ou’ve probably noticed by now that gaming is big. Everywhere you look, people seem to be tapping on their phones and there’s a good chance that if they’re not on their social media apps, they’re either texting or playing a mobile game instead. But just how big is gaming?
According to data published on the website of consumer and marketing data company Statista, when it conducted research on gaming worldwide for 2021, it found there were around 3.24 billion gamers across the globe.
Asia boasted the largest market, at 1.48 billion gamers, and the 715 million gamers in Europe formed the next biggest market.
If ever you decide to take up online casino games, here are a few you should try:
Blackjack is a casino classic. Although there’s still debate about its origins, the game is thought to date back to around 1700 and the French cards ‘vingt-et-un’, which translates as twenty-one. This itself is presumed to have come from the French card game Chemin de Fer.
It’s a straightforward game that pits the player against the dealer, rather than against other players, and the objective is to hit twenty-one (which is blackjack) or as close as possible to this number without going over it. At the same time, the value of your cards must be closer to it than the value of the dealer’s. Players hit if they want another card or stand if they’re happy with the cards they have. If they need just one card, they can double down and increase their bet.
If the player receives two cards of the same value, they can split the cards and up their chances of beating the dealer. Speaking of values, ace cards bear a value of one or eleven, depending on the convenience for the player; kings, queens or jacks are all ten; and regular cards have their face value e.g. a two has a value of two.
Again, the French appear to have been behind the invention of a popular casino game. This time it was triggered quite an by accident. In 1655, French inventor, mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal invented the roulette wheel while trying to invent the perpetual motion machine. It would give birth to the casino classic of roulette.
Just like blackjack, roulette is simple to play. You decide where you think the ball on the roulette wheel is going to stop, lay down your money and see if the action on the wheel bears out your prediction.
There are lots of different ways to make your prediction in roulette, such as whether a colour will land on a red or black number, on a red or an even one, on the line (in which case you win if it lands on the number either side of the line) and more.
Note that in American roulette, the roulette wheel has an extra number: 00. This double zero gives the casino a slightly greater house edge than the European version of the game.
Like the origins of several casino games, those of poker are in dispute. Some believe the game has its roots in a domino-card game that a Chinese emperor used to play in the 10th century China. Others believe it descends from the 16th-century Persian card game As Nas.
The one thing over which there’s no dispute is the game’s popularity, the high number of operators offering online poker reflecting demand for the game. There are many different variations, such as standard five-card draw, Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Chinese poker and more.
The most straightforward is the five-card draw, in which the players play into the pot and then receive five cards, out of which they must try to make the best possible hand.
After receiving their cards, they decide whether to fold or to stay in the game and make another payment into the pot. If more than one player remains after this first round, the players discard the cards and request new ones to create their hand, lay down more money (or fold) and the game goes to a showdown to see who has the best hand.
A straight flush, in which all the cards in the hand are the same suit and run in sequence — e.g. 2-3-4-5-6 of hearts — is the highest possible hand if you’re using a standard pack of cards. Five-of-a-kind is the highest if you’re using the jokers.
Baccarat is another casino classic and is thought to have roots dating back to 14th century Italy. It’s incredibly easy and is a little like blackjack in that you and the banker are trying to get as close to a specific number as possible — in this case, nine.
The only difference is that you’re predicting the outcome and have no control over the game itself. Before the game begins, the player predicts whether they or the banker will win or whether the game will be a tie.
You both then receive two cards face up. Each card has its face value. Face cards have a value of zero or ten. Zero to five means you automatically receive another card. Six or seven, you stand. Eight to nine is a natural winner.
Gaming has become incredibly popular, especially thanks to the arrival of the internet and the explosion of online gaming and mobile gaming. You might wish to try your hand at the games above.
Often operators will give you the opportunity to practise first until you feel confident enough to play in cash games, so why not give it a shot?
It is important to note that the website only serve informational purpose and this should not be taken as a legal advice or incentive to gamble. The fact is that we provide information for players all around the globe, and we are not liable for any illegal activities performed by the audience. It is advisable to make research about gambling activities in your jurisdiction before taking any action.
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