Playing casino games should always be a lot of fun. There are many games available for players to enjoy, such as: Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, Live Roulette, Live Blackjack, Video Poker.
Having a general knowledge of how to play each game is important, as each game suits a different kind of personality. Plus, essential gaming lingo such as RNG (random number generator), progressive jackpot and RTP (return to player) should be learned if one is to spend any substantial amount of time in a casino.Here’s the lowdown on how to play each of the key games, plus their RTP explained, along with a helpful FAQ to further enhance your casino experience.
It is no secret that games from best online casinos favor the house, i.e. that the house has an edge. This edge is demonstrated through the Return to Player (RTP), which is the percentage of every bet that gets returned to the player. The difference between the full 100% and the RTP is where the edge comes from.
So in other words, a game with a 90% RTP will, on average, return the player 90 cents for every dollar wagered. It is important to remember that this is on average – the game could swallow all your money, or you could win many times your original stake – depending on the game.
So if you want gaming sessions that will on average maintain your bankroll for a longer period, and possibly extend your chances and odds of hitting a big jackpot, then RTP is the figure you want to look out for. We have listed some of the best RTP slots for you, with up to 99.1%.
There are no complicated rules or strategies you need to learn to play slots. Simply insert money or a ticket and start playing. Everything that happens next is down to luck, and these machines can pay huge if you happen to get lucky.
When you’re playing in a physical casino, all you have to do is insert coins into the slot, then push the button or pull the handle. Online casinos offer the virtual experience of simply pressing ‘spin’ and seeing what symbol combination comes up on the reel.
Slots are by far the most popular of all casino games out there, and this is equally true for land-based and online casinos. What is also true is that slots can offer by far the worst RTP of all regular casino games.
If you are a novice player this may come as a shock to you, considering how many people enjoy playing slots.The average RTP on online slots is somewhere around 95%-96%, while land-based venues often offer even worse RTPs.Of course, there are some slots with very high RTPs, so the picture is a little more mixed. If you want to know which slots to pick for RTP alone, then have a look at our comprehensive guide.
Slots remain popular despite all this because they are fun to play and easy to get started with.Indeed, with progressive jackpots, slots are one of the biggest paying games out there, which is why playing based on RTP alone does not provide the full picture.
If you are unsure about putting real money in stake, you can play free slots and enjoy the online slot experience without having the risk of losing real money.
It’s easy to get the hang of Roulette. There are two versions – European Roulette and American Roulette. Players focus their time on the spinning Roulette wheel, which is divided into numbered segments, with each one coloured red or black. The exception is 0 and 00, which are green. There is a betting area next to the wheel, which is a large grid. Additionally, some tables will have a second betting area known as the Racetrack.
To play, a ball is released into the wheel, and players will bet on which segment it will rest on once it stops spinning. There are more options besides just betting on an individual number. Punters can also bet on groups of numbers, such as those next to each other on the wheel, or specific types, such as all the red numbers, all the black numbers or odd/even numbers.
Roulette is another casino game where no strategy or amount of thinking will change the house edge in the slightest.Certain strategies can help players last longer and have more shots to get lucky, but the RTP of the game remains unchanged no matter what.
For European (single-zero) roulette, the house edge is 2.70%, which means the RTP is 97.3%. For American (double-zero) roulette, the RTP is much lower, at 94.7%. If you’ve ever wondered if there is any advantage to playing double-zero roulette, there isn’t – it just offers worse odds and no upside for the player.
There are many versions of blackjack for players to enjoy nowadays, but they’re all based on the same principle. Players need to generate a hand of cards that is as close to the value 21 as possible. If they exceed this number, they have ‘gone bust’.
The number cards (2 to 10) are worth the value shown, the Jack, Queen and King are worth 10, and the Aces are either worth 11 or 1, depending on what best suits your current hand.
Blackjack is a game with a very low house edge of just around 0.5% on average.This can be a bit better or a bit worse, depending on the exact rules, but, on average, the RTP of blackjack is around 99.5%.
But there’s a catch. These returns are dependent on players playing the game optimally and fully applying what is commonly known as the basic blackjack strategy.
The strategy covers different types of scenarios, instructing players when to hit and when to stand depending on their own cards and the dealer’s up card, when to split, when to double, etc.
Having all of this information available to you will help you significantly reduce the house edge – so if it all seems double Dutch, then perhaps do a bit of research if you want that full RTP potential.Without applying the proper strategy and playing based on the ‘feel’ blackjack can be quite brutal and the house edge increases to a few percentages.
In fact, if you play blackjack without any plan whatsoever, the house edge could go as high as 10% or more.
The rules of baccarat are pretty strict. There are three types – punto banco, chemin de fer and baccarat banque. Most land and online casinos will play punto banco, also known as North American baccarat.
The game is purely based on chance, with the outcome being decided by the cards as they are revealed. The three possible outcomes are a player win, a banker win or a tie. Players will bet on one of these outcomes, with cards 2-9 being set at face value, Jack, Queen and King valued at zero and an ace being valued at one. The dealer will deal out the cards face-up, and whichever hand is closest to nine wins.
This game is much more popular in live venues and among high rollers, and isn’t as exciting and flashy as online slot games, unless when played for huge amounts of money.
That said, online casinos also offer the live dealer option and baccarat is the perfect game for a bit of interaction with a croupier streamed live to your device.Talking about odds, however, this game can offer an RTP of around 99%.
Players can either bet on the banker or on the player. Banker bets have a house edge of 1.01%, while player bets give the casino an advantage of 1.29%.
Some new players may be intimidated by craps due to the fact that the table is decorated with a complex grid. However, this grid simply outlines the various betting possibilities you can make.
To play, players will bet on the outcome of a round, then the ‘shooter’ rolls the dice. The shooter is a player, and responsibility will change for each round in a land casino. The first roll is the ‘come-out’ roll, which either ends the game right away due to bets being calculated based on a ‘pass’ or ‘don’t pass’ bet, or there will be a point set up which leads to more rounds. The next rounds rotate around the score rolled in the ‘come-out’, with each throw attempting to roll the same amount before rolling a 7.
Due to the nature of the game, craps never really became popular online, although most casinos do offer it in their table game libraries.
Craps offers various types of bets and it would take too long to explain odds and house edges for each one of these bets. On average, however, the house edge in craps is rather small (around 1% – 1.5%), with some bets even offered at true odds.
Live Blackjack is an immensely popular game. The opponent is the bank, and you’re aiming to get a hand closer to 21 than the bank’s hand. If you go over 21, you’ll go bust. There are 52 cards involved in a game of Live Blackjack, and the Jokers aren’t used.
Live Blackjack has one of the best RTPs out there – a standard game will have a RTP of 99.5%. Players should bear in mind that this figure relates to the percentage calculated over games played from over 100, 000 hands.
Roulette fans should take a look at the world of live roulette if they want to vary their experience. It’s essentially the same as regular roulette, with the main difference being that the game takes place in real time, there’s a live dealer and other live players to contend with.
There will usually be at least three cameras at a live roulette game – one on the table area, one on the wheel and one providing an overview. You can play it on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, TV or smartphone.
This can vary from casino to casino, but as a general rule, many online casinos will often offer a RTP of 97.3%.This is often higher than you would encounter at a roulette game in a land-based casino.
Video Poker is a good option for players who don’t want to get involved in table games, or risk losing too much money in high stakes decks.
It is different from online poker in that it functions much like a slot machine. Players are required to bet on the random outcome of the hand of cards, much like they would if betting on bingo reels. The player receives a hand of five cards, and the winning combinations needed are based on the winning hands in poker.
Of all the games found in the casino video poker actually offers the highest RTP. It isn’t uncommon for certain variations of the game such as Jacks or Better to offer a RTP in excess of 99%. When there is a progressive jackpot involved, once the jackpot exceeds a certain break-even limit, these games can even become statistically profitable, offering the RTP over 100%.
For video poker games to offer this kind of return it is necessary for players to understand some basic strategy of the game. This strategy isn’t overly complicated, but it is essential to know which cards to keep and which ones to discard. To achieve the best RTP, it is necessary to always make the best possible decisions.
And it is this ‘optimal play’ that is so hard to achieve. Sub-optimal play results in healthier returns for the casino.It can be popular in land-based casinos because if players factor in the high RTP, with possible freebie comps, like free drinks, meals and even accommodation – it can all add up to a pretty good value experience, even if they don’t make big bucks.