Card games are played with one or more decks of cards which consist of four different suits. The premise of a card game is that each individual is only aware of the card he is holding in his hand and is unaware of the cards in the opponent’s hands. The mystery of the unknown thus makes the card game very exciting and fun.
This article discusses three of the most popular gambling card games that have graced the casino tables throughout the world for many years.
Poker
The holy grail of card games, Poker has been around for over a hundred years. The game is today an international phenomenon and is played in many forms in land-based casinos and online gaming sites.
How is it played?
While there are many variants of Poker, we will focus on the basics of the game for the article. Generally, a poker hand consists of a combination of five cards formed by the two cards from the starting hand and the five community cards dealt after. The rank of the card varies from highest (one of a kind) to lowest (no correlation). The top five hands of Poker are:
- Royal Flush
It contains cards ranging from ten to ace, all belonging to the same suit, i.e., A, K, Q, J and, 10.
- Straight flush
It refers to when you get five cards in an order belonging to the same suit. For instance, if you get 5, 6, 7, 8 and, 9 hearts, you have a straight flush.
- Four of a kind
You have a four-of-a-kind hand when you have a combination of four cards of the same rank or number. Therefore, if you have the 5 of spades, club, diamonds and, hearts, you have a four-of-a-kind starting hand.
- Full house
A full house is when you have three cards from different suits but of the same rank, and a pair of cards of another rank. An example of a full house would be KKKQQ.
- Flush
If you have five cards of different ranks from the same suit, you have a flush. An example would be K, J, 10, 9, and 5, of spades.
- Blackjack
Another most popular casino card game is Blackjack which is also known as 21. Widely played in brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online 피나클 platforms, the game is pretty easy to understand.
How is it played?
Blackjack is all about getting a hand close to 21. Therefore, it is up to the player to decide when he wants to ask for a card or when he wants to stick or stand. First, the player makes a bet from $1 to all-in. Then the dealer gives the player two Blackjack cards and shows one of his cards. It is now up to the player to decide to hit, stand, or split if he gets two cards of the same value.
The player can choose to double his bet. If the player chooses to hit, he is adding more cards to the value. However, if the value exceeds 21, the player will lose. Alternatively, the player can choose to stand when he is ready to play his hand. Then the dealer reveals his hidden card. If his value is 16 or lower, he must hit, and if the value is 17 or more, he stands.
Now, if the total value of your card is greater than that of the dealer, you win. However, if your value is lower than the dealer’s or exceeds 21, you lose the game.
If your score is at a tie with the dealer, you get refunded.
Baccarat
Another popular casino card game, Baccarat, is popular because of the game structure and the fact that it has the lowest house advantage. Having a long history going way back to the 1400s, Baccarat is no more limited to the elite section of the society and is played by individuals in casinos the world over.
How is it played?
Baccarat is somewhat similar to Blackjack. The hand closest to 9 is the winner. You can bet on the player, the banker, or a tie. Once you have made a bet, the deal or the croupier will deal two cards each to the banker and the player, dealing first to the player. The dealer will then assign a point value and decide if you will be dealt a third card or not.
If you bet on the player and the player wins, you get double the bet amount. If the banker’s hand wins, the player gets a 95% payout ratio. If you bet on a tie and it does happen, the payout is 8:1 or 9:1, respectively, depending on the casino. If you bet on the wrong hand, you lose.
