Easier money

Casino card games for the gambler

Card games have a remarkably diverse reputation. From grimy pubs to swanky casinos, and from Kenny Rogers to James Bond, games involving a deck of 52 cards can be as enticing as they are intimidating, especially for the budding gambler. Instead of sitting down to what seems like an exceptionally complicated way to lose money, many of us stick to the slot machines. But no longer.

If you fall into the above category, rest assured. New and popular table games provide an easier and less threatening entry into the world of cards. It has never been easier to “play your cards right”.

Caribbean Stud

Although more seasoned poker players may laugh at it, Caribbean Stud is a faster, less complex version of traditional stud poker, and should be easier for inexperienced – or just impatient – players to pick up. Caribbean Stud players only have to worry about the “house,” or the dealer, and only for a single hand. That means no deciding which cards to keep or discard, no “bluffing” or multiple decisions about how much to bet. Nope. In this game, you play the hand you’re dealt.

When you sit down at the table, you’re expected to pay a bet, or a minimum stake to join the game. As in traditional stud poker, the dealer will provide each player and himself with five cards, all face down, before revealing one of his own. You then look at your own cards and either try to make your best poker hand (pair, three-of-a-kind, full house, etc.) or fold, losing your bet.

If you decide to play, remember your cards well! Once you have placed them on the playing surface, you cannot touch them again. To continue playing, you must bet double your stake. Once all bets are in, the dealer reveals his cards. From right to left, the dealer compares his or her hand to each player’s, and the best hand wins. Depending on how lucky you are, beating the dealer can earn you even money or up to 100 to 1, if you happen to get a royal flush on one deal.

Does that sound easy enough? If not, Let It Ride might be more fore you, at least the beginning of your gaming career.

Let It Ride

Like Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride pits players against the house, but players are dealt three cards instead of five. From these three cards and two “common” cards, each player tries to make his best poker hand. Let It Ride uses three rounds of betting, and players’ hands are compared to a specific payoff table, rather than to the hands of other players or the dealer.

Players place three separate bets on the playing surface. After viewing their first cards, players can withdraw their first bet, or choose to “let it go” and move on. The dealer then shows the first common card, and players have the option to withdraw their second bet, after which all cards must be placed face down on the playing surface and may not be touched again. Once the dealer shows the second and final common card, it is all over, except for crying or cheering, as the case may be. The dealer collects the losing bets and pays out the winners according to the payout schedule.

The rules and individualistic nature of Let It Ride give the game a calmer, more thoughtful pace than other forms of poker, a feature that should be especially appealing to beginners.

Place those bets now!

Let’s be clear: if you have never played at the tables in a casino, you are missing out on an exciting, possibly unforgettable experience. While a lack of experience or the inability to put on a poker face may have put you off poker before, games like Caribbean Stud and Let It Ride are true games of chance. Despite the fact that these games are less complicated than other forms of poker, they still offer a more personal engagement with other players and with the atmosphere of the casino than if you stuck to the slot machines.

So, don’t resist any longer. Place your bets!