A Detailed Guide to Casino Table Games: Baccarat, Blackjack and Roulette Explained

Gambling has always been a part of our life. It goes back to ancient times when our ancestors gambled with sticks and rocks. Later, in the 15th century, table games appeared. They spread across Europe and America, and now we play them on our smartphones and computers all over the world.

The success of baccarat, blackjack, and roulette comes from their rules which require skills and experience. The player, who knows the rules, tricks, and strategies, is always a leader. Gamers rely on their skills rather than luck. And this feature always attracts new players.

Now, with virtual gaming rooms, anyone can start playing these games and win money.

Baccarat

The game of baccarat is at least 200 years old. They say it was invented in Italy in the 15th century. However, the actual evidence of this claim has never been found. The game was widely played by French soldiers in the early 19th century and was known as Baccarat Banque. Thus, it has French origins. The game quickly became a noble pastime and was played in private casinos.

During this period, another version, Chemin de Fer was introduced. The game migrated to the United States at the end of the 19th century. However, initially, it was a common pastime among French immigrants. Americans started playing baccarat at the beginning of the 20th century. And now, due to the online gaming rooms, it is played everywhere.

Briefly About Rules

The baccarat rules are simple. It is a card game and your hand total value should be higher than the opponent’s, and as close to 9 as possible. In virtual gaming rooms, you play against a casino. Some cards have values different from their inherent ones.

Jack, King, Queen and ten have zero value. Ace is counted as 1. The numerals from 2 to 9 remain the same.

The total hand value is determined by its rightmost digit. For instance, a total of 7 and 7 is 14. Then, the hand value is 4. Also, there are 3 wagers in the game: “player”, “banker” and “tie”.

Variants of This Card Game

Historically, 3 main variations of baccarat were introduced: Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer, and Baccarat Banque. Here we explain the differences between their rules:

  • Punto Banco. It is played with 6 or 8 decks of cards. Up to 14 players can participate at once. In virtual gaming rooms, the 8-deck game is commonly used.
  • Chemin de Fer. It is played with 6 decks of cards. The cards are dealt face down. This variation allows players to bet against each other and take the role of a banker. Up to 12 people can play at once.
  • Baccarat Banque. It is the original baccarat and is played with 3 decks of cards. Onsite casinos allow up to 16 players at the table at once.

Advantages of Baccarat

It is the simplest card game. What you need to do is to count your hand total and draw another card if the total is not 8 or 9. Besides, the winning odds are incredibly high. The “player” bet has a winning probability of 44.6%. The “banker” stake will win with the probability of 45.8%.

You have a 9.53% chance to hit “tie”. Thus, as you can see, the game does not require any special skills and pays you five times out of ten. Simple rules and high odds of the card game make this amusement so popular.

Blackjack

Blackjack

Blackjack is also known as 21. It has no clear origins. The first records of this game and its rules appear at the beginning of the 17th century in the short stories by well-known Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. In some stories, the main characters played “veintiuna” which is 21 in Spanish.

Blackjack is likely to have evolved from this old game. In the 18th century, it spread across France and North America. The 19th century was the time when blackjack started gaining popularity among American gamblers.

Main Types

The game has gone through the years of development and nowadays there are tons of its variations. We will mention several outstanding types of blackjack widely played on gaming websites:

  • Classic. You can play with up to 8 decks of cards. One of the dealer’s cards is placed face up.
  • Double Exposure. You can see all the dealer cards at the beginning.
  • Spanish 21. It is played with 6-8 decks of cards. Each deck contains 48 cards instead of 52. 10s, Jacks, Kings, and Queens are removed.
  • Atlantic City. 8 decks are allowed being in use. You can also split your hand 3 times.
  • European. You can gamble with 2 decks only. The dealer’s hole card (a face-down one) is dealt only after you make any decision.
  • Progressive. Similarly to slot machines, it gives you an opportunity to get qualified for a progressive jackpot.
  • Live dealer. It can be any of the above-mentioned variations. You can play it online with the real dealer in the form of a video stream.

How to Play Blackjack?

In blackjack, gamblers have to reach the highest possible total of their hand without exceeding 21. Similarly to baccarat, the cards have specific values. All numerals preserve their original values. Jack, King, Queen are always counted as 10. Ace is counted as either 1 or 11. It is always 1 if its 11 causes exceeding 21 (busting).

Before the game starts, you place a bet. The game starts with you getting 2 cards. You see your total and can choose between 3 basic options:

  • Hit. If you are unsatisfied with your hand, you press “hit”.
  • Stand. You press “stand” if you think your hand is good.
  • Double. You can double your bet before the next card draw.

Why to Choose This Game?

In addition to being simple and captivating, blackjack has <strong>the lowest casino house edge.</strong> The gaming house’s edge is an inevitable advantage of a casino. In simple words, it is a percentage of your bet which goes to the gaming room regardless of your outcome. Blackjack has a 0.5% advantage. Thus, when you place 100 dollars, the casino automatically earns 50 cents.

It is a statistical value. This happens in the long run. The more you play, the closer you come to this value. Other games have a bigger casino advantage. For instance, baccarat has a 1.5% advantage. And slots have up to 10%. So, if you want to win more in the long run, blackjack is your choice.

Roulette

Roulette

Roulette originates from France too. The wheel of fortune was accidentally invented by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician in the 17th century. The scientist tried to construct a perpetual motion machine.

Later, roulette became popular among the elite in France in the 18th century. The game spread to Germany and all over Europe, and later America.

Popularity of Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular games in the whole gambling industry. You can play it in every single online and onsite gaming room. It is a social game since there are no rules restricting the number of people involved. You can bring all your relatives and friends just at a single roulette wheel and have fun. Like in dice games, waiting for the ball to stop is a thrilling and dramatic moment.

Playing Rules

Basically, you place a bet on one or several numbers depicted on 37 pockets of the wheel. The wheel starts spinning, with the ball eventually falling at one of the pockets.

You can place bets on red/black; 1-18 (even)/ 19-36 (odd); columns/dozens; splits (any 2 adjoining numbers); streets (any 3 numbers); six line (any 6 numbers in a row); corner (any 4 adjoining numbers). The bets have specific odds and payouts.

Variety of Types

You can find the following roulette variations on the Internet and in land-based casinos:

  • European. It is a classic game with a single zero pocket. There are 37 pockets in total.
  • American. This one has 38 pockets including two green zeros. It increases the house edge from 2.7% to 5.26%.
  • No-zero Roulette. This one has no zero pockets. It is the fairest type.
  • Roulette Royale. It gives you a chance to win a progressive prize.
  • Multi-Wheel. You can place several stakes on several wheels.

There are also live dealer, fast (the wheel rotates faster and stops faster), and mini (it has fewer numbers and wagering options) games.