Which Online Casino Games are the Most Popular?
Since the turn of the Millennium gambling has undergone a facelift that has rendered it almost unrecognisable and has come a long way like other economies such as the mining industry. Twenty years ago, the land-based casino was King and the threat posed by the online sector was so small as to be laughable.
Now however, it is the online sector that is King and the land-based casinos that find themselves as the butt of the joke.
Gambling fans know that in a few taps of their phone screens they can be playing their favourite games online with a great provider like 777 Casino – no more 30 minute plus journeys to the nearest casino.
What games are online casino lovers playing though? Read on to find out the top 5 most popular online casino games.
#5 Baccarat
We start the list with a game that can trace its history back to either 19th century France or 15th century Italy. Regardless of the game’s popularity, what we do know is that it is incredibly popular in the United States.
Baccarat was popular with American soldiers during the Second World War and upon their return home, the game began to take hold in American casinos.
Fiendishly difficult to pick up but relatively easy to master after that, baccarat is a comparing card game played between the player and the banker. The rules are tricky to get to grips with so we won’t attempt to cover them in brief here.
If you are interested in learning more about the rules of baccarat and strategies, check out wikiHow articles.
#4 Roulette
In the 1950s scientists studied how animals and humans responded to rewards and their findings were fascinating. When offered a reward upon completion of a simple task such as pulling a lever, both humans and animals eventually grew tired of pulling the lever.
When that reward pattern became irregular though and not guaranteed, both the humans and the animals became obsessed with pulling the lever. This pattern of behaviour is known as intermittent reinforcement and it is the reason that almost every gambler out there has a penchant for roulette.
The wheel spinning game cannot reliably be game or strategized. Instead, players simply have to cross their fingers and hope for the best, sometimes their luck is in, sometimes it isn’t and it’s that simplicity that makes roulette so enthralling.
(Beyond all of that reinforcement theory, roulette is just a pretty cool game to play, even 007 plays it after all!)
#3 Blackjack
Think of blackjack as a simpler, speedier and more accessible alternative to baccarat. The game, which can also trace its roots back to France is another card comparing game that pits the player against the banker.
At the beginning of each round the dealer will dish out two cards to the player and two cards to themselves, leaving one of theirs upturned. The aim of the game is to get closer to 21 than the dealer.
After looking at their cards, the player will be offered the chance to stick of twist, if they twist they will be handed another card which will either take them closer to 21 or put them over the number and sending them bust.
The house edge element of the game is that the player must beat the dealer’s hand and not merely match it. Think blackjack sounds simple? Think again because it’s a complex game that has more than its fair share of tactics and strategies. If you want to brush up on your blackjack knowledge, check out this great guide.
#2 Texas Hold ‘Em
When savvy entrepreneurs first had the idea to take gambling online, the first game to gain real traction was Texas Hold ‘Em. Ever since then the classic poker variant has become a staple of the online gambling scene.
Similar to baccarat, Texas Hold ‘Em is not a game that can be sufficiently described in a couple of paragraphs. If you’re looking for a complete guide on how to play the world’s favourite poker variant, you’ll find plenty of resources online.
Why is the game so popular though? It’s a good question, one for which the answer lies in the balance between luck and skill. Of all the games covered in this article, Texas Hold ‘Em is the one that rewards skill and experience the most.
Yet there is still a large element of luck and fortune that goes into the game, which is what makes it so alluring. The best players should win the majority of hands that they play, but thanks to Lady Luck, that’s not always the case.
#1 Slot Machines
If there were no slot machines in your local casino, it would shut down within a couple of weeks as the unpaid bills piled up and up. That’s because slot machines are the beating heart of any casino, either land-based or online.
They are just insanely popular and it all goes back to the behavioural theory that we discussed in the paragraph about roulette. Slot machines offer intermittent reinforcement and we just love games that offer intermittent reinforcement.
Why, if slots offer the same intermittent reinforcement reward system as roulette are both not equally popular? Well, slots are modern and made for modern audiences and in addition to that, they are absolutely fool proof.
Someone who has never wagered a penny in their life could work out how to play a slot machine in minutes. The same can’t be said of roulette which, despite its simplicity, still seems a bit daunting to new and inexperienced players.
What’s your favourite online casino game? Let us know in the comments section below.
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