Gamers have more choices than ever, whether it comes to playing at online casinos or playing multiplayer games against friends or even strangers all over the world.
At some of the online casinos, there are now thousands of different games. All that choice can only be good for the consumer but it can also be a little confusing. People need to know exactly what kinds of games there are out there and understand what all of the terms mean when it comes to casino games. This guide will help with understanding the types of games out there.
Slots and Progressive Slot Games
A lot of people are familiar with slot games having played them in person. Slot games used to be played on physical machines. The first was invented in 1894 in San Francisco by Charles Fey. This was the first game to feature the Liberty Bell symbols seen on a lot of slots today.
Online, there is no handle to crank to start the game, payers simply hit a button to begin each round of the game. Games aren’t decided by a physical mechanism, either. They rely on random number generators to decide the outcome of the game. They aren’t as limited by the laws of physics, either! This means that games can feature interesting mini-games, bonus features, and reels that move and change mid-game. This is something physical slot machines can’t do, and it is one of the reasons slot games online have so many more features.
Another way that slot games differ from a lot of in-person casino games is the fact that they may have bigger progressive jackpots. A progressive jackpot is when a fraction of everyone’s stakes in the game go towards one huge jackpot that is eventually triggered by a lucky player. Users can specifically find progressive slots with growing jackpots if they are interested in this kind of game and to try for a bigger potential prize.
Progressive slots can be regional, meaning all players in a certain region have a fraction of their stake put towards this jackpot, or they can be global. They may also be restricted to a certain slot game provider or gambling site. Many sites will provide players with details of the game and the jackpot on offer so they can evaluate each of the slot games and see which they would rather play.
In 2013, a Finnish player on Mega Fortune, a famous progressive slot played online, won over €17 million by triggering the progressive jackpot, so it is easy to see the appeal, even if these huge wins are relatively rare.
Poker
According to the World Poker Tour (WPT), there are currently over 100 million online poker players around the globe.
This popular game is played in person at some big tournaments as well as being available to play for free online via some game platforms. Of course, those who play free are just building their skills and won’t stand to win any money, but this can be a way to learn the basic poker skills needed to take on other real-life players at online casinos.
Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular variation of poker, but there are other varieties including Seven-Card Stud and Three Card Poker.
Blackjack
Another top table game is blackjack, known in the UK as Pontoon. The game has ties to some older games invented in Europe in the 17th century (or even earlier) but the game in its current format has been widely played since the 20th century and was first played in online casinos since the 1990s.
According to some studies, around 16% of gamblers at online casinos play blackjack, which is less than slot games but a higher percentage than those who play poker. Blackjack is a game that involves some level of skill, allowing players to bet based on strategy and the hand they have been dealt.
Roulette
Roulette is a game of total chance, and though it originates in casinos where a ball is physically spun on a roulette wheel, there are numerous interfaces allowing players to play online. Some are programmed interfaces that are designed to look like a roulette wheel. These also use random number generators. There are also live casino games that allow players to view a physical roulette wheel being spun via a live feed.
Conclusion
There are some other games that can be played at online casinos, and there are new varieties being added all the time. For instance, Sic bo, an ancient Chinese game that uses dice, is an option that has been added by some online casinos in recent years. There are always new innovations in this thriving industry.
Even with these new varieties, the games mentioned in this guide are four types of games that are regularly played and form a huge percentage of the online gambling industry.