Beloved casino table games like baccarat, blackjack, and poker have been enjoyed by gamblers for centuries. Today, these gambling experiences are not only enjoyed by casino-goers around the world but also by millions of players in cyberspace.
Read on to learn how some of the most popular casino table games have evolved into digital online casino games and the experience they offer today.
Baccarat
Baccarat is an easy-to-play card game where players wager on whether the player or banker will end up with the highest-value hand that’s closest or equal to nine. The highest-value hand is determined by combining the value of two cards. If the hand value is a single-digit value, it remains unchanged. If it’s a double-digit value, the first digit is dropped.
For example, if the player has a hand with a 5 and 3, their hand value is eight. However, if the banker has a hand with a 4 and a 7 for a total of 11, the first digit will be dropped, resulting in the banker’s final hand value being one. In this case, the player wins.
Baccarat’s Progression
The exact origins of baccarat are unknown, but it’s possible that the game has its roots in the Chinese game of pai gow or a European ritual involving a nine-sided dice. However, according to the Wikipedia page for baccarat, by the 19th century, two precursors to baccarat were being enjoyed by the French. These were baccarat banque and chemin de fer.
However, baccarat as it’s known today has its roots in the game baccarat punto banco, a game from 1940’s Havana. Whether you’re playing in person at a casino or a digital or live dealer version online, this is the version of the game that most players worldwide know and love today.
Still, that hasn’t stopped modern game developers from offering their own twist on the beloved game. Today, you can find digital versions of the game that are endorsed by the NHL, where players get three cards for their hand, and even twists on the game that offer you random multipliers to boost your final prize.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another simple game to play. The goal of the game is to beat the dealer by getting a hand value of 21, or as close to it as possible. Players start the game with two cards face up, while the dealer has one card face up and another face down. Players can “hit” and get another card until they go “bust” and lose or until they decide to “stay” with their current hand.
After all the players are committed to their hands, the dealer reveals his second card, and depending on the card the dealer has, he can also hit or stay. The hand that’s closest to 21, whether it’s a dealer or player’s hand, wins.
Blackjack’s Progression
The BetMGM blog “The History of Blackjack: How This Legendary Game Was Born” discussed how blackjack is connected to a popular 16th-century French game called “vingt-un,” which means 21. By the 19th century, French colonists had started to make their way to America, where the game was named 21.
However, its rules differed enough that it wasn’t quite the blackjack people know and love today. It was only around 1899 that the game’s name and rules were changed into the game that people would recognize today.
Today, you can find hundreds of different variants of blackjack online. Some of these titles offer the ability to buy and sell cards during the game, wheel of fortune-styled side bets, and enhanced doubling and splitting rules, all of which offer players an even more exciting experience.
Poker
In all variants of poker, the goal of the game is to use your hand to make a winning combination of cards. This can be achieved by discarding and drawing new cards or by using community cards, which are dealt between rounds, depending on which version of the game you’re playing. Bets are also placed at the start of each round, with the eventual winner claiming the “pot” (collection of bets).
Poker’s Progression
According to the History.com article “Where Did Poker Originate?,” the game that most resembled poker from Europe was a game called poque, which gained popularity in 17th-century France. The game made its way over from Europe to the Americas in the early 1800s with French colonists, where it evolved into the five-card poker game that most people recognize today.
But that’s not where the story of poker ends. Over the passing decades, the game became so popular that others altered the rules to create their own unique versions of the game. Today, you can find dozens of variations on classic poker, including five-card draw, seven-card stud, and the most popular poker variant, Texas hold’em.
These variants have been adapted for online play, allowing poker players worldwide to compete against each other and put their skills to the test against global competition. These competitive poker games occur in virtual poker rooms with a videogame-like appearance, but they’re only one way to experience poker online. Live dealer poker adds a flesh-and-blood dealer to the mix but puts the players head-to-head against the dealer.
Roulette
The last entry on this list is roulette. In this instantly recognizable game, players bet on where a ball will land in a spinning wheel using several betting options. If they get it right, they win; if they get it wrong, they forfeit their bet. At its core, that’s all there is to the game of roulette.
Roulette’s Progression
Roulette first appeared in 18th-century France. It was based on two games — hoca, and portique — and after it was modified, it became the game that people still recognize today.
It’s surprising how little the game has changed, even though it’s hundreds of years old. The most notable change to the game was the removal of the double zero in what is commonly referred to today as European roulette. This was done by two French brothers and entrepreneurs, François and Louis Blanc, to draw more people to their version of the game since it increased their chances of winning.
Like many other gambling games that originated in Europe, it was only a matter of time before it found its way to the U.S. Americans decided the roulette wheel would be better off at the top of the table as this would prevent people from tampering with the wheel and allow the betting table to be simplified. Over the years, more minor adjustments were made, but nothing that made the game unrecognizable.
Today, you can’t browse online casino table games without finding dozens of roulette games. From the classic American and European versions of the game to the lesser-known French twist on roulette, roulette has become a staple of the online casino scene.
Online Table Games Available at BetMGM
BetMGM has an excellent range of online table games for you to enjoy. Here are the different types of table games and some of the specific titles that you can find:
- Baccarat: Baccarat, Baccarat Squeeze, Emperor Baccarat, and First Person Baccarat.
- Blackjack: Classic Blackjack, Blackjack Lobby, and Blackjack Xchange.
- Craps: Craps, Craps The Matrix, and First Person Craps.
- Poker: Caribbean Stud poker, Texas hold’em bonus poker, and three-card poker.
- Roulette: Roulette, 25c roulette, American roulette, and European roulette.
Play Casino Table Games and More at BetMGM
If you’re looking for the best way to play modern table games online, you’ll want to sign up at BetMGM. Whether you’re learning how to play casino table games or are an experienced casino table games player, BetMGM is a premiere online casino where you can enjoy a fantastic range of casino games, including table games like blackjack, poker, and roulette, as well as more modern games like slots and variety games. These gambling experiences are available as classic digital titles or can be enjoyed in their modern live dealer format.
The choice is yours when you register to play at BetMGM.