Online Blackjack is one of many casino games avaialble online.
Lucky for me there are plenty of places online that I can go to get away from poker for awhile, but still get in a little fun. Remember when you used to go to the casino, whether it is online or in the real world, and you played those other table games besides poker?
Blackjack
When I want to take a vacation from Texas Hold’em, but still want the fun of starting a game with only two cards, I give blackjack a try. I remember back before the poker boom when almost everyone’s favorite casino game was blackjack.
Who could blame them? Blackjack is so simple that they play a form of it on The Price is Right. Come to think of it, they shoot dice and have a poker game on that show too. What’s next, a Price is Right slot machine?
Wait, they have that too, as soon as you step off the airplane in Vegas!
Anyway, back to blackjack. Can you count to 21? Can you add single-digit numbers? If you answered ‘Yes,’ you make the grade for playing blackjack. And, if you’re playing online, you don’t even need to be able to do that.
Craps
My favorite casino game lately has been craps, which is a surprise to many of my pals.
“I don’t understand how to play craps,” they whine. “It looks too complicated.”
That used to be me too, until I checked out an online tutorial and sat down at a virtual table with some play money.
Listen, if you want to give craps a try, your best bet is online. Trying to figure out the game in a casino could end up costing you a few bucks. Take it from me. Check out an online tutorial (VIPCasino.com has a good one) and then hit the play money tables.
It’s the easiest way to figure out how the numerous betting options work. The game isn’t all about winning with the number seven like it is whenever you see it on a movie or a stupid sitcom. Most of the time, seven is the last thing you want to see rolled.
Roulette
Roulette can be one of the most enjoyable casino games out there. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most expensive if the wheel doesn’t spin your way.
Most people I know who play roulette stick to red or black, odd or even, and throw a couple cheap chips in the middle hoping lady luck will land on their number. That sheer luck of roulette makes it a game that just bleeds stories.
If that small wheel could talk, eh? One Vegas wheel would probably love telling the story of Londoner Ashley Revell who sold everything he owned except for the clothes on his back and took all the money – $135,300 – to the Plaza Hotel in Vegas.
Revell took it all and put it on red, while a British film crew caught every minute leading up to the double-or-nothing stunt. I can only imagine what was going through his mind as that wheel spun and the little ball was bouncing around the numbers.
Luck was with him that day as the ball landed on Red 7, doubling up his cash. He took his $270,600 and left Vegas, probably waiting for his heart to return to its normal pace. You don’t have to go nuts like Revell – in fact, it’s not at all advisable with a large sum of cash – but give roulette and try and see how fast you can get your heart racing.
Baccarat
For the longest time, baccarat made absolutely no sense to me. You’ve probably seen baccarat being played, although you may not have known it. If you have seen one of the older James Bond movies, then you’ve seen baccarat.
It’s the card game he always plays where the dealer has that stupid-looking paddle. And of course Mr. Bond always wins. It was a key part of the latest Bond film Casino Royale when Ian Fleming wrote the book, but from what I’ve heard and read through the movie wire, they’ve replaced baccarat with poker.
What a shock that was. Baccarat reminds me of craps because it’s a game that seemingly nobody likes because nobody understands it. That’s the case in America anyway. Head over to Europe and you’ll see plenty of baccarat players who aren’t ready to give up their game for poker. Too bad James Bond wasn’t the same way.
If you want to learn baccarat, take an online tutorial and hit the play-money tables in an online casino. Then when you’re ready, you can step up to real cash games and play like Mr. Bond instead of Le Chiffre.
Hopefully now you’re a little better versed in casino culture beyond the poker room. Once again, I’ve got nothing against poker, but I think tossing the craps dice or spinning the roulette wheel can be just as fun and deserves its own time.
So, the next time you’re finishing up a long online poker session, take some of your winnings next door to the online casino and put a bet on the pass line or on black or red.
Good luck.
