Top 10 casino games for poker players
As a poker player, you probably prefer games where you can actually make some decisions and influence the outcome, so I will list a couple of such options in this article.
One of the most popular poker games in the casino is Three Card Poker. (photo by Wikimedia Commons)
10. Three Card Poker
One of the most popular poker games in the casino is Three Card Poker. It is an especially easy game to learn, which seems to be one of the reasons for its popularity. If you want to get better at it, this article will help you learn how to play Three Card poker.
At the beginning of the game, you place your bet and receive three cards. Your goal is to beat the dealer’s hand, and the only decision you need to make when playing is if you want to play or fold your hand after receiving your initial cards.
It is a very fast-paced game that allows you to play many hands in short period of time, which surely adds fun and makes this game a valid option when you have only minutes to spare.
9. Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Ultimate Texas Hold’em is another casino poker game, but it’s a bit more complicated than Three Card. You have more betting options and even multiple betting rounds in this game, so you surely need to study the strategy a bit more before sitting down to play.
When you get the hang of the main strategies, this game is also quite simple, and your only goal is to beat the dealer’s hand, just like in other variations.
You can also make additional side bets and try to get a huge payout if you hit a strong hand like quads or Royal Flush, which pays 500-to-1.
8. Jacks or Better
Unlike previous games, Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker format. In this game, you play draw poker and have a chance to exchange your cards to hit a winning hand.
When you are dealt your initial five cards, you can choose which ones you want to keep and which cards to discard. After the draw, you will be awarded a payout if you happen to have a pair of Jacks or a better hand since that is a minimum requirement, as the name suggests.
Video poker can be a lot of fun since it is different from poker table games, and you get to play draw poker game that is not easily found anywhere else.
7. Pai Gow Poker
Moving down the list, we find another table game that is entirely different from other options, so you surely need to learn how to play Pai Gow Poker before sitting down.
The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and sometimes with the addition of joker. The joker has very special rules and can be used to complete a straight or flush combination, but in all other cases is counted as an ace.
At the start of the game, you receive seven cards and have to group it into two separate hands, the top hand containing two cards and the bottom hand containing five cards.
The five-card combination must be stronger than the top hand, and then both of your combos are compared against the dealer’s hands separately to decide the winner.
Keep an eye out for some of the huge progressive jackpots found at many casinos.
6. Caribbean Stud
Caribbean Stud is also a very simple poker table game similar to Three Card Poker, but played with five cards instead. To start the game, you have to place your bet on the “ante” field, and the action begins.
When you see your cards, you have an option to fold and give up your initial bet or place a bet that is two times bigger than your “ante” and play the hand.
While this game is simple and entertaining, it is worth keeping in mind that the house edge here is quite significant, so you will have to pay for your entertainment a bit.
5. Russian Poker
Russian poker is also a slightly different variation from standard poker table games since you will not only need to beat the dealer, but will have a chance to draw new cards or even buy additional ones when needed.
Let's start from the beginning. When you make your bet, you will get five initial cards, and the dealer will also get five cards while placing one of it faced-up for you to see. You can then decide and either exchange some of your cards, buy the 6th card, or play the hand as it is.
This surely adds some twist to the game, and with plenty of options to choose from, it can be quite appealing for players.
4. Craps
While craps is entirely different from other games, I do think that every player should try it out at least once since it is so often portrayed in various movies that it adds some magic to it.
That said, the game itself is quite simple, and you just have to place your bet in one of the options of how many points the dices will score or if you think the player will win.
Players take turns rolling the dices while the rest of the table place bets on the roll's outcome, so if you have a chance, try this game at least once and feel the thrill of rolling it yourself.
3. Baccarat
Baccarat is a fun game played by many poker players , and I am sure you already heard the infamous Phil Ivey edge sorting case that happened in this exact game.
Your goal is to score nine points or as close as possible to this amount, and you play this game against the dealer. All face cards count as 0, Ace is counted as 1, and all other cards have a face value.
Before the hand starts, you have three betting options. You can bet for the player or banker to win or for the hand to end with a tie.
Even if there are many players, there will always be only two hands dealt, one for the dealer and one for the players, so everyone plays the same hands, which can add a bit of fun and thrill if there are more players at the table.
2. Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is another video poker format that is worth your attention. While games like Jacks or Better and other variations have great payout percent, Deuces Wild takes it one step further and can be a profitable game when played correctly.
If you can employ a perfect strategy, you can have a 100.76% return to the player percent on full pay tables. This means that for every $100 you bet, you will be winning $0.76, and while this is not much, it is still much better than losing.
However, this is only a long-term expectation, and you might have quite significant swings in the short run, so you should not expect to walk away as a winner whenever you play.
Blackjack allows you to make decisions and calculate the best approach. (photo by Wikimedia Commons)
While not a poker variation, blackjack is my most favorite casino game, and I just had to put it at the top of this list. We can seriously discuss how to play blackjack since there are many situations you need to be aware of, but the basic rules are quite simple, and you can learn all of it in a minute.
Blackjack allows you to make decisions, calculate the best approach, and even count cards in some cases. So when you want to play a game that involves making actual decisions, this is a great option to try.