3 card poker

Three-card poker pits you against the dealer. You need to place an ?ante? bet to buy into a hand.

You and the dealer both receive three face-down cards. At this point, you can either make the ?play? bet or fold your hand.

Assuming you place the play bet, then you and the dealer compare hands. The stronger hand wins according to three-card poker hand rankings.

This game offers an ?ante bonus? if you hold a straight or higher. You can also place a side bet called Pair Plus that delivers payouts as high as 40:1 for a straight flush.

Let it ride

Let it ride is another poker variation. It calls on you to make three bets of equal size before each round begins.

After placing the bets, you?ll receive three hole cards. The dealer also receives three hole cards and deals two community cards, which you use to complete your five-card poker hand.

You have the opportunity to remove one or two of your bets during each hand. The first opportunity to remove one of your wagers comes when you look at your three hole cards.

The second opportunity happens after the first community card is dealt. Assuming you don?t decide to take any of your bets off the table, then you ?let it ride.?

Ultimate Texas Hold ?em

This
game is similar to the popular Texas Hold ?em game played between gamblers. However, ultimate Texas Hold ?em sees you face off against the dealer.

You and the dealer receive two hole cards. After looking at your hole cards, you can choose to check or raise 3x-4x the ante.

Following this betting round, the dealer will deal three community cards (the ?flop?). If you already raised pre-flop, then you don’t need to take any further action.

Assuming you haven?t raised, then you can raise 2x the ante at this point. After this betting round, the final two community cards will be dealt.

You and the dealer compare hands to see who has the best five-card hand. You can also win bonus payouts if you hold a flush or higher.

Pai gow poker

Pai gow poker sees you dealt seven cards to start a round. You must form both a ?front? and ?back? hand with the seven cards.

The back hand consists of five cards. It must be stronger than the front hand, which contains two cards.

The dealer also forms a front and back hand according to the ?house way.? Once you?re both finished separating cards, you and the dealer show your front and back hands.

You win if both of your hands beat the dealer. You push if you win one and lose one hand. Your bet loses if you lose both hands.

Baccarat

Baccarat sees the banker compete against the player. You bet on whether the banker?s hand will win, player?s hand will win or both hands tie.

The score that?s closest to nine wins. Assuming a score reaches double digits, then the first digit is dropped (e.g. 19 becomes 9).

You don?t really need to know the scoring system to play baccarat. Instead, you simply must place one of the aforementioned three bets.

Sic bo

Based on Chinese dominoes, sic bo revolves around combinations produced by three dice. The dealer puts three dice into a cage and shakes them up to reveal winning combinations.

You bet on these combos by placing chips on one or more spaces on the board. If you wager on ?Big,? for example, you want the dice to produce between an 11 and 17.

Sic bo is similar to craps in the sheer number of bets that it offers. Therefore, you can have fun trying many of these different wagers.

Roulette: American and European

Playing online roulette involves a spinning wheel and ball. You wager on which pocket or section of the wheel you think the spinning ball will land.

The roulette board features a variety of bets, including those in the ?outside? and ?inside? categories. Inside bets offer high payouts and long odds, while outside wagers feature low payouts and strong odds.

Roulette features two different wheels: American and European. The American roulette wheel contains 38 pockets, including zero and double zero. The latter two pockets favor the house and lead to a 5.26% house edge (2/38).

A European wheel contains 37 pockets, including zero. The zero pocket favors the casino and creates a 2.7% house edge (1/37).

Live dealer games

A live dealer casino offers standard table games. However, it streams action from a brick-and-mortar casino to your computer or smartphone.

This setup lets you enjoy land-based gambling at home or elsewhere. Furthermore, it allows you to chat with the dealer and fellow players (through a chat box).

You won?t always find open seats at live casinos during busy hours. Nevertheless, this style of gaming is worth the wait if you?re looking for a unique experience.

Real money vs. free online casino table games

You may wonder whether you should start with free or real-money table games in the beginning. The following information presents the unique characteristics of each type of gaming:

Real money play?

• Bet between $1 and $500 per hand
• Your wins count toward actual winnings
• Win bonus payouts (e.g. ultimate Texas Hold ?em)

Free online table games

• Try games for free
• Practice strategy before risking real money
• Play without any stress

Casino games with the lowest house edge

One of the biggest draws to table games is the low house edge. However, not every online table game gives you a great chance to win.

You need to play the right table games to boost your odds of winning. Here are the best internet table games with regard to house edge.

1. Blackjack – less than 0.5%

The blackjack house advantage varies based on the rules and your skill. Assuming you find a quality game and use expert strategy, then you can reduce the house edge to 0.5% or less.

The best online blackjack games feature a single deck, 3:2 natural blackjack payouts and the dealer standing on a soft 17.

Other rules have an effect on the house advantage, too. However, the three mentioned above typically exemplify a worthwhile game.

As for strategy, you want to find a chart that applies to the specific variation you?re playing. For example, you?ll want a ?Vegas rules? chart if that?s the variant you?re gambling on.

2. Craps – as low as 1.36%

Craps features several basic bets with low house edges. ?Pass line? and ?come? both feature a 1.41% house advantage. Meanwhile, ?don?t pass line? and ?don?t come? offer a 1.36% house edge.

You can lower the house advantage even further by backing any of these wagers with ?odds.? The latter refers to a bet that pays at true odds and doesn?t carry a house edge.

The higher the odds available, the lower the overall house edge goes. If you put 5x odds behind a pass line bet, for instance, then you?ll only be facing a 0.326% house advantage.

Of course, you must risk more money to place higher odds. Therefore, you need to take your bankroll size into account before making these wagers.

3. Baccarat – as low as 1.06%

As mentioned before, baccarat features three different bets. If you wager on the banker hand every time, then you?ll enjoy a low 1.06% house edge.

Casinos take a 5% commission out of winning banker-hand bets. The house advantage still only goes to 1.06% after this commission is taken out.

Meanwhile, the player and tie bets feature a 1.24% and 14.36% house edge, respectively. You definitely want to avoid the tie wager at all costs.

4. European roulette – as low as 2.70%

Unlike American roulette, the European roulette version only features one house-friendly pocket (zero). Therefore, you enjoy a reasonable 2.70% house advantage.

French roulette

This game is simply European roulette with the ?la partage? rule added into the equation. In French roulette, La partage sees you receive half back on losing even-money bets when the ball
lands on zero.

This rule doesn?t apply to anything beyond even-money wagers. Therefore, you must bet on red/black, high/low or odd/even to take advantage of la partage.

Is strategy important?

Each table game differs in terms of strategy. Some games feature extensive strategy while others only require you to place the right bets.

Blackjack is the most strategic table game. You must master knowing whether to hit or stand in a variety of scenarios.

Blackjack also gives you the option to double down and split blackjack hands in certain situations. Therefore, you have a lot to learn when it comes to basic blackjack strategy.

Luckily, you can use a strategy chart to quickly familiarize yourself with the correct decisions. Blackjack trainers are also helpful tools.

Other card games that require involved strategy include Caribbean stud and let it ride. You must understand how to handle multiple situations to use perfect strategy in these games.

Craps, roulette, sic bo and three-card poker are much easier. You can quickly study how to play these games optimally in a matter of seconds or minutes.

Software developers

The online gaming world features a number of software providers. The latter develop games and license them to internet casinos.

In some cases, software developers provide a turnkey solution to casino owners. The latter can pay a fee and/or share revenue to use the software providers? tools for account management, customer support, games and other services.

The software providers that you have access to depends upon your jurisdiction. For example, High5 Games, IGT and NetEnt are three of the most-notable providers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

You may become fond of the look and feel of a certain software developer?s games. That said, you should choose casinos that feature your favorite providers.

Live dealer table games

Live dealer gaming takes place at a land-based studio or even real brick-and-mortar casino.?The action streams directly to your smartphone, tablet or PC.

This setup lets you feel as though you?re playing at a brick-and-mortar venue, even if you?re sitting at home. Compare this scenario to standard online casinos, where the dealer, table, cards and chips are merely software-generated graphics.

How do you play at live dealer casinos?

Hopefully, you live in a state that offers legal live dealer gaming. New Jersey, for example, features regulated online casinos.

You also need to choose an internet casino that features live games. After all, not all existing or newest online casinos in USA boasts live gaming as well.

Once you settle these matters, you simply visit a live dealer casino and choose your desired game. You can then take a seat and begin playing.

Sometimes, you?ll run into situations where there are no open seats at a table. Assuming the ?Bet Behind? option is available, you can at least wager on another player?s action.

Advantages of live casinos

Below, you can see the main benefits to playing at live dealer casinos:

• Enjoy brick-and-mortar-style gambling without leaving the house.
• Choose from a variety of games.
• Move from game to game with ease.
• Chat with the dealer and other players.

Disadvantages of live casinos

Live dealer gaming features a few drawbacks, including the following:

• Higher minimum bet than standard online table games.
• Not always an open seat.
• Some casinos don?t offer much variety.
• Can only communicate with dealer through chat box.

Brick-and-mortar table games vs. online casinos

You can enjoy legal online casino games in multiple states, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These same states also feature land-based gambling venues.

Therefore, you may be conflicted on whether to play in a land-based or online casino. Here are some differences between the two that?ll help you make this decision.

Land-based table games

• Unique gambling atmosphere.
• Plenty of side entertainment.
• Resort hotel experience.
• Interesting comps.

Online casino table games

• Ultimate gambling convenience.
• Many games at your fingertips.
• Lower house edges (on average).
• Live dealer gaming.