Through the use of online technology, gamblers and casino players have a new place to hang out to. Instead of going to live casinos, they can play and compete against each other through the virtual casino games offered by lots of online casino websites. These games are programmed by software providers to enable an interface similar to the environment of traditional land based casinos, thus, making you feel as if you are in a real casino. These games can also compete with actual casino games in terms of odds and payout percentages.

Types of Online Casino Games

Casino websites offer games in three different types, all based on their playing interfaces:

Downloaded Casinos -- Most online casinos have their games available only through download. In fact, this is the very first casino gaming interface that exists in the world of online casinos. Players are required to download first the casino software before they can start playing. But one downside to this type of game is that all downloaded versions only run in Windows operating system (OS).

No-Download Casinos -- Since most online casinos are downloaded and only runs on Windows OS, here comes the no-download casino games, which are also commonly termed as Web-Based and Flash casino games, due to the fact that you can play them directly from your web browser, and almost all of them are powered by Flash, a programming technology used for making complex interactive animations through the web. Ever since this feature of casino games was introduced, online gamblers can play their favorite casino games through their browser even though they are using other OS in their computers, such as Apple Mac, Linux, Chrome (new OS from Google), and others, without the need to download the casino software.

Live-Based Casino Games -- Since the casino is known to be a place where many gamblers gather to play, online casinos provide a multi-player gaming platform for most table games such as blackjack and poker. These games are served with a "live dealer", or an authorized real person who acts as the dealer in behalf of the online casino.

Popular Casino Games

Most very popular casino games today are now available for playing at the online casinos for gamblers and casino enthusiasts to enjoy.

Slots

A very simple casino game, slots has been one of the main attraction in casinos as well as in online casinos today, characterized by three or more reels where symbols are printed. A lever needs to be pulled for the reels to spin and form a winning combination. The primary goal of the players is to form the combination of symbols that pays out the most.

Video Poker

Video Poker is a casino game that is characterized by the combination of the fast pace of slot machines and the hand rankings used in poker. It is a game between the player and the machine. Players will be first dealt with five faced up cards, then choose which should be discarded and be kept. If the player discards some cards, the same number of cards will be drawn. The objective of the game is to finish with the best possible poker hand ranking.

Bingo

Bingo is one of the most sociable casino games. Players can chat and socialize in a bingo lounge together while waiting for another number to be randomly drawn. Their aim is to form winning patterns in their bingo cards by marking the numbers printed on the 5x5 grid if they match with the drawn number. In online casinos, players can chat and interact with each other through the chat system.

Keno

Keno is a casino game that closely resembles a lottery. Players are given a ticket where numbers from 1 to 80 are printed. They will first select 3 up to 10 their preferred numbers (spots). 20 numbers will be drawn by the casino from time to time, and depending on the number of matches (hits) from the players' spots and the drawn winning numbers, they can win some corresponding payouts.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a very popular card game in the casino tables. Played by one to five players, their goal is to beat the banker's hand by accumulating cards to make the total value equivalent or as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21.

Baccarat

The casino game baccarat is another simple game. It can be played by more than one players. They will be dealt with two cards, and depending on the starting value, they can ask for an additional card. Their goal is to beat the banker's hand by obtaining a value of as high as 9.

Poker

Poker is a game of skill that is played in the casino tables. Poker players face off against each other and try to beat each other by forming the highest possible hand ranking. Depending on their skill, they can win over their opponents even without a very good hand.

Texas Holdem

Texas Holdem is a community card game and one of the most popular variation of the poker game played in the casino tables and online poker rooms. Each player is dealt with two cards each, and five cards will be placed one by one in the center of the table. The goal is to make the highest possible 5-card hand ranking from the 7 cards (2 from the player and 5 from the table). Similar to traditional poker, players can win even without good cards through their bluffing skill.

Roulette

Roulette is a table game which is popularized by a small wheel on top of the table. Players can bet whether the result will be any one of the numbers, whether black or red, odd or even, and if the result is included in the first lower 18 or last higher 18 numbers. A small ball will be dropped on the wheel when it starts spinning, and when it stops, the spot where the ball lands will be the winning outcome.

Craps

Craps is quite a complex casino game with lots of betting options, and one of the most lively games in the casinos. Players play against the house by rolling the dice, and depending on the results taken from the dice, they can win or lose their bets.