holds two hands. Blackjack can be played online at numerous casinos and there are options for single hand or multi hand blackjack or even bonus blackjack where side bets can be placed to try and win more with certain hands.

It's All About the Nines in Baccarat

Baccarat is a card game that used to be played behind closed doors or curtains and only for the serious card players but thanks to the internet it has now become a much more widespread card game and is open to every type of player. Baccarat originates in France and was also known as Chemin de Fer, it is a game where all of the cards apart from the face cards are taken at face value. The face cards are considered to be zero and the Ace is 1. There are only 3 possible outcomes when playing Baccarat, win lose or draw. The idea is that the first player to reach the value of 9 is the winner. But if you for example draw a 7 and an 8- your value is 5. In other words all values over ten are cut down to their single numbers, 15 becomes 5, 17 becomes 7 and so one. Baccarat like all card games is a game of luck but of course with careful planning and card counting you can adapt your luck to suit you and help you to win.

The Thrills of the Cards

Baccarat, Poker and Blackjack may be the main 3 casino card games that there are today but there are many others. Casino war for example is the simplest game that there is based on the old children's card game of war, each player draws one card and the one with the highest card wins. Playing casino card games is exciting and thrilling and when you have bets to accompany each hand, you really have some great thrills to look forward to when playing casino card games.