There’s nothing like a thrilling round of Poker or Blackjack to get your adrenaline going. While games like Andar Bahar and Teen Patti are favourites of the Indian subcontinent and across Asia in general, Western card games are just as fun. While they are fairly popular across the globe, there are still some players who are hesitant to give these games a try. Whether it’s because they aren’t familiar with the rules or another reason, everyone should play a few hands of these Western card games before throwing in the towel. Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular Western card games, along with a brief look at how to play.
Blackjack
Perhaps the most famous Western card game is Blackjack. This game is so popular in the West that entire movies are based around it and a skill known as card counting. While counting cards can get you kicked out of a casino, employing basic strategy and understanding the rules won’t. The object of the game is to not go over 21. Cards are valued at their given number, while face cards are worth 10 points. Aces can either be worth 1 or 11 points, depending on what is better for your hand. The best online casinos for players in Asia tend to have practice modes that allow you to hone your skills and understand the rules before wagering money, but here’s a quick breakdown of how each round is played.
The dealer will give everyone two cards face up while only one of their cards will be visible. Players will take their turn in order from right to left of the dealer with three options—hit, stand, or split. Hitting simply means to take another card. Remember, the idea is to get as close to 21 without going over or for the dealer to “bust” and go over 21 themselves. This means that if you already have 19 points, you probably should “stand.” Standing means you would like no more cards and pass the turn to the next person.
When it becomes the dealer’s turn, they must hit until they reach 17. This means that if they have a 10 and a 6, they must take another card, making it very likely that they will “bust” and you will win the hand. If you’re wondering about what it means to “split,” splitting is an advanced strategy that allows you to split your hand into two separate hands if you have two of the same cards. For that, we suggest reading up on basic Blackjack strategy since it’s much too difficult to cover every scenario in a simple explanation like this.
Poker
Poker is another one of the most popular games in the West. Instead of playing against the dealer, everyone plays against each other and hopes that they have the best hand possible. Like Blackjack, players are dealt two cards, but they are facedown so that only you may see your own cards. Players then place bets on how strong their hand is—or how strong they want their opponents to think it is. Remember, no one knows for sure what you have, so lying is the name of the game. If you’d rather not “call” your opponent’s bet, you can fold your hand and sit out that round. Players often think that playing every round is a winning strategy, but often, it’s better to fold and not waste your money on a losing hand.
After an initial round of bets, the dealer reveals three cards from the deck. These are known as community cards and are used to strengthen your own hand. Players are trying to make pairs, triples, straights, flushes, and other combinations of cards using their own two cards and the five community cards that will be dealt. For a full list of possible hands and what beats what, check this cheat sheet.
After another round of bets, another card is revealed. Finally, the fifth community card is revealed, and players bet one final time before revealing their hands and determining who has won. The name of the game in poker is knowing what cards there are in the deck, considering what your opponent may have, and betting based on what they might think you have. It’s a tough game of strategy, skill and a cold gaze with no tells.
Casino War
A rare card game to find at casinos, this one is based on the children’s card game of the same name and follows a similar ruleset. Both the dealer and player are dealt a card. If the player’s card is higher than the dealer’s, they win the hand. If it’s lower, they lose their wager. If it’s a tie, they can either surrender and lose half their wager or double their wager and attempt to break it. The dealer then burns three cards and deals one more card to each of them. If the player’s card is higher, they win their original wager. If the dealer’s card is higher, they lose their double wager. If it’s a tie again, the player wins the total amount wagered. It’s a relatively simplistic game, but it can be very entertaining due to the randomness involved.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, after this quick rundown of three popular Western card games, you’re more likely to try them the next time you go to a casino, be it online or on land. If you can, try a demo of these three games beforehand to get a better feeling of each game before wagering your hard-earned cash. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
