Online casinos have opened up the world of gambling to an unprecedentedly wide audience. Many of those who have now hit the jackpot would never have shown up on the doorstep of a land-based establishment. It is impossible to determine the exact number of players, but it is safe to say that this number is not less than tens of millions. And what do all these people play? Someone prefers the best online baccarat for money, and someone likes roulette. We offer you a review of the most popular entertainment at the world's online casinos.
What Kinds of Online Games are There
All the casino games can be divided into two categories:
- Skill games - in them, the player's skill is a priority. Only by improving your gamer skills, you can claim to win. The destiny of "fish" is to be fodder for the sharks of the gaming world. These games are a real battle of intelligences, and it is not in vain that international tournaments are held on them. Many believe that it's more difficult to become a master of hold'em, for example, than a chess grandmaster. And there is a reason for that opinion: in chess the whole board is in front of the player, while in casino games there is always an element of chance.
- Chance games - in these games the winnings are distributed completely randomly. You can tell yourself all you want about the secret strategy of playing roulette, which will bring a sure win or that the "one-armed bandit" is already "fed up" and is about to start "giving" - all this is nothing more than a fairy tale. The outcome of the next round does not depend on the previous one, and it is impossible to predict it, as well as affect the outcome . The basis of such games is always a random number generator. Previously, it was a simple mechanical device - a roulette wheel, dice, or even a coin tossed in a game of roulette, but now the function is performed by the computer program, but the essence does not change. The chance games simply redistribute the funds among the players randomly, leaving a small percentage in favor of the casino.
Most Popular Skill Games
Poker
Poker is the undisputed king in the state of games that require skill and experience from players. A huge number of establishments specialize exactly in online poker games between live opponents. Players fight not with the casino, but only with each other, the site only takes a small percentage (rake) from each bet. Another option is video poker, a slot machine that simulates a poker game. Similar machines can be found among other slots.
The rules of poker in a nutshell are simple: it is necessary to collect a combination of cards (hand) "higher" than the hands of other players. However, many nuances make poker one of the most complex games. There are many variations of poker, here are just a few of them:
- Texas Hold'em;
- Dro;
- Stud;
- Omaha.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the second most popular skill game and seems to be the exact opposite of poker:
- Blackjack is always played against the casino (represented by the dealer or croupier);
- Blackjack rules are simple and straightforward;
- There is only one canonical version (although there are also games "based on motifs").
Many people are attracted by the simple rules, as well as a really working strategy based on card counting. But there is bad news: in video blackjack, the computer generates an infinite deck (this is not forbidden by the rules), so the chances of successful counting are much lower. So if you want to play, not just hoping for luck, but betting on your skills, give preference to Blackjack at a live casino.
Baccarat
Baccarat is actually two games in one:
- players at the table fight against the dealer, just like in Blackjack;
- Players bet on how the game of the player at the table and the dealer will end - a win for the casino, a win for the player or a tie.
Keep in mind that betting on the outcome is available only in the live casino, video baccarat does not support such a possibility. One way or another, the game of betting does not belong to the skill games, as here the player can rely solely on luck.
Baccarat is inferior in popularity not only to poker, but also to Blackjack, although it is considered to be an ancient and well-deserved pastime. The rules are similar to Blackjack - the player and the dealer alternately take cards from the deck, trying to beat each other. Here, too, the rules allow the use of multiple decks simultaneously (up to 8), and the video version generates an infinite deck.
The Most Popular Chance Games
Slot Machines
This is the most popular fun in casinos, no matter if it's an offline site or an online portal. The reason for the popularity is the extremely low entry threshold: all the player has to do is to press the Spin button. However, now even this is not necessary, because you can always set up Autoplay.
The mechanism of the game in the slots has not changed for over a hundred years: the player activates the reels with the symbols by pulling a handle or pressing a button. If the symbols are in a row - the player wins. Although modern online versions diversify the gameplay with bonuses and risk games (winnings are doubled or "burned"), the general principle does not change. It is impossible to influence the process, all decided by a random number generator and the percentage of payoff - an indicator of what share of bets the machine gives in winnings, and what takes away in favor of the casino. Under modern rules, the casino's share does not exceed 5% (RTP 95%).
Roulette
This game is a real symbol of casinos around the world, although its popularity is not so great. There is also a random number generator - its role is played by a spinning wheel (actually, the word roulette itself means wheel) with numbered cells from 0 to 36. The cells are differentiated by color - black or red, except for zero, the zero cell in green. Players bet on:
- a number;
- a range of numbers (fours, dozens, etc.);
- odd/even or black/red.
By guessing, the player receives a win, inversely proportional to the probability of winning. For example, the probability that red will fall out is ½ (excluding zero), the bet played on black/red is doubled. But having guessed a particular number, a player gets a reward equal to the bet multiplied by 36!
What happens, if zero falls out? In this case, all bets go to the casino account - this is a share of the establishment. Unlike European Roulette there are two zero sectors (0 and 00) so the casino gets twice the casino's share.
You can play a video version of roulette, but we recommend betting at the live tables, because the best croupiers at the best offline casinos work there, and they can recreate the atmosphere of a real aristocrat game, as roulette is considered to be. By the way, you may find that some of the dealers at the live tables are girls who are topless, so keep yourself in control and don't lose your head.