Broadening Your Casino Experience: Five Unique Games to Explore
Tired of the same old games? Sure, blackjack and roulette are fun, but there's a world of lesser-known casino games waiting for you. From ancient dice games to French classics, we've curated a list of five games to help you expand your entertainment options.
- The Joy of Exploring New Games at the Casino
- Uncovering Hidden Gems: Our Criteria for Game Selection
- Our Top 5 Lesser-Known Casino Games
- Wrapping It Up: Experiment and Find Your New Favorite Game
The Joy of Exploring New Games at the Casino
Classic games like blackjack and roulette are entertaining, but sometimes it's worth exploring the more unique casino offerings. For instance, you'll encounter fewer people at the Sic Bo table compared to the bustling craps area.
This difference can make it quicker to join the table and face less rivalry. Plus, the games below introduce distinct rules and scenarios for you to explore, potentially offering better odds and greater wins.
Venturing outside your usual game repertoire is both exciting and educational, enhancing your strategic acumen over time.
Additionally, many of these games are rich in cultural history, offering insights into global traditions along your journey.
Uncovering Hidden Gems: Our Criteria for Game Selection
We've picked five intriguing casino games to highlight, complete with three essential metrics for comparison. Here's a brief overview of the main considerations for each:
- Equipment: Tools required to play, such as dice or cards, along with table setup.
- Similar games: We draw parallels with better-known games for context.
- RTP: The Return to Player percentage indicates the average payout per unit wagered. By subtracting from 100%, you get the house edge – for example, 98.45% RTP equals a 1.55% house advantage. Keep in mind, the house edge may vary across different games. strategies to minimize the house edge in blackjack .
Our Top 5 Lesser-Known Casino Games
1. Sic Bo: An electrifying dice game rooted in history
- Equipment: Three dice, a container, and Sic Bo table
- Similar games: Craps, chuck-a-luck, Grand Hazard
- RTP: 22%
Leading our list is this simple three-dice game that traces its origins to Ancient China. It gained prominence in Macau and Hong Kong before Chinese immigrants introduced it to the US around the early 1900s.
The gameplay is straightforward and easy to grasp. You'll place bets on a table marked with all possible wagers. Big, Small, Odds and Evens are the safer bets with higher probability (1/1 odds and 48.61% probability). More adventurous punts include Specific Doubles and Three Dice Total.
After everyone’s bets are placed, the dealer shakes the dice in the container and reveals the outcome.
Even though the game appears simple, numerous Sic Bo strategies exist for those wanting to delve deeper.
2. Baccarat Chemin de Fer: Your chance to take on the banker role
- Equipment: Six decks of cards, chips, and a table
- Similar games: Baccarat
- RTP: 98%
As the name suggests, Chemin de Fer has its roots in 19th-century France and spread across Europe rapidly. While often considered a Baccarat variant, it’s actually the predecessor of the two card games.
The name translates to “railway” symbolizing the game's swift pace. Unlike baccarat, each player gets the opportunity to act as the banker, and you're prevented from betting on the banker's hand when you're a player.
Aim to get a card total near nine without busting, with players receiving two face-down cards from the banker. After that, the banker offers players the option to “Stand” or “Draw” (a third card). Victory goes to the hand with a higher value than the banker’s at round's end.
3. Fan Tan: A seemingly simple game with strategic depth
- Equipment: Beads, a table, a stick, and a metal cup
- Similar games: Sevens
- RTP: 75%
Next, we dive into Fan Tan, another intriguing game with Chinese heritage, though its emergence dates back only to around the 3rd century. The term “Fan Tan” itself came into use in the 1800s.
Here, the dealer collects a random amount of beads using a metal cup and arranges them in even lines. The leftover beads, numbering between one and four, determine the round's result.
Standard bets revolve around predicting these exact numbers (1, 2, 3, or 4), Big (1-2), Small (3-4), and Odds or Evens. More advanced tables present further betting options, inviting complex strategies.
A card version, often called “Sevens”, is the popular format in Western casinos.
4. Pai Gow Poker: A harmonious blend of Eastern and Western flavor
- Equipment: Cards (a standard 52 deck plus one Joker), chips, and a table
- Similar games: Blackjack, Poker, and Pai Gow
- RTP: 47%
Originating from the traditional Chinese domino game known as “Pai Gow,” the card version emerged in the US during the mid-80s. This game elegantly fuses Eastern and Western gaming traditions.
Players receive seven face-down cards, intending to form two poker hands – one with five cards and another with two. The Joker acts as a wild card, substituting as an ace or completing a straight or flush in the five-card hand.
Just like poker, hands are scored the same way, and you win if both your hands triumph over the dealer’s.
As you can see in our Pai Gow Poker strategy guide , adhering to the “house way” reduces the house edge to as low as 2.72%.
5. Let it Ride: Gamble with strategic flair over your stakes
- Equipment: Two or more decks of cards and a Shuffle Master
- Similar games: Poker, Caribbean Stud, and five-card stud
- RTP: 49%
Rounding off our list is Let it Ride, a game with an equally distinct origin. Developed by John Breeding in 1993 in the US as a means to showcase his Shuffle Master device, it quickly rose in popularity, becoming a casino favorite alongside the machine.
Centered around standard poker rules, your objective is to form the best five-card hand using three personal cards and two community cards. Initially, the two community cards are dealt face down, with each revealed after successive betting rounds. This provides two opportunities to fold or adjust your bet based on your hand's strength.
This game, a variant of five-card stud, also closely resembles Caribbean Stud and its offshoots.
Accordingly, many of the top common Let it Ride strategies can refine your skills in most five-card poker formats.
Wrapping It Up: Experiment and Find Your New Favorite Game
Hopefully, our journey through these unusual casino games inspires you to branch out and try something unfamiliar. Speaking of fresh experiences, there's always fascinating online casino bonuses to be found here at CasinoBonusCA.
For instance, why not explore some of these no-wagering bonuses that let you keep your winnings without wagering real cash? You could use these offers to test our recommendations of less-explored games.