Roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker have been played in British casinos for generations, yet plenty of people still feel unsure about how each one actually works. The words fly quickly at a real table, and the screens online can look busy at first glance.
This guide strips each game back to its basic rules, for readers in Arnold, Carlton, Netherfield and the rest of the borough who are curious about the classics.
Casino floors have changed a great deal over the decades, but these four games have barely moved. Their rules are simple enough to learn in minutes, and each one has just enough choice to keep a player thinking. That balance explains why they still sit at the centre of most casinos, from the big venues in the city centre to the lobbies of UK online sites.
The online versions follow the same rules as the tables you would find in Nottingham, with a few extra variants on top.
Where to Find Them Online
The Mr Q casino games lobby is a typical UK example. MrQ, a Gambling Commission licensee, groups blackjack, roulette, poker and baccarat as its table games, alongside live dealer tables, Slingo, jackpot games and slots. Its roulette range includes a European wheel and a 20p version, and the live section adds a real dealer and a real table, streamed in HD. Across the whole site there are 900+ games, but the four classics below make up the table games section.
Accounts are open only to UK residents aged 18 and up, and a deposit limit (by the day, week or month) can be chosen in the account dashboard. That limit is worth setting up before the first game.
Roulette: One Ball, Thirty-Seven Pockets
Roulette is the easiest of the four to pick up. A European wheel has 37 numbered pockets: 1 to 36 in alternating red and black, plus a single green zero. The dealer spins the wheel one way and a small ball the other, and the result is the pocket where the ball lands.
Bets fall into two broad groups. Inside bets cover a single number or a small cluster, such as two or four numbers next to each other on the layout. Outside bets cover larger groups: red or black, odd or even, high or low, or one of three columns. Outside bets come in more often and pay less, while a single number pays the most and comes up the least. That trade-off is the whole game in a sentence.
Blackjack: Getting Closer to 21
Blackjack puts you against the dealer, not against the other players. Number cards count at face value, picture cards count as ten, and an ace counts as one or eleven, whichever suits your hand better.
You receive two cards and decide whether to “hit” for another card or “stand” with what you have. The aim is to finish closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. If you go past 21, the hand is lost. Most tables also let you “double”, doubling your stake in return for exactly one more card, and “split” a pair into two separate hands.
The dealer follows fixed rules, usually drawing until reaching 17 or more. A two-card hand of an ace and a ten-value card is called blackjack and normally pays more than an ordinary win. A tie, known as a push, returns your stake.
Baccarat: Player, Banker or Tie
Baccarat looks formal, but it is the simplest of the four once you understand the counting. Two hands are dealt, one called Player and one called Banker. You do not play either hand yourself. You simply bet on which one will finish closer to nine, or on a tie.
Tens and picture cards count as zero, aces count as one, and other cards keep their face value. If a hand adds up to more than nine, only the last digit counts, so a seven and an eight make 15, which becomes five. The dealer follows set rules on whether a third card is drawn, so there are no decisions to make once the bet is placed.
Poker at the Casino Table
Casino poker is quite different from the tournament version shown on television. In table versions such as Ultimate Texas Hold’em, which features in MrQ’s live lineup, you play against the dealer’s hand instead of other players. The ranking of hands is the familiar one, from a high card up through pairs, straights and flushes to a royal flush.
These games usually ask for an opening bet before any cards are seen, then give you chances to raise or fold as more cards appear. The paytable on screen sets out what each hand returns, so it is worth a read before the first deal.
A Night Out or a Night In
For many people in Gedling, the classics are part of a bigger evening. A show at the Theatre Royal, dinner in the Lace Market or a look at the city’s Christmas events can come before or after a few hands. Visit Nottinghamshire lists theatres, events and seasonal attractions across the county, which makes it handy for planning the rest of the night.
Others prefer to try the games online, where the same rules apply on a phone or laptop. Either way, a little knowledge of the rules makes each game more enjoyable, since you can follow the action instead of guessing.
Decide on your spend and your finishing time first, and treat every game as entertainment.
