Let’s say that you want to play poker for the first time but find the idea a little bit intimidating because of the rules, the strategy, and the jargon involved. What are some of the best casino games you can use as a gentle introduction to the genre before playing poker?
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Bonus $600or $100 tickets
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Understand Odds and House Edge in Roulette
Roulette is a game of chance even older than poker, with a history going back to Europe in the 17th century. The goal is to predict which numbered pocket the ball ends in after the wheel is spun.
While the gameplay is quite different from poker, it can be useful as a way for beginner players to understand basic key game elements such as house edge and game odds. There are many versions to choose from when you play online roulette, with the varying rules affecting your chances.
The European and American variants provide the biggest differences, as the American wheel has a double zero pocket that increases the house edge. Features such as multipliers and bonus rounds add more volatility by altering the standard payout rates.
It’s definitely easier to start playing roulette than poker, allowing players to get used to how winning odds work and can be impacted before moving on to more strategy-based games.
For example, games like Quantum Roulette and Lightning Roulette have random multipliers added on each round, but the payout for a normal straight-up bet is reduced at the same time, keeping the house edge similar to other versions overall.
Video Poker Teaches You the Hands
Video poker sounds like it should be the closest casino game to the real game of poker, although it’s actually a simplified version of the card game. It plays like a slot machine, as you usually get dealt a hand of five cards with the option of holding or discarding them.
The basic idea is to make the best possible poker hard. There are no other players involved, so you’re just trying to get a strong hand like a royal flush or straight flush, rather than trying to beat other people.
There’s a list on the screen that tells you how much each hand is worth, with some versions having jackpots or bonuses to add extra interest.
You’re not going to learn how to play against other humans in this simple version of poker. Yet, a newcomer might get some comfort from learning the order of the best hands and how to achieve them.
It also helps to show how difficult it is to get a royal flush, which might help to temper the expectations of new players who have seen how this type of hand seems to pop up regularly in the movies.
Live Dealer Poker Sees You Try to Beat the Dealer
Live dealer poker is a relatively new way of playing that has helped add a new edge to the online casino world. Casino Hold’em by Evolution is one of the most popular examples. You need to make the strongest possible five-card poker hand from the two cards dealt to you and the five community cards.
The big difference from more traditional ways of playing poker is that you’re just trying to beat the dealer, as are all the other players taking part in the game.
The same approach applies in most versions of live poker, although some are more like video poker in the way that you just need to try to get a win that earns you a prize on the paytable.
You might feel that the live casino setting of these games helps get you in the mood for a real-life game of poker. A degree of interaction with the dealer is allowed in some games, while the option of changing the camera angle helps to make it feel like an immersive way of playing.
If you want to start playing poker, there’s no substitute for starting to play Texas Hold ‘em, Pot Limit Omaha or another popular version of this classic game.
Having said that, if you want a smooth introduction then spending some time exploring the casino games we’ve been looking at here is a good idea.
