Most Popular Online Casino Games
Gambling has been one of the most popular types of entertainment in most countries since ancient times, and nowadays, the gambling industry offers a wide variety of opportunities. Online casinos are the best example, as they provide hundreds of various games, so let’s take a look at popular casino games in the USA and their main features.
Casino Game Basics
Any casino game is random: you, as a player, should not know the result of the future bet; this creates a sense of excitement, attracting people to gambling and providing a great gambling experience. There are several factors making casino games random and unpredictable.
Random Number Generator
To provide the unpredictability of online game results, gambling studios create them based on a random number generator. This is special software that determines outcomes of spins in slots, card values in poker, baccarat, blackjack, and dice values in craps. RNG calculates outcomes immediately after the gaming round starts, so predicting them or calculating them in advance is impossible.
Certificates issued by independent digital labs, such as eCOGRA or iTech Labs, confirm the reliability and proper operation of the random number generator at online casinos.
It is impossible to influence RNG’s work because it does not depend on your actions; there are only two weighty criteria the random number generator takes into account: RTP and volatility. Results always correspond to these criteria in the long run.
Standard Deviation and Mathematics
Not all popular casino games use a random number generator: in some of them, RNG’s influence is either reduced or completely absent. Live dealer games are a prime example: they are live streaming, which means you can watch what is going on in the studio, follow the dealer’s actions, and even communicate with them and other participants. All live casino games use real card decks, dice, roulette wheel, and so on, so results in these games only depend on luck and mathematical laws.
It is necessary to mention the mathematical expectation: the average game result you should get in the long run. The more bets you place, the closer you get to the mathematical expectation.
This works in theory, but in reality, it is not always that simple, as there is a deviation from the mathematical expectation: the so-called dispersion. Because of it, some game sessions can bring you massive winnings or, on the contrary, lead to significant losses.
Top 5 Most Popular Casino Games
You can find different casino games on the Internet: the largest gambling sites offer thousands of titles divided into dozens of categories. However, not all of them are equally popular; the obvious leaders in this regard are only five games.
Most Common Slot Machine Casino Games
The popularity of slot machines is very high since they do not require you to have any special knowledge or skills. You can make bets even if you first sign up to the casino; all you need to do is to choose a slot in the game catalog, launch it, set the bet size, and start making spins. Then the random number generator does the rest.
There are several ways to get payouts in slots:
- When forming payable combinations of symbols on the reels.
- In a series of free spins.
- In bonus rounds.
Despite the large number of these games, they all differ, as gambling providers implement different mechanics and features in slots, creating a unique gaming experience.
Classic Slots
Classic slots are games with a simple design and minimal mechanics and functions. To get payouts, you need to form lines of identical symbols in standard rounds, during free spins, or in bonus games, but keep in mind that there are no complex mechanics like Megaways or Gigablox.
Classic slot machines have a small number of lines; usually, you can activate or deactivate them manually.
This makes classic slots easy to master; by the way, you can find detailed rules and operation principles in the Help section.
Video Slots
Video slots are more diversified than classic slot machines, as gambling studios implement completely different ideas, mechanics, and features in them. The playing field can consist of three reels as well as ten, and you can receive payments not only for collecting combinations of the same symbols. There are several popular mechanics that are common for modern video slots.
Mechanics | Essence |
---|---|
Wilds | Universal symbols that replace any other image when forming a payline; they can be regular, sticky, and expanding. |
Multipliers | They allow you to increase the payout amount for the current or the following spins; they can be fixed and cumulative. |
Re-spins | These are repeat spins, which do not deduct money from your balance. In fact, they allow you to make several spins in a slot for free. |
You can find titles with several additional functions, such as Megaways or Gigablox. In the first case, the reels can include a different number of cells in each rotation, and in the second case, large symbols appear on the playing field, occupying several reels simultaneously.
Blackjack Table Game
This is one of the most popular card games available in every land-based and online casino. Your goal is to beat the dealer and to do this, you need to score more points than he does by collecting cards. At the same time, the maximum number of accumulated points cannot increase 21; otherwise, you lose.
Classic Blackjack
The classic blackjack version is among the most famous casino games; it is also the most widespread and also called American. The main feature of this blackjack type is that at the start of the deal, the dealer takes two cards at once: one is face-up, and the other is face-down, so you have an advantage right from the beginning.
When all participants have taken their turn, the dealer takes cards until he has 17 points or more; he has no right to stop earlier.
European
This is a less common game variant with several differences from American blackjack. First, the dealer deals himself only one card at the start, and he takes the second card after all participants have taken their turn. Second, if he has formed a soft 17, a hand with an ace giving that many points, he has to take another card.
These differences have almost no effect on the probabilities of winning in European and American blackjack.
Roulette Games
Among the most popular gambling games at a casino is roulette, where you need to bet on specific numbers, their combinations, or different attributes, for example, color. After accepting bets, the wheel is spun, where the ball is thrown; the wheel is divided into cells, each corresponding to a unique number. When the roulette wheel stops, the ball hits one of the sectors and determines the winning number; if it matches your bet, you receive your payout.
The maximum payout you can receive in roulette is 35 to 1: for a lucky bet on a single number.
You can play roulette as a slot game or live mode; in the first case, you spin the wheel by pressing the button, and a random number generator is responsible for the outcome, while in the second case, a professional dealer launches the wheel.
European
This is the first ever known roulette version, with 37 numbers on the wheel and playing field: from 1 to 36 and zero. The house edge in European roulette is 2.7%, provided by the availability of the Zero sector; if the ball stops on zero, all bets lose except for ones placed directly on zero.
In American roulette, the house edge is doubled (5.24%) due to the availability of two zeros on the wheel.
In addition to basic inside and outside bets, the European version also provides call bets which allow you to choose unique combinations of numbers.
French Roulette
Visually, French roulette is very similar to European roulette, as the same types of bets are available, and the same payout odds apply, but in addition, there can be two more rules:
- En Prison. If you made a bet on equal odds and the result is a zero, the chips are saved until the next round.
- La Partage. Under the same conditions, you get back exactly half of the bet.
In some rounds, these rules may reduce the house edge from 2.7 to 1.35%, making French roulette the most profitable among other roulette games.
Poker Casino Games
Among the most played casino games, it is impossible not to mention poker. This card game has many varieties, most of which are available on gambling sites; however, keep in mind that playing poker in casinos is different from what you might have seen in poker rooms. In casinos, you can have a maximum of one opponent, and this is a dealer.
Three-Card
Before the game begins, you have to make a mandatory bet called an ante; then, the dealer deals three cards to you and himself. You can fold and lose the ante or make the main bet and keep playing; the pot goes to whoever ends up with the stronger combination. Some combinations bring extra winnings regardless of the deal outcome.
Pai Gow
Using seven cards, you need to make two combinations in the bottom and top boxes: five cards go into the top box, and two go into the bottom box. The first combination needs to be stronger than the second one, and both hands need to be stronger than the dealer’s hand. You compare hands according to standard poker rules and combinations.
Caribbean Stud
You use five cards to make combinations; at the beginning of the deal, the dealer opens one of his own cards. Before you start, you have to make a mandatory bet, the ante, and when you see your cards, you can either give up or continue playing and add chips to the pot.
Video Poker
Video poker is one of the top 5 most popular casino games for USA players because of its elementary rules. You do not have opponents; at the start of the round, you get five cards, and then you can exchange some of them for new ones to improve your combination. For collecting each combination, you get a payout with a fixed ratio; you can check all of them in the paytable.
This type of poker is only available in slot format; you cannot find it in the Live section, since a random number generator is responsible for outcomes.
Texas Hold’em
This is the most popular poker type, which can be called a professional sport, as many tournaments are held every year worldwide. In casinos, you can play Hold’em only against the dealer; at the start, you get 2 cards and make a bet. As the game continues, the so-called streets are opened in succession; these are cards common to all opponents: 3 cards for the flop, 1 for the turn, and 1 for the river.
Joker Poker & Let It Ride
Joker Poker is a video poker type that uses a deck of 53 cards with one joker, which is a universal card that can replace any other card when forming a combination.
In Let It Ride, the game is similar to Stud: you have to make combinations of five cards of three cards in your hand and two cards that are common for you and a dealer.
Baccarat
This is a fast-paced card game for those who don’t want to wait long for the deal’s results; each round lasts no more than 15 seconds. You do not participate directly, as your goal is to bet on one of three outcomes: player win, banker win, or a draw. Then both opponents get two or three cards each and score points.
If a player or banker scores more than 9 points, 10 are subtracted from the total score.
For a successful bet on the banker, you get 0.95 to 1; if the player wins, you get a 1:1 payout, and the draw brings you an 8:1 prize.
Other Most Played Real Money Games
In addition to the games listed above, the list of popular gambling games at casinos also includes many other types of titles. In particular, these are table games, lotteries, game shows, instant games, and so on; it is time to look at some of them closer.
Craps
Craps uses two hex dice, and any number of players can participate in a round at the same time. They bet on one of the outcomes, and then the dice are rolled. The number that comes up is crap and then repeated rolls are made. If 7 or 11 comes up, the casino wins; if 2, 3, or 12 is on the dice, you win. Other results are called a point, and once it is determined, you repeat rolls until that number or seven comes up.
Keno
This is a popular number lottery; to participate, you need to buy at least one ticket with numbers from 1 to 80. Among them, you need to mark one to twenty numbers, and then the lotto machine determines the winning numbers. If you get enough matches, you receive prize money, and remember that the more numbers you guess, the bigger the payout you get.
Wheel of Fortune
This game format is standard for Live casinos; there is a wheel divided into sectors, each corresponding to a different result. First, participants make bets, and then the dealer spins the wheel; after it stops, the winning sector is determined. If it coincides with your bet, you get the reward corresponding to the sector.
Sometimes, this game offers not only standard spins but also a bonus round where other rules may be added.
Bingo
This is another popular lottery, but unlike keno, you don’t have to choose numbers on the ticket, as each has its own unique sequence of numbers. Payouts occur if you manage to cross at least one line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and the more you cross, the more you get.
Scratch Cards
This is one of the most common casino games from the Instant Play category; in this case, you simply buy a special card with a secure layer. Underneath, there is a certain amount of prize money, and when you scratch the layer, you get a payout. Its size depends only on your luck: it can be either less than the ticket cost or many times more.
Lottery Games
In addition to bingo and keno, some gambling sites offer other lotteries, particularly national lotteries. It is harder to win in them, but the potential prizes are also noticeably higher.
Sic Bo
This is a table game originated in China in which you need to bet on specific outcomes; after accepting bets, the dealer rolls three six-sided dice and announces the results.
Famous Casino Games with Live Dealers
Most players come to online casinos for vivid emotions and immersive experiences, and you can get the maximum amount of them in games from the Live section. These are table games, wheels of fortune, and various game shows conducted by live dealers; besides playing, you can simply watch live broadcasts, follow the dealer’s actions, and even chat with them and other participants via online chat. This creates the effect of presence, and you can feel like you are in a real land-based casino without leaving your home.
You can play live games only for real money, as there are no demo versions.
Many gambling providers develop games with live dealers, the most famous of which is Evolution Gaming. This gambling studio is well-known worldwide and constantly offers new unique formats for various casino types of entertainment.
The advantage of live games over slots is not only the atmosphere; many gamblers prefer these games for minimized or missing influence of the random number generator.
Playing Famous Casino Games for Real Money vs Gambling for Free
If you prefer playing slots, you can gamble for real money or for free using virtual chips; in the second case, you need to play demo mode available in many casinos. A demo version allows you to play the most popular casino games without risk since you make bets for virtual chips with no monetary value, so you can not lose your own money. However, remember that you also cannot get and withdraw real winnings in demo mode.
In standard mode, you play for real money, so you should keep in mind that you risk your own bankroll, but in addition to risks, there is also a possibility of winning prizes.