Casino Game Rules
Modern casino sites offer thousands of various titles: slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, lotteries, and other exciting games. In slot machines, you only need to make a bet and spin the reel, but in table and card games, you need to learn rules and have special skills. Casino rules for US players for various games may differ significantly: there are different betting limits, playing fields, card deal processes, payouts, and other aspects. However, our article can help you understand the basic rules of most table games.
Casino Table Game Rules
This category includes poker, craps, baccarat, roulette, blackjack, and other table games; using this article, you learn all the rules and features of popular versions of these games and will be prepared to play for real money.
Blackjack Rules
This game is also known as 21, one of the most popular card games in any online casino, thanks to its relatively simple rules. In blackjack, you play against the dealer, and your goal is to collect a more valuable combination, but not higher than 21. 1 to 6 decks of 52 cards are used for the deal; the exact rules depend on the game version, as there are several types. In fact, more decks provide a higher house edge.
For each active box, the dealer deals two cards face-down for you and two cards to themself, where one is face-up, so you can assess your chances of winning right from the start. Then it is your turn: you need to decide whether to hit or stop (stand), while the dealer has to collect cards until they have 17 points or more. Remember that if you exceed 21 points, you lose; the card’s value is different.
| Cards | Value |
|---|---|
| From 2 to 10 | According to their face value |
| J, Q, K | 10 each |
| A | 11 or 1 |
If you are closer to 21 than the dealer, you win and get an amount equal to your bet, and if you collect Blackjack (21 points), you receive a 3:2 payout. If the dealer exceeds 21 points, you also win, but if you have a weaker hand than the dealer’s, you lose your bet.
In the case of a draw, you get your chips back, or the casino takes it; it all depends on the rules and the game version.
The table includes from 3 to 10 boxes on which you can bet, so you can get multiple payouts at once. In blackjack, you also can:
- Split two cards of the same denomination into separate boxes; this option is available for a different fee, identical to your first-hand bet. If you split Aces, you can take only one card after that.
- Double your bet, but remember that you can take only one additional card after that.
- Get insurance. If the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace, you can put 50% of your initial bet into the pot, and if the second dealer’s card brings 10 points, you get a 2:1 payout. If the dealer fails to collect Blackjack, the casino takes your insurance, and the game continues according to standard casino game rules in the USA.
There are side bets to diversify the gameplay, for example:
- HiLo 13. You bet on the two cards’ value from the first hand; your goal is to guess whether they are lower, higher, or equal to 13.
- Perfect Pairs. You can place this bet if you believe you will get a pair of the same suit right from the start.
- Bonus. You bet on one-suit cards in hand.
All these options make your gameplay even more exciting and diverse.
How to Play Roulette
This is one of the most captivating casino games popular all over the world; in particular, this is because of the potential large payouts you can get while playing. You play against a casino, and to win, it is necessary to guess the sector in which the ball would stop after the dealer launches the wheel’s rotation.
Casino table game rules offer a lot of bet variants: numbers, their sequences, colors, even/odd, and so on; all possible bets are divided into inside and outside. Inside bets are riskier because you bet on fewer sectors, but they have high odds, while outside bets offer smaller payouts, but they are more frequent.
| Bet Type | Name | Number of Sectors Involved | Payout Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside | Single | 1 | 35:1 |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | |
| Sixline | 6 | 5:1 | |
| Outside | Red/Black | 18 | 1:1 |
| Even/Odd | 18 | 1:1 | |
| High (1-18)/Low (19-36) | 18 | 1:1 | |
| Columns/Dozens | 12 | 2:1 |
The most popular roulette versions are European, French, and American, but remember that the latter has a Double Zero sector, making the house edge higher. French Roulette also has additional rules: La Partage and En Prison; if you bet on equal chances (red/black, even/odd, high/low), and zero comes up, you get a 50% bet return in the first case, and your funds are saved until the next round in the second case.
Betting limits are lower for inside than for outside bets due to the higher odds.
There are also many other roulette versions: Mini, Lightning, Double-Wheel, and so on; they are available in various casinos, and if you want to play some non-standard roulette type, don’t forget to read the rules carefully.
Craps Rules
This game uses a pair of dice, and a player who rolls them is called a shooter. Their task is to necessarily bet on Pass or No Pass on one of the available lines; remember that all bets need to be made before the roll.
If 2, 3, or 12 come up, the Pass bet loses. If you have chosen the No Pass bet, you win if the dice displays 3 or 12 and lose in the case of 7 and 11. If 2 come up, you keep your money.
In other cases, the second game phase begins, and different results are possible. During the first roll, 7 points mean victory for Pass, and during the second, on the contrary, it means loss. Further rolls are available until 7 is hit if it is not hit immediately. To win, you need to collect:
- For the Pass bet — coming up with the same amount as in the first roll before you get 7.
- For the No Pass bet — there is 7 until the exact amount that was in the first round comes up.
The dealer ends the game when you get 7 on the table; remember that in the second round, many additional bets are available to you.
Baccarat Basics
This game has simple casino rules and scoring, so it is perfect for newbies; you play against the casino, and one or more 52-card decks are used. You can bet on your win, a banker’s win, or a draw.
The goal is to guess the hand that is closest to 9 points; some game variations have additional outcomes available after you make the standard bet:
- A player or a banker get a pair (two cards of the same value).
- Perfect Pair — two cards of the same suit
- Big Hand — 5 or 6 points.
- Small Hand — 4 points.
After accepting the bets, the dealer deals two cards to himself and the player; then, the points are counted.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2-9 | According to face value |
| 10 and images | 0 |
If the sum is 10 or higher, 10 points are deducted from the outcome, and if you have 5 or fewer points, you should take a third card. As for the dealer, he also takes an additional card under certain conditions; then, you get winnings according to multipliers:
- Player’s win — 1:1.
- Dealer’s win — 1:1, but the casino takes 5% of the winning amount.
- Draw — 9:1 or 8:1, depending on the game type.
- Pair — 11:1.
- Perfect Pair — 25:1.
- Small Hand — 1.5:1.
- Big Hand — 0.54:1.
Pai Gow Rules
This is a type of poker where the deal involves a deck of 52 cards and one joker that can change the Ace or act as a missing card to form a winning combination.
At the beginning, participants make bets, and then each of them receives a stack of 7 cards; you divide them into:
- High hand with 5 cards.
- Low hand with 2 cards.
Then the combinations are compared, and to win, you need to beat both dealer’s hands.
If there is a draw, you usually lose your bet, which goes to the casino.
In some online casinos, you do not lose a bet in case of a draw; you get it back or save it until the next round.
Omaha Basics
In terms of casino game rules and gameplay, Omaha is similar to Hold’em, but in this game, you get only 4 cards; to form a combination, you have to use 2 cards from your hand and 3 cards from the table. Before the deal, participants make small and big blinds. Two dealt cards are face-down, and players decide whether to fold, call, or raise after checking them. Next, flop and turn take place: these game rounds are similar to Hold’em, and at the end, participants compare their cards, and the winner, who gets the pot, is determined.
How to Play Poker
Each draw uses a deck of 52 cards: from 2 to A; all cards have fixed value except for Aces that can become 1, for example, to make a straight. To win, you need to collect the combination higher than your opponents; let’s list all combinations in descending order:
- Royal Flush — 10 to A of one suit.
- Straight Flush — a sequence of five cards of the same suit.
- Kare — four cards of the same rank.
- Full House — a pair and three cards of one rank.
- Flush — five cards of the same suit, regardless of their order.
- Straight — a sequence of cards without regard to suit.
- Three (set) — three cards of one rank.
- Two pairs — two cards of one rank and two of the other rank.
- Pair — two cards of the same rank.
- High card — it determines the winner when no one has a combination.
We recommend learning these combinations by heart to make quick and informed decisions when you are at the table.
Texas Hold’em Rules
This is the most popular poker type, and as mentioned earlier, in terms of casino rules, Hold’em is similar to Omaha, but you get two cards at the start. Game rounds are the same: preflop, flop, turn, and river.
Unlike Omaha, you don’t have to use your hand necessarily, as you can form a combination on the table; in this case, your highest card matters.
Casino Card Rules
Not everyone knows that there is a game called Casino (also known as Cassino); this is a fishing-themed game that uses a standard deck of 52 cards. To win, you need to collect the maximum number of points in your stack.
Users & Cards
The game is suitable for 2 to 4 gamblers; the Ace value is 1, and the cards from 2 to 10 have the value according to their face. Jack, Queen, and King are 0, and the cards you take and stack are counted at the end of the round.
Deals
Each participant receives 4 face-down cards, and in the middle of the table, the dealer puts another 4 cards that are face-up; the rest of the deck is set aside. After the four cards are drawn, the deal repeats, but nothing is placed in the center of the table; the deal continues until the whole deck is in play.
Game Process
The gambler to the dealer’s left begins a one-card draw; they can perform one of the following actions:
- Trailing — drop the face-up card on the table.
- Pairing — you can use any card to draw one or more cards of the same value from the table.
- Combining — you can open a card to take two or more cards; the sum of points should correspond to the number of cards in your hand. For example, for 10 you can take 5, 3, and 2.
- Building — this option can be single or multiple. In the first case, you can complete the opening at the table with your card if the sum of their values is not more than 10 and there is an identical card in the deck. For example, you have 2 and 6, and the table has 4: you can finish the combination with 2 and have 6 in your hand during your next turn. You can line up several identical sums at once during a multiple completion.
If you have cards in hand that do not perform any extensions or other actions listed above, perform the upbuilding by placing any card in the middle.
Casino Scoring
The round ends when there are no more cards in the deck; the gambler that is the last to take them from the table counts them, but remember that some final cards are counted differently:
- 2 of spades — 1 point.
- 10 of diamonds — 2 points.
- Ace of any suit — 1 point.
- Any card of 7 or more — 1 point.
- 27 or more cards — 3 points.
The participant with the maximum number of points wins, but all gamblers can continue the draw anyway.
In this case, the game lasts until someone hits 21 points.
Variations of Casino Card Rules
This game has a lot of varieties, like many other online casino games; the main essence is the same, but the rules differ from the standard version.
| Version | Features |
|---|---|
| Royal Cassino | The pictures also have a number value: J is 11, Q is 12, and K is 13. |
| Five Players | The twos of diamonds, hearts, and clubs are removed from the game, and each participant receives an additional card during the last deal. |
| Diamond | It is similar to the classic version, but there are no pictures. Three cards are dealt, and four cards are placed on the table. Scoring begins after all the aces are collected, and extra points are awarded for the seven of diamonds. |
In addition to these types, there are plenty of others available: Trailing-Royals Cassino, Callabra, Draw, Tablanette, Spade, and other variations with modified rules of casino games.
Building Rules
This is the most important part of the game, with different capture options. For example:
- You can simultaneously draw a card and include it in combinations with other cards on the table, without regard to the card played.
- Cards from the table and from the hand are used to increase the cost per turn.
- One build is used as a single value card to capture or increase it.
Sweeps
The participant who takes all open cards from the table announces sweeps; some game versions involve giving an extra point for it. Sweeps follow after the opponent is unable to take any turn: the capture card is placed face-up on the stack of cards played to check the total number of cards during the scoring process.
Face Cards
All four cards of the same rank can be collected simultaneously, and that way, you can make a build with face cards, eliminating the appearance of an “orphan” card. However, it provides no advantage if all four cards are shared between the player and the table.
Other Options
In the Belgian variation, most cards and spades are 2 points, but in some different variations, for example, Spade Casino, all spades give 1 point, and the jack of spades is an additional point. Also, pairs dealt at the table at the start can automatically be received by the first player to take a turn, regardless of whether he has a card to draw.
