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Every Card Game You Can Play at Online Casinos: Beginner’s Guide

You might be new to casinos altogether, or perhaps you are just new to table games. Either way, if you are looking to try your hand at card games for the first time, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of games and variants out there.

In this guide, we are going to introduce you to the main types of card games you will encounter at online casinos.

We will go over popular variants and their pros and cons, as well as help you figure out whether you might enjoy each game.

But before we dive in, let’s quickly go over the benefits of playing casino card games online.

Why Play Card Games at Online Casinos?

The Biggest Selection
Online, you will find a massive selection of card games that far outpaces whatever is available at your local casino. You have the chance to try countless variants, including some you might never even have heard of.

No Waiting
You never have to wait in line for a spot at a table to free up when you play casino card games online.

Light On Social Interaction
When you play card games in person at a land-based casino, there is a degree of social interact regardless of what you play. Online, you can avoid social interaction entirely if you want, or you can keep it to a minimum when playing in the online casino’s poker room.

Great Bonuses
If you thought the comps at your local casino were exciting, wait until you discover the amazing bonuses and promotions offered by online casinos. In fact, bonuses for poker players tend to be especially lucrative.

Top Card Games at Online Casinos

Excited to experience the benefits we just talked about? Let’s dive into the meat of this article and explore popular card games you can play at online casinos.

Blackjack

Let’s start out with the classic casino game of blackjack. This is a game which you can play using a mathematically optimized strategy. For many players, it offers just the right balance between simplicity and complexity, making it an approachable game no matter what draws you to the gambling tables.

When you play blackjack, you play against the dealer. There may be other players at the table or not.

You will be dealt two cards at the start of the round. Based on those cards, you can:

You are trying to get the value of your hand as close as possible to 21 without going over. Going over 21 is called “busting.” If your hand value is exactly 21, it is a “blackjack.” The dealer is simultaneously dealing cards for the house, and their goal is likewise to get to 21 without busting. Sometimes the game is also called “21”.

Note that an ace may be either a 1 or an 11. If an ace is present in a hand, it is a “soft hand,” since there are multiple options to calculate the hand’s value.

There are two strategic approaches that players usually take to this game.

The first strategic strategy is Card Counting.

This is what it sounds like. You literally count cards and try to figure out what is still in the deck and thus what is likely to happen next. Alas, it is impossible in most settings because the deck penetration is such that you cannot see enough cards to do it with any accuracy.

The other strategic strategy is just a basic Blackjack Basic Strategy
This is a set of mathematical rules that tells you whether to hit, stand, split or double down depending on your hand value. This is the best approach to playing blackjack if you want to minimize the house edge.

A “regular” version of blackjack being played over at Cafe Casino.

You can easily optimize play
All you have to do is use the basic blackjack strategy. Make sure that you look up the version of this strategy that is optimized for the rules for the variant you are playing.

Enjoy a super low house edge
When you play blackjack with the Liberal Vegas rules, the house edge can drop all the way down to 0.28%. It is hard to find a slimmer house advantage than that!

Relax and have a good time
Blackjack is not a particularly intense game. If you are following the basic strategy and managing your money in a conservative and consistent way, you should not see a lot of major ups and downs. Play is relatively steady, and most of the time, you will walk out with a small amount of winnings or fairly minor losses. You do not have to think much either, since you are just following a set of rules to make your decisions.

You will gradually lose money
Even though some days you will win money playing blackjack, over the long term, you will lose money. A small house edge is still a house edge!

There is a lot to remember
Basic blackjack strategy tells you exactly what to do for every situation but there are a lot of possible combinations for your cards and the dealer’s up cards. If you play blackjack offline, you have to try and memorize all of that. What is awesome about online blackjack is that you do not have to memorize anything. Just open a chart for reference in one tab while you play in another.

You May Enjoy Blackjack If…

Baccarat

If what you are looking for is an easy card game that you can play as mindlessly as you do roulette or a slot machine, then baccarat will be your new favorite casino game.

At the start of a round of baccarat, you can make any of these three bets:

  1. Bet on the banker
  2. Bet on the player
  3. Bet on a tie

The dealer will deal two cards to the banker and two cards to the player.

The points are added up for each hand. If either the banker or the player has an 8 or 9, then the round has concluded with a “natural win.” If that is not the case, then the dealer may draw a third card according to the game rules. There is never a fourth card dealt.

There is a commission when winning on the banker bet.

The most important thing to know about baccarat is the house edge for each type of bet:

These house edges do not vary from hand to hand. That means that the strategy to play baccarat is ridiculously simple:

Always bet on the banker

Yes, this is despite the fact that there is a commission for the banker bet but not for the player bet.

One thing to be aware of is that with some variants of baccarat, the commission is reduced or removed on the banker bet. But the drawback is that the rule changes make you less likely to win this bet, which drives up the house edge.

Once again over at the Cafe Casino, here’s some their Baccarat table.

The house edge is not high with optimized play
You are not going to lose money too quickly with a house edge of 1.06% assuming your stake sizes are not out of control.

You can learn to play in seconds
It does not take long at all to grasp the concept that it is always best to bet on the banker, and you should never ever make the tie bet. In the time it has taken you to read this paragraph, you have learned all you need to know to play baccarat optimally. As a bonus, that is all you have to memorize!

This game is relaxing
It is easy to let go of the day’s cares and worries as you play baccarat. Whether you bet on the banker repeatedly or you sometimes vary it up and bet on the player just for fun, baccarat is ridiculously easy to play.

Some people might find the repetitive nature of play dull
While you cannot deny the ease of being able to just keep making the banker bet repeatedly, it can be kind of monotonous. Some players might find this frustrating, and long for a game that offers more variety in approach.

You cannot play baccarat professionally
You will always be subject to the house edge when you play baccarat. That means that there is no chance of being able to bet professionally on this card game.

You May Enjoy Baccarat If…

Poker

We have now discussed both blackjack and baccarat, which are two of the biggest card games played at casinos. Now, let’s complete the trifecta. The third major casino card game is, of course, poker.

Poker is different from the two games above in that you are playing directly against other players. In blackjack, you play against the house, and in baccarat, you usually do as well.

In poker, you can play against the house if you are playing a virtual version where a computer program takes on the role of bots around the table.

There is also “video poker” which is kind of a cross between poker and a slot machine.

But usually when we think about poker, we are picturing what takes place in a card room where you sit around a table with other real humans and you all face off against each other.

In poker, here is what takes place in a nutshell. For this example, we will use Texas Hold’em, as that is the most popular type of poker nowadays.

For each hand, a player is assigned to deal cards from a standard deck. On every subsequent hand, the dealer is the next person over clockwise. The player on the left of the dealer is the first person to bet, and betting proceeds clockwise as well.

The first stage is called the “pre-flop“. During this stage, two cards are dealt to each player face-down. Only the players can see their individual two-card hands. An initial round of betting takes place.

Next comes the “flop“. During this stage, the dealer turns over the first three cards in the middle of the table. These are community cards. They are used by every player to complete their hand. Betting now proceeds again.

The next stage of poker is the “Turn“. This is when the fourth community card is dealt, and players once again go around the table, placing their bets.

The final stage is called the “River“. This is when the fifth community card is dealt. Players may bet one more time.

After the betting is completed, the players reveal their cards, and the winner receives the pot.

From low to high, here are the card rankings:

During betting rounds, players may have the opportunity to call, raise, check or fold, depending on the action.

Keep in mind that what we have written above is just the basics for Texas Hold’em. Other forms of poker are played quite differently (for example, many types of poker do not involve community cards).

You probably already know how to play Poker, but if you have any questions at all you can always go and check out Bovada where they’ll happily answer any questions you can think of!

As with the blackjack and baccarat variations we went over, the poker variations you see above are just a sampling of what is out there. This list is not exhaustive, and you will find other variants to play online and offline.

You can compete with others
If you consider yourself a competitive person, there is no more thrilling game at the casino than poker. You get to challenge yourself to beat players at all skill levels. Every game is a chance to learn, improve your skills, and move up to the next level. Who knows? You might even become one of the best of the best someday.

You can play this game for a living
House edge is a concept that flies out the window when you are playing poker against other players. One of you will walk away a winner. That means that if you are the best player at the table again and again, it is possible you will win this game again and again. You might even be able to play poker full-time.

Play involves strategizing and adapting
Every opponent you face will bring a different set of techniques, strengths and weaknesses to the table, and every combination of players will interact in different ways. That means that not only do you have to develop tactics, but you need to modify them on the fly game after game to the changing scenarios you encounter. That is what makes poker such a compelling game.

This is a more social game than most
If you want your gambling experience to be a more social one, then play more poker. It involves much more interaction between players than most other casino games since your decisions all directly impact one another. You can even socialize with other poker players online via live chat.

The psychological components are fascinating
A lot of the action of poker takes place inside the minds of the players. You are constantly trying to figure out what your opponents are thinking and feeling and how you can use that to your advantage, while they are doing the same with you.

You can take poker seriously or not
Poker is a game that can be equally appealing to the professional full-time gambler or the casual player. It very much is what you make of it.

The learning never stops
With a lot of casino games, there is an initial learning process, and then, you are basically done. You figure out the optimal approach to the game, and then you just follow those optimized play rules. But poker is different. Not only do you have a lot to learn when you are a beginner, but you have to keep learning and improving even after playing poker for years. That is a lot of work (though it can be fun and rewarding work, so it is not necessarily a “drawback” really).

Poker against other players can be intimidating
If you are the type of person to get nervous when you are facing competition, you might not get into poker that much. There is no denying this game involves a lot of pressure.

You May Enjoy Poker If

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And make sure that you also check out this article “How To Play Thunder Crash

Casino War

The next game on our list is Casino War. Just as you would guess, this is the gambling version of the “War” card game that you might remember from your childhood.

Casino War is a simple, straightforward game. You play against the dealer. As you both turn over cards, comparing them, the one with the higher point value wins. Here is how play unfolds:

Now let’s get a look at the different types!

A couple of winning hands over at the Big Spin Casino!

Casino War is easy to learn
It only takes a few minutes to learn the rules, and if you played the childhood version of War, you should find the casino version very intuitive.

The strategy is super simple
You just avoid placing the tie bet, and go to war every time there is a tie. Do not surrender. If you just do that over and over again, you can minimize the house edge.

The game is relaxing
Because this game is so simple and straightforward, you can stop thinking and just get into the flow of play. It is a great way to let go of your stress at the end of a long day.

Play progresses rapidly
Because the cards are dealt face-up and often the outcomes are immediate, you can proceed through hand after hand really quickly.

The house edge is pretty low
It can be just 1.24% with optimal rules and play. So, you can play a whole lot of hands and not run out of your bankroll if you do not bet too much at a time.

For some players, Casino War is nostalgic
Bring back those childhood memories of War with the casino version of your favorite card game.

The house always wins
Even though the house edge is low, this is not a card game like poker where you can get an advantage.

Play may be repetitive
There is not a lot of variety in the action of Casino War. But for some players, this is okay.

You May Enjoy Casino War If

If you are interested in learning more about Casino War, our in-depth guide is a great place to start.

Rummy

Another card game you may sometimes run into when you are playing at online casinos is rummy. Traditionally, this is a multiplayer game. The way it is played is similar to dominoes, but using cards instead of tiles.

It is important to be aware that there are some games called “rummy” at online casinos that are actually variations on poker or blackjack. In fact most of the time when you encounter “rummy” online, that is what you will be looking at, not the traditional card game called “rummy”. Nevertheless, it seemed like a good idea to cover that game here, if only to clear up confusion about the different types of card games that all are called “rummy”.

Here is how rummy is played:

And now let’s take a look at some variations of this one.

And here’s another nice winning hand at Big Spin Casino, this time playing rummy!

Rummy is actually a skill-based game, even though there is luck involved in how the cards are dealt
That means if you can find a multiplayer version of rummy that pits you against other players, you may be able to use skill to win. Sometimes you might even be able to participate in rummy tournaments.

You will be hard-pressed to find this type of rummy at most online casinos
As much fun as Rummy is, online casinos tend to shy away from skill-based games aside from poker.

You May Enjoy Rummy If

Andar Bahar

This chance-based card game is from India. It is not as popular as poker, blackjack, Casino War or baccarat, but we are starting to see it offered more widely at western casinos than we did in the past.

Take a look at our 101 guide to playing Andar Bahar to learn more about this game and which casinos are offering it.

And then finally heading back to the Cafe Casino for a little Andar Bahar action!

We didn’t find a lot of information about Andar Bahar variants. That is not surprising at this juncture, since the game is still in the early stages of success in the western world.

We do know that in the basic version of the game, the first card is always placed on the Andar/left side, but that there are some variants of this game (usually in home games) that use the color of a joker card to determine whether the first card will be placed on the left or right.

We have also heard that the side bets available for Andar Bahar may vary depending on where you are playing it.

The game is really easy to learn
It takes seconds to grasp the concept of Andar Bahar. Once you see it in action, you will effortlessly understand what you are doing.

You can play Andar Bahar mindlessly
The outcomes are random, so you do not need to make any hard decisions.

You hardly have to do anything to play
You just place your initial bet, and then kick back and wait to find out if it won or lost. It is every bit as easy as pushing “spin” on a slot game.

This game may have novelty value to some gamblers
Not everyone in the western world is familiar with it yet.

The action is repetitive.

There is a house edge
This is true even though the odds are 50/50. So, do not assume that you can bring in a net win over time with this game or even break even. The house will gradually take more and more of your money.

You May Enjoy Andar Bahar If

Where Can You Play These Card Games Now?

You now are familiar with the most popular card games you can play at casinos online and offline. Where can you play these card games now for real money online? Take a look at our reviews to find US- and Canada-facing casino sites that offer poker, blackjack, baccarat and other card games you will love.

And While You’re Here You May Want To Read These As Well!

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