Online casino table games come in dozens of variations with rule tweaks that keep the core gameplay intact but slightly alter the house edge, or in versions that dramatically affect how the game plays. This is why choosing the right variant of online casino games isn’t something that players should ignore. It not only affects their win potential but also their enjoyment and potentially how long they can play.
Below are three of the most popular casino table games — baccarat, blackjack, and roulette — along with some of the variants the player is most likely to come across when browsing casino games online.
Baccarat
Three of the baccarat variants that players will likely find at most offline and online casinos are Punto Banco, First Person Baccarat, and First Person Lightning Baccarat.
Punto Banco
In Punto Banco, players place their wagers on the “player,” “banker,” or a tie before each coup begins. The goal of the game is to guess which of these hands will get as close to a total hand value of nine while also being the highest value hand in play.
This is done by adding up the value of the cards that players are dealt. Aces are worth one, cards 2 through 9 are equal to their card value, and 10s and all face cards count as zero. If the player has a hand total in the double digits, the first number is dropped to determine the hand value.
First Person Baccarat
First Person Baccarat by Evolution doesn’t deviate too far from the classic baccarat formula, offering players a random number generator (RNG) version of the game that they can play on their own. One way it differs from similar RNG versions of baccarat is that it also offers a quick and easy way to join in a live dealer version of the game.
First Person Lightning Baccarat
First Person Lightning Baccarat is another title from Evolution. It’s similar to First Person Baccarat, but where it does differ is with the introduction of bonus multipliers. During each game, up to five cards are chosen at random. These become Lightning cards with multipliers worth up to 8x. If the player wins and has a Lightning card, their payout is multiplied by the value on the Lightning card. If the player has two Lightning cards, these multipliers are combined, resulting in an even greater payout.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another popular casino table card game with dozens of variants that players can try in person and in cyberspace. Part of this game’s popularity is its relatively simple rules, but also that well-played blackjack has some of the best table game odds at a casino. Three versions of the game are regular blackjack, Blackjack Fortune Spinner Pro, and Blackjack Xchange.
Blackjack
The goal of blackjack is to try to create a hand worth a total of 21 without going over 21 (also known as going bust), while also trying to beat the dealer’s hand value. In this game, the ace is worth one or 11, 2 to 10 are worth their card value, and the K, Q, and J are worth 10. The name of the game refers to a 10 and an ace, which is a total of 21 and an instant win, unless the dealer also has a blackjack. The game is relatively easy to learn, and while results are determined by luck, players can follow specific strategies to try to improve their odds in the game.
Blackjack Fortune Spinner Pro
Blackjack Fortune Spinner Pro by Playtech adds its own twist to blackjack with the Fortune Spinner side bet. Players can wager on any hand in the game to receive a blackjack. If they place this wager and the player guesses correctly, the Fortune Spinner wheel begins to spin and offers them a multiplier bonus between 5x and 1,000x, which could result in a much larger than normal blackjack payout.
Blackjack Xchange
Blackjack Xchange follows the basic rules of blackjack but adds some unique elements that help it stand out from other blackjack titles. The Slingo Originals developer has added a card-buying and card-selling mechanic, allowing players to buy or sell cards to try to improve the state of their hand. Players can also swap cards if the option is available. This adds an extra strategic element to the game.
Roulette
Roulette is a classic casino game where a small ball is spun around a numbered wheel, and players predict which pocket the ball will land in. Players can place a wide variety of bets, from straightforward red or black, or odd or even wagers, to single-number straight-up bets that offer higher payouts. The rules of the game are simple, and betting is intuitive, making roulette an easy game to pick up and play.
Just like blackjack, there are many popular variants of this game, but many of these games can be traced back to two main versions of the game: American and European roulette.
American Roulette
American roulette is played on a wheel with 38 pockets. These pockets are numbered 1–36, 0, and 00. This results in a house edge of 5.26%, almost double the house edge of the European version of the game.
European Roulette
European roulette is played on a wheel with 37 pockets — numbers 1 through 36 plus a single zero — which lowers the house edge to about 2.70% compared with the American double-zero wheel.
Some European roulette tables also allow players to use the “la partage” or “en prison” rules. La partage sees the player getting half their wager back if they place an even money bet and the ball lands on the zero. If the player places an en prison side bet, when the player places an even-money bet and a zero hits, the player can choose to claim half their bet or put it “in prison.” If the player chooses to place it “in prison,” the wager is marked and remains on its original betting position. If they win, their wager is returned, but if they lose, their whole bet is forfeit.
This allows players the choice between cutting their losses or seeing if they can win back their whole wager.
