Welcome to the comprehensive hub for popular poker variations and classic casino games! Whether you’re trying to remember the rules of Texas Hold’em or curious about how Roulette works, I’ve got you covered.
Each section includes a quick-reference table and a bullet list of core takeaways, so you can grasp key points at a glance. Let’s dive in and explore these games one by one, from the poker table to the casino floor.
Poker Games
Poker is a broad term for many games, including Texas Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Short Deck Hold’em, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and many others, so we will dive into each of them.
These games are typically played against other players, not the house, and the aim is to win the pot by having the best hand or making other players fold.
Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the poker game you’ve probably seen on TV since it’s by far the most popular poker variant today. Each player gets two private cards, known as the “hole cards,” and five community cards are dealt face up in the middle for everyone to use.
The goal? Make the best five-card hand using any combination of the seven cards available to you. It’s a game that’s easy to learn but tough to master – trust me, I’ve learned plenty of lessons the hard way.
| Type | Texas Hold’em (Community card poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–10 (at a table) |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck; each player gets 2 hole cards; 5 community cards are dealt |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card poker hand using any combination of your hole cards and the community cards to win the pot |
| Betting Structure | Commonly No-Limit (bet as much as you want), especially in major tournaments |
- How it Works: Each player is dealt 2 face-down cards, and 5 community cards are dealt face-up in stages named the Flop, Turn, and River. You combine these to form your best hand. All players share the community cards.
- Betting Rounds: There are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. You can check, bet, call, raise, or fold in each round, adding a strategic layer to the game.
- Winning the Pot: You win by either having the highest-ranking hand at showdown or by making everyone else fold before the showdown. A typical winning hand might be a high pair, a flush, or even a sneaky bluff – whatever it takes.
- Most Popular Variant: Texas Hold’em’s popularity exploded in the 2000s, becoming the main event game in the World Series of Poker and replacing seven-card stud as the staple in many casinos. It’s the game where “two cards can win a fortune” – think pocket aces versus kings kind of drama.
- Casual Tip: As a fellow player, I’ll tell you that starting hand selection and position matter a lot. Not every hand is worth playing. Since it’s a community card game, pay attention to what the shared cards could mean for everyone’s hand, not just yours.
- Learn: How to play Texas Hold’em.
Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO)
Pot-Limit Omaha is like Texas Hold’em’s wild cousin. The first time I played PLO, I couldn’t believe I got four hole cards instead of two. Four! That means way more possibilities for hand combinations, leading to action-packed pots.
In Omaha, you must use exactly 2 of your 4 hole cards combined with exactly 3 of the community cards to make your best five-card hand. The game is usually played with a pot-limit betting structure where you can bet up to the current size of the pot on each wager. All those extra cards mean bigger hands and bigger pots.
| Type | PLO (Community card poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–9 (commonly 6 or 9-handed games) |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck; each player gets 4 hole cards; 5 community cards dealt (shared) |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card hand using exactly 2 of your hole cards and 3 of the community cards |
| Betting Structure | Pot-Limit (most common). Betting is capped at the current pot size on each bet/raise. |
- Four Hole Cards: In PLO, you start with four private cards. This gives you many potential combinations, but you must use exactly two in your final hand. For example, if the board is all hearts, you need two hearts in your hand to make a flush.
- Big Drawing Game: Omaha is known as a game of the “nuts.” With so many cards in play, players often draw to the strongest possible hands. It’s common that by the river, someone has the best hand for the board, such as the nut flush or nut straight. Don’t be surprised when four of a kind or a full house shows up, it happens more often than in Hold’em games.
- Pot-Limit Betting: The pot-limit format means you can’t go all-in unless the pot is already huge. Early on, bets are more controlled, but pots grow quickly. This structure creates huge pots by later streets, since each raise builds on the growing pot and increases maximum bet sizing.
- Use Two from Hand: A critical rule: you cannot play more or fewer than two of your hole cards. If the board is, say, four spades, and you have one spade in your hand, you do not have a flush in Omaha since you’d need two spades in your hand. This trips up Hold’em players new to PLO all the time.
- Player’s Insight: When I switched from Hold’em to Omaha, I had to adjust my thinking that having one or two pairs isn’t as strong in Omaha because someone often makes a straight or flush. Also, redraws are huge. You might have the current nuts on the turn, but still lose on the river when another player hits a bigger draw. It’s a blast, but hang on tight for those swings!
Short Deck Hold’em (6+ Hold’em)
Short Deck Hold’em is a newer variant that’s been making waves, especially in high-stakes circles. In this game, all the 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s are removed, leaving a 36-card deck, hence “short deck”. Aces can still play low (as a 5 in a straight A-6-7-8-9), but you won’t see any deuce through five in the mix.
Because the deck is smaller, the odds of getting certain hands change. For example, a flush is actually rarer than a full house with so many cards removed, so the hand rankings are slightly adjusted. Flushes typically beat full houses in Short Deck.
| Type | Short Deck Hold’em (Community card poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–7 (often played 6-handed) |
| Cards | 36-card deck (2s through 5s removed). Each player gets 2 hole cards; 5 community cards are dealt (as in Texas Hold’em). |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card hand using any combination of your 2 hole cards and 5 community cards. Because of the reduced deck, hand rankings are modified – commonly, Flushes rank above Full Houses in Short Deck. |
| Betting Structure | Often No-Limit. Betting rounds are the same: pre-flop, flop, turn, river. |
- 36-Card Deck: All cards 5 and below are removed. This means you’re playing with a deck of 6s up to Aces. Every hand feels “premium” compared to normal Hold’em because even the junk like 7-8 offsuit isn’t as bad when low cards are gone.
- Different Hand Rankings: The shortened deck changes probabilities. The most notable change is that a Flush beats a Full House in most Short Deck games since flushes are harder to make with fewer cards of each suit in the deck. Also, Three-of-a-Kind beats a Straight in some Short Deck variations, because making a straight is easier with fewer ranks in play.
- High-Action Game: With fewer cards, you’ll notice everyone gets more playable hands. You’ll see far more big hands like trips and straights; even pocket aces aren’t as far ahead pre-flop as they are in full-deck Hold’em.
- Ace as Five: In this variant, the Ace still serves as the lowest card for straights. The lowest straight is A-6-7-8-9 (with Ace counted as “5”). So don’t get confused when someone shows A-6-7-8-9 and calls it a straight; that’s the equivalent of 5-6-7-8-9 in the full deck.
- Player Perspective: Short Deck rewards aggression and gamble. From experience, you often have to put your chips in with draws because the math is different. If you enjoy big all-in showdowns and can stomach volatility, 6+ Hold’em is a very fun game.
Seven-Card Stud
Before Hold’em took over the poker world, Seven-Card Stud was the game in town. In 7-card stud, each player eventually gets seven cards: three are dealt face-down and four are face-up for all to see. There are five betting rounds in total.
Unlike the flop games (Hold’em/Omaha), there are no shared cards, and you’re piecing together your best 5-card hand out of your own seven. It’s a game of careful observation, since folded up-cards give away info about what’s no longer in the deck. Seven-card stud is typically played with fixed-limit betting and an ante system.
| Type | 7 Card Stud (Stud poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–8 |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 7 cards through the hand: ultimately 3 down (secret) and 4 up (visible to others). |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card poker hand out of your 7 cards. This is a high-hand game (traditional hand rankings apply). |
| Betting Structure | Usually Fixed Limit. Players post an ante to play, then the player with the lowest up-card posts a bring-in bet to start the first round. There are betting rounds on 3rd street (after 3 cards dealt), 4th street, 5th street, 6th street, and 7th street (after the final down-card). |
- Dealing Sequence: Each player gets 2 cards face-down and 1 face-up to start. Then over subsequent rounds, everyone still in gets three more face-up cards (4th, 5th, 6th street) and finally one last card face-down (7th street). By the end, you have 7 cards, and five of those seven will make your final hand.
- No Community Cards: All your cards are your own, and none are shared. That means if I’m showing a pair of Kings and you need a King to complete your straight, tough luck, since you are not catching one of those. Stud is about remembering and deducing: every up-card dealt gives info. If someone folds, their up-cards are out of play.
- Ante and Bring-In: Seven-card stud usually has everyone pay a small ante before cards are dealt. Then the lowest up-card on third street must post a forced bet (bring-in) to start betting. After that, betting continues with the next player. On later streets, the highest hand showing starts the betting. Also, the bet size doubles on 5th street onward in a fixed-limit game (e.g., $5 bets on 3rd/4th, then $10 bets on 5th/6th/7th in a $5/$10 game).
- Common Before Hold’em: Seven-card stud was extremely popular in home games and casinos before Texas Hold’em surged in the 2000s. It’s still played, notably in mixed games (it’s the “S” in HORSE). If you want to feel some nostalgia or try a more information-based poker game, stud is a great change of pace.
- Tips from a Stud Player: Watch the board! Successful stud players remember which cards are out. If I need a particular card, I note if it’s visible in someone else’s hand or already folded, since that changes my odds. Also, unlike Hold’em, there are no blinds forcing action, so sometimes everyone will fold if nobody has a decent starter.
Razz Poker
Ever get tired of always aiming for the highest hand? Razz flips the script. It’s a form of seven-card stud lowball, meaning the lowest hand wins the pot.
I love Razz for its novelty: straights and flushes don’t count against you for low, and Aces are always low, so the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A (known as the “wheel”). If you’re holding that, you have an unbeatable Razz hand.
Razz is dealt just like seven-card stud, with each player eventually getting 7 cards (some face up, some face down), but your goal is to avoid pairs and high cards.
| Type | Razz Poker (Stud poker lowball) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–8 |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 7 cards through the course of the hand (3 down, 4 up by the end). |
| Objective | Make the lowest possible 5-card hand from the 7 dealt to you. In Razz, straights and flushes are ignored, and Aces are low, so the best hand is 5-4-3-2-A. |
| Betting Structure | Usually, a fixed limit is used in structured betting rounds (similar to 7-card stud betting rules). Includes an ante and a forced bring-in bet by the highest up-card on 3rd street. |
- Low Hand Wins: In Razz, you’re shooting for the worst poker hand rankings. The ideal is 5-4-3-2-A (called “the wheel” or “the bicycle”). There’s no hand ranking lower than that. Next best would be 6-4-3-2-A, etc. Important: Pairs are trouble – a pair will ruin an otherwise great low hand.
- Ignore Straights/Flushes: Aces are always low in Razz, so think of Ace as value 1. Also, straights and flushes don’t count as a negative. For example, if you have A-2-3-4-5 all of the same suit, in Razz that’s just 5-4-3-2-A (a wheel) – you don’t care that it’s a straight flush; you actually have the best Razz hand!
- Seven-Card Stud Deal: The gameplay is like 7-card stud. Everyone antes, each gets 2 cards down and 1 up to start. The highest up-card brings in, meaning the player must make a small initial bet, and betting continues. Ultimately, everyone gets 7 cards (with the last card dealt face down). The difference is that at showdown, the lowest 5-card combination wins.
- Eight-Player Max: Because it’s seven cards each, eight players is the usual maximum – and even with eight, if everyone went to the end, there wouldn’t be enough cards (52 cards vs 56 needed). In practice, some will fold, but if not, the dealer may have to deal the final card as a community card for all to share in rare cases.
- My Experience: The key strategy I’ve learned is to pay attention to exposed cards. You get to see everyone’s up-cards, which helps you know what’s dead and what your odds are of catching good cards.
Five-Card Stud
Five-Card Stud is an old-school poker game. Think vintage saloon poker, right out of a Western movie. In fact, it’s one of the earliest forms of stud poker, dating back to the American Civil War era. The structure is similar to seven-card stud, but as the name suggests, you only get five cards each in the end.
This game starts with one hole card and one up-card for each player, and then deals three more up-cards with betting rounds in between. So each player has 1 down and 4 up by showdown. It was once quite popular, though nowadays you mostly find it in mixed games or as a historical curiosity in home games with grandpa, who insists on teaching it.
| Type | 5 Card Stud (Stud poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–9 |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck. Each player ultimately gets 5 cards: 1 face-down and 4 face-up. |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card poker hand and win the pot. Traditional high-hand rankings are used. |
| Betting Structure | Usually, Fixed Limit. Uses an ante and a bring-in (like 7-stud). There are betting rounds after the initial two cards, then after each subsequent card. |
- Gameplay: Each player is dealt one card face-down and one card face-up. The player with the lowest up-card posts the bring-in (forced bet), and betting begins from there. Then each player gets a 2nd up-card (betting), a 3rd up-card (betting), and a 4th up-card (final betting), for a total of 5 cards.
- Hole Card Drama: With only one card hidden, five-card stud is a game of partial information – even more so than 7-card stud. Four of your opponent’s five cards are exposed by the end.
- Earliest Stud Variant: This game was widely played in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s less common now because it has a reputation of being a bit too straightforward and susceptible to the luck of the draw.
- Quick to Learn: Five-card stud has simple dealing, and it’s actually easier to follow than 7-card stud because there are fewer cards. If you sit in a game, just remember: one down, then everything else up.
- From Player Perspective: One thing I noticed is that bluffing can be challenging because so much is visible – if your board looks bad, you won’t convince anyone you have a monster. Conversely, if your board looks great, your opponents fold, and you don’t make money.
Five-Card Draw
Five-card draw is considered the simplest poker variant, and it’s the basis for video poker machines. Each player gets dealt five cards all at once, then there’s a round of betting, then you can discard some cards and draw new ones to replace them, and then a final round of betting.
It’s straightforward: no community cards, no complicated streets – just draw and hope for the best hand.
| Type | 5 Card Draw (Draw poker) |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 |
| Cards | Standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 5 private cards. A drawing phase allows players to replace up to 5 of their cards with new ones from the deck. |
| Objective | Make the best 5-card hand. Traditional high poker hand rankings are used. You get one chance to improve your hand by drawing replacement cards. |
| Betting Structure | Commonly played with an Ante and either No-Limit betting (in casual games) or Fixed Limit in some formal settings. Usually two betting rounds: one before the draw and one after the draw. |
- Deal and Draw: All players start with 5 cards face down, with no shared cards. After the initial deal, there’s a betting round. Then comes the draw: you declare how many cards you want to throw away (if any), discard those, and the dealer gives you that many new cards from the remaining deck. You could “stand pat” (draw 0) if you’re happy with your hand. After everyone draws, there’s one more betting round, then showdown.
- Strategy Simplicity: Because you only have one round of drawing, the five-card draw strategy often boils down to what to hold. Common wisdom: keep pat good hands, draw to straights and flushes if you have 4 of them, hold onto high pairs. For example, if I have ♠A ♦A ♦7 ♦8 ♣2, I’ll likely keep the two Aces and draw three new cards, hoping to improve to three of a kind or two pair. If I have four clubs, I’ll toss the one off-suit card and try to fill a flush.
- No Open Information: Unlike the stud, here everything is concealed. You have to read opponents by their betting and drawing behavior. Did they draw 3 cards? Probably they had a pair and are drawing to three of a kind or two pair. Drew 1 card? Could be they had four of a kind or two pair and are improving it, or a four-card flush or straight. Stand pat (draw 0)? They might already have a straight, flush, or full house… or be bluffing with a pat hand! This guessing game is the heart of draw poker.
- Home Game Staple: Five-card draw isn’t common in casinos or tournaments these days, but you’ll still find it in online poker rooms occasionally and in many home games. It’s also the model for most video poker (like “Jacks or Better” machines).
Casino Table Games
Now let’s switch gears to the casino games – these are the ones where you typically play against the house, not against other players.
They include classics like Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and Baccarat, as well as house-banked poker-inspired games like Pai Gow Poker and Three Card Poker.
I’ll walk through each game, keeping it casual and packed with the key insights you need to know. No sneaky casino dealer tricks here – I’m spilling the insider knowledge from a player’s perspective.
Blackjack
If you walk into any casino, the Blackjack tables are usually packed, and for good reason. Blackjack (a.k.a. “21”) is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. I like to think of it as a duel of wits and luck between you and the dealer.
The premise is simple: each of you gets cards and tries to get as close to 21 as possible without going over.
Number cards are worth their number, face cards are 10, and Aces are 1 or 11, whichever is better for your hand. Beat the dealer’s total without going over 21, and you win even money on your bet or get a special bonus if you hit exactly 21 with your two initial cards, which usually pays 3:2.
| Type | Blackjack (comparing hand vs dealer) |
|---|---|
| Players | 1–6 per table typically (each player competes only against the dealer’s hand, not against each other) |
| Cards | One or more standard 52-card decks (casinos often use 6 or 8 decks shuffled together in a “shoe”). Card values: 2–10 = face value, J/Q/K = 10, Ace = 1 or 11. |
| Objective | Beat the dealer by having a hand total higher than the dealer’s without exceeding 21. |
| Gameplay | Both the player and the dealer start with two cards (the dealer usually has one card face up and one face down). Players act first, choosing to “Hit” (draw a card) or “Stand” (stop drawing). |
- Most-Widely Played: Every casino has it, and it’s often the best odds you can get in a casino if you play with basic strategy (house edge can be around 0.5% with good rules).
- Compared to Dealer: This is you vs. the dealer, not against the other folks at the table. You win by either getting a higher total than the dealer or seeing the dealer bust by going over 21. If you bust, you lose immediately, even if the dealer busts after that, so be cautious on those hits.
- Gameplay Flow: You place a bet, get two cards. Dealer gets two (typically one face-up, so you have some info). You then decide how to play: Hit (take another card) if you want to try to get closer to 21, Stand if you’re happy with your total. You can also Double Down (double your bet in exchange for exactly one more card) when you feel one card can get you to a strong total – say you have 11, you double, hoping for a 10 to make 21. If you get two of the same card, you might Split them into two hands (like two 8s – split into two hands of 8 each, and draw cards on both). After all players act, the dealer reveals their face-down card and draws according to fixed rules (e.g., hit until at least 17). Then the totals are compared.
- Blackjack Payout: You get paid even on your bet. For example, if you bet $10 and win, you get back $20, for a $10 profit. If you’re dealt an Ace + a 10-value card (that’s a “Blackjack”), you usually get paid 3:2 (i.e., $15 profit on a $10 bet) immediately – unless the dealer also has a blackjack, which results in a push (tie).
- My Two Cents: Blackjack is a game of both luck and skill. I always use the mathematically optimal strategy to decide whether to hit, stand, etc. It takes the guesswork out and lets me have the best shot against the house.
Roulette
Roulette is one of the most exciting games of chance – a spinning wheel, a bouncing ball, and that moment of anticipation before it lands on a number.
The game itself is named after the French word for “little wheel”. The wheel has numbered pockets from 1 through 36, half red, half black, plus one or two green zeros, depending on the variant. You place bets on where you think the ball will land – it could be a specific number, the color, odd or even, or various groupings of numbers.
| Type | Roulette (Casino wheel game) |
|---|---|
| Players | 1+ (any number can bet simultaneously; everyone bets against the house, not each other) |
| Popular Variations | European Roulette (37 pockets: numbers 1–36 plus a single 0) and American Roulette (38 pockets: 1–36, 0, and 00). |
| Objective | Guess where the ball will land on the wheel. Bets can be on a single number or various combinations (e.g., red/black, odd/even, high/low, dozens, columns, etc.). Payouts range from 35:1 on a straight-up single number hit to 1:1 on even-money bets like red/black. |
| How it Works | Players place their chips on the betting layout for the desired bet(s). The dealer then spins the wheel in one direction and launches the ball in the opposite direction around a track. Eventually, the ball falls into one of the numbered pockets, and the winning bets are paid out. |
- Betting Options: Roulette has a ton of betting options, but they’re all just different ways to guess the number. “Inside bets” refer to betting on the numbers themselves (like putting a chip straight on number 17 for a 35:1 payout if it hits, or splitting between two numbers, etc.). “Outside bets” are on categories – red or black, odd or even, 1-18 or 19-36 (these pay 1:1), or dozens/columns (12-number bets that pay 2:1). You can get creative: corner bets (on 4 numbers, pays 8:1), street bets (row of 3 numbers, 11:1), and so on. Despite the variety, the underlying odds are balanced so that the house has an edge via the green 0 (and 00).
- American vs European: The key difference is that European roulette has a single zero (0), which gives the house a 2.7% edge on most bets. American roulette has 0 and 00, which makes the odds worse for players (house edge ~5.26% on most bets). If you have a choice, go European wheel every time.
- Spin and Outcome: Once bets are placed, the dealer spins the wheel and ball. For a few moments, that ball rattles around. When it lands, the dealer calls out the winning number and places a marker on it on the table. Then comes the flurry of payouts to winners. If you’ve hit your number straight up, congrats on a sweet 35-to-1 payout!
- No Skill, Just Luck: Unlike blackjack or poker, roulette is pure chance. You can’t influence where the ball lands. Every spin is independent. Don’t fall for the gambler’s fallacy – red might have shown 5 times in a row, but it’s still the same chance to get red and black with the next spin.
- Learn: How to play Roulette.
Craps
Craps is that super lively game you’ll hear before you see, since it’s the one with players crowding around a long table, dice flying, and lots of cheering or groaning. It’s a dice game where you bet on the outcome of the roll of two dice.
What makes craps special is the communal feel – even though everyone can bet differently, there’s usually a bunch of people all rooting for the “shooter” to make winning rolls. I personally love the energy at a craps table.
| Type | Craps (Casino dice game) |
|---|---|
| Players | 1+ (multiple players can take turns rolling; everyone at the table can bet on the rolls) |
| Equipment | Two standard six-sided dice, a large craps table with a layout for bets, and lots of chips. The dice are thrown by a player (the “shooter”) down the table. |
| Objective | Predict the outcome of the dice roll(s). |
| Betting Structure | Turn-based rolling. The Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets are the fundamental ones which pays even-money. After a point is established, you can also take an extra bet with no house edge behind your Pass/Don’t Pass. |
- Pass Line Basics: If you’re new, start with a Pass Line bet. Before the first roll of a new shooter, you put chips on “Pass Line.” Now, if the come-out roll is 7 or 11, you win immediately – even money. If it’s 2, 3, or 12, you lose immediately. If it’s any other number (4,5,6,8,9,10), that number becomes the point. The dealer will mark that point on the table. Now the goal is for the shooter to roll that same point number again before rolling a 7. If they roll the point, Pass Line wins. If they roll a 7 first (“seven-out”), Pass Line loses and the round ends. It’s exciting because you’re rooting for the shooter to “make the point.”
- Don’t Pass: Conversely, you can bet “Don’t Pass,” which is essentially betting against the shooter. Don’t Pass wins on come-out 2 or 3, pushes on 12, and loses on 7 or 11. After a point, a Don’t Pass bet wins if a 7 appears before the point is rolled again. It’s a bit of an “against the crowd” bet.
- Other Bets: Craps has many betting options. Come bets and Don’t Come bets work like Pass/Don’t but can be made after a point is set (they basically treat the next roll as a new come-out for that bet). Place bets let you bet on specific numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) to roll before a 7. Field bets are one-roll bets that win if 2,3,4,9,10,11,12 come (with 2 and 12 usually paying 2:1 or 3:1). Then there are the center table proposition bets: any 7, any craps, hardways (e.g., hard 8 = 4+4), etc., which have higher payouts and higher house edges. For instance, “any 7” pays 4:1 but has a hefty edge (~16%). I usually avoid those, except maybe tossing a small bet for fun.
- Dice and Etiquette: When you’re the shooter, you have to hit the far wall with the dice for a valid roll. You’ll be asked to handle the dice with one hand only. And a fun superstition: never say “seven” at the table when a point is on – it’s considered bad luck. You’ll hear euphemisms like “Big Red” if someone must refer to 7.
- High-Energy Experience: If a shooter keeps hitting numbers and finally nails the point, the whole table erupts – high-fives, hugs from strangers, it’s a blast. People who had placed odds or side bets on those numbers are scooping up chips. However, craps can also be swingy – a couple of seven-outs in a row, and it’s crickets and folks quietly wandering off.
Baccarat
Baccarat is a classic card game that is among the simplest to play. I often describe Baccarat as coin-flip betting between two hands called “Player” and “Banker” – you just bet on which hand will come closer to a total of 9.
The casino deals out two hands, and then the dealer does all the drawing according to fixed rules. You can bet either that the Player hand wins, the Banker hand wins, or that they tie.
| Type | Baccarat |
|---|---|
| Players | 1+ player can bet at once (each player just chooses where to bet; there’s one Player hand and one Banker hand dealt) |
| Cards | Card values: Aces = 1, 2–9 = face value, 10s and face cards = 0. Only the last digit of the sum counts (so totals are 0–9). |
| Objective | Bet on which hand will have a higher total closest to 9 (Player hand or Banker hand), or bet on a Tie. |
| Gameplay | The dealer deals two cards to the “Player” hand and two to the “Banker” hand (these are just names – everyone can bet on either). Totals are calculated (e.g., 7 and 8 = 5, because 7+8=15, drop the tens place to get 5). If either hand has 8 or 9, it’s a “natural” and no more cards are drawn. |
- Player vs Banker vs Tie: You simply place your bet on one of these before the deal. “Player” and “Banker” are just labels. In fact, Banker isn’t your hand, it’s just one of the two sides. Banker bets statistically win slightly more often because of the drawing rules advantage, which is why the casino takes a 5% commission on Banker wins. Even with commission, Banker is usually the smartest bet (house edge ~1.06%). The player’s bet has about a 1.24% edge (with no commission). Tie is tempting with 8:1 payout, but it’s very unlikely (house edge around 14% – best avoid it unless you feel extremely lucky).
- Card Drawing Rules: Baccarat has automatic draw rules. If initial cards sum to 8 or 9 (called a “Natural”), no one draws – that hand often just wins right there unless both have the same natural, which would tie. If not a natural, the Player side acts: if Player total is 0-5, Player draws a third card; if 6 or 7, Player stands. Then Banker’s action: if Player stood (i.e., has 6 or 7), Banker draws on 0-5 and stands on 6-7. If Player did draw a card, then Banker’s decision is based on a chart: for example, Banker draws on totals 0-2 always; if Banker has 3, it draws unless Player’s third card was an 8; if Banker has 4, draws if Player’s card 2-7; etc. It sounds complicated, but as a player, you don’t need to know all that – the dealer will do it and announce “Card for Banker” or “Card for Player” as needed.
- Hand Totaling: This trips up newcomers – when you add the cards, only the ones place counts. So, e.g., 7 + 6 = 13, that counts as 3. 10s and faces are zero, so King+3 = 3. The lowest total is 0 (like 10+Queen = 0), and the highest is 9 (which is unbeatable aside from a tie). So effectively 0-9 is the range of possible scores.
- No Decisions = Easy Play: What I like about Baccarat is that you can just place your bet and sit back. There’s no hitting or standing decisions like in blackjack, so the pace is quick and almost relaxing – except when you’re sweating big bets on banker, and it’s drawing that third card.
Slot Machines
Slot machines are the blinking, singing, spinning heart of the casino floor. As a table game enthusiast, I didn’t pay much attention to slots, but they have their own appeal.
Basically, you put money in, press spin, and hope the symbols line up in a winning combination. There’s an almost endless variety of themes and features, but under the hood, they all operate on random number generators and pay tables.
| Type | Slots |
|---|---|
| Players | 1 per machine (solo play) |
| Reels & Paylines | Traditional slots have 3 or 5 reels. When you spin, each reel stops on a symbol. A payline is a line across the reels; if matching symbols line up on a payline, you win according to the game’s pay table. Classic slots might have 1-5 paylines; modern video slots can have dozens or even hundreds of ways (e.g., 243 ways). |
| Objective | Spin the reels and get winning combinations of symbols. The payout depends on what symbols land and how many in a row, etc. |
| Betting | You choose your coin denomination and number of coins/lines to bet. For example, a $0.25 coin, 5 coins on 9 lines = $11.25 bet. Modern slots often simplify it to “total bet” per spin. Once you set your bet, hit the button or pull the lever. The machine will automatically credit you when you win or deduct losses from your balance. |
- Random Outcomes: Each spin of a slot is independent and decided by a random number generator (RNG) the moment you hit the button. The symbols on the reels are just a visual representation. So there’s no “due” win or hot/cold streak you can predict – it’s all luck. The casino sets the machine with a certain payout percentage (say 90-95%) over the long term, but in the short term, anything can happen.
- Themes and Features: Slots come in countless themes – from ancient Egypt to popular movies. Many have special symbols like Wilds and Scatters that can pay from any position or trigger bonuses. Bonus rounds are common – e.g., free spins, pick-a-prize games, wheels of fortune, etc. These features add fun and can sometimes lead to big wins.
- Jackpots: Some machines have progressive jackpots – a tiny portion of each bet goes into a growing jackpot pool, and these can hit massive amounts. Hitting a jackpot usually requires a specific outcome, like 5 jackpot symbols on a max bet payline, or a special bonus game result.
- No Strategy Needed: There isn’t really a “strategy” to playing slots beyond managing your bankroll and choosing games you enjoy or that have favorable reviews for payout. One tip: generally, you have to bet max lines/coins to be eligible for jackpots or certain bonuses.
