New players may find casino card game rules difficult to pick up. That can make playing a game for the first time intimidating, and may put some people off altogether.
Fortunately, casino card game rules are often easier to understand than novices may expect. And learning the rules for the most popular card games in the world will enable you to enjoy more varied gaming experiences and help you play strategically.
Gambling Zone has created this simple guide to help you learn the rules of popular casino card games, such as blackjack, poker, and pontoon.
Popular Casino Card Games
Below, we will explore key casino card game rules and points for 12 popular games:
Blackjack
In blackjack, each player is dealt two face-up cards. The dealer has two cards, but only one is face up. Everyone’s goal is to build a hand that amounts to 21 or as close to that number as possible without going above it. Players either keep their two cards (stand), or request one or more extra cards (hit).
If your cards amount to 21 or a closer value than the dealer’s and other players’ cards, you win. However, you and any other players still in the game win if the dealer’s cards amount to more than 21 (busts).
Blackjack Game
Baccarat
The rules to this card game, a casino favourite, are fairly simple. It is played with two card hands, and you must bet on which you believe will come closest to nine: the banker’s, the player’s, or a tie.
Face cards and 10 cards do not count. For example, a 10 and 5 add up to a 5 score instead of 15. An Ace is equal to one only.
Craps
While craps is not played with cards, it is a table game often positioned alongside baccarat, blackjack, and poker at online casinos. That is why we have included the rules for this card game casino classic in this guide.
Craps is played at a large table with different sections and numbered spaces. One player, the Shooter, tosses a pair of dice at the table, and other players wager on which areas they predict the dice will land. Bets include Pass Line, Don’t Pass Line, Come Bets, and Don’t Come Bets.
Poker
Learning the rules to a card game classic like poker can be challenging for novices, but it is more accessible than newcomers may imagine.
Two or more players use a 52-card deck. Everyone gets two face-down cards at the start, and the aim is to eventually win the ‘pot’ made up of all wagers throughout the game. Each player must try to build the best hand they can, with different card combinations allowed. Possible winning hands include Royal Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Flush, Full House, and Straight.
Poker Game
Three Card Poker
Three card poker pits players against the dealer. Each player and the dealer receives three face-down cards. The goal is to have a stronger hand than the dealer.
Players start by placing an ante bet before receiving their cards. They can either fold (give up their ante bet) or keep playing to see if they can beat the dealer.
Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker starts with seven cards for each player and the dealer. These are split into two hands: one of five cards, the other of two. The player’s five-card and two-card hands must be higher than the dealer’s own. Players lose if the dealer’s hands are better.
Texas Hold ’Em
Texas Hold ‘Em has straightforward casino card game rules. Players make blind bets in a specific order, and each has two cards in their starting hand. Community cards can also be used to make a five-card hand.
Texas Hold ‘Em features four rounds of betting. Players win by staying in play while the other fold, whether they have the best hand or bluff that they do.
Stud Poker
In stud poker, players compete against one another to build a winning hand from a mixture of face-down and face-up cards.
Caribbean Stud Poker Game
Caribbean Poker
The casino card game rules for this poker variant are simple. The dealer gives themselves and each player five face-down cards, though one dealer card is dealt face-up. Players check their cards and either fold or keep playing to try to beat the dealer’s hand.
Omaha
Omaha shares similar casino card game rules with Texas Hold ‘Em. Players get four hole cards, and five community cards are added to the table. Players must build the best hand they can from two hole cards and three community cards exactly.
Pontoon
Pontoon is similar to blackjack: build a hand worth 21 or as close as possible without going over. But a player who reaches 21 with only an ace card and a face or 10 card declares it, then shows their hand immediately.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 uses a Spanish deck of 48 cards instead of 52, with no 10 cards — face cards are worth 10 instead. As a result, there is less chance of players receiving a 10, which makes Spanish 21 more favourable to the casino.
Spanish 21 Game
Strategies in Casino Card Games
Learning the rules of casino card games will help you play properly, but you can use strategies to increase your chances of winning further. For example, card counting is one of the most popular strategies: it involves keeping track of which cards are dealt during a game to work out who has the advantage.
Strategies vary from game to game, and can be helpful. But it is vital that you research strategies carefully before you try to use them, and make well-reasoned decisions to minimise your risk.
