3 Casino Card Games That Won’t Shake You Down

All men were created equal according to the US constitution but not all casino games are. Sometimes it can seem like casinos and the games inside them are one homogenous blob, designed to take your money and leave you with nothing in return. Temples to other people’s money, casinos simply shake you down and allow you to go out with your dignity intact but with your cash anything but.

Whether its online or in Las Vegas, whether you are in the Bellagio or playing on your couch, there is nowhere more ruthless than a casino, or at least, that is how the story goes. Although with live gambling for the US means you can play whenever and whenever you want, people still thinks that the house always wins. Live games actually mean there is less influence for the casino and more chance of winning, but some people think you are guaranteed to lose no matter what game you play.

Whilst it is true that that odds are always against you when you play casino games, there is a general agreement that some games are harder to win than others and some games have better odds. Whatever game takes your fancy, it is important to know your odds. Here are three of the best card games to play if you are going to play for money in a casino, be it online or in person.

Blackjack

In terms of odds, this one is the best and it is the best for a number of important reasons. One of these is the fact that you are not playing against a whole host of people, as you are in other casino games, rather it is just you and the dealer. In some cases it can be you and others at the table versus the dealer. You have a much better chance in a 1v1 situation than with lots of other people are competing for the same prize. It is also better for beginners as the rules are so simple. Unlike a game like bridge, you can learn Blackjack in literally seconds as long as you can count to 21. You do have to be careful though in that, the longer you play, the more your odds go down. So if you are on a streak it makes sense to step away for a little while to keep that streak going rather than ploughing on. For novices and experts alike blackjack is perfect.

Although it’s easy enough to learn, Blackjack has some great strategies, based on the odds of what card will show up, that you can write down and keep with you when you’re playing. Or, go online and practice. My own mother taught me these classic strategies. Most can be found in this Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide on our sister website Gifts for Card Players.

Poker

If you are skilled then poker can win you a lot of money especially if you make sure you are playing with less skilled players. Going to a table and playing with people who are clearly just there for the fun of it is a great way to pick up some money. It also is very hard for the casino to influence what is going on as, in many cases, they are simply facilitating rather than being involved. It can be hard to win but when you get on a streak and in your zone then it can be quite hard for you to be stopped. It is a game that is simple to start but hard to master, however if you do master it then there are so many times you will come up against average and inexperienced players giving you a great chance of picking up big money and great prizes.

Here are seven different kinds of poker you will find at a casino:

Texas Hold’em: The most popular poker game. Players get two private cards and use them with five community cards to make the best five-card hand. Betting rounds occur before the community cards are revealed.
Omaha: Similar to Texas Hold’em, but players receive four private cards and must use exactly two of them along with three of the five community cards to make their hand. It often leads to stronger hands than Texas Hold’em.
Seven-Card Stud: Players are dealt seven cards throughout the hand but must make the best five-card hand from those. There are no community cards, and it involves several betting rounds.
Five-Card Draw: A simple form of poker where players start with five cards and can exchange any number of them once for new ones, aiming to make the best hand. There’s a round of betting before and after the draw.
Razz: A variation of Seven-Card Stud where the goal is to make the lowest possible hand. Flushes and straights don’t count against you, making the best hand A-2-3-4-5.
HORSE: A combination of five poker games: Hold’em, Omaha Hi/Lo, Razz, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better (Hi/Lo). The game switches between each variation, testing players’ skills across different types of poker.
Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO): Similar to Omaha but with a key difference in betting. Players can bet up to the size of the total pot, making it a game with potentially large pots and aggressive play.

Baccarat

A less played casino game but one that can be exploited very well by players who know how to play. As with blackjack you are taking on the house and no one else. You cannot be influenced or beaten by anyone apart from the dealer. It is a game with a very low house edge of around 1% which allows you the chance to win more frequently than with other games. It is also a table that is not all that popular meaning casinos will not always put their best players there. If you know what you are doing it can be a great way to win big. You can find a Baccarat Guide in our magazine.

Slots

OK you would never expect to see Slot Machines on this list because they are governed by a Random Number Generator which has nothing to do with you, the player. Right? Well my sister-in-law would argue that. She makes a living on slot machines and has lots to say. For example, she recommends being satisfied with the smaller more consistent wins to keep you going and making profit. Linda explains “The machines are programmed to pay out more times on a smaller win. The random number generator will pay out a certain total amount of money and it makes sense that it can pay out smaller jackpots more often than larger.”

We’ve got other tips waiting for you in our article Unlocking the Secrets of Slot Machines.