The main content of this article is the most popular casino games that you can play in online casinos. This is a complex matter because they change frequently, but from an overall perspective, some games are simply considered classics forever – and have been for centuries. Our task today is to familiarize you with them.
What are the most popular online casino games?
In a moment, we will take a closer look at the most popular online casino games, but first we want to give you an idea of what our selection looks like. Right after that, we’ll start examining each game individually, but first we’ll tell you more about their history and the typical casino players like to play them.
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Poker
- Slots
- Craps
- Baccarat
As you probably know, slot machines are simple – you choose how much money you want to bet as well as the number of pay lines and then press the spin button. From then on, all you need is a bit of luck. We can’t say the same for the most popular casino table games. The players who are oriented toward table games are usually players who prefer to apply some kind of winning strategy.
You probably know that some table games are considered strategy and gambling games. The most popular casino table games of this type are blackjack and roulette. There is a reason why there are many books and articles dedicated to complicated mathematical equations describing winning strategies. See for yourself what the most popular casino games are:
Blackjack – The game “21”
It is said that the origin of Blackjack is in France, in the early times of the 18th century. At that time the game was called 21 and it was one of the most popular games among the royalty. As you can imagine, the game quickly became popular in Great Britain as well, and soon after it traveled around the world. It was called Vingt-Un (21 in French) until the late years of the 19th century. It is said that around the gold rush between 1890-1990 the game was already known as Blackjack in North America.
In the following 100 years, it became a game subject to many scientific or rather mathematical theories and is considered one of the few games of skill. Officially, card counting in blackjack was announced in 1956. From then on, many casinos started banning and even blacklisting players for their mathematical knowledge. In the last 70 years, many books and materials about the game have been published, and it became one of the most famous casino games of all time.
Roulette – La Roulette
The origin of roulette is in the early 18th century, while its name comes from the French word for “small wheel”. There are legends that there was a similar Chinese game brought to France, but these are not proven. However, what is definitely true is that Blaise Pascal, a famous French mathematician, inventor, and philosopher, invented the perpetual motion machine that was used to create the roulette wheel.
In the 18th century, the most popular table game underwent several changes, and since 1796 it looks as we know it today. Back in Paris, the double and single zeros were black and red, and later the background was changed to green to avoid confusion among players. By the 19th century, the game had spread all over the world. This was also the time when minor changes were made, such as removing the double zero on another continent. An interesting fact that you may not know is that the sum of the numbers on the roulette wheel is 666.
The game became super popular all over the world because of the extensive betting options it offers. You can bet on the colors, on even or odd, on vertical or horizontal groups of numbers or single numbers. That’s why there are also countless roulette strategies. To this day, roulette is one of the most popular online casino games.
Poker
Another legendary game about whose origin there are many speculations is poker. Some say that it originated in China in the 11th century, others say that its roots were in Persia around the 16th century, while still others say that it originated from the German-French game of Poque. We can’t say which statement is correct, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they all are. It’s no secret that many old games like dominoes were invented in China and then crossed the globe.
Poker, as we know it today, began in the early years of the 19th century in the United States. For about a century it went through many changes from 20 to 52 card decks, from person vs person to a game with 5+ players playing against each other. In the late years of the 20th century, the game became one of the most popular casino games in history. In the 21st century, after the development of online gambling and online casinos, the game is more popular than ever. Meanwhile, there are even online poker sites that specialize in the well-known card game.
See also: Casino movies on Netflix
Slot machines – from mechanical to digital
Slots, or slot machines as they were known before the massive digitalization in the last decade of the 20th century, became super popular the moment they were invented. The first automatic machine was developed between 1887-1895 by Charles Augustus Fey. First, it was the poker machine. Then the first slot machine with three reels. Fey did not apply for a patent, and many others imitated his design and the technology behind it.
The largest manufacturer of such automatic slot machines at that time was Liberty Bell. They produced an improved slot machine in the first decade of the 20th century, which we would call the most classic design ever with candy, numbers, fruit, etc. In the 60’s the machines became electromechanical. For the first time, the reels were completely electrically controlled. In the next decade, the first video slot machine of its kind was invented and manufactured in California in the USA. A Sony television was used as the display and one of the first computers was used for the winning calculations.
In 1996, the first fully digital slot machine appeared, which could be played on any computer, not necessarily just a slot machine. From that year on, online gambling and betting slowly replaced slot machines in their traditional forms. The main reason is the odds of winning at online slot machines, which are higher on the Internet. Of course, there are still slot machines in the regular casinos, away from the home computer.
Craps – The ancient dice game
The game of craps was invented in 1125. At that time it was called Hazarth by the British crusaders. By the way, if you try to research this matter on your own, you will find several versions of the story. Some say that Roman soldiers invented the game, others that its origin lies with the Arab nations because they also had a similar game called Al Dar. However, it became popular as craps in the 17th century when it was brought to France, and in fact the name comes from the French word “crapaud” or translated in German – toad. This is because the game was mainly played by people on the streets. Nowadays it is possible to play craps online in many internet casinos.
Baccarat – cards on the table
On the 6th place is also one of the most popular table games, which originally came from Italy, but originated in France. Some say that it originated in the ancient Roman civilization, and was part of the rituals performed to determine the fate of virgins. In truth, card games were not so popular before the invention of printing, but right after that they were widely played.
It’s very hard to say where the roots of the game lie, because similar games were popular in Italy and France in the 14th century. Later, in the 15th century, baccarat was already super popular among French soldiers returning from Italy. Until the 19th century, the game was popular mainly in Europe.
It is known that the game arrived in North America around 1871, when an article was written about the New York Clubhouse in Long Branch. At that time, Baccarat was not one of the most popular casino games. It became quite famous in a different variation in the 20th century, especially after Punto Banco was introduced in Las Vegas in 1959. Of course, in the meantime there are many ways to play baccarat online.
Popular Non-Casino Games
Among the most popular online casino games there are those that do not require any special skills or a large amount of money. Many of these are categorized as lotteries in some countries, such as scratch cards. Others you may see as part of TV shows like the spinning wheels – that is, wheels of fortune. Such games, including bingo, are also available in online casinos and usually the entry/stake value is a small amount of money and people play them for fun rather than to win a large fortune.
- Bingo
- Scratch cards
- Number draws
- Lottery
- Wheel of Fortune
Read our review of one of the best casinos: PariMatch Casino Malaysia Review
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