Guide to the Top Casino Card Games – Our Ranking

Playing cards is one of the oldest pastimes, enjoyed among friends, family members, colleagues and in an official betting setting, too, of course. With many different card games at casinos, you may wonder what games are popular now and which game is right for you. In this article, you will find information about all of the top casino card games available.

If you’d like to play card games at casinos, you are not alone. There is a reason that brick-and-mortar casinos still draw ample customers. The ambiance of a table game room still brings in many customers year-round, despite the popularity and availability of slot machines. You can also play many popular card games online. Before you choose which platform to play at, check out our guide to the top casino sites with top payout.

• Most popular casino card games
• Etiquette for playing card games at casinos
• Poker Tournament Etiquette

What are the most popular casino card games?

When playing at a North American casino, you will notice a few familiar games again and again. However, different casinos offer different table games, both featuring cards and ones that instead rely on dice or other components that are not cards. Casinos offer what is popular for their clientele and this can differ greatly from city to city or state to state! That being said, you will likely see a few fan favorites again and again:

• Poker (and its many variations)
• Cassino
• Blackjack
• Baccarat
• Casino War
• Rummy

There are of course even more games that may not be as popular in the United States but which can be found at some casinos, perhaps more commonly in Asia or elsewhere abroad. There are also hundreds of different card games and variations that are not played in casinos but may be enjoyed at home among friends and family for friendly bets, or with no money on the line. But what are the most popular casino card games for gamblers?

Top casino card games ranked

There are a couple of ways of ranking famous card games. One is to look at odds. Here we ask, what are the games that you can play while losing the least amount possible to the house edge? In this sense, the top casino card games (by odds) from first to tenth place are:

• Poker (peer-to-peer)
• Blackjack
• Video Poker
• Baccarat
• Pai Gow Poker
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Casino War
• Let It Ride
• Three Card Poker
• Caribbean Stud

A straight up game of traditional poker might have the best odds since it relies the most on skill and the least on random outcomes. Due to this, it is hard for casinos to get as much of an advantage on poker players during a traditional table game. This is also what makes poker so fun – and challenging!

Speaking of challenges, it is worth noting that while some games have better odds, they also often require more skills from players. Poker and blackjack are two of the more challenging games to get a handle of since they have deep strategies to learn and follow. We have dissected both of these games in other blogs and encourage you to take a look in order to get a better understanding before you play!

On the other hand, a game like baccarat is much more up to chance. Though it seems challenging to start with due to the unusual way that card values and payouts are calculated, the good news is that you never have to do this yourself in a casino setting. The dealer does it for you. All you need to do as a bettor is make your initial bets (which are essentially guesses based on random chance) and hope you are lucky! The dealer does all of the hard stuff.

Favorite games of American players

According to a recent survey, Americans learned to play many new games during the Covid-19 pandemic. When surveyed about favorite games, answers differed greatly state by state. In California, Rummy was king, while Texas, predictably, opted for Texas Hold’em! Cribbage, Hearts, Spades and Canasta were other favorites that topped the lists. When it came to purely most popular casino card games, voters preferred Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘em and Five Card Draw. Video Poker and Baccarat were also favorites in at least one state.

Etiquette for playing card games at casinos

If you are not used to going to casinos, or if you tend to stay closer to the slot machines, you may have questions about correct etiquette for getting in on a card game. Are there any special rules you should know or follow when playing some of the most popular card games, for example? Here are a few rules that you can follow to make sure you have a smooth and enjoyable experience when playing any table games at a casino:

• Keep your cell phone in your pocket. Phones can be seen as a threat in a casino as they might help one count cards for example, so best be on the safe side and resign yourself not to text or take photos while on the casino floor.
• Take it easy on drinking alcohol. Though many casinos offer free alcoholic drinks, this is not an invitation to get wasted. Be mindful of your drinking and do not become disruptive.
• Check table minimums before you take a seat and start betting. This seems quite basic but is easy to forget. Minimums are different across various games and casinos, so it is key to be sure what you need to bet where. It would be disappointing to realize you do not have a high enough bankroll to keep playing at a certain game and be out after two hands, for example. You can also save time for the dealer and other players by checking out this information on signs on the table rather than asking the dealer and interrupting game play.
• Ask for betting chips at the appropriate moment. You will need to exchange your regular chips at some tables for colored chips that only you will bet with (for the ease of the dealer when paying out winnings). Make sure you first exchange your cash for chips at the appropriate counter; then approach the dealer for your game-specific chips when a game has a pause for new buy-ins.
• This will sound obvious but make sure to learn the rules of a game before you sit down to play. Though casino staff and dealers are there to be helpful to some extent, not knowing the rules and asking basic questions wastes time for everyone and will mark you as an amateur. Hand signals, such as in blackjack, are extremely useful for keeping up the flow of the game.
• Keep your personal belongings off of playing tables and keep drinks in designated spaces to avoid cluttering the area and unfortunate spills.
• Check the dress code. While US land-based casinos are fairly relaxed when it comes to gaming attire, even in table game rooms, special lounges or tournaments may have their own standards. If you play abroad or on a cruise, there may well be a dress code to adhere to. You can usually find this information online before you visit a game room.
• Tip dealers and other staff. This is especially true in the US, where many of those staffing casino room floors are not paid a high hourly wage. It’s considered good practice to tip your dealer regularly, especially when you’ve racked up some wins.

Poker Tournament Etiquette

Considering poker is one of the most popular card games out there – with all its many variations! – we thought we should dedicate a bit of time to discussing how to join a poker tournament. If you are playing online, it is straightforward enough. Simply sign up with your platform of choice, if you aren’t already a member, and follow the instructions on the casino site to join a tournament. The handy thing about online tournaments is that they can be found at virtually any time you want.

If you want to join an in-person poker tournament, you will have to plan in advance a little bit more. First, check your local casinos to see if they offer tournaments. They will usually list a weekly schedule where you can see all of the available options. Once you have identified a tournament you would like to join, it is also quite easy to do so.

Arrive at the casino a little bit early. We recommend getting there at least fifteen minutes before the tournament start time to be safe. Identify yourself at the cashier window and tell them you would like to join the tournament at the specified time. You will pay the buy-in and in return, the cashier will give you a receipt and a table number and seat number. You will also get your playing chips. Then you can find your seat and relax until it is time for the tournament to start – easy!