Whether you like to play online casino games or prefer the experience of visiting a casino in person, there are many exciting card games for you to enjoy. But while some people may like easy-to-learn, easy-to-play card games, others appreciate hard card games that are difficult to master. Here are several of the hardest card games to master that you can play at BetMGM Casino:
Baccarat
As one of the most popular card games in brick-and-mortar casinos, it comes as no surprise that online casino baccarat can be found in almost all online casinos. Fans of blackjack will recognize the familiar gameplay. But baccarat uses a unique system to total up your hand, which brings a new spin. Players will also need to remember that online casinos generally use punto banco rules. Mastering this game also requires you to fully understand baccarat odds, but thankfully, this isn’t one of the hardest online casino games to play.
How to Play Baccarat
While learning how to play baccarat, you’ll note there are only three betting options. Before any cards are dealt, you can bet on yourself, on the dealer, or on a tie. A winning bet on the dealer will be subject to a 5% commission from the house.
While a tie bet is unlikely and also has a high house edge, the dealer/player bets are quite evenly matched, with a slight advantage to the dealer.
At the start of the game, the dealer will deal two face-up cards for the players’ and the baccarat banker’s hands, which are then totaled. The dealer then applies a set of rules to determine if the player hand is dealt a third card, and/or if they deal the banker hand a third card. Then both hands are compared to decide which wins.
To score a baccarat hand, the tens column of a total is dropped, leaving the hand with a single-digit score. For example, if the player hand is dealt a 4, an 8, and a 7, the initial total is 19. Dropping the tens-column leaves the player hand with just 9 as the final score. Another example would be a 5, a 6, and a 9, which equals 20, or a final hand value of zero.
3 Smart Baccarat Tips
To become a better baccarat player, look for opportunities to apply these baccarat strategies:
- Bet on the dealer for one of the best RTPs in the casino: 98.94%.
- Avoid tie bets, as the 14.40% house edge is too high for consistent wins.
- You have no control over whether you or the dealer is dealt a third card, so focus on betting strategy above all else.
Blackjack
Getting started with online blackjack is quick and easy. This game is playable in person, as a digital game, or in a live dealer blackjack format by up to seven players. The goal of the game is to get a higher value hand than the dealer without going over 21. Due to its simplicity, it’s one of the most popular experiences and far from being an underappreciated card game.
While blackjack is genuinely easy to learn, players will need to learn a variety of skills to get good at the game, including how to play specific cards, which bets are worthwhile, and which are not.
How to Play Blackjack
Learning how to play blackjack is quite straightforward. The game begins with all players deciding how much they want to wager. The dealer deals a card face up to each player and themselves. They then deal another card face up to each player, but a card face down to themselves. Players then decide whether they want to stand (not get any more cards) or hit (ask for another card), depending on the value of the cards in their hand.
Once all the players are either happy with their hands or bust, the dealer must reveal their hidden card. Once the card is revealed, dealers must also decide whether to hit or stand, but this depends on the total value of their hands. If a hand is less than 17, they must hit. If their hand is 17 or higher, they must stand.
If any of the players’ or the dealer’s hands exceed a total of 21, they are bust and lose the game. If any of the players have a natural blackjack (a combination of two cards that equals 21), they win and must be paid out. If none of the players or the dealer has busted, hand values are compared. Players who have a hand that is worth more than the dealer’s will get paid out. Players who have a hand that is worth less than the dealer’s lose their bets.
The value of players’ hands is decided by their face value. However, jacks, queens, and kings are all equal to 10, while an ace is either equal to one or 11, depending on the total value of a player’s hand.
3 Strategy Tips for Blackjack
Apply these quick tips to improve your blackjack strategy:
- The insurance bet is a high-risk side bet and should generally be avoided.
- Always split a pair of aces and a pair of 8s.
- Hit on a hand worth 16 or less, but stand if your hand is worth 17 or higher.
Video Poker
For anyone wondering, “Is poker hard to learn?” the answer is that it’s moderately difficult to pick up and play. However, poker is one of the hardest casino games to master.
Thankfully, there’s video poker, which borrows much of the basic gameplay of poker while toning down some of the difficulty. The goal of classic poker is the same as regular poker: try to build a better hand than the house.
How to Play Video Poker
Video poker differs from traditional poker in several ways to account for the fact that you’re not playing against other players, but against the house. As a result, you’ll have to deal with house edge, which isn’t normally the case with regular poker games.
There are many different variants of video poker, but all of them follow the same basic gameplay formula, with the goal being to make the highest value hand. Some of the best ones to play at BetMGM are Ultimate X Poker, Five Play, and Game King Video Poker.
First, you’ll place a bet before seeing any cards. You’re then dealt a hand of cards. Next, you decide whether you want to swap out any cards or keep your current hand, depending on the cards you’ve received.
The ranking of hands in video poker is as follows.
- Royal flush: An ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 of the same suit.
- Straight flush: Any series of consecutive cards of the same suit that’s not a royal flush.
- Four of a kind: Four of the same card.
- Full house: A three of a kind and a pair.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits.
- Three of a kind: Three of the same card.
- Two pair: Two different pairs.
- Pair: A pair of the same card.
- High card: The highest individual card in a player’s hand.
However, the hands that will count towards wins will vary, depending on which version of video poker you’re playing. Many versions of video poker require a minimum of a high-value pair, such as a pair of jacks, to receive a payout.
3 Strategy Tips for Video Poker
If you’re new to video poker, here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:
- Learn which hands count in the version you’re playing.
- Learn the relevant card strategy for the relevant version of the game you’re playing (which cards to keep and which to discard).
- Leverage the bonuses of each version of video poker to maximize your chances of winning, such as jokers in specific versions of the game.
Play Challenging Casino Card Games Online at BetMGM
If you’re looking for difficult casino games, easy casino games, or a mix of both, you can play casino card games online at BetMGM. BetMGM’s online casino offers exciting card games like baccarat, blackjack, poker, and many more, both traditional RNG games and live dealer card games. Players who are new to live dealer experiences can learn how live dealer games work and then leverage the best tips for winning live dealer casino games to get the most out of each wager.
There are also other thrilling gambling experiences like online slots, jackpot slots, craps, roulette, and variety games if you enjoy more than just card games, all which require varying skill levels.
Register at BetMGM Casino and try your hand at your favorite card games and more.
