Casino Card Games

Contrary to popular myth, online gaming is not all about the slots. All of the top casinos now offer a wide variety of table and specialty games, and among those games are a wide variety of spectacular and exciting card games. With the incredible graphics that the best casinos now use, the card game experience is almost like being in a brick and mortar casino, but with no crowds. And the interfaces on the card games are simple and intuitive, much like the slot games, so players can be engrossed in their favorite card games in seconds after registering at the casino of their choice.

For card players, sitting at the card table is a thoroughly engrossing experience. They will find that these online versions are also entirely addictive too, with all the detail of a card game at a Las Vegas casino.

Here are a few of the many card games available at online casinos:

Blackjack

Blackjack - The most popular card game in casinos worldwide has a strong presence in the online gaming world too. Online players will find single-hand and multi-hand options at most casinos. All the same rules apply at the online casinos: Dealer must hit on 16 and stand on 17 and a natural Blackjack pays 3 to 2.

Just as in the brick and mortar casinos, players may split pairs and double down if they choose. Most casinos used triple-decks, but, as in traditional casinos, this can vary from table to table. Read our Blackjack review

Baccarat

Baccarat - The game of Monte Carlo and James Bond. This smartest of casino card is an evolution of Blackjack in which the player may bet on his or her own hand, on the dealer's hand or on a tie of the two. Bets are made before the deal and each player gets two cards. It is a simple and dangerous game, and passions run high in the play. In the novel Casino Royale this is the game at which Bond bested Le Chiffre. It is guaranteed to get your pulse racing after a few hands! Read our Baccarat review

Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker - Caribbean Stud is a great game for lovers of traditional poker and the Thursday night game. It is just like the multi-player game, Five-card Stud, but instead of playing against multiple opponents, players are pitted against only the house.

Caribbean Stud payouts, however, are very different from Stud Poker. Since the player is only playing against the house, the pot does not build in the same way that it does in other poker games. To compensate for this, there is a fixed payout schedule that guarantees specific payments for each winning hand, all the way from 1 to 1 payouts for high card up to 800 to 1 for a royal flush.

Let It Ride Poker

Let It Ride - Let It Ride Poker is another poker variant where the player is playing against the house. This time, five cards are dealt, three face up, and two face down. The player may pull back up to two-thirds of the bet as the two down cards are turned up. Like Caribbean Stud, payouts are made on a fixed schedule based on the hand values. This game is a bit slower-paced than other casino poker games, but it is a great entry-level game for players who want to give poker a try.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker - This is an Americanized version of the traditional Chinese tile game, Pai Gow. Sometimes called Two-hand Poker, this game involves seven cards dealt and the player who then splits them up into a five card hand and a two card hand. The player has two opportunities to win, based on how he or she split up the hand.

This exciting game is the rage in brick and mortar casinos, with players often waiting in line to get seats at the Pai Gow tables. Not so in your online casino: here you can pull a seat up at the Pai Gow table any time you choose. Read our Pai Gow Poker review

Red Dog Poker

Red Dog Poker - Red Dog is an old standby at the casino tables, and it remains a popular entry because the rules are simple, the hands are easy to read, and it is a lot of fun. Again, a pay table is used to determine winnings. Two cards are dealt face up. There are three possible outcomes to the deal.

1) Consecutive Cards: If the cards are consecutive in number, such as a five and a six or a queen and a king, then the hand is a push and the bet is returned. 2) Equal Value: if the cards are of the same value, then a third card is dealt. If the third card is of the same value as the first two, the player receives the highest payout of 11 to 1, if it is not a matching card, the hand is a push and the bet is returned. 3) If neither of these hands occurs, then the payout is determined by the spread. For example, if the first two cards are a 2 and a 6, the player will be given the opportunity to raise his or her bet. A third card is then dealt. If that card falls between the 2 and the 6, then the player wins, and the payout is determined by the 2 to 6 spread of the first two card dealt.

Red Dog, though considered a poker game, has fairly little to do with traditional poker, but it is a fun and exciting game that will keep card players entertained for hours. Read our Red Dog Poker review

Three-card Poker

Three-card Poker - This is a very popular game carried over from the brick-and-mortar casinos to the online gaming world. It is a traditional poker game where, after the ante, the player is dealt three cards face up and the dealer, three cards face down. After seeing his or her cards, the player decides whether to raise their bet or to fold. Pairs, three-of-a-kind, straights and flushes all beat high cards, though most of the play involves high cards alone.

This is a fun and fast paced poker game, easy to learn and easy to play. Read our Three-card Poker review

War

War - Remember when you were a kid, playing cards in the back seat of the car? Eventually the game always got around to War.

Also known as Casino War, this is the simplest of poker games: A bet is placed and a single card is dealt, face up, to the player and to the dealer. The highest card wins. Despite its simplicity, this game can be quite addictive and very fast paced.