The deck of cards, as we know it today, is a product of years of development and rebranding. Cards themselves originate in China, and can be traced to almost a millennium ago. Through trade routes, they eventually arrived in Italy, France, and Spain, and quickly spread throughout Europe.
Today, cards are mostly associated with gambling. And gambling is one of the biggest industries. Whether we are talking online casinos, or land-based establishments; the industry is thriving. Card games remain a staple, but what are the most popular ones?
Blackjack
The game that most would associate with gambling is poker. However, blackjack is the card game that is most popular at both online and land-based casinos. The reason for blackjack’s success rests on two pillars; simplicity and fairness.
Simplicity
At its core, blackjack is a simple game, whose rules one could easily pick up on, with a little effort. The basic goal of the game is to collect cards until you reach 21, or as close as possible to that sum, without exceeding it. Indeed, the game is so simple, that it is often recommended to newbies, who are just starting out.
Fairness
The other pillar is fairness. What do we mean by “fairness?” Well, it is simple; blackjack has the best odds that a player can ask for out of any other casino game. That is why both online blackjack, and its live counterpart have become such a staple on this website, as well as gambling establishments.
However, there are quite a few other card games that get a lot of attention. In the next section of this article, we are looking at baccarat and solitaire, to see how they compare to blackjack’s popularity.
Baccarat
In many ways, baccarat is similar to blackjack. They are both banking games, they both have a long, and murky history, and they are both a staple of both online and land-based casinos. Whereas blackjack dominates western casinos, baccarat enjoys a much bigger popularity in the East.
One thing to note regarding baccarat is that, gameplay-wise, it is much the same as blackjack. The only difference is the worth of individual cards, as well as the sum that you need to achieve. In baccarat, the sum is nine, whereas in blackjack it is 21.
Solitaire
Many people may not be aware of the fact that solitaire was once a casino game. In fact, a lot of versions of solitaire originate from casinos, such as one of the most popular options, the Klondike. But, as solitaire is a, well, solitary, game, how could one wager on it?
The basic premise is simple; you play with a dealer, who is revealing the solitaire cards. As you play, you wager on the likelihood that you are going to solve the game. On a success, the money is paid out. On a failure, you lose your wager.
Solitaire was, once upon a time, much more popular in casinos, particularly land-based ones. Today, it can still be found at some online casinos under the “specialty games” category. However, for the most part, it is a game that many people play to pass the time, for free.