What you will find here is nothing short of knowledge-gold. A lot of people are interested in trying out their luck at an online casino and if you are among them, you will need to know a few of the things discussed here. Those facts will not only benefit your game, but will also help you understand how to protect yourself against making a wrong decision. Today we will discuss what you will find in the games section of every online casino, and how they are affected by different bonuses, rules, terminology, and other elements. We hope you’ve put your reading cap on, because here we go!
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The Types of Games You Can Expect in Most Casinos
Going straight away to the matter at hand – slots are the most played types of games in any land-based and online casino, period! Other games compete for the second place, however, they don’t come close. There is a correlation between the difficulty of a specific game-type and the percentage of people playing it – the less skill it requires, the more players will try their luck. If you’re having hard time deciding what you should start with, have no fear! Below, we have presented a few extensive sections on the 411 of the best casino games online.
Slots – the Easiest Games to Play
Currently there are thousands of slot titles offered on the online casino market. They differ not only in their visual appearances, but also in gameplay. The two main types of slots are the ones with fixed payouts and the progressive jackpot slots. Both versions can feature from 3 to 6 reels (in some rare cases even more), but are unique in their payout mechanics. While non-progressive slots have fixed payouts for each symbol and a highest win for a particular symbol that can’t be exceeded, progressive slots accumulate a small percentage from the wagers made by every player, in order to provide a huge “Jackpot” payout in the end. By huge, we mean seven-figure huge.
Those progressive game titles could be linked to the network of the software developer that created them, which allows the jackpot to grow from all online casinos offering the game simultaneously. While you’ve seen the most classic representations of slots as featuring reels with fruit or other graphics painted onto them, there are slots that feature licensed visual and audio themes to a particular movie, brand, or musicians for example, Jurassic Park, Terminator, DC superheroes, rock legends like Guns N’ Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe and more.
Table and Card Games Require Some Knowledge
While not mandatory, if you wish to try out some table games, you should inform yourself about the basic rules of the game in question, as this will give you the opportunity to develop your own betting strategy and exercise greater control over your style of play. Many betting systems are available for those kinds of games, but we advise everyone to learn the games first prior to implementing any strategies that are constantly marketed as something that will give you immediate success. Under any “table and/or card games” sections in every online casino, you will find titles and variants such as:
- Roulette – European, American, French, Multi-ball, etc.
- Blackjack – Pontoon, Face up 21, Multihand, Spanish Blackjack, Progressive, Switch, etc.
- Poker – Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Draw, Multi-card Stud, etc.
- Baccarat – Punto Banco, Chemin de Fer, Three Card, Bank Baccarat, etc.
- Craps – Crapless, Die Rich, Simplified, High-Point, etc.
- Specialty Games – Keno, Bingo, Scratch Cards, Video Poker, etc.
Live Dealer Casino Games Can Provide You with a Completely Different Experience
We cannot discuss the best casino games online, without mentioning the live dealer experience. For those not yet familiar with this, when a casino has a “live games” section, it means that they offer an interactive gaming service, which features a physical casino studio with real staff. Whether it is Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, or any other game, a player will be able to interact with the dealer through a streaming service online via a specially designed interface. Just like in a real gambling venue, live casino studios have a full staff that manages every game at all times – dealers, pit bosses, technology managers, and in most cases a full-sized camera crew that makes sure that the angles and quality of the broadcast are impeccable.
Determining which live casino games are the best comes down to a few crucial details, but perhaps the most important is the quality of the video and the sound. In games such as Roulette, a player will clearly need to see the number of the basket where the ball lands; in Blackjack the card symbols need to be visually crisp as well, and the announcements of the dealers themselves need to be properly audible without any static or interference. If you’ve set your sights on trying a few live dealer games, you always need to remember that:
- The minimum bets for any game will be higher than usual – due to the cost of hosting a live game studio.
- Every game round will be significantly slower – some tables require several players to join prior to the start of any game.
- You need to have a stable Internet connection – the disconnection policies of all casinos state that in case of a cut-off, your last hand will be played regardless whether a player is present or not.
The Gaming Platforms and Their Significance
When online casinos were first introduced, the only way to play them was through a computer. A few decades later, with the creation of new technology casino brands online have started expanding their horizons to other to satisfy the preferences of new potential players. These days, players can experience the games of their favorite casino brands via a variety of computer and mobile devices. Below, we have taken an in-depth look at different gaming platforms, and how they differ from one another.
The Mobile Way to Play
There are two ways to play any casino game on your mobile device. The first one is directly through the browser of your tablet or smartphone – usually casino brands optimize their websites in mobile format to make them more user-friendly, but even if the site in question does not have such a version, a user would still be able to log in. The second way to experience your favorite online casino, is through a native app that is available on either the Playstore or iTunes. Most casino brands do not have a released application, as there are many challenges in incorporating a full gaming roster to particular devices. Whatever the case might be, some experts prophesize that mobile online casino games are the way of the future; whether this is true or not, we will wait and see.
The Installer Version
Some players like to keep their online gaming sessions strictly to the hard drive of their computer, and this is why they choose to download and install a standalone version of a casino. In some cases, however, this is done not only for convenience – while some installers are a carbon copy of the browser version of the casino, others have different visual features, and could offer a larger number of games, promotions or other extras. What can be considered a minor drawback, is the fact that installers do take up space on your computer, which might not be what some people are looking for. However, in most cases this is a small price to pay for a platform that delivers outstanding audio and video effects.
Play through Your Favorite Browser
Also known as “instant play” this is the most popular way to play at any online casino. Although there are some websites that are exclusively marketed as “mobile only”, you can still create an account, deposit and withdraw funds, and use pretty much all other options as you would in any other online gambling website. It is notable to mention, that most games are developed through what is called a “flash software”, and any browser you would use to play, needs to support this technology – luckily for all, the most popular browsers used today worldwide support it.
Online Gambling Games Terminology and Standard Rules
Every casino online has a number of standards that are upheld up to this day. Those can be connected to the way a specific game title is played, the way wagers are made, and what a player needs to do first before withdrawing any winnings. Many players who have disregarded the need to find out what those phrases mean, regret it to this day. If you’re here reading this, we hope that you will take the provided information to heart and plan every move you make carefully.
Wagering Requirements
Usually, when you see a promotional banner in every casino promising you a certain bonus, the fine print below will say “wagering requirements” and will be followed by a number that can look like this – x35, x40, x50. Also known as a turn over rate, wagering requirements signify the number of times a player has to wager a specific amount of money before the casino makes an account eligible for the withdrawal of any funds. While wagering requirements are usually tied to the acceptance of a specific bonus, there are casinos that have small requirements even when you make a deposit.
Contribution Weight
If you’ve decided to benefit from a casino bonus, the contribution rate is going to represent the value of each bet you make, towards the completion of the wagering requirements. While it does sound all good, the specific factor here is that not all games contribute 100%. While every casino should have the specific percentage for every game depicted in their terms and conditions section, sometimes it is a hassle to find them; this is why, we will provide you with a general “rule of thumb” which will help you get an approximate idea. Online casino games that have less control over a wager’s outcome, will have a larger contribution rate of nearly a 100% for each bet – such games are Slots, Keno, Scratch Cards, Video Poker, and others determined by the gambling establishment. Most card and table games such as Roulette, Blackjack, and Poker may contribute anywhere between 5% and 25%, but even this is not for certain, as some casinos don’t make them count at all. Don’t find yourself falling into a bonus trap!
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Return to Player (RTP)
The most reputable online casinos pride themselves on providing transparent rules and conditions, and such is the case with the RTP. The “return to player” percentage is a value that describes the rate at which a particular virtual lottery machine or a slot, would return winnings. For example, most VLT and slot machines have a RTP rate of 90% – what that means is that f you decide to wager a single dollar 100 times, you can expect to win back $90. So how would someone expect to make a profit? Simple – once they hit a winning spin, they either switch to a different slot title or continue to rely on their luck.
The Gaming Software and Its Developers
At first glance, beginner players would be left with the impression that the games they find in their favorite casino site are developed by the brand itself. In general, this is not true; there are a number of companies that have been creating gambling software for the last two decades, and continue to be on the forefront of the industry. It is those companies, that create and lease their games to big and small online casino brands all over the world. Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, and many others have become award-winning household names when it comes to the creation of online games. Almost all of them also provide live dealer services for those casinos that require them.
An online gambling establishment can choose to populate its gaming roster with titles produced by one or several companies; this all depends on how many games a casino brand wishes to deliver to its players. In some rare cases, there are those casinos that have created their own software developing studios, and this is why you won’t see their game titles anywhere else, but on one particular website. While both leased and in-house created games have their own spectacular qualities, it is the players that determine their value in the end.
The Heart and Soul of Every Online Casino Game Is the RNG Algorithm
All gambling games are based on the occurrence of a random event. While in land-based casinos those events were basically determined by the physical elements of every game, at the dawn of online gambling the RNG was created as an integral part of every single game (without live games that feature physical factors). The “random number generator” is a special algorithm that runs a multitude of possibilities when a game sequence begins, and chooses one completely on a random basis. Due to its massive importance, every online casino undergoes regular testing by independent government-selected companies, that ensure that this piece of software is not tampered with, and provides a fair game to all players, at all time. In fact, this is one of the reasons why many prefer gambling online, as the RNG makes it impossible for both the players and the casino to cheat.
You Can Experience Most Games for Free
That’s right – no hassle, no risk, you don’t need to worry about any terminology or requirements. With the exception of live dealer games, most casinos give a chance to curious players to experience their games without having to deposit a dime. While in some cases you will be required to make a free account at a particular casino, most titles offered online have a “play for fun” button, that gives you a thousand of units of demo credit in order to experience the game fully without having to worry about your real money.
This is an outstanding feature, as it gives people the ability to not only learn how to play a specific game, but also try out different strategies. If you suddenly find yourself lucky in free play mode, you don’t need to worry about the game acting favorably towards you. The RNG algorithm there is the same one that works in real money mode. If you are planning on trying to win some real cash, it is always best if you visit such “sandbox” environment, and see which moves work for you, and which don’t.
An Interesting Future for Online Casino Games Everywhere
Although by now it is considered to be old news, wearables also made a huge impact on the online casino gaming community. While smartwatches aren’t exactly a comfortable platform to play on, this doesn’t stop popular software developers to try and come up with more simplified versions of their games. In recent news it has been shown that the biggest expectations are placed in virtual reality. Several companies have introduced their VR casinos that provide a truly unique experience. The only downside to this is that the hardware you would need to purchase, would send you back a couple of thousands of dollars (as you will need a new computer that can support the virtual reality headset).
Enclosing – Patience Is the Key to the Perfect Online Casino Gaming Session
As experts who spend every day in analyzing different online casinos, the most valuable advice we can give to you, the players, is to take it slow. The most common stories of fast losses come from people who find themselves in a winning streak at one moment, and putting everything they have once they experience a loss, in hopes of winning everything back. Losing money is faster than earning them, and if you abide by that principle you will be much better prepared for your next gaming session!
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