The Most Famous Casino Card Games
Card games have held their place on casino floors and online platforms for decades, even as new titles and machines continue to appear. A select group of famous card games has risen above the rest to become enduring fixtures.
They’re the ones often seen on screen and discussed among enthusiasts, recognized as fixtures wherever card games are played.
This article looks at the most iconic card games and what makes them stand out. We’ll explore their rules, design, odds, and the elements that contribute to their lasting appeal.
Blackjack
Among the most famous card games, blackjack stands out for its straightforward rules and enduring popularity. Also known as 21, the game is played with one or more standard decks of cards and centres on a contest between each hand and the dealer rather than between participants at the table.
How to Play
At the start of each round, you receive two cards face up, while the dealer takes one card face up and another face down. With those cards on the table, decisions follow.
You can hit to draw an extra card, stand to hold your total, double down to take exactly one more card while increasing your commitment, or split if the initial two cards form a pair, creating two separate hands to play out.
The goal is straightforward: build a hand closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over. Landing an Ace with a 10-value card produces a natural blackjack, which ends the round in your favour immediately. Any total above 21 is a bust, and the hand is lost regardless of the dealer’s outcome.
What Makes It So Popular?
The appeal of blackjack comes largely from its low house edge, which can drop to around 0.5% when basic strategy is applied. That figure is among the lowest in a casino, making the game more favourable than most others. Even without perfect play, the edge usually remains lower than in comparable options.
Rules and deck numbers can influence the odds, yet blackjack is consistently recognized as one of the best-balanced card games in terms of strategy and risk.
Another factor behind blackjack’s popularity is its straightforward nature. You can pick up the rules in minutes, and the decision-making element keeps the game absorbing well past the first few rounds.
Poker
Few card games have reached the same level of global recognition as poker. What began as a staple of casinos has expanded into large-scale tournaments and online platforms, while still remaining a fixture in more casual settings.
Unlike many casino titles where the contest is against the house, poker revolves around competition between hands at the table, with the casino earning revenue by taking a small percentage of each pot, known as the rake. This structure sets poker apart from games like blackjack or roulette, as outcomes depend both on the cards dealt and the decisions made during play.
How to Play
Poker comes in many forms, but Texas Hold’em is the version most often found in casinos.
At the start of each hand, you receive two private cards, while five community cards are revealed face up in stages.
The objective is to make the strongest possible five-card hand using any mix of your two hole cards and the shared cards on the table. Betting takes place after the initial deal, again after the first three community cards (the flop), after the fourth card (the turn), and finally after the fifth card (the river).
Winning can come from having the strongest combination (a royal flush), but it can also result from betting decisions that persuade others to fold (give up the hand).
What Makes It So Popular?
Poker is one of the few casino card games where individual decisions carry significant weight. Unlike games in which the house plays directly against every hand, the casino does not compete in poker; instead, it collects a rake from each pot.
This structure keeps the house edge relatively low compared with many other table games, allowing decisions and strategy to play a larger role in outcomes.
Odds are a constant factor. Probabilities shift as each community card is revealed, and decisions hinge on whether the chances of improving a hand outweigh the risk of staying in the round.
Another reason poker remains popular is the absence of a single, fixed strategy. Every hand depends on the tendencies of those involved, requiring continual adjustment. Even long-time professionals continue to study and refine their approach to stay competitive. Play Poker Online
Baccarat (Punto Banco)
Among classic casino card games, baccarat, often called Punto Banco, has long been linked with high-stakes play but is simple in structure. Each round is between two designated hands, the “Player” and the “Banker.” Those at the table wager on which side will finish with the higher total or on a Tie.
The game is usually dealt from a shoe of six or eight decks, with extra cards drawn automatically according to fixed rules. Although Tie bets are available, they carry a much higher house edge than wagers on Player or Banker.
How to Play
At the start of a round, you place a wager on one of three outcomes: Player, Banker, or Tie.
After bets are set, two cards are dealt to the Player's hand and two to the Banker's hand. If either totals 8 or 9, called a natural, the round ends immediately. If not, the drawing rules decide whether a third card is added to either side. These rules are fixed and carried out by the dealer, so no further decisions are required once you’ve made your wager.
When the hands are complete, the side closest to 9 wins. A winning bet on Player is paid even money, while a winning bet on Banker also pays even money but with a small commission deducted. If the result is a tie, Tie wagers are paid according to the table’s returns, and bets on Player or Banker are pushed back without gain or loss.
What Makes the Game So Popular?
Baccarat is well known for its favourable returns on the two main bets. Banker carries a house edge of about 1.06%, while Player is close at 1.24%. These figures place both among the most competitive odds in the casino. By contrast, the Tie bet comes with a house edge of more than 14%, which explains why it is generally considered the weakest option.
The game’s appeal also lies in its simplicity. Once a wager is placed, the dealing rules handle the rest automatically, removing the need for complex strategies or rapid decisions. This combination of low house edge and straightforward play has kept baccarat prominent on casino floors and online platforms worldwide.
High or Low
Among the simplest casino card games, High or Low centres on predicting whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower than the one already on the table. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and has long been a casual pastime in pubs before making its way into casinos. In many places, High or Low is also referred to as Hi-Lo.
How to Play
A round begins when the dealer places one card face up on the table. You then choose whether the next card will be higher or lower in rank. After bets are placed, the dealer reveals the next card. A correct prediction wins, while an incorrect one loses. If the new card matches the rank of the first, the wager is usually lost unless the table offers an equal-value option. The revealed card then becomes the starting point for the next round.
In some versions, you can also bet on whether the next card will be red or black, or whether its value will land within a chosen range.
What Makes It So Popular?
High or Low is a famous card game notable for its simplicity. The round hinges on a single decision, making the game accessible without the need for hand rankings or complex rules.
The pace also contributes to its popularity. Each round is resolved within seconds, and the outcome is revealed immediately. Odds shift depending on the starting card: when the up-card is in the middle range, like a 7, the chances of predicting correctly are close to even. Very high or very low starting cards create stronger probabilities in one direction, though the returns are adjusted to reflect that difference.
Three Card Poker
Among the more recent introductions to casino card games, this variant condenses poker into a faster format.
Each hand is played against the dealer as opposed to other participants, and only three cards are used. The reduced hand size speeds up each round while still relying on the standard ranking of poker hands, with one adjustment unique to this version where straights outrank flushes.
How to Play
A hand begins with an Ante bet before three cards are dealt. You then choose whether to fold and forfeit the Ante or continue by placing a Play bet.
For the round to proceed, the dealer must qualify with at least Queen-high. If the dealer does not qualify, the Ante is won and the Play bet is returned. If the dealer does qualify, the higher hand takes both bets.
An optional Pair Plus wager is also available, carrying a higher house edge than the main game. This side bet pays whenever the hand contains a pair or better, with larger returns for stronger combinations like three of a kind or a straight flush.
What Makes It So Popular?
Three Card Poker attracts attention for being quick to play and easy to follow. Each round finishes in minutes, and the single choice of folding or continuing keeps decision-making straightforward.
The core bets, Ante and Play, carry a house edge of about 3.37% when proper strategy is applied, which makes the game competitive with other table options.
Pair Plus offers a separate wager that pays for stronger combinations like three of a kind or a straight flush, though the edge rises to around 7.28%. Together, these elements balance clarity with optional risk, which has kept the game widely available in casinos.
Finding the Casino Game For You
The games outlined above are some of the most recognizable, but that doesn’t mean they will suit everyone the same way.
The right choice often comes down to preference. Some prefer a game that calls for strategy, while others prefer one driven by chance. For some, the pace matters most, whether quick rounds or something slower and more measured.
If the well-known card games already covered don’t feel like the right fit, there are plenty of other options to explore, both card-based and outside of cards:
- Roulette: You can bet on individual numbers, colours, or sections of the wheel. Inside bets target specific numbers and return more, while outside bets like red or black, or odd or even, give higher chances of landing
- Pai Gow Poker: You start with seven cards and split them into two hands, one with five cards and the other with two. To win the round, both need to beat the dealer’s hands. Because ties, called pushes, come up often, the game usually runs longer than many other card options
- Caribbean Stud Poker: You play a five-card hand against the dealer, with the option to place a progressive jackpot side bet. After receiving your cards and viewing one dealer card, you either raise to continue or fold to forfeit
- Casino War: This is one of the simplest table games to exist. You and the dealer each receive a single card, and the higher card wins. When a tie occurs, you can either surrender half your bet or “go to war” by doubling your wager
- Keno: Choose between 1 and 20 numbers from a pool of 80. The game then draws 20 numbers at random, and returns depend on how many of your picks match the draw
- Craps: You roll dice and bet on the outcome, with options that range from simple pass or don’t pass wagers to more complex proposition bets. The game is known for its lively, social atmosphere, often with the whole group reacting together on big rolls