A Beginner's Guide to Casino Table Games
The Heart of the Casino Floor
While slot machines are incredibly popular for their simplicity and casino exciting themes, the true heart and soul of the traditional casino experience can often be found at the table games. They combine luck with skill and human interaction in a way that slot machines cannot. Here's a beginner's guide to some of the most popular casino table games.
An Introduction to Blackjack
The Goal: The goal of Blackjack is simple: to get a hand value closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over 21 (which is called a "bust").
Basic Gameplay: After receiving your initial two cards, you decide whether to request more cards or to stay with what you have. Kings, Queens, and Jacks count as 10, while an Ace is flexible, counting as either 1 or 11. Players love this game because smart decisions can actually improve your chances of winning.
How to Play Roulette
The Goal: In Roulette, players bet on which numbered pocket a small ball will land in on a spinning wheel.
Basic Gameplay: The American version has both a 0 and a 00, while the European version has only a single 0. You can place many different types of bets, casino from simple ones like betting on Red or Black (which pays 1:1) to specific "straight up" bets on a single number (which pays 35:1). Roulette is a game of pure luck, but its visual appeal and the wide range of betting options make it a timeless casino classic.
An Introduction to Craps
The Goal: In this game, you wager on the results of rolling a pair of dice.
Basic Gameplay: The table can look confusing at first, casino but the basic bets are quite simple. The most fundamental bet is the "Pass Line" bet. If the first roll (the "come-out roll") is a 7 or 11, you win. If it's a 2, 3, or 12, you lose. Any other number becomes the "point". No other game generates the same level of excitement and casino community spirit.
How to Play Baccarat
The Goal: You are not playing a hand; you are just betting on the result.
Basic Gameplay: It may seem exclusive, but its rules are among the easiest to learn. The dealer does all the work. You simply choose where to place your chip. People enjoy it because it's quick and requires no complex strategy.