07-31-2015, 09:00 AM
Table games are the core feature of all casinos and what differentiates a casino from a simple amusement arcade with gambling machines. They are the classic games that most people think of when they think ‘casino’. The term ‘table game’ comes from the fact that they are communal games played around an elevated table with players and spectators around the edges with the dealer as the focal point.
Whether online or offline, table games are the heartbeat of the casino world and will be here to stay for as long as people love to play the casino.
Table games are split into three categories – card games, dice and tile games, and wheel games. Card and dice/tile games are truly ancient forms of gambling going back hundreds of years into the depths of history, while wheel games still have a pretty old pedigree of a couple of hundred years. It is this classical, mature legacy that gives table games such an aura of sophistication and class and sets them apart from modern forms of gambling like slots machines that are sometimes perceived as vulgar.
We all know at least a couple of card games, the most common being blackjack. In fact in American casinos blackjack is the most played game out of all casino games, table or otherwise.
Casinos offer several variations of this ever popular game but the basic premise remains the same – beat the dealer by drawing cards to get the closest possible to 21 without going over.
One of the many aspects of blackjack that make it so much fun is your ability to ‘gang up’ on the dealer and play more than one hand against them. Most tables will have room for up to ten extra hands, whilst online this limit can go even higher as it is not limited by a physical table.
This can lead to some crazy situations where you can win or lose every hand if the dealer goes bust or has a blackjack!
Poker is the other major casino table game with literally hundreds of variations. A casino will only offer a handful but if you play an online casino you will be able to try your hand at a whole range of interesting poker games from around the world. Although a card game, the massively popular texas holdem poker is not considered a table game as the format of taking a small share of each pot and leaving the dealer effectively out of it is not consistent with the ethos of classical casino table games.
However popular poker variations that are a major presence at the casino tables are three card poker, which is the most successful table game ever in terms of revenue, Caribbean stud poker, and Pai gow poker.
One other extremely popular card game that can’t go with a mention is Baccarat, traditionally the game of the aristocracy and the super rich, it’s very simple to play but the stakes are always astronomical!
There’s only one real contender that’s king of the dice and tile games and that’s craps, the celebrated two die game where snake eyes or sevens can see fortunes made and lost.
Hanging around the craps table is a common pass time for anyone with their eye on getting friendly with the rich and famous and it has to be the most sociable table game as players pass the dice around and spur each other on to victory.
Which brings us to roulette, pretty much the only wheel variant of table games. There are a few slight differences between wheels such as the single zero in the European roulette wheel and the double zeros in the American roulette wheel – making European roulette by far the most advantageous – but the famous old roulette wheel is pretty standard and recognised by players and non-players alike.
Players have long tried to beat the roulette wheel by cheating with everything from magnets to lasers but if you want a top tip for beating roulette our suggestion is to find a casino that offers French roulette, this slight variation on the rules gives you have your money back when you land on the usually catastrophic green zero and is by far the most profitable table game with the lowest house edge.
Whether online or offline, table games are the heartbeat of the casino world and will be here to stay for as long as people love to play the casino.
