Roulette, derived from the French word for “little wheel,” is a casino game believed to have evolved from the Italian game Biribi. In this game, players can place bets on a single number, a group of numbers, the colors red or black, whether the number will be odd or even, or whether it will fall within a high or low range.

Players have numerous betting options. “Inside” bets focus on specific outcomes, such as the exact number where the ball will land or a small cluster of adjacent numbers on the table layout. Conversely, “outside” bets cover broader categories, such as a group of numbers sharing the same color or parity (odd/even). The payout odds for each bet depend on its likelihood of occurring.

Roulette tables typically enforce minimum and maximum betting limits, which generally apply separately to inside and outside bets per spin. For inside bets, some casinos provide color-coded chips to differentiate players at the table. Players can place bets while the ball spins around the wheel, but betting stops when the dealer announces “no more bets” or “rien ne va plus.”

Once the roulette wheel determines a winning number and color, the dealer places a marker, or dolly, on that number on the table layout. During this time, no bets can be placed, collected, or removed. The dealer then clears all losing bets using a rake or by hand and calculates the payouts for the winning inside and outside bets. After payouts are completed, the dolly is removed, allowing players to collect their winnings and place new bets. Winning chips remain on the table until players retrieve them.

Blackjack, previously known as black jack or vingt-un, is a popular casino banking game and the most widely played of its kind globally. Played with standard 52-card decks, it originates from a family of casino banking games collectively called “twenty-one.” This group also includes the European games vingt-et-un and pontoon, as well as the Russian game Ochko. In blackjack, players compete against the dealer rather than each other in a comparing card game.

The objective is to win by achieving a card total higher than the dealer’s without exceeding 21 or by stopping at a total and hoping the dealer busts. Number cards are worth their face value, face cards (jack, queen, and king) are worth 10 points, and aces can count as 1 or 11, depending on the hand’s total. A total exceeding 21 is a “bust,” resulting in an automatic loss. A starting hand of 21 points, known as a “blackjack” or “natural,” is the strongest hand.

Blackjack tables feature five to nine playing positions arranged in a semicircle. Between one and eight 52-card decks are shuffled together. At the start of each round, players place bets in designated “betting boxes.” In some jurisdictions, multiple players can bet on the same position (“back betting”), with the player at the front of the box controlling decisions for that hand. Players may occupy one or several positions at the table, though many U.S. casinos restrict this to one to three positions.

The dealer begins dealing from their left (“first base”) to their right (“third base”), giving each betting position two initial cards and themselves one face-up card. In “hole card” games, the dealer also receives a second face-down card, which they peek at if the face-up card is a 10 or ace to check for a blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, it is revealed immediately. In “no hole card” games, common in European casinos, the dealer’s second card is dealt only after all players have acted on their hands.

Cards are dealt from one or two handheld decks, a dealer’s shoe, or a shuffling machine. Each wagered-on position receives one card, followed by the dealer’s card, then a second card for each position. In games with hole cards, the dealer receives their face-down card at this stage. Depending on the game, players’ cards may be dealt face-up or face-down.

Once all hands are dealt, play begins with the player to the dealer’s left and proceeds clockwise.

Player Actions

On their initial two cards, players can choose from up to five actions: “hit,” “stand,” “double down,” “split,” or “surrender.” After the hand contains more than two cards, only hitting or standing is allowed. Each action has a corresponding hand signal.

Hit: Request another card.

Signal: Scrape cards on the table (for face-down games) or tap the table with a finger or motion towards the body (for face-up games).

Stand: Decline further cards. Also known as “stand pat,” “sit,” “stick,” or “stay.”

Signal: Slide cards under chips (for face-down games) or wave a hand horizontally (for face-up games).

Double Down: Double the initial bet and receive one additional card. The extra bet is placed next to the original wager. Some games allow a smaller increase, known as “double for less.”

Signal: Place additional chips beside the original wager and point with one finger.

Split: Separate two starting cards of equal value into two hands, each receiving an additional card. This requires a second bet equal to the original. Splits may have restrictions, such as limitations on re-splitting or hitting split aces.

Signal: Place additional chips next to the original wager and gesture with two fingers in a V shape.

Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and end the hand. This option is only available at certain tables.

Signal: Draw a line behind the bet with an index finger or verbally announce “surrender.”

In handheld games, players must reveal their cards for blackjacks, busts, or decisions like doubling, splitting, or surrendering. Hand signals help monitor gameplay, resolve disputes, and identify errors or cheating. In conflicts between verbal declarations and signals, the hand signal takes precedence.

After all players complete their turns, the dealer draws cards until their hand totals 17 or more. In some games, the dealer must hit on a “soft 17” (a total of 17 with an ace valued as 11). The dealer cannot double, split, or surrender. If the dealer busts, remaining players win. Otherwise, each player’s hand is compared to the dealer’s, with higher hands winning, lower hands losing, and ties resulting in a “push” or “standoff.” Blackjacks automatically win unless the dealer also has one, in which case the result is a push.

Blackjack payouts are traditionally 3:2 but may be lower at some tables today.

Insurance

If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, players can place an “insurance” bet, wagering that the dealer has a blackjack. Insurance bets, up to half the original wager, are placed on the “insurance bar” above the player’s cards. If the dealer has a blackjack, insurance pays 2:1. Otherwise, the bet is lost.

Insurance is a losing proposition in the long run, as the dealer has a blackjack less than one-third of the time. Card counting can make insurance advantageous by identifying situations where the dealer’s odds are higher than usual.

Baccarat, also known as baccara, is a card game predominantly played in casinos today, though it was once a popular pastime at Victorian-era house parties. It is a comparing card game where two hands—the “player” and the “banker”—compete. Each round of play, known as a “coup,” can result in one of three outcomes: “player” (the player’s hand has the higher score), “banker,” or “tie.”

The game has three well-known variants: punto banco, baccarat chemin de fer, and baccarat banque (or à deux tableaux). In punto banco, players must follow strict rules based on the cards dealt to them. In contrast, baccarat chemin de fer and baccarat banque allow players to make decisions during the game. The odds favor the banker, with the house typically holding at least a 1% edge.

In baccarat, cards from 2 to 9 are worth their face value in points, while 10s, jacks, queens, and kings have no point value (worth zero). Aces are valued at one point, and jokers are not used. Hand values are calculated modulo 10, meaning only the units digit of the sum of the cards is considered. For example, a hand consisting of a 2 and a 3 has a value of five, while a hand with a 6 and a 7 has a value of three (the units digit of thirteen). The highest possible hand value in baccarat is nine.

Poker is a group of comparing card games where players place wagers on which hand is strongest according to the rules of the specific game being played. It is enjoyed globally, though the rules may differ slightly depending on the region. While the earliest version of poker was played with just 20 cards, modern poker typically uses a standard deck. In areas where shorter decks are common, the game may use 32, 40, or 48 cards. Poker games vary in the deck setup, the number of cards in play, how many are dealt face-up or face-down, and how many are shared among players, but all involve one or more betting rounds.

In informal games, the role of the dealer often rotates among players, marked by a token known as a dealer button (or buck). In casinos, a house dealer handles the cards for each hand, but a button (usually a white plastic disk) rotates clockwise among players to signify a nominal dealer for determining the betting order. Cards are dealt one at a time in a clockwise direction around the table.

One or more players typically make mandatory bets, such as an ante or a blind bet, and sometimes both. The dealer shuffles the deck, the player to their right cuts the cards, and the dealer distributes the required number of cards to each player, starting with the one to their left. Depending on the poker variant, cards may be dealt face-up or face-down. Following the initial deal, the first of several betting rounds begins. Between rounds, players’ hands may evolve, either through being dealt additional cards or exchanging previously dealt ones. At the end of each round, all bets are collected into a central pot.

If, during a betting round, a player places a bet and no opponents choose to call (match) it, resulting in all other players folding, the hand ends immediately. The bettor wins the pot without needing to reveal their cards, and the next hand begins. This element of uncertainty allows for bluffing, a key characteristic of poker that sets it apart from other vying games and those using poker hand rankings.

At the conclusion of the final betting round, if more than one player remains, a showdown occurs. During the showdown, players reveal their concealed cards, and their hands are evaluated. The player with the strongest hand, as defined by the rules of the specific poker variant, wins the pot. A poker hand consists of five cards; in games where players have access to more than five cards, only the best five-card combination is considered. There are ten distinct types of poker hands, including straight flushes and four of a kind.

Here is a list of the possible poker hands in traditional poker, ranked from highest to lowest:

1. Royal Flush

A, K, Q, J, 10, all of the same suit.

The highest possible hand in poker.

2. Straight Flush

Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

Example: 9♠, 8♠, 7♠, 6♠, 5♠.

If two players have a straight flush, the one with the higher top card wins.

3. Four of a Kind (Quads)

Four cards of the same rank.

Example: 4♥, 4♣, 4♦, 4♠, and a side card (kicker).

If two players have four of a kind, the one with the higher rank wins.

4. Full House (Boat)

Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank.

Example: 7♠, 7♦, 7♣, 2♥, 2♣.

If two players have a full house, the higher-ranking three-of-a-kind determines the winner.

5. Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.

Example: A♣, J♣, 8♣, 4♣, 2♣.

If two players have a flush, the hand with the highest card wins. If necessary, the second, third, fourth, and fifth highest cards are compared.

6. Straight

Five consecutive cards of different suits.

Example: 10♣, 9♦, 8♠, 7♥, 6♦.

Aces can be high or low (A, 2, 3, 4, 5 is a low straight; 10, J, Q, K, A is a high straight).

7. Three of a Kind (Trips or Set)

Three cards of the same rank.

Example: 5♥, 5♣, 5♦, 9♠, 2♣.

If two players have three of a kind, the higher-ranking set wins. If still tied, the side cards (kickers) are compared.

8. Two Pair

Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and one side card.

Example: K♠, K♦, 4♣, 4♥, 9♣.

If two players have two pair, the hand with the higher pair wins. If the highest pairs are the same, the second pair is compared, and then the kicker if needed.

9. One Pair

Two cards of the same rank and three unrelated cards.

Example: 10♣, 10♦, 6♥, 4♠, 2♦.

If two players have one pair, the higher pair wins. If tied, the highest kickers are compared in order.

10. High Card

Five unrelated cards with no sequence, matching ranks, or all cards of the same suit.

Example: A♠, Q♦, 10♣, 7♥, 3♠.

If no one has a pair or better, the hand with the highest card wins. If tied, the second-highest card, then the third, and so on, are compared.