The most popular card games in the casino and how to play them

Blackjack
Blackjack is the most popular card game of all casino games. Blackjack is attractive because the rules are very simple. You can get away with it in five minutes. Yet it is possible to improve your skills even in this dead simple game. The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. And that is not so difficult. The gambler has more options. The game is as follows: You may ask for as many cards as you like, but the sum of these cards may not exceed 21. You may also stop asking for cards whenever you want, for example at 19. The dealer, on the other hand, is not allowed to ask for another card once he reaches 17. The player also has the option to split, buy ‘insurance’ or split Aces. Blackjack is only possible if the first two cards are an Ace and a ten or a picture. These are worth more than the sum of, for example, a 10, a 5 and a 6, which together make 21.

Baccarat
If you don’t like blackjack, baccarat is easier. It is James Bond’s favourite card game. You often see him play it in one of the many films. In baccarat, the player must guess who has the highest cards: the banker (the casino) or the player. Colours are not important and the value can never be higher than 9. If, for example, the sum is 15, the tens are deducted and the value is therefore 5. The dealer places two cards for each player face down on the table so that everyone can see them. It is also he who decides who gets a third card. This decision is based on the number of points, the value of the third card of the player… So where is the strategy? Quite simply, those who always bet on the banker have the best chance of winning.

3 card poker
In 3 card poker, players do not play against each other but against the dealer. After the players have betted, everyone gets three cards, including the dealer. Whoever passes loses his bet, whoever decides to continue playing with the cards he has been dealt, bets the same amount again. The payout percentage or the portion of all wagers that are returned to the player is 96.63 percent. This is quite high for a casino card game.

Sometimes the choice of card game will increase your chances of winning, sometimes by betting on the right side or by playing all your possibilities. In any case, a card game requires a little more thought than roulette or slots, and that’s what makes it fun.