Card Games

Ready to deal the cards? Learn everything you need to know about Live Casino's most popular card games

Did you know that blackjack was already popular at the time of Don Quixote, and that Andar Bahar is one of the oldest card games, originating more than a thousand years ago in India? Or that baccarat is James Bond's favorite game? Here you can learn everything you need to know about the most popular card games that you can find in the online casino. Get to know all the curiosities, rules and tips you need to become a master of cards and make the most of your bets.

How to play Blackjack

Also known as twenty-one, in blackjack the objective of the game is to get as close as possible to 21 in order to win. Its first reference appears in Cervantes' work "Rinconete y Cortadillo", where two characters are described playing "blackjack", so it is known that it was already popular in the seventeenth century. But its maximum popularity came in the 19th century when it became famous in American casinos, where it acquired the name by which we know it today thanks to a new type of special bet: "blackjack", which consisted of winning ten times the bet with only two cards, a J (Jack) and a black clover or spades (black).

Today it continues to be one of the most famous card games worldwide, probably because of its simplicity, but it is still necessary to develop game strategies to win and not leave everything to chance. For this reason, it is important to know very well its rules and strategies to improve the chances of winning.

Blackjack rules step by step

The objective of blackjack, or twenty-one, is to achieve the sum of 21 or at least get as close as possible, but without going over. At the casino tables, one or more players will compete against the dealer, who represents the bank, and the winner will be the one who manages to reach the best score. It can be played at a table with a capacity of up to 4 or 7 players, although it is important to know that each player plays only against the dealer, and must achieve a better score than the dealer.

At the beginning of the game, each player will have a box to place his initial bet before receiving the cards. Please note that most tables have a minimum and a maximum bet to be able to play. At the end of the game, the bets will be paid according to the value of the wager:If you beat the banker, the bet pays 1 to 1, so you will receive double your stake; if there is a tie, you get your stake back; but if the bank wins, you will lose your bet. Only when you get a blackjack the bet pays 3 to 2. You will have a blackjack in your hand when you total 21 with only two cards: an Ace and another card with a value of 10.

After placing the bets, the dealer will deal 2 cards to each player. Depending on the version of the game, the dealer will also receive 1 or 2 cards, but will always leave one of them visible to all players. There is a possibility that the dealer will have a blackjack at the beginning of the game. Therefore, if the card shown is an Ace (whose value can be equal to 11), the dealer will exceptionally reveal his second card and, if it has a value equal to 10, he will automatically win the game. The only possibility for the player in this case is to have received another blackjack in his hand, which would result in a tie.

If the card revealed by the dealer is not an Ace or does not add up to blackjack in the first hand, the players' turn really begins, in the same order in which the cards were dealt. Depending on the value of his hand, each player has two options: to ask for a new card or to stand. You can draw as many times as you want until you reach the maximum possible value, but you must keep in mind that you cannot exceed 21: if you do, you will automatically lose the game.

After the players' turn is over, if there are still active players, the dealer's turn begins. Depending on the version of the game, the dealer will reveal his second hidden card or ask for a new card. Contrary to the player, the dealer is always obliged to make the same moves: if the dealer's hand is 16 points or less, he is obliged to keep drawing cards; if his hand is between 17 and 21 points, he is obliged to stand. On the other hand, if he goes over 21, he will automatically lose. After the dealer's turn, the game ends. According to the results of each player (if they have won, tied, or lost against the dealer) their bets will be paid.

Values of the cards

In general, blackjack is played with one or two 52-card low cards without the jokers. It is very important to take into account the value of each card to calculate the value of your hand:

• The Ace can be worth 1 point or 11 points, depending on the player's convenience (for example, if the player has another card with a value of 10, the Ace will be worth 11 points in order to add up to 21. If the player has a hand of 11 or more, the Ace will be worth 1 point, to prevent the total sum from exceeding 21).
• The figure cards, that is, the Jack, the Queen and the King, will always have a value of 10 points.
• The rest of the cards from 2 to 10 will have the same numerical value.

The only way to achieve a blackjack, which is the highest paying bet, is to add 21 with only 2 cards: an Ace and any other 10-value card.

Advanced betting options

During the game, there are certain situations that will allow you to place some special bets:

• Double bet: This option allows to double the bet after receiving the initial hand, with the agreement that only one more card can be drawn per turn. Therefore, once the player draws his card, his turn is considered over. He can double his bet as many times as he wants, but only once per turn. It should be noted that some casino games require a minimum score to double the bet, and that it can never be doubled when you get blackjack or make an insurance bet.
• Split or Split: In the case of getting two cards of equal value, it is possible to split the hand into two separate hands, on which you can receive only one new card for each, allowing you to get an additional chance to beat the dealer. Note that a blackjack obtained in a split hand is paid as a normal win.
• Insurance: Depending on the rules of each casino, when the card shown by the dealer is an Ace, some games allow an insurance bet, which consists of betting that the dealer will get a blackjack. If it does, the player will be paid twice the insurance bet.
• Surrender: Some casinos allow you to surrender blackjack, which consists of surrendering if, after receiving your first two cards, you consider that you cannot beat the dealer. In this case you will get back half of your bet.

Best plays according to your hand value

In blackjack, some situations are more obvious than others. For example, if your first two cards total 11 or less, it is obvious that you should hit a new card, since it will be impossible for you to exceed 21. Similarly, if your first two cards total 17 or more but no aces, the most logical thing to do would be to stand, since it is very likely that you have the highest score and, in addition, if you hit a new card there is at least a 70% chance that you will total more than 21.

However, there are several in-between situations where it is not so obvious what the next move should be. Two factors come into play here: knowing whether you have a "hard hand" (when you have no aces in your hand) or a "soft hand" (when you do have aces), and comparing your chances against those of the dealer based on his visible card.

With a soft hand, it is always advisable to ask for a new card, since any combination with an Ace can add up to 11 or less. For example, a combination of an Ace and an 8, can add up to 19 (11+8) or 9 (1+8).

However, if you have a strong hand, you must take into account that by adding at least 12 points you already have a 31% chance of going over 21 when asking for a new card. Therefore, you must analyze very well your chances with respect to those of the dealer. For example, if your hand totals 16 and the dealer has a low card of between 2 and 6, as he is obliged to keep asking for cards until he reaches 17, it is very likely that he will have to ask for at least 2 times more cards, which increases the probability that he will end up adding more than 21 and lose. Therefore, if you stand with 16 points you could still beat the dealer. However, if you draw a new card, there is more than a 50% chance that you will be the one to go over 21. On the contrary, if your hand is 16 and the dealer discovers a high card (such as a 9), there is a good chance that with his next card he will reach at least 17 points and stand, so it is more convenient to draw a new card and try to get a better score to beat the dealer.

Tips and strategies for winning at blackjack

Take note of these basic tips and improve your chances of winning at blackjack:

• Never stand with a soft 17 (add 17 with an Ace). Although it is always advisable to stand with a hard 17 (add 17 without aces, for example with an 8 and a 9), if you stand with a soft 17 you may be losing the opportunity to reach a score closer to 21, since the Ace can make you add 17 or 7, according to your convenience when asking for a new card.
• Always assume that the dealer has a 10 on his face-down card, since 10 is the number most likely to be in the deck (there are a total of 4 types of cards with this value, jacks, queens, kings and 10s themselves).
• Never split two figures, as you will be losing the opportunity to stand with 20 in one hand.
• Always split Aces and Eights. A pair of eights adds up to the dreaded 16, while splitting them allows you to ask for new cards knowing that you will not exceed 21. Similarly, a pair of aces adds up to 2 or 12, being inconvenient numbers on their own, while splitting them gives you the opportunity to add up to 21 or a fairly close number by asking for just one more card.

Learn to play Baccarat

Baccarat or baccarat is a card game of French origin, which gained special popularity thanks to the novels of Ian Fleming's Agent 007, being described as James Bond's favorite game. Its popularity is due to its resemblance to blackjack, but being even simpler to play.

Rules to play baccarat

Similar to blackjack, the objective of baccarat is to reach the number 9 or at least get as close as possible. However, the fundamental difference is that it is never possible to go over 9: in the event that a hand adds up to a higher value (for example a 6 and a 7, which add up to 14), the final value of the hand will become the last digit of the sum of the two cards (in the case of the example, the value of the hand will be 4).

Up to 14 players can participate in a casino table, depending on the game, although each player plays only against the dealer, whom he/she must beat. The game is played with approximately three or six decks of 52 cards without jokers. The value of each card is as follows:

• The ACE is always worth 1
• The figures Jota, Queen and King, along with the 10, are all worth 0
• Cards from 2 to 9 have the same numerical value.

At the beginning of the game, two cards are dealt to each player and two cards to the dealer. If it should happen that any of the players or the dealer has a hand of 8 or 9, is considered a natural victory, so no more cards are dealt and the winner of the round is defined.

In case there is no natural win, the dealer must deal the third card. Whether the player or the dealer receives a third card depends on the sum total of the value of their hands.

Rules for the player:

• If your hand totals between 0 and 5, you will receive a third card.
• If your hand totals 6 or 7, you must stand and will not receive a card.

Rules for the Bank:

• If the player stands on 6 or 7 and the dealer adds between 0 and 5, he will receive the third card. If the player does not stand and receives the third card, the dealer must also draw in the following situations:
• If the dealer adds between 0 and 2, he must always ask for a card.
• If the dealer adds 3, he must draw as long as the player's third card is not an 8
• If the dealer adds 4, he must draw as long as the player's third card is between 2 and 7.
• If the dealer adds 5, he must draw as long as the player's third card is between 4 and 7.
• If the dealer adds 6, he must draw as long as the player's third card is 6 or 7.
• If the dealer adds up to 7, he must stand.

In the end, the player or the banker will win depending on whether they have the hand with a value closer to 9, or they will tie if they have the same score.

Types of baccarat bets

At the start of the game, the player must decide between 3 possible bets:

• Betting by the player (by himself). This type of bet pays 1 to 1.
• Betting the bank( if you think it will be the winner). This bet also pays 1 to 1.
• Bet on the tie (Tie). Keep in mind that this is the least likely outcome, but this is exactly why it gives the highest winnings, since it pays 9 to 1 (the player receives 9 times what he bets).

The safest and most advisable is to bet on the banker or the player. However, you should keep in mind that, although the payout for the bets is the same, the odds of one or the other winning are not equal. In general, the player has a 44.62% chance of winning, while the banker's chances amount to 45.85%.

Therefore, it is more tempting to bet on the banker. However, you should also keep in mind two issues: 1) betting on the banker requires paying a 5% commission, so that the bet eventually pays 0.95 to 1; 2) although the banker's odds are higher in each game, in the long run it is very unlikely that all wins will always be on the banker's side, so it is advisable to alternate bets.

Andar Bahar Rules

Many games have come down to our days from ancient India, but undoubtedly one of the most popular card games is Andar Bahar. This game, originated more than a thousand years ago in southern India, owes its name to the two types of bets that the player can make: Andar, if he considers that the winning pile will be the one closest to the dealer on the inside, or Bahar, if he considers that the outside pile will win. This is one of the card games where chance is most involved, as the player has a 50/50 chance of getting one of the two right. Although it is probably one of the simplest and most dynamic card games to play, it is important that you know its rules very well in order to make your best bets.

Dynamics of the Andar Bahar step by step

The objective of the game is very simple: to predict in which pile (Andar or Bahar) the winning card will appear, which will be the card whose value is equal to that of the joker card.

Lo primero que deben hacer los jugadores, es establecer sus apuestas. Solo hay dos posibilidades: elegir si la carta ganadora será descubierta en el lado de Andar o en el lado de Bahar. Las cartas se reparten una a una alternando cada montón, pero dado que siempre se coloca la primera carta en Andar, este es el que tiene más probabilidades de ser el ganador. Por lo tanto, las apuestas se pagan de la siguiente forma:

• If you bet on Andar (51.5% chance of being right), pays 0.9 to 1.
• If you bet on Bahar (48.5% chance of winning), the odds are 1 to 1.

Once the players have chosen their bets, the dealer will reveal a separate card between the Andar and Bahar bets, which is called joker or playing card. This card will determine the winning card, which must be equal to the joker. He will then start dealing a card on each side, starting with Andar, until the winning card appears on one of them.

Parallel or side bets in Andar Bahar

It is important to know that, in addition to betting on Andar or Bahar, there are other side or parallel bets that the player can also make before starting to deal the cards:

• Bet on the number of cards to be dealt. It is not necessary to specify a specific number of cards, but bet in blocks of 5 (1 to 5 cards, 6 to 10 cards, 11 to 15 cards, etc.).
• Betting on the value of the wildcard
• Bet on the color of the joker (red or black).
• Betting on the joker suit (diamonds, hearts, clubs or spades)

Get to know the Dragon Tiger rules

Dragon Tiger is one of the most popular casino games in Asia, probably originating from Cambodia, which today has become popular worldwide thanks to the simplicity of its bets. Similar to Andar Bahar, the game consists in predicting whether the winning card will appear on the Dragon's side or on the Tiger's side, so it is a pure game of chance. Only, in this case, there is no joker card: the higher card between the two will automatically win, so only two cards are played in each game.

How to play Dragon Tiger

The first thing players must do is to place their bets. They can bet on Dragon (player's left card) or Tiger (player's right card). As there is a possibility that both cards are the same, it is also allowed to bet on a tie.

The dealer will then place one card on Dragon and one on Tiger, which will be revealed at the same time: the highest card will be the winner and the correct bets will be paid. Please note that if you bet on Dragon or Tiger and the result is a tie, you will only get back half of your bet.

The value of the cards follows the classic distribution of the deck, so, ordered from lowest to highest value, they are:

Ace (1), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J (11), Q (12) and K (13).

Betting on Dragon Tiger

There are 4 types of bets from which the player can choose: Dragon, Tiger, Tie and Suited Tie. Each of them is explained below:

• Dragon or Tiger: In this case you bet on which of the cards will be the highest, either the card in Dragon or the card in Tiger. As the odds are the same for each, these bets are paid 1 to 1.
• Tie or tie: Although less likely, you can also bet that both cards will be equal. As the odds of this happening are lower, this type of bet is paid 11 to 1.
• Suied Tie: This type of bet is the most complex, since, in addition to betting on the numerical tie, you bet that the cards will also be of the same suit. This is why this type of bet has the highest profit, as it pays 50 to 1.

But, in addition, some Dragon Tiger games also allow side bets or side bets. These are:

• Large or small number (note that 7 is considered a neutral number, so if this card comes up, you will lose the bet).
• Red or black color
• Even or odd number (note that the cards Ace, Jack, Queen and King, have a numerical value, so it is played with cards from 1 to 13. In total, there are more odd cards than even).