Best Casino Card Games to Play Online
How many casino card games do you know?
If you play online games as much we do at PokerNews, you'll know dozens of casino card games. Some of them depend purely on luck, others leave some room for strategy and playing smarter.
Most of them are extremely fun to play.
But do you know which casino card games are the very best ones? You can be sure you'll find them in this article, along with details of where to play these games with a casino bonus.
The Most Iconic Casino Card Games
Some casino games are so iconic, it's hard to imagine a casino without them. Big hitters like Slots and Roulette always fall to this category.
When it comes to card games, Blackjack, Baccarat, and Video Poker are some of the most iconic games at a casino. There are also plenty of types of poker games, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha Poker.
Let's dig into more of these iconic card games and what makes them so popular...
Online Blackjack
Blackjack is the ultimate card game you can play at a casino.
Not only it's the most popular casino table game, but it also has the best Return to Player (RTP) percentage of the games you'll find here.
| Editor's rating | 10/10 |
| Best for | Players who like to think |
| Basic rules | Get a hand that's higher in points than the dealer's hand without exceeding 21 points. To do so, you can hit (ask for more cards) or stand (play with the current hand till the end). |
| Min/max bet | 0.50/500 |
| Difficulty level | Simple rules but a difficult strategy |
| Games online | Classic Blackjack, European Blackjack, Double Xposure Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, Vegas Strip Blackjack Gold Series |
Many different variants of blackjack games will keep you entertained while it's easy to learn the rules of this game even for the beginners.
If you want to get the highest chances to win at blackjack, the basic strategy is the way to go. You can find a blackjack strategy table right here.
Online Baccarat
If you found your way to casino card games from the roulette wheel or slot machine, Baccarat (a.k.a. Punto Banco) should be the first card game you play.
Why? Read on to find out.
| Editor's rating | 8/10 |
| Best for | Players who like games of chance |
| Basic rules | Predict the hand that will be closer to 9 or that there's going to be a tie. To do so, you can bet on Punto (the player), Banco (the banker), or the Tie. |
| Min/max bet | 1/100 |
| Difficulty level | Simple rules and no strategy needed |
| Games online | Baccarat Pro, Punto Banco Pro, Punto Banco Pro Low Limit |
Baccarat is a game of chance, so whether you win or lose depends on luck, and there is less of a role for strategies.
Unless you're talented in edge-sorting, but we all know what happened to Phil Ivey when he tried that, right?
The only strategy tip you need when playing Baccarat or Punto Banco is this: never bet on the Tie.
The Punto (Player) bet has a house edge of 1.24 percent, and the Banco (Banker) has an edge of 1.06 percent. Meanwhile, you'd lose $14.44 of every $100 you bet on the Tie.
New to Baccarat? Find all the rules explained here.
Online Video Poker
Video Poker is the only casino card game that's not a table game. Instead, it's played on a machine just like slots.
It may seem like a lonely or boring game at first sight but it's anything but. If you choose the right video poker games, these machines have a payout that is better than blackjack or poker.
| Editor's rating | 10/10 |
| Best for | Slot fans and newbie Poker players |
| Basic rules | Make the best Poker hand by keeping and discarding particular cards in your 5-card hand. |
| Min/max bet | 0.25/25 |
| Difficulty level | Simple rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
| Games online | Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus Poker, Jacks or Better, Joker Wild, Bonus Deuces Wild Poker |
To play a game, set the coin value, draw cards to make a qualifying hand, and pick the right games to reach a 99.5 percent and higher RTP.
Best Casino Card Games for Poker Players
Let's be honest: some players swear by Poker games. So, naturally, at a casino they play card games that resemble the card Poker.
It makes Oasis Poker, TXS Hold'em, and Casino Hold'em the best choice for poker players.
Oasis Poker
Many casino video poker games are pretty straightforward and Oasis Poker is no exception.
Both you and the dealer get five cards each. So, from the get-go, you know what hand you have. Until the showdown, you only know one card of the dealer's hand.
| Editor's rating | 8.5/10 |
| Best for | Poker players |
| Basic rules | Beat the dealer's hand with a better ranking hand. You get to see one card of the dealer's hand. Depending on your hand, you can switch some of your cards with new cards from the deck (it's paid). Then you raise (bet more and see the showdown) or fold (quit your hand). |
| Min/max bet | 1/40 |
| Difficulty level | Simple rules but a semi-difficult strategy |
| Games online | Oasis Poker Pro, Oasis Poker Pro Low Limit |
You can improve your hand by switching one or more of the cards with new cards from the deck. But it's paid and rarely advised.
Then, depending on your hand strength, you raise or fold.
Want a tip? Switch cards only if you're one card short to Flush, Straight, Straight Flush or Royal Flush. Fold when you have less than an Ace-King high.
TXS Hold'em
If you ever played Texas Hold'em Poker with your friends, TXS Hold'em casino card game will be easy to grasp.
The only differences from the classic Texas Hold'em game are these:
- You play only against the dealer (not the other players).
- There's no point in bluffing - the dealer plays until the end.
- Your call (to see Flop) bet is always double your ante, while the Turn and River bets are always equal to your ante.
| Editor's rating | 9.5/10 |
| Best for | Fans of (Texas Hold'em) Poker |
| Basic rules | Beat the dealer by having a better ranking card. Your hand combines two of your initial cards and three of the community cards. |
| Min/max bet | 1/40 |
| Difficulty level | Semi-difficult rules, a difficult strategy |
| Games online | TXS Hold'em, TXS Hold'em Low Limit |
It's important to keep in mind that you'll need to make an ante bet and call bet if you want to play. That's at least $3 per hand.
After seeing the Flop, you can either bet more before seeing the Turn and River or check without making additional wagers.
Casino Hold'em
Casino Hold'em is the easier version of the TXS Hold'em game. Mostly because there are fewer bets involved - only ante and call bets.
| Editor's rating | 9/10 |
| Best for | Newbie Poker players |
| Basic rules | Similar to TXS Hold'em Poker. You need to beat the dealer's hand. There's also a side bet available and the dealer needs to qualify for you to get better payouts. |
| Min/max bet | 1/100 |
| Difficulty level | Semi-difficult rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
| Games online | Casino Hold'em |
The game is also faster - after you decide whether to call or not, you won't see the Turn and River cards one by one. You'll see them together right away.
But you can win both of your bets only after the dealer qualifies - has a Pair of 4s or better. If the dealer doesn't, the call bet is a push and only ante payout counts for the winnings.
AA Bonus is an extra side bet you can make. You'll win the bet every time your hand with the Flop (and only the Flop) shows a Pair of Aces or better.
Interested in Casino Hold'em? Read more about the game here.
Other Casino Card Games Worth Your Time
There are plenty of other Casino card games that every player should try. But today I'd like to share only two more games with you - Pontoon and Red Dog.
These games guarantee an exciting and different gambling session. You'll see.
Pontoon
Pontoon is one of the most fascinating casino card games you can play online.
Essentially, it's a variant of blackjack. But it features different terms and some slight modifications in the rules.
| Editor's rating | 9/10 |
| Best for | Blackjack players |
| Basic rules | Similar to Blackjack. You also win by making a 5-card hand without busting. The dealer wins on all ties. |
| Min/max bet | 1/40 |
| Difficulty level | Semi-difficult rules and a semi-difficult strategy |
| Games online | Pontoon Pro, Pontoon Pro Low Limit |
For example, you get the best payout not only when you have a pontoon (a natural 21-point hand) but also when you have a 5-card hand.
After all, it's not that easy to draw until you have five cards without going bust.
Red Dog
Red Dog is the perfect game for casino newbies. Both the rules and the strategy of the game are as easy as it gets.
| Editor's rating | 8.5/10 |
| Best for | Fans of simple Casino card games |
| Basic rules | The dealer deals three cards: first and third face-up, the middle one face-down. You win if the middle card has a higher value than the first card but a lower than the third one. |
| Min/max bet | 1/100 |
| Difficulty level | Simple rules and a very simple strategy |
| Games online | Red Dog Progressive |
You make your ante bet if you want to play, and you get three cards. The middle one is facing down.
If you believe the middle card will have a value that's in between the first and third cards - you make a raise bet. If you're doubting it, simply call and play with your current wager.
The payouts depend on the spread - the number of possible cards that would make you win by ending up in the middle.
It's important to understand the spread because you should always take it into consideration before you raise.
As far as the Red Dog strategy goes, raise only if your spread is seven cards or more. Pretty easy to remember, isn't it?
Best Sites to Play Online Casino Card Games
If you want to start playing casino card games online immediately, you could do much worse than choosing one of the standout online casinos from our casino top list. When you select a casino from the list below, you'll be able to read our comprehensive casino review and play with a casino bonus.
Note, that the casinos you'll have access to will depend on whether real money online gambling is legal in your location. Your best option may be playing casino games at a social casino.
This article was originally published in September 2019, it was last updated in November 2023.