Wondering What to Play at an Online Casino – Read our Guide to the Best Casino Online Games

Are you ready to sign up and play at an online casino for real money? Are you wondering which games to play? Or maybe you’ve already got a favorite but are curious as to what else is on offer. Whatever the reason you’ve stumbled across a brilliant resource, provided by a bunch of guys and girls with many years of collective experience. We completely understand that you’re planning to play with some of your own hard earned cash so want a trustworthy and exciting experience. And want to find an online casino that’s dedicated to its customers and providing them with the best possible selection of games. For any casino online games are the bread and butter of the whole operation and for players it’s one aspect you really can’t do without.

We’ll be looking at online casino games in general here on this page but will also be looking at some of the most popular games in a little more detail on some of our other pages. Everyone, well almost everyone, loves a gamble. We’ve been doing it for centuries and it doesn’t seem to be losing favor any time soon. Look back through history and there are lots of accounts of gambling games. From Ancient China and Ancient Egypt right through to modern day the human race has been gambling for money and just for fun. The history of gambling is therefore very interesting and many of the games we play today have their roots way back in time. So what better place to start for anyone looking for the best online casino games than with a brief history lesson. We promise it won’t be too long, but if you want to skip it we won’t be offended. Scroll down the page and you’ll understand why online casinos are so popular and what games are available to play.

Casino is a word of Italian origin

Casino is actually a very confusing word and hasn’t always referred to facilities where gambling activities take place. The official root of the word is ‘casa’ a word of Italian origin that originally referred to a small country villa, summerhouse or social club. It was in the 19th century that the word ‘casino’ also came to include public building where people were entertained. They were often built in the grounds of a large Italian villa and were places where civic functions were hosted. Entertainment took the form of dancing, music listening, sports and gambling. Casino is a word that’s been used all over the world and hasn’t always had a gambling connection. For example, the Catalina Casino on Santa Catalina Island, California has never been used for playing games of chance. In fact, gambling was outlawed in California by the time the building was finished. The Copenhagen Casino was a theatre that was used for holding mass public meetings.

The Hanko Casino in Finland was never used for gambling but as a banquet hall for the Russian nobility in the late 19th century and is now a popular restaurant. The actual origin of gambling is unknown, but it’s widely agreed that gambling in one form or another has been a part of almost every society throughout history. The first example of a gambling house in Europe was the Ridotto, built in Venice in 1638 by the Great Council of Venice. It’s purpose was to provide controlled gambling during the carnival season. It closed in 1774. In America, gambling establishments were referred to as saloons and their creation and importance was influenced by four major cities, New Orleans, St Louis, Chicago and San Francisco. The saloons were places where travellers were able to find people to talk to, enjoy a drink and have a gamble. Gambling was outlawed and banned by state legislation in the early 20th century. In 1931, however, gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada and this was where the first legalized casinos were established. New Jersey followed suit in 1976 and gambling was allowed in Atlantic City.

The origins of some of the most popular casino games online

Many of the best casino games online have been played for centuries. Games such as slots and blackjack have an interesting history. Slots are one of the most popular casino games to play online, but in terms of its history it’s a relative newcomer on the scene. The roots of the modern game only go back as far as the 1800s. With the actual game itself being invented in the 1890s. A machine, popularly known as the one-armed bandit, was invented by a Californian named Charles Fey, and is the forerunner to the modern slots machine. From the 1890s onwards the machine underwent a number of changes and the games became more complex.

Developments included more reels and paylines and more interesting themes and different symbols. The mechanical machine was eventually replaced by the random number generator, a sophisticated piece of technology that is used today when you play casino games online. What we know today as online slots was developed in the 1990s and there was one further development that brought video poker to the masses. That’s not the end of the story, however. New slots games are still being developed and launched almost on a weekly basis.

Cards made from wood to the modern day popular online casino game of blackjack

When you’re looking for the best casino games online, after playing a few slots the next thing to try is a table game. Blackjack is one of the top online casino games, along with baccarat and poker. All of which involve a pack of cards. The first playing cards were actually made from wood, not the easiest of materials to use so it’s no wonder the paper playing card soon came into use. The cards used today were adapted by the French in the 1300’s and were influenced by ideas they’d picked up in Central Asia and Arab countries. The French nobility in particular loved playing cards and often featured pictures of the important people of the day, such as Napoleon and other emperors.

The different suits were also introduced by the French. As different card games developed, poker and blackjack were the two most popular, as they still are today. It’s thought that blackjack developed from a French game called 31 (Trente et Un), which then developed into 21 (Vingt et Un). A number of different variations were introduced in the following years but blackjack was the most popular. Poker is the most popular card game you can play, and has transferred very well to the online format. It was developed from a Persian game called As Nas.

The Chinese have always been lovers of numbers and number games

A game that has only recently entered the world of online casinos is Keno, and this is one game we’ve got the Chinese to thank for. The Chinese have always been fond of numbers and number games and many of their proverbs include tips on how to win when playing games of chance. A number of other Ancient cultures have also got a reputation for enjoying such games, including the Romans. There’s even a tale of a Roman nobleman who loved playing dice so much he asked for his carriage to include somewhere he could play the game while travelling. Gambling and throwing dice was considered to be such an important skill that a law was passed decreeing all sons were taught it and then they would be able to play with their fathers when coming of age.

Many of the most popular online casino games have their roots in ancient culture. it#’s thought that craps, for example, developed from the practise of Ancient Egyptian witch doctors. They performed a particular ritual using numbered stones and bones that were thrown in order to determine whether an ill person was going to get better. A popular online casino game that doesn’t have such a long history is roulette. It’s quite a newcomer to the gambling scene as it only became popular in the second half of the 19th century. The whole idea of the game was stumbled across by a famous mathematician named Blaise Pascal. He was known for his experiments with perpetual motion.

The introduction of online casinos brings the history lesson up to date

For most of you reading this article, the most interesting development will have been the launching of the online casino. And we’ve got to admit it is for us too. Bet you can guess what development we’ve got to thank for the best online casinos. Yes, you’re right it’s the computer, followed closely by the invention we know as the internet. Whereas players would once have to travel long distances to play their favorite games, thanks to computers and the internet they can now enjoy them all and more from the comfort of their own armchair. Casino games such as baccarat, would once have been considered out of the reach of the average Joe’s budget. But now everyone and anyone can play the game without having to worry about breaking the bank.

The online games casino really only became popular in the 1990s, all thanks to the internet and Random Number Generators (RNG). The industry has been moving onwards and upwards ever since and is now a billion dollar industry. It’s presently enjoying a boom time and new casinos are launched on an almost daily basis. How many are there to choose from? We really don’t know but the numbers are definitely in the thousands. Well that’s the history lesson over, and sorry it went on for a bit. Now we’ll look at the benefits of playing at an online casino.

Land-based or an online casino – which is the best?

For the vast majority of people the answer is online casino. There simply aren’t that many land-based casinos to visit. There used to be many more but they just aren’t that popular anymore. Players who want to experience a real casino now have to travel huge distances and go to the expense of booking a hotel room as well. There’s an argument that says it’s the introduction of online casinos that have led to their decline but there’s also financial constraints that can be blamed. It doesn’t really matter what the reasons are. The truth is that there aren’t that many bricks and mortar establishments to frequent anymore. Which makes the online casino the only viable option. With that in mind, we’ll look at the benefits of playing at the best online games casino.

• You can play for free – there’s not a single land-based casino that will let you play for nothing, but there are plenty of online casinos that will. Which is brilliant because you can try before you risk real money. Playing the games without having to make a real money wager will allow you the opportunity to find your way around and discover how the format works before taking a financial risk. If you find a game you like then there’s nothing stopping you from opening an account and adding funds so you can play for real.
• Game stats are recorded – all the best casino online games record all the data as you play your games, so you can look back at how you’ve played and analyse the decisions you’ve made. As you play online casino games the software records all the data thereby allowing you to plan future strategies.
• Location, location, location – you can enjoy all the best casino online games whenever and wherever you want to. Thanks to mobile compatibility and casino apps you can enjoy a game or two during your lunch break, or when you’re stood in a queue. You never have to set foot inside a real casino and can take your own casino with you wherever you go.
• Total concentration – real casinos can be very noisy and distracting which for many will be very off-putting. A land-based casino will always have other players enjoying their games and making a lot of noise and the atmosphere will be buzzing with excitement. Glamorous girls and gents in their smart suits will distract the eye and you might struggle to concentrate on your game. Which isn’t a problem if you play online casino games.

Some of the most popular casino games to play online

We’ve briefly mentioned some of the games you can play at an online casino when we were looking at the history of casinos. Let’s look at a few of them in a little more detail. We won’t cover everything here because there are some specific casino games pages you can read.
Slots
Slots are the most popular online casino games and rake in the most profit for the casino. Playing slots online is much the same as the one-armed bandits you might remember from your childhood. You simply place your bet, pull the virtual lever and wait as the wheels spin round. Images will line up along the payline, or paylines when the reels stop spinning and certain combinations will win you a prize. Not the most exciting or challenging of casino games but that doesn’t seem to put millions of players off. The introduction of progressive slots, however, has most definitely added a more exciting element. The prize jackpots can sometimes reach millions. What’s not to get excited about winning that kind of money?
Blackjack
This is another very popular online casino game and has its roots somewhere in Europe. A pack of cards is used, with players being dealt two to begin with and the option of having more. The aim of the game is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over. Once your first two cards have been dealt you get to choose whether to stick or call for more cards, without going bust.
Baccarat
This is another popular table game that was once exclusively played by high rollers and VIPs. With the advent of online casinos anyone can now play this card game. The idea of the game is to draw a hand with a face value as close to 9 as possible. Two cards are dealt and their values added together. If the total is greater than 10 the first digit is disregarded. For example, the cards dealt are a 6 and a 7, which total 13. In this case the value of the hand will be counted as 3. The game is played against the dealer and it’s not about who has the better hand. Betting is done on the basis of whether you think a particular player or the dealer will win the round.
Roulette
This is another game that’s top of the list for many players when it comes to being a favorite casino game online. It’s often referred to as the King of Casino Games and it’s no surprise why. We’re not really sure why it’s so popular because it’s a game of pure chance. No one is able to reliably predict where the ball will land. The game involves a spinning wheel that’s made up of numbered and colored slots. You simply pick a number or color, or combination of numbers in the range of which you think the ball will land and place your bet. The dealer spins the wheel, or the software starts it spinning, the ball is dropped in and comes to rest when the wheel stops spinning. If you’ve placed your bet on that number, color or range of numbers you’re a winner.
Video poker
This is really nothing like a true game of poker. The only likeness is that the aim of the game is to collect the best poker hand possible. You start by placing your bet and then the computer will deal you five cards. It’s then your choice as to whether you keep them or ditch them and get more cards dealt to you. If your hand is good enough you’ll get a payout, the odds of which get higher and higher the better your hand is.
Keno
This is a lottery style game that has long been popular in Asian countries but is increasing in popularity with the advent of online casinos. All that’s required is for you to pick your numbers and wait to see if they come up. It’s not like a state lottery in which you have to wait for the lottery to be drawn on a certain day. If you play keno you can enjoy a lottery experience whenever you want to.
Sic Bo
This is another game that has been popular in Asia for many years and now more people around the world are playing it thanks to online casinos. It’s a dice-based game that requires players to bet on the outcome of rolling three dice. It’s very easy to play and very fast-paced.
Craps
This is a very social game that’s fun and fast-paced. It’s also another dice game, but this time the aim is to hit a 7 or 11 to win. There will usually be a number of people playing and you all place bets on whether you think a player will be able to hit a 7 or 11. You lose the round if you roll a 2, 3, or 12 and it’s called craps. But if you throw anything else the game will continue to a second round.
Caribbean stud poker
This is a card game that’s a variation on the game of 5 card stud poker that has been growing in popularity over recent years.
Pai Gow
This is a two-handed poker game that is a Chinese variant of dominoes and played against the dealer.
Poker
Everyone’s heard of poker, and if you haven’t where’ve you been for the last 10 years. It’s one of the most popular online casino games and there are even sites dedicated to playing the game. Not too many years ago you would have been hard pushed to find a good online game, but now there are plenty to choose from.
Now you’ve got a basic idea of the kind of games available to play at an online casino, you can spend some time reading about them in more detail. Armed with all the important information you’ll be better able to make the right decision. Keep us as one of your favorite sites because we’ve got lots more to share.