MOST POPULAR ONLINE CASINO GAMES
It is not easy to list the most popular online casino games because they change all the time. But in general, some games are considered great classics that you can't miss. My task today is to introduce you to them a little more closely. Are you ready to discover the most popular games in online casinos?
What are the most popular online casino games?
Before we get into the details, I'd like to say a few words. In this article, I'm going to focus on the big families of games, within which there are dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of variations. To think of ranking the most popular online casino games, taking into account every variant, would be insane!
So, let's go through the most popular casino games, divided into families:
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Poker
- Slots
- Craps
- Baccarat
The 6 most played casino games
The list above shows you the 6 most popular casino games in the world, but which one was invented first? Well, it depends on your perspective. Generally speaking, the first games of chance were animal races and dice games, which have been recorded as far back as 6,000 years before Christ.
And what kind of people do these games attract? I can safely say that the simplicity of the slots, the fact that you just choose how much to bet and then click on the spin button, is ideal for recreational players. Players more oriented towards table games, on the other hand, are those who like to devise or implement strategies in an attempt to maximise winnings and minimise losses.
As you probably know, there are table games that mix luck and skill, such as blackjack. It is no coincidence that numerous books and strategy articles have been written about this card game, full of mathematical equations. Let's start with blackjack while we're at it!
Blackjack, the game of 21
It is said that the origins of blackjack are French and that the game was born in the 18th century. At the time, it was called 21, and was a favourite game of the nobility, before making its way to the UK and around the world. It is known that at the time of the Gold Rush (1890-1900), Vingt-Un (21 in French) was already known in North America as blackjack.
Over the next 100 years, blackjack became the subject of theories and mathematical studies, being one of the few games of skill within casinos. In 1956, the card counting strategy was announced and since then, many casinos have banned players who use it.
Roulette
The origins of roulette date back to the early 18th century. The name derives from the French word for "the little wheel" and it seems that the "father" of roulette is the mathematician Blaise Pascal, an inventor whose studies of the perpetual motion machine inspired the creation of the numbered wheel.
You may not know that in its early years of use, roulette required zeros and double zeros to be red and black; green was added later to avoid confusing players. By the 19th century, the game was already widespread throughout the world. A curiosity: if you add up all the roulette numbers, you get 666, the number of the Devil.
Poker
Another legendary game, about whose origins there are several theories, is poker. Some say it originated in China in the 11th century, others in Persia in the 16th century, and still others think it comes from a French-German game called Poque. I can't say for sure who is right, but it may be that the truth is a mix of all these theories.
Poker, as we know it today, has undergone so many transformations, especially in the two centuries before ours and in the USA. Initially, the deck had 20 cards, which later increased to 52, and the game was played one-on-one. Today, the world's most famous and popular variant is No-Limit Texas Hold'em, which can be found on all online poker sites.
Slot machines
Slot machines were invented by Charles Augustus Fey between 1887 and 1895 and were mechanical games with cylinders instead of reels and a lever to be pulled to activate them. At the beginning of the 20th century, Liberty Bell made several improvements to the slot machines and in the 1960s the game became electromechanical, with electronically controlled reels.
The revolution came in 1996, the year online slots were born, the virtual translation of slot machines, playable from any computer. It was with the advent of online slots that the virtual gambling industry exploded into a multi-billion dollar market represented today by online casinos, mobile casinos and mobile app’s BetWinner iPhone being one of the most popular.
Craps, the dice game
The game of craps originated in 1125 and was initially called "Hazard" by the English Crusaders. Of course, there are many versions of the story here too: some say that craps were invented by the Ancient Romans, others that it has Arabic origins. In any case, its popularity exploded in the 17th century, when the game arrived in France. Here it was called "crapaud" ("toad" in Italian), due to the position assumed by players playing it in the streets.
Baccarat
Let's close with baccarat, a game that originated in France but exploded in Italy. Or has it? Many believe that baccarat was invented by the Ancient Romans as part of the rituals that were performed to determine the fate of virgins. What is certain is that the game only became popular in the 14th and 15th centuries, before arriving in the United States in 1871. Since 1959, the Punto Banco variant has become established in Las Vegas casinos.
FAQ
I've told you about many games, citing many historical facts, so I expect you have a few questions. That's why I've decided to prepare answers to the most frequently asked questions about the most popular casino games.
What are the most popular casino games?
There are many popular casino games, but only a few are considered great classics. I have compiled a list of the most popular casino games. From here, you can examine their origins, history and modern versions.
Where can I play the most popular casino games?
All good and reliable online casinos guarantee you the opportunity to play your favourite games for real money. Whether it's slots, roulette, blackjack or any other game, the best online casinos offer all the most popular casino games in all sorts of variations.
What is the simplest casino game?
The most famous and simplest casino game is the slot machine. All you have to do is choose how much you want to bet, how many pay lines you want to bet on and then spin the reels.
What is the oldest of the popular casino games?
Answering this question is not easy, as there are so many theories about it. The earliest historical evidence, however, shows that the earliest forms of gambling were animal races and dice games. That is why I can say that among the 6 most popular casino games, craps is the oldest.
Who invented roulette?
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, philosopher and inventor, is commonly cited as the man who invented roulette. However, Pascal was studying perpetual motion: his goal was certainly not to build the future queen of casino games!
