There’s no shortage of casino games available. After all, the history of the casino is pretty long — the first is believed to have been opened back in 1638 in Italy, and you don’t get to nearly four hundred years old without offering a wide selection of gaming options. Of course, since we’re talking about a span of several centuries, it’s probably fair to say that plenty of games have risen and fallen in popularity to the point where they’ve fallen out of favour altogether.
But some games have endured and remained seemingly eternally popular. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the casino games that Canadians love playing most of all.
Poker
It’s no surprise that poker is a popular gaming option for Canadians. It worked itself well up the global casino game rankings since its invention back in 1829, and today isn’t just a game that Canadians enjoy playing; they also like watching it. Canada has a thriving poker scene, with many professional tournaments taking place throughout the country each year. And there are some big Canadian poker stars, too, most notably Daniel Negreanu, who has won six World Series of Poker bracelets and is ranked third on the all-time live tournament earnings list.
Slots
When newcomers think of casino games, they usually think cards will be involved. But that’s not always true. One of the most popular casino games doesn’t use any cards at all. Canadian online casino slots have become increasingly popular in recent years, in large part thanks to the ease of play and the many different types of games that are available. The learning curve is much lower than card games like poker, and you don’t need anything special to get started, just a device and an internet connection.
Blackjack
Blackjack isn’t just a popular game in Canada; it’s one of the most popular card games in the world, with around 100 million people calling themselves blackjack players. If you know anything about blackjack, then you’ll understand why it’s so popular. Unlike poker, which has a pretty steep learning curve, a newcomer can understand the basics of blackjack within ten minutes — and probably less. It’s a go-to option for people who only have basic familiarity with casino games.
That’s not to say that this game is only for beginners. It’s one of those games that is easy to pick up but difficult to master — indeed, you’d have to read plenty of books and play many hands in order to become an expert on what only appears to be a simple game.
Baccarat
At first glance, it can often look like baccarat is the same as blackjack. But it’s not. They’re kind of similar, but there are some notable differences that make these two popular games different. The most significant difference is the betting style. When you play blackjack, you’re playing your own hand — if you don’t win, then you don’t win. In baccarat, you can have three different chances of winning, depending on which outcome you think is likely. You can back your own hand, the dealer’s hand, or for it to be a tie. The value of some cards differs from blackjack, too, so be sure to understand the game before you begin playing!
Roulette
Finally, there’s roulette, which joins slots on this slot as another non-card casino game. There are different variations of roulette machines — American and European. In the United States, you’ll usually only find the American version. In Canada, the country’s French connection (a French mathematician invented the roulette machine) means you’ll find the European version, especially in the French-speaking parts.