Online Casino Table Games
Table Games
No casino is complete without table games. These are the card, dice and chip based games that are played on felted tables in land-based casinos, and online casinos have their own virtual versions. They're the iconic casino games that have featured in plenty of movies, TV shows and books, from James Bond and his preference for the sophisticated game of Baccarat, to the stereotypical high-stakes poker game in a western! Let's have a look at the list and story behind the best table games you can find when playing the online casinos.
Online Casino Table Games
Popular table games at online casinos today include the classic lucky numbers game of Roulette, the beat the dealer challenge of Blackjack, and the Bond favourite Baccarat, but there are plenty of other table games beyond these big three to enjoy, including those live casino games featuring real dealers via live streaming!
Let's take a look at the various types of table games in more detail.
Card Games
The first group of table games online we'll look at are the card games. These are three of the most common types of card-based table games: Poker, Baccarat and Blackjack.
One of the most widely known in terms of worldwide televised competitions is Poker, a game that combines skill and luck to build a winning hand and beat other players, or in the case of casino versions, to beat the dealer.
Blackjack's appeal is its simplicity, with the aim simply being to get the total of your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over in order to beat the dealer. Easy to learn and easy to play, the game can be made more exciting with various bets and side bets.
Then there's Baccarat, a game often bypassed for seeming too complex, when in actual fact it is almost as easy as Blackjack in that your aim is simply to get a card total of 8 or 9 to win. Often chosen due to its perception of being a sophisticated game, different variations of Baccarat bring extra elements of gameplay for added excitement.
Poker
The popular table game of poker comes in a number of varieties ranging from the full-on multiplayer based Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Stud that you'll find at online poker sites to the simplified versions such as Casino Hold'em found at many US sweepstakes casinos and local.
In all poker games, card hands are ranked according to their different values, ranging from a single high card at the low end of the scale to a royal flush (ie. 10, J, Q, K, A all suited) as the highest value hand.
In player based games of poker, bets are placed to buy into a round before 2 cards are dealt to each player. Players then place bets into the pot based on how good they think their hand is compared to that of the other players. Five community cards are dealt, with the first three being called the flop, the next one called the turn and the final one called the river, with betting rounds in between as players use their dealt cards and the community cards to build a winning hand and try to pressure their opponents to fold. Once betting is complete, players reveal their cards and the winner takes the pot.
Online casino versions of the game like Casino Hold'em and Tri Card Poker simplify gameplay by making the dealer your opponent, with the aim simply to get a better hand than the dealer. In this case, betting rounds are reduced and actions offered are simply call or fold, making these faster versions of the game.
Check out our very own online poker page.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another popular card-based table game that is played against the dealer. Cards are again assigned a value, with numbered cards as their own value, but 10, J, Q and K assigned a value of zero. Any cards totalling more than single digits are given the value of the rightmost digit, eg. a hand of a 6 and a 7 gives 13, which has a value of 3. The aim in this game is to get a hand value of 8 or 9. If this is achieved by either Player or Banker, the two betting positions on a Baccarat table, it's called a 'natural'. Betting on either Player, Banker or a Tie are your options in Baccarat
If neither Player nor Banker get a natural, a tableau of rules is used to determine how additional cards are dealt to each. These rules can get a bit complicated but are usually displayed somewhere that can be referred to during gameplay. Once you've played for a while they become acquired knowledge of course, but you certainly don't need to know them all by heart to play and enjoy the game.
There are a number of variations of the game including Punto Banco, Super 6, Mini and No Commission, and many include extra side bets to offer more variety and excitement.
Find out rules and much more about online baccarat.
Blackjack
One of the most popular card games, and one you'll almost always find at online casinos, is Blackjack. This game is very simple to learn, but with a variety of bet types and side bets, it's one that many players find themselves coming back to again and again!
Like many other card games, Blackjack works with card values, with numbered cards at face value, 10, J, Q and K valued at 10, and the A valued as either 1 or 11. The aim in Blackjack is to get your hand as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it by choosing whether to hit (be dealt another card) or stand (stick with the cards you have). In each round you bet to play and the goal is to beat the dealer to win. Various bet types such as Split and Double Down give players more variation, while side bets such as Perfect Pairs and 21+3 offer extra easy to win.
A number of variations of the game exist including Pontoon, Spanish, American, European and even multi-hand versions of the game where you can play 50 hands or more at once!
Check out everything about online blackjack.
Other Table Games
A number of other table games online exist that prove popular with players. Of these, perhaps the most popular overall is Roulette, where players bet on which number the ball in a spinning wheel of numbers will land on. But there are other games that receive a fair amount of attention at online casinos, such as the dice games of Craps and Sic Bo, and competitive luck games like Keno and Bingo.
Roulette
The game of lucky numbers is always a popular choice at online casinos due to its easy gameplay and fun feel. A small ball is spun in the opposite direction of that of the numbered wheel in which it is placed, with players betting on which number the ball will land for a set payout by placing chips on a special grid. Options include betting on the number straight up, or by choosing the colour of the number (red or black), whether it's odd or even, high or low, or even choosing multiple numbers with a single chip. Variations of the game include American, European and French Roulette, but there are also plenty of other types such as Multi-Wheel, La Partage and Bonus Roulette.
Check out this classic with our online roulette dedicated area. Looking to jump into the action away? Check out the live numbers below.
Craps
Setting eyes on a Craps table may fill you with anxiety if you're unfamiliar with the game, but jumping right in is the best way to learn this surprisingly simple game of dice. The idea here is to simply bet on how the dice will land for a set payout by placing chips on the table. Where it becomes slightly more complex is the various bets available and the process for multi-roll bets. You can choose to simply bet on a single outcome by placing your chips in one of the dice symbol boxes or going for a 7 or 11 on the Pass Line. Or you can go for a multi-roll by placing a bet on the Pass Line and going for a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 to set your Point, then hitting it again or hitting a 7 to keep winning! You won't find Craps at all online casinos so if this turns out to be your favourite game, make sure you look out for online casinos that offer it.
Spend some time with online craps.
Sic Bo
Another popular dice-based game, Sic Bo offers players the chance to bet on the outcome of three dice to win a set amount. While the game is surprisingly simple, there are various bet types and side bets that add variety to the gameplay. You can choose to bet on the value of one, two or all three dice, the total, whether the total will be big or small, triples, doubles and other dice variations. Beyond the classic game of Sic Bo you can also find other games such as Dragon Sic Bo that offers an extra die for additional bets, and even variations that introduce colours to bet on too!
Other
Various other table games exist to give players new ways to win. Betting on numbers is always a popular choice and games like Keno and Bingo can be found in Table Games collections at online casinos for this very reason. Dice games also come in various styles such as the symbol dice of Crown and Anchor, adding a new twist to this game of outcomes.
Table Game Bonuses
Many online casinos offer bonuses that give you more money to play table games such as those mentioned above for even longer. These bonuses can range from deposit and no-deposit bonuses to cashback for playing, credited as bonus funds. The most common of these, and most relevant to new players, is the deposit bonus, which we'll go into in a bit more detail.
Welcome Deposit Bonuses and No Deposit
Deposit bonuses are commonly offered when registering and making your first bet when getting started at a casino. They are available to claim based on certain criteria, such as a minimum deposit amount, however often have conditions such as fulfilment of wagering requirements, or giving out spins to play on certain games. Quite often you'll need to enter a special bonus code when making a deposit in order to claim the bonus, but that's not always the case, with some online casinos requiring just a qualifying deposit to trigger the bonus.
Bonuses are usually expressed as a percentage of your deposit amount up to a maximum amount, eg. 100% up to €500. So in this case a deposit of €500 will result in the maximum bonus of €500, giving you €1,000 to play with altogether. There are also many no deposit bonuses which are given out at times – the conditions of these tend to be slightly different from deposit bonuses, only requiring you to register with the casino.
Typical Wagering Requirements
Bonuses are great for giving you extra funds to play your favourite table games, but they do come with T&Cs, which in the case of UK online casinos can always be found on the same page as the bonus, and it's in your best interest to check these before claiming. The most important T&Cs are referred to as the wagering requirements, which are a special set of criteria determining what you must do to 'clear' the bonus before you're allowed to withdraw either the bonus itself or any winnings derived from it.
Typical wagering requirements will often dictate that you play through the deposit plus bonus amount a certain number of times on specific games within a set timeframe. For example, a full 100% up to €500 bonus above might carry wagering requirements of 35x rollover of the deposit plus bonus amount within 30 days of triggering the bonus, with bets on Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat contributing towards the rollover.
Different games can also contribute to rollovers in differing proportions, so bets on one game may only count 50% towards rollover, while bets on a different game may contribute 100%. There may also be a maximum single bet amount for clearing bonuses to prevent bonus abuse. Be sure to check the T&Cs in advance of claiming any bonuses.
Live Dealer Table Games
For those players who want a more authentic table games experience without actually having to go to a land-based casino, there are live dealer table games that you can play on your computer, tablet or mobile phone. These amazing games feature a real person as your dealer, spinning the Roulette wheel, dealing the Blackjack or Baccarat cards and popping the Sic Bo dice via live streaming video feed from a specially designed set.
There are a growing number of big name game developers such as Evolution Gaming, Games Global, NetEnt, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Ezugi, GPI, Asia Gaming, Super Spade Games and many others that supply the best online casinos with a vast array of exciting live casino games. These extend beyond the most popular titles of Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat to include interesting new variations of these games, plus a whole host of completely unique wheel based games such as Dream Catcher and Crazy Time, sports themed games like Football Studio, and even those based on popular TV shows like Deal or No Deal and board games like Monopoly Live!
International Versions
Since online casinos emerged, the ability to play fantastic live table games from anywhere in the world has led to the development of various international versions of these games. This extends far beyond the well-known American, European and French variations of Live Roulette and the different numbers of decks used between American and European Blackjack.
Some casinos offer international table games categories you can find fascinating local gems like the popular Indian card games of Teen Patti and Andar Bahar, various language specific games, and even blended games where you can play Live Roulette, for example, alongside real players at real casinos located in various cities around the world, all from your computer or mobile device!
Final Thoughts
When you start looking into it, you soon realise there is an astonishing array of table games available to explore at online casinos, extending far beyond the classics of Blackjack and Roulette. Thanks to modern tech, these games are no longer exclusive to land-based casinos but can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, at any time and on any device!
Whether you're a fan of numbers games like Roulette, Keno and Bingo, prefer the dice-based games of Sic Bo and Craps, or love the card games of Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker, there is a vast world of possibilities out there to explore!
FAQ About Table Games
Got more you want to know about table games in casinos? Check out the frequently asked questions below.
References
- What is a table game? (Wikipedia)
- The Beginner's Guide to Casino Gambling (KLAS)
- What casino game has the best odds? (Quora)
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert