Las Vegas is back in business. Hotels are full as thousands of tourists flock to the attractions of Sin City. There’s so much to see and do in Nevada’s entertainment mecca: Shopping, shows, fine dining, theme parks, nature and, of course, gambling. Popular casino hotels such as the Bellagio, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay are offering unrestricted access to their gaming floors, with a broad range of casino table games and slots on tap for your enjoyment. A new generation of gamers is discovering the appeal of these engaging and satisfying games, which combine chance and skill to varying degrees. Prepare for your next outing with our list of casino games to play in America’s playground: Las Vegas!
Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game that’s widely regarded as one of the best games to play at a casino, for a number of reasons. It’s easy to learn the basics. Simply try to build a hand that’s closer to 21 than the dealer’s hand, without going over 21. At the same time, blackjack is challenging enough to keep the most experienced player entertained. That’s thanks to the various intriguing betting actions you can perform. The ability to split, double down and take insurance makes the game much more fun. Best of all, from a player’s perspective, blackjack has a low house edge (1–2%). In other words, if you apply flawless basic blackjack strategy, you stand a good chance of beating the dealer on average over time. The only potential downside is that playing blackjack takes some skill and focus, so it’s not always the most relaxing of games.
Baccarat
Asia’s most popular casino table game also has the advantages of a low house edge and being easy to learn. It’s a game for a single player and a dealer. The dealer deals out two cards from a baccarat shoe of six or eight decks of cards. One card goes to the “dealer” position on the table and the other card goes to the “player” position. You, the player, bet on whether the player hand or dealer hand will score higher, to a maximum of nine, or whether it’ll be a tie. Note that baccarat has a special scoring system where 10s and royal cards are worth zero. If either the player or banker hand’s two cards totals five or less, a third card is dealt. Player hand and dealer hand wins pay out even odds, while a tie pays out 8:1. Baccarat doesn’t take much skill to play because it’s basically pure gambling, which is why it’s the best casino game for many high rollers. That said, the house edge is reasonably favorable at 1.5%. Play for fun but never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Craps
What could symbolize the operations of chance better than a pair of dice? The opportunity to bet on the outcomes of a dice throw is what the game of craps boils down to. But there’s much more to it than rolling the bones over and over again. As a matter of fact, craps is a tremendously sociable casino table game with a culture and jargon all its own. You have to learn about the different kinds of bets and the names of the different rolls, such as Big Red, Little Joe, boxcars, hi-lo-yo and many more. This takes some getting used to, but it’s worth it. There’s typically a positive energy of camaraderie around a craps table, as players cheer each others’ wins against the house. (The house edge varies depending on what bet you take, from nearly 14% for “snake eyes” to 1.4% for a “don’t pass” bet.) Take the time to learn the game and craps can be a tremendously enjoyable experience. It’s very Vegas!
Roulette
What says “casino” better than a game of roulette? Dating back to the 1700s, the formula of this classic casino table game strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and sophistication. Literally zero skill is required to play. You simply have to bet on which colored, numbered pocket the little ball will land in after the croupier spins the roulette wheel. Roulette betting options, on the other hand, are far from simple. There’s an entire range of bets you can make, all with different odds. To mention a few options out of many: You can predict that the ball will land on a specific number (1–36), that it will land on one of a range of numbers (e.g., numbers 1–12), or just that it will come to rest in a red or black pocket, without specifying a number. Every spin of the wheel brings with it a moment of suspense, as players wait to find out if they’ve won or not. If you’re headed for Vegas, roulette’s definitely worth a spin!
Online casino games
Blackjack, baccarat, craps and roulette have remained essentially unchanged for many years. They certainly predate the internet! These days, there are alternative ways to play. Online casino games, for example, give you the chance to play from any location, any time. There’s a wide variety of casino table games that you can play online, ranging from incredibly realistic RNG-based games to live dealer casino games that connect you with professional operators dealing real cards and spinning real roulette wheels at a table in a casino studio. If you’re in Vegas and you’d rather play away from the crowds and noise, you may enjoy the online casino alternative. You could even play them in the desert or the Grand Canyon (if you can get a signal). At the very least, you won’t have to find a place at a gaming table!
Experience Vegas virtually at BetMGM
You don’t have to wait until you’re in Vegas to play the best casino games. Simply register at BetMGM for a broad range of premium casino games to play online. All the table games you can think of are here for you to enjoy, backed up by a generous array of feature-rich, fun-packed online video slots. Our online casino games are 100% mobile compatible, so you can bring Vegas into your home or anywhere you choose to play.
