Types of Casino Games
Online casino games are as varied as the people who play them. And with so many online casinos on the Internet, you are literally spoiled for choice. So which casino or game will you choose? Although of course, we cannot choose for you, since everyone has their taste, we can point you in the right direction.
Keep in mind:
- You will get more advantages when playing online.
- You should always read the game rules first.
- There are strategies for every type of casino game.
Online Slots
In the varied world of online casino games, we can honestly say that video slots are by far the most popular games among US online gamblers. Originally, these games with their fruit and bell symbols were marked by three play wheels. Today, however, you can find all types of video slots. From three to five reels to multi-reels with bonus rounds and progressive video slots.
Part of the reason that many online gamblers are so attracted to video slots has to do with the fact that the games have various themes and are very easy to play. To find out everything about the rules, odds, strategies, money management, and the terminology that comes with this type of game, have a look at our special slot guide.
Online slots are dynamic because they can be designed in various ways, hence there are different styles for you to choose from. The most popular online slot types are:
- Classic 3-reel Slots
These slots are a digital replica of what you would find at many land-based casinos. They are the easiest to play and usually have just three possible winning combinations or paylines. 3 similar symbols appearing from left to right along the top, middle or bottom means you win. Some developers have created 3-reel slots with more paylines just to add to the fun.
- 5-reel slots
These are probably the most popular online slot type today. Since there are more reels, it means that there are more possible winning combinations. These slots are also easy to play and come in a myriad of themes for you to explore.
- Progressive/Jackpot Slots
Every time you place a bet on a progressive/jackpot slot, the cumulative amount that you can win as a jackpot increases if it isn’t triggered during a spin. The slot type is for players who want to add a bit of suspense to their spins and take the chance to walk away with big winnings.
- Multi-Payline Slots
Multi-payline slots take things several notches higher than classic land-based slots that only have three paylines. As you can tell from the name, there are more pay lines on slots like these, ranging up to hundreds. They could be straight, diagonal, zigzag, or abstract/random.
- Mega Spins Slots
These slots let you play up to six slot games at the same time and on the same screen. If you’ve ever fantasized about winning multiple jackpots simultaneously, you need to try a Mega Spins slot.
Some slots have features of these different slot types integrated into one for a more robust experience.
Online slots have a value called Return-To-Player rate, which is a measure of how much the game is expected to pay out. It is not advisable to play slot games with low RTPs, irrespective of their volatility.
Online casinos also use Random Number Generators (RNGs) to ensure fairness to both operators and players. Since randomness is a key part of casino games, RNGs, which are computer programs independent of any human factor, ensure that this is achieved.
Learn more in our slots guide!
nullTable Games
Unlike slot games where you don’t need a strategy or knowledge to win, table games demand both and that is one reason why they are loved by many players. When playing a table game, you’re not merely hoping for the best because as long as you know the odds, you can use it for your benefit.
There are different types of casino table games today. The most popular ones are:
Online Baccarat
If you enter an offline casino and you go to the Baccarat table, you will see that this is usually a game that attracts high bets and therefore high rollers. Yet in online casinos, Baccarat is not a game for gamblers with big wallets only. You can also play online Baccarat if you are a novice player or if you have a smaller budget.
Baccarat is another easy casino table game where you are required to get a point total closer to 9 than the banker to win. It offers some of the best odds that you’ll ever find in casino table games. There are different variants of Baccarat but they all follow the same general rules.
Online Bingo
Another online casino game with high similarity to a lottery game is Online Bingo. When you play online Bingo, you can lean back and let the computer indicate the numbers on your card. If you are the first to fill the numbers, you’ll win a nice prize. It’s fun and easy for people of all ages.
Do you want to know more about this game? Check out our online Bingo guide to find out more.
Online Blackjack
When it comes to table games in the online casino world, online blackjack is definitely the big favorite among the majority of online gamblers. The game, also known as 21, has achieved pop-culture status due to various books and movies. It’s a game where both luck and strategy play a major role.
A casino, whether online or land-based, cannot be considered complete until blackjack is added to the games library. Your goal is to have two cards that add up to more than the dealer’s two cards without exceeding 21. Once you learn to play it, you’ll find that it is simple and exciting.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Another poker variation that has managed to attract a loyal audience is Caribbean Stud Poker. When you play this casino game, you will find that the way the different hands are arranged is similar to the traditional version of poker. Yet there are numerous differences in this variant, which give the whole game a new dimension.
Online Craps
Craps is a very exciting game, especially popular among USA casino players. The trick lies in placing good bets at the craps table and being lucky when throwing the dice. With craps comes the lowest house advantage if you stick to the right bets.
As with all games, it’s all about getting to know the right strategy, rules, and how you can best manage your money. Craps is a casino table game played with a pair of dice. It is also action-packed, leaving players at the edge of their seats. After you place your bets, a player called the shooter throws the dice. A throw of 7 or 11 wins the while 2, 3, or 12 results in a loss.
Have a look at our online craps guide to know more.
Online Keno
Although online Keno is one of the games with the highest house advantages, it is still enjoyed by many online gamblers. This has a lot to do with the easy rules and the possibility to win large sums of money. Online Keno is a kind of lottery, where the players choose some numbers and hope that their chosen numbers will win prizes.
Online Roulette
Casinos are often associated with the iconic Roulette wheel and vice versa. You just can’t have one without the other. Roulette stands out as a very colorful casino game that players always want to try out.
There are valuable, colored chips designated for each table with which you can bet. The value of each chip is usually determined before the game fully begins
This specific online casino game is popular with both novice players and more experienced online gamblers. Although luck plays a major role in it, strategy and tactics are also useful.
There are three variants of the classic table game: French, American, and European Roulette. European Roulette and its American cousin, where the house advantage is higher because of the extra ’00’ space. While the French version offers a couple of extra betting options like the “en prison” options
Learn all about this casino classic in our roulette guide!
Online Sic Bo
Another game in which the dice play a central role and which is gradually becoming more popular in the world of online casinos is Sic Bo. This casino game involves three dice, and it is probably one of the easiest games to learn and play.
Online Pai Gow Poker
This online casino game is a combination of traditional poker and the Chinese domino game Pai Gow. The game is played with a classic deck of playing cards, 52 pieces, and a joker.
To find out more about this game, the rules, the best tactics, and how you can best manage your money, read our detailed Pai Gow poker guide.
Online Scratch Cards
Today you will come across scratch cards everywhere, whether you’re looking in stores, gas stations, bars, or casinos. Of course, scratch cards have also made the switch to the online world, which has created the possibility for many enthusiasts to win large sums of money easily. After all, all you have to do is buy a card for a certain amount and hope that you can scratch a consecutive winning type of symbol.
Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
Another very popular online casino game with a background in classic poker is Texas Hold´Em Bonus Poker. As with various card games, this game is played with a classic deck consisting of 52 cards. Throughout the game, online gamblers compete against the dealer, or the house, instead of the other players. Each player is dealt with two cards with the back up (facedown), and the dealer turns over five cards (faceup). The one with the best hand, ranked according to the classic poker count, wins.
To learn more about how to play this classic poker games head over to our Texas Hold’em Guide!
Online Video Poker
Video poker is a modern online casino game based on the traditional 5 card poker. If you step into an offline casino and you take a seat behind a video poker machine, you will find that this game combines elements of slots as well as the classic poker game.
Yet this game is not as simple as a slot machine. If you really want to become a pro and ‘break the bank’, you have to learn how to apply different strategies.
nullLive Casino Games
There are online gamblers who yearn for all the feels of land-based casino games and this is why live casino games were created. Just like in a land-based casino, games are played at a physical venue, rather than as a computer game. The game is then streamed live to players, regardless of where they may be.
There are also live casino progressive jackpots powered by software developers such as Evolution Gaming. Here, the amount of jackpot that can be won increases as you place more bets. Once you hit the jackpot, you’ll get your winnings and the cycle begins again.
Playing against a machine comes with more flexibility than live dealer games. However, live dealer games also come with loads of benefits such as a more immersive casino experience that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. You can learn more about them right here on this site.
What To Look For In A Casino Game
There are important criteria to look out for in a casino game before you decide to play. They include:
- Software Provider
There are many software providers in different countries of the world today, and this is why you need to carefully do your research on the best ones, whose games you should try out. When you select a game, find out who the developers are before you place any bets at all.
Knowing a game’s developer will also help you know whether it is a game with any chances of you winning at all. To be on the safer side, go for industry giants like Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt, and so on. They have built a reputation of dishing out only excellently done games.
- Visuals and Sounds
The place of well-done game aesthetics cannot be emphasized if you’re looking to have an online casino gaming experience that you’ll never forget. Look away from the winnings and you’ll see that a game’s visuals and sounds can go a long way to determine if you’ll ever be back to play it.
Slot games, for instance, usually have themes around which they are built. Everything about the slot should reflect the theme – the reels, background, symbols, and so on. Even the game’s audio should reflect this theme. For table games, modern technology has made it possible for real-life simulations of casino tables to be created so players can truly enjoy the game.
- RTP/House Edge
We already explained that games’ RTPs determine your payout. If you’re playing at a real money online casino, you should expect a healthy RTP that will let you take big winnings home. This is especially important for slot games where the RTP can make or mar your gaming experience.
Table games have something called the house edge. Since you’ll be playing against a dealer from the online casino, you need to know that the house edge is fair to you and that the odds of winning are good too.
- Bonus Rounds
Bonus rounds are also a big determining factor for whether an online casino game should be played or not. If you see that a game doesn’t offer a good number of bonuses, you should move on from there quickly. These bonuses can make up for any potential losses and multiply your winnings extensively so ensure that you look out for them.
Having considered all these, don’t forget to check out volatility when you want to play these games too, especially for slots.
CompareCasino has numerous objective game reviews that you can look through to help you choose good games to play.
nullCasino Games You Should Avoid
It’s a good idea to know which casino games you should avoid. This is especially important since there are so many games in the gambling world today and more are constantly being introduced.
If a game has a low RTP, you should avoid it. Examples of such games are Playtech’s X-Men 50 Lines with an RTP of 92%, Big Time Gaming’s Temple of Fortune slot with an RTP between 92% and 94.90%, and NetEnt’s Relic Raiders slot with a 90% RTP.
It’s also a good idea to stay away from unpopular games. They may not be bad, but that’s a chance you probably shouldn’t take.
Play Online Casino Games For Real Money
Whether you’re looking for some relaxation after a stressful day or you’re after the excitement, casino games are the right choice. All you have to do is choose an online casino from our top list and find your favorite game. Before you start wagering, we recommend you read our strategy guides and stay focused. We guarantee it will pay off.
Free Casino Games
Alternatively if you are looking to play at online casinos but don’t want to pay lots of money upfront? Free casino games at online casinos could be the answer. This page will explain what free games are, how they work, and where you can play them!
Your Guide to Free Casino Games
If everyone knew how fun it is to gamble online, we think everyone would be a member of an online casino! Unfortunately, most people don’t feel confident in their skills or don’t want to spend their hard-earned money. It costs a lot of money to gamble online… or does it? Choosing to play some of the casinos below, this may not be the case.
How much do you need to play? Well, the thresholds can be fairly low depending on the specific game being chosen. However, if you don’t know the rules you stand to lose more. After all, you aren’t going to put your hard-earned money into a game without first knowing how to profit from it.
That’s why CompareCasino has developed free casino games so that everyone can play, and not spend their hard-earned money. You can participate in games without registering or paying a penny. You don’t even have to download any software! You can play right in your web browser. Thus, if you’re looking for a new game or want to brush up on your skills, playing free online casino games will be the best way forward for you.
Play Free Casinos
One of the greatest benefits of FREE online gambling is perhaps obvious – it costs absolutely nothing! You don’t have to register with CompareCasino, you don’t have to deposit money, you don’t have to download software, and you can try every game for free, as often as you want.
This allows you to find out which games are suited for you, as well as what you’re comfortable risking when you play with real money. With free online roulette, you can find out which bets are best placed; and with free online blackjack, you can learn which cards can use a high bet. What else do you want?!
nullLearn Game Rules
Don’t gamble online if you don’t know the rules of the game! If you’re smart, you’ll avoid playing with real cash until you’re fully aware of the game. Why is that? Well, you could be lucky enough to be in a winning position, but the next thing you know, all your winnings disappear like snow in the sun. Why? It’s because you didn’t know the rules of the game.
Having practice, and knowing the rules, increases your chances of winning big, real money. You will also learn what to do in certain situations and how to remain calm under pressure. That’s why CompareCasino has developed free to play games. You get to try games without risking your money and potentially avoid taking a huge loss when you play for real.
Try a Strategy
Many games have different ways of winning, or in some cases, to increase the chance of winning as well. For example, with blackjack, you have the hi-lo strategy and with roulette, the martingale system. You will find there are some tactics and strategies which are praised by online gamblers but are talked down by others. Whether such a tactic or strategy works for you is something only you will know. To find out if one strategy works for you, you must try.
However, what do you prefer in a strategy? Do you want to try the strategy out in a real-money situation? If you do that, you may risk losing your hard-earned money. However, there is a way to figure out if the strategy is best for you – it’s with free online games, such as the ones CompareCasino offers!
Gain Experience
Just as a pilot has to establish their flying hours, an online gambler must increase their gambling hours. You can only gain experience by participating in casino games. As with everything, you have to keep practicing until you get the hang of it!
You can learn so much about online games with what CompareCasino has to offer. And that will give you a big advantage. Also, it’s useful to play free online casino games if you haven’t played for a while and want to get back into form.
Relax and Enjoy
Online gambling is all about relaxation. There’s nothing more relaxing than slumping on the sofa, after a long day at work, with your tablet or laptop, and paying a visit to an online casino! There will be an air of excitement when money’s involved; and for that reason, we love to gamble. There’s the adrenaline and it’s impossible to compare it to anything else. But of course, it’s also fun to play online games.
You can play a low-key, non-binding game of poker or blackjack, without having to constantly worry about commitments or losing money. CompareCasino offers free online games that are easily accessible, and are perfect to help you unwind and relax. You don’t have to worry about winning or losing, and you can just sit back and enjoy playing. Let the dices roll!
