About Time: You Played at an Online CasinoBy Angelica Malin

Casinos are as popular as they’ve ever been just now in the UK, especially online casinos. According to the Gambling Commission, in the gambling industry, the remote casino slots category generated a gross gambling yield of £2 billion between October 2017 and September 2018. Some might say the popularity of online casinos was down to the immense variety of games out there, which make online gaming not just a question of winning some extra money, but also a pleasurable way of spending the time.

Why play online casino games?

It may be something of an experience to visit a brick-and-mortar casino, but online casinos offer just as many thrills and spills. In fact, you might enjoy playing at a cyber casino even more. Remember that you should always play responsibly if you do step into one, online or offline. Below are just a few quick reasons to play online casino games:

The convenience

Playing games online offers a whole world of convenience. You can play in your home or elsewhere, and you can play on the go. All you need is an internet connection and a device, be it a computer, tablet or mobile, and you’re good to play. You don’t have to pay entry fees or dress up to get inside, and you can play without distractions or without smoke drifting across the table from other people’s cigars or cigarettes.

Similar games (or more)

Online casinos spoil players with huge amounts of choice. You can go on slots. You can sit down at tables and play poker, blackjack and other card games. You can play roulette. Land-based casinos have limited space for all their machines and tables, which means you have less choice when you’re inside one, whereas in online casinos you have lots more options.

What are some of the best games out there?

Since there are so many online casino games out there, and several variations of some them, the sheer volume could overwhelm you. To make things that little bit easier, here are a few suggestions:

Caribbean Stud Poker

If you’ve played Texas Hold’em, you’ll feel quite comfortable with Caribbean Stud Poker. The difference is, however, that you’ll be playing against the house rather than against other players. The object of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting the best five-card hand possible. You place your bet in the ante spot, and then the dealer deals five cards to themselves and to you, with one of the dealer’s cards remaining face up. You must decide whether to call or fold. The dealer then reveals their cards.

Live Roulette

Just like in real roulette, you take some chips; you place your bet; and see what the outcome is. The only difference is that everything is happening in real time, and the game is also moving faster because the dealer doesn’t have to pay out the money physically to the other players. Live roulette provides a thrilling experience, and you can chat to the dealer during the game, thanks to the technology used in the game. There are several different versions of roulette, such as European roulette and American roulette, so be sure of the rules of the game you choose to play.

Live Baccarat

Baccarat is a simple game, and is the type of game you might see in a James Bond movie. You can bet on three things: the player winning, the dealer winning or on a tie. The aim of the game is to choose the winning hand, and the player’s and banker’s objective is to get as close to nine as possible. A likely outcome is that the Banker hand will win — and you pay a commission to the dealer if you bet on this. This won’t always be the case, however, so think carefully how you bet.

Note that there’s a variation of Baccarat, known as Baccarat Control Squeeze. Play this, and you can enjoy some additional suspense. If you sit at a Baccarat Squeeze table, you have the option to squeeze, which means you get to reveal the wagered hand yourself. As much as you might revel in the suspense, you only have a set amount of time to turn the cards.

Live Dragon Tiger

Live Dragon Tiger is easy to play and enthralling from start to finish. It’s fast-paced, with rounds lasting as little as 25 seconds, and some describe the game as a two-card version of Baccarat. In fact, if you like Baccarat, you’ll love Dragon Tiger. You have two cards, the Dragon and the Tiger, and all you’ve got to do is bet on which one will be the higher of the two or whether the two cards will tie. What could be simpler?

Deuces Wild

This is a variation of video poker in which you have to get the best possible poker hand. The game gets its name from the fact that the deuces are ‘wild’, so they can count as the card that you need it to be to obtain the strongest hand possible e.g. if you have two kings, the deuce will count as a third king to produce a ‘three of a kind’ hand. The game only uses one deck of cards at any one time, and there are two rounds: the deal, after which you decide which cards to keep, and then the showdown round, in which you receive new cards and then reveal your hand.

Online casinos are providing gamers with a superb form of entertainment, one that allows them to win money and enjoy their leisure time simultaneously. They’re a convenient platform that allows the player to take part in games in comfort, and they give land-based casinos a serious run for their money, thanks to the possibility for the casino visitors to play games such as roulette in real time. Then there’s Baccarat and other games which are easy to play and hold real elements of suspense. When you can log into a casino online and can experience such entertainment and excitement, why bother visiting a brick-and-mortar one?