What To Look For When Selecting Table Games
Online and bricks and mortar casinos offer tables games in addition to pokies. Not everyone likes to gamble on poker machines, or pokies players like to try something different. Table games come in many varieties, but blackjack, roulette, and craps are the most popular.
Check Our The Table Games Rules
Every game has rules attached to them. Most rules remain the same regardless of where you play them, but some casinos have their own rules regarding tables games. For example, some outlets pay 3/2 on blackjack but others 6/5. Furthermore, some casinos permit doubling down after splitting, others do not.
It goes without saying to check the rules to any new tables games you play. The house edge on these games tend to be high enough without you blundering your way through not having a clue what is going on!
Be Aware of the Table Games Betting Limits
Playing for too high stakes is more common in live casinos than online. Casinos know patrons will play for higher stakes if no other table games are available. This writer is a testament to that. A recent trip to a casino I was not familiar with saw him playing $25 a roulette spin instead of his usual $5. Needless to say, the high costs decimated his bankroll and he was out of the game far earlier than expected.
Roulette is a game where different bets come with different minimums. Outside bets, such as Red/Black, usually come with a much larger minimum bet size than inside bets. This tends to be five times the inside bet amount but does vary between venues.
Only ever play table games for stakes you are comfortable with, and always play within your bankroll.
Know The House Edge Of The Game and Its Side Bets
Not knowing the house edge of table games is a cardinal sin. It is the downfall of many gamblers, too. Blackjack and baccarat are two games with a tiny house edge. The casino counters this small edge by making games progress faster and putting the minimum bet size up.
Creating side bets is another way the casino tips the odds in its favour. Blackjack tables have side bets such as 21+3 or Perfect Pairs. These blackjack side bets can boost your winnings, but it is the casino that they favour. A typical 21+3 side bet on an 8-deck game of blackjack increases the house edge by more than 2.7%. Perfect Pairs comes with an 8% house edge. That is huge compared to the 0.5% edge for adopting a basic blackjack strategy.
Check Your Bonus Small Print
Online casino players like playing table games to help release their welcome bonuses. Bets tend to be larger in these games so you can wager more in short space of time. Always check the small print of your bonuses because the rules differ greatly.
Many bonuses allow only play on pokies to count towards your wagering requirements. Others allow table games but assign a weighting to them, reducing their effectiveness. For example, Casino A may have a 10% weighting on roulette inside bets. This means for every $1 you wager, only $0.10 is used to release your bonus. It is rare for blackjack to be allowed.
In addition, most online casino bonuses have a maximum permitted bet. Table games have larger min-bets which violate the terms and conditions. Most online casinos allow you to play table games while you have an active bonus. But some remove the bonus immediately after you play something else other than pokies.
You should always familiarise yourself with any terms and conditions, especially when money is involved. This is 100% the case when it comes to casino bonuses and table games. You do not want to fall foul of any rules and lose any bonus or loyalty points accrued.
