The 9 Most Thrilling Casino Table Games
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For many casino gamblers, nothing can beat the sheer thrill of casino table games. The excitement of the dealers handing out cards, dice being flung across the felt, and the clickity-clack of the roulette ball send gamblers into a frenzy.
If you’re new to casinos or even table games, these are the nine most thrilling casino table games for you to enjoy at online casino sites or land-based establishments.
1 – Craps
The craps table can be the heartbeat of the casino floor. Players gather around the large tables and move almost in unison as they erupt in delight at wins and groan in defeat.
It’s like watching a school of fish trying to evade the much better-equipped predator—the casino.
Many casino patrons fail to realize that craps actually offers some of the best odds for the player. They see the large crowd and may even wander over to take a closer look, but the large betting board with complicated bets scares them away.
I’m going to let you in on a secret. You only need to know two bets to have a lifetime of fun and excitement when playing at a craps table.
These bets are the “pass” and “don’t pass” bets. Basically, the pass line is betting with the shooter. It has a slightly higher house edge than the don’t pass line, but most players want the thrill of beating the casino at their own game.
Don’t pass is the better wager for the player, but it’s minute. However, if you’re prepared to be the antagonist, you’re going to win more in the long-term with the don’t pass line.
Stop being intimidated by one of the most amazing and thrilling casino games around and get in the middle of the action.
2 – Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker often gets brushed aside as a house-friendly side game. The fact of the matter is that this poker derivative is among the most thrilling games around.
Pai Gow Poker offers a unique opportunity for casino gamblers. You are dealt seven cards, and your objective is to build the two strongest hands available.
Your first hand is a five-card hand, and the second is a two-card hand. There’s an important caveat that your five-card hand must be stronger than the two-card hand.
If both of your hands beat the dealer’s two hands, you win. If the dealer’s hands beat yours, you lose. When the dealer and player each win one hand, it’s a push.
Pai Gow Poker is wonderfully engaging because you’re constantly using strategy to build the two best hands. There can be a lot of balancing involved as you try to ensure that you have the dealer beat.
Pai Gow Poker seems to have a bad rap in some gambling circles, but the fact is the house edge isn’t much different from most players on the blackjack table.
This low house edge, coupled with the speed at which the game moves, makes it an excellent choice for newbies and casino veterans alike. The next time you want to mix things up in the casino, find a Pai Gow Poker table, and you’ll be having a blast.
3 – Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world. It’s also considered the most thrilling by many casino gamblers.
There are ways to slowly accrue wins by making even money bets with a low house edge. However, that’s not the thrilling aspect of the game that some players are seeking.
The opportunity exists to make a ton of cash on the roulette table, but you’re going to need Lady Luck on your side.
The thrill of watching the ball bounce and roll around the wheel as you wait to see if you’ll be cashing in on your 35:1 bet is hard to beat.
Of course, it’s a rare instance when you actually get to experience the adulation of winning the massive bet.
4 – Three-Card Poker
Three-Card Poker is a poker game that pits you squarely against the dealer.
While Three-Card Poker has one of the highest house advantages of any casino table game, it’s an exhilarating game to play.
One of the key factors to the game’s excitement is that you’ll be getting big hands far more often than in traditional Five-Card Poker. You may have fewer chances for three of a kind because you’re only being dealt three cards.
However, it’s much easier to draw a flush because you only need to get three suited cards instead of five.
There is a dealer qualifier in Three-Card Poker. So, if the dealer has a jack high or worse, the hand is a push, and the wager is returned to the player.
Three-Card Poker offers a fresh and exciting way to break away from the mundane and try something new in the casino.
5 – Baccarat
Baccarat is another game that brings some of the best odds in the casino mixed with all the excitement you could hope to find.
The banker bet has a house edge of only slightly above 1%, and the player bet isn’t much worse at around 1.24%.
There aren’t any hands to carefully build. In fact, the dealer does 100% of the heavy lifting. All the player needs to do is make a decision.
It’s the anticipation that adds the element of thrill to the game when you’re playing baccarat. You’re taken out of the equation as you wait to see how the cards will fall.
Make sure to avoid the tie bet. Many players are lured in by the 8:1 payout. Still, it’s a total sucker bet. It makes one of the most player-friendly games around turn into a challenging game to break even on when you start chasing the ties.
6 – Casino War
Okay, hear me out. We all know that Casino War has decent odds for the player, but it’s a little more than child’s play.
However, there is a thrilling aspect of Casino War — war!
When the dealer and player tie, it triggers the war, which is an exciting aspect to the otherwise overly simplistic game. When a player goes to war, they must make another bet equal to their initial bet.
Here is where the house gets its advantage, but it’s also where the player can get away from the 1:1 payout and collect some significant wins.
I’m not advocating that you ditch your favorite game to find Casino War. Sometimes, it’s fun to mix it up, and if you’ve got some money burning a hole in your pocket, Casino War is ready and waiting.
7 – Mississippi Stud
Mississippi Stud is a fairly simple game to learn, and the player gets to incorporate some strategic decision making.
The players and dealer are dealt two cards face down followed by three community cards face down. After the player sees their own hand, they may fold or place an additional ante bet.
If the player continues, the first community card is exposed. This cycle is repeated until the hand reaches a final result. It’s important to understand that you’ll be paid on the strength of your hand and not necessarily whether or not your hand simply beats the dealer.
The way the hands unfold adds a great aspect of thrill and anticipation of the game. If you play your cards right, you can get a significant payout for the proper hand.
What’s more thrilling than being one card away from a 500:1 payout?
Not much for most casino gamblers.
8 – Blackjack
Blackjack is hands down my favorite casino game. It doesn’t offer the electrifying swings of the craps table or roulette wheel.
However, I can’t recall anyone walking away from the table with a pile of chips without a smile on their face. That’s because winning is the biggest thrill of them all.
If you are lucky enough to find a table with player-friendly rules, it drops even more. Basic strategy charts are readily available, and you can use them at the table.
It would be best if you absolutely used the chart on every single hand, or it becomes moot.
9 – Pai Gow Tiles
Pai Gow Tiles is similar to Pai Gow Poker in many regards with a few major changes.
For starters, Pai Gow Tiles is played with dominoes. Each player is dealt four dominoes and tasked with building the best two hands, both low and high.
This domino variation of Pai Gow closely resembles the original. You won’t find Pai Gow Tiles in every casino. Still, it definitely offers a thrill that most US gamblers rarely get the chance to experience.
You can even find strategy charts, much like blackjack basic strategy. This can ease new players in, while eliminating some unnecessary risks.
Conclusion
Whether you prefer cards, dice, or dominoes, the nine most thrilling casino table games offer something for everyone. I challenge you to break away from your conventional gaming habits and spend some time amping up the fun factor on your next casino trip.
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