Popular Casino Table Games to Play Free or for Real Money in Canada

Blackjack

Blackjack needs no introduction as it is one of the most popular table games in the history of casino games. In this game, players compete against a dealer to get a number closest to 21. At the game’s opening, players are dealt two cards, with an option to hit (be dealt another card) or stand (end your turn).

Whatever decision you make, the sum of your cards needs to be higher than the dealer’s cards to win and must be lower than 21 or hope the dealer busts. You lose the game if the sum of your cards is more than 21.

Another attractive feature of blackjack is the lowest house edge of any game. This means you have a higher chance of making a profit during the game. Even if you utilize the most basic playing technique, your house edge might be as low as 0.5 per cent.

Rules

• The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding over 21.
• If you exceed 21, you bust, and the dealer wins regardless of the dealer’s hand.
• Aces are worth 1 or 11, depending on the one that makes a better hand.
• Face cards are worth 10.
• Hit means asking for another card, while stand means holding your total and ending your turn.
• You get blackjack if you are dealt 21 from the start (10 & Ace).

Baccarat (Punto Banco)

Baccarat is a classic casino game played with cards. Baccarat history dates way back to medieval Italy, and today has several exciting variants such as Punto Banco, Baccarat Banque, and Chemin de Fer.

Baccarat (Punto Banco) has a simple rule of playing as you can either bet on the dealer’s hand, the player’s hand, a tie, or even bet on all three. The best hand you want in Baccarat is the one closest to nine, with the aces valued at one and the face cards worth zero. And if you have a hand that goes over nine, its value is subtracted by 10. For example, a hand with 6 + 7 would have a value of three. Baccarat is often regarded as one of the most popular high-stacking casino table games. It is usually played in a separate room from the rest of the casino floor.

Rules

• Punto Banco is played with 6 to 8 decks of cards shuffled together.
• The number cards 2-9 have the same value as their face value, tens and picture cards do not have any value (zero), and aces have a value of 1.
• A winning hand is the one with the number closest to nine. If the sum of the cards dealt within a hand is more than 10 points, the tens will be ignored. That is, if a hand has an 8 and another 8, making 16 altogether, it will count as 6.

Three Card Poker

The three-card poker is a popular casino table game that allows you to influence the game’s outcome significantly. It is also a game with attractive odds and several potentially profitable side bets.

If you are a live poker player, the three-card casino poker game is one you may know how to play. It allows you to take on the dealer, hoping that your hand will be better ranked than the dealer.

In this game, you are dealt three cards with the hope of making the best possible poker combo. Before the cards are dealt, each player can place a pair plus bet, an ante bet, or both. With the pair plus bet, you are placing a wager on whether you will get a pair or better. While an ante bet, you are wagering on your hand to beat the dealer’s hand.

Rules

• Each round starts with the player placing a pair plus wager and/or an ante bet before the cards are dealt.
• Each player and the dealer receive three cards that are dealt facing down.
• After viewing the three cards, they have the option to either play or fold.
• After the players have taken action on their hands, the house dealer will then collect associated folded cards and all forfeited wagers and place them in the discard rack.
• The house dealer then reveals their three cards and compares them.
• The player with the highest card wins.

Spanish 21

Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant, but it has a much higher house edge and more playing options. The game follows the same basic rules as standard blackjack, but there are many new options and choices.

While Spanish 21 and standard blackjack are similar there are several rules, play options, and so on that are unique to Spanish 21. For example, in Spanish 21 all the tens are removed from each deck of cards in the shuffle. This means that Spanish 21 is played with a 48-card deck instead of the regular 52-cards. So in Spanish 21, there are only 12 ten-value cards instead of 16. And when you reach a total hand of 21 you have won automatically even when the dealer gets a natural blackjack. You can also double down as many times as you like in this game.

Rules

• The game is played with 6 to 8 decks of cards shuffled together.
• The decks of cards used in this variant don’t contain any 10 point cards.
• The player’s 21 must beat the dealer’s 21.
• The house edge in Spanish 21 can be typically reduced by 1% and falls within the range of 0.40% – 0.76% when a basic strategy is applied.

Crap

Craps is a dice casino game that requires a lot of strategy and action. It made its way from London to New Orleans in early 1807 and is still getting loads of engagement worldwide.

Craps tables are usually crowded with multiple players and spectators. This makes the table one of the most exciting places in any casino. Although crap appears to be complicated at first, they offer some one of the best casino games odds in the casino industry.

This table game is fast-paced and full of particular lingo but nothing you can’t learn and keep up with. Essentially, players take turns rolling the dice, and the rest of the table bets on the roll outcome. There are various bets players can place, such as don’t bets that can be made against any shooter at the crap table. Other common bets you can explore in the crap game are pass line, the hard way, place bets, craps & eleven, and others.

Rules

• The player that wants to throw the dice is called the shooter.
• Players wait for their turns to roll the dice.
• All wagers must be placed before throwing the dice.
• Players bet on the results of the dice.

Roulette

Roulette is another type of table game played on a revolving wheel with a red and black compartment that houses a small white ball spun in the opposite direction. The game aims to place a bet on the numbered or coloured compartment where the ball will land when the wheel stops rolling.

Like blackjack, there are different variants of roulette, commonly the European and American roulette. It is worth noting that the European roulette has every number from 0 to 36 on the wheel, with half black, half red, and green for zero. On the other hand, the American version has two zero segments, 0 and 00, which increases the house edge and makes it more rewarding for players.

Rules

• Players place a bet on a particular spot on the table.
• The bets must not be more than the table limits.
• Only the dealer can touch the chips of the players that lose and pay the winner.
• Get your hands the marker of the winning number when the game is in progress.
• A roulette wheel contains black and red pockets with numbers 1 to 36 and a green single zero pocket.

Sic Bo

Sic bo is another common casino table game originating from ancient Chinese. It is a game of chance played with three dice where punters bet that a certain condition (e.g., that all three will roll the same) will be satisfied by a dice roll.

Sic bo also comes with other variants, such as chuck-a-luck and grand hazard, where the game rules are slightly different for different variants. When players want to bet, they place their bets on areas of a table that have been divided into named scoring boxes. The dealer will then shake a small closed chest containing the dice before revealing the combination.

Rules

• Players bet on the outcome of the three dice that the dealer rolls.
• A board shows the different betting options available.
• A bet is placed by placing your betting token on the board’s relevant segment(s).

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a relatively slow-paced game — slower than blackjack and craps. Another name for Pai Gow Poker is Double Hand Poker. It combines elements from the popular Chinese game Pai Gow and the American poker game.

Pai Gow is played with 53 cards — a traditional deck of 52 cards and a joker. The game’s motive is to form two winning poker hands from the seven cards that are dealt. It can be a two-card low hand or a five-card high hand. So, for example, to win a bet, your high hand must beat the dealer’s low hand.

Rules

• Pai Gow Poker utilizes a 53-card deck, featuring the standard 52 cards used in most poker games and one joker.
• Each player will then separate their hole cards into a two-card low hand and a five-card high hand.
• Your high hand must always be better than the dealer’s low hand.

Casino War

Casino war is one of the easiest casino table games you can learn. It is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck and requires little to no skill. To play this game, players will bet on who will draw the higher card (the player or the dealer).

So, the dealer and the player are each dealt a single card. The highest card wins. And if both cards have the same value, the player can choose “war” so that the dealer and the player can get an additional card to settle the score. Essentially, casino war can be broken down into three parts: the bet, the deal, and the war.

Rules

• Casino war utilizes a 52-card deck.
• The players and the dealer receive one card each.
• The player wins if the value of his card is greater than that of the dealer.
• If the player’s card ties the dealer’s card, the player has two options: surrender and forfeit half of the wager or go to war.

Faro

Faro is a historical casino table game for two or more players. It is a card game played with a standard 52 card deck and an extra set of 13 cards for each rank. It also features a set of betting chips and a penny for each player.

In faro, kings are high, and aces are low. The aim of the game is to win the most bets. To begin the game, the dealer shows everyone the top card of the deck. The dealer then draws two cards from the deck and places them face up so that all the players can see.

Rules

• It features 52 card deck and an extra set of 13 cards.
• The dealer shows the players the top card of the deck.
• The dealer then draws two cards from the deck for all players to see.
• The aim is to win the most bets.

Conclusion

Casino table games have been in existence for over two centuries, and they are not going out of style anytime soon. They allow players to have fun and flex their skills while staking on their chance for a big win.

However, opening an account with a reputable online casino is crucial to getting the most out of any casino table game. This is because the return to player (RTP) value, payout, and volatility of the table games vary from one casino to the other. Thus, it makes sense to take your time to read about the casino and the wagering requirements it offers before you start playing.