Despite the simplistic but high production value appeal of slot games, classic casino table games remain widely played worldwide. The origins of most of these games date back many hundreds of years, and yet you can still find them (in some form) at almost every online and physical casino in the world today. Why have they had such long cultural appeal, when thousands of other games have fallen in and out of fashion and popularity in that time?
This article will look at what exactly the most common casino table games are, where they came from, and why that influences their enduring appeal in the 21st century. It will also look at how casinos of the modern day have innovated on these games, and what you can expect from a modern casino roulette wheel or blackjack table. This article provides an overview of the factors that have contributed to the lasting presence of casino table games.
The European Origins of Classic Casino Games
Despite being around for several hundred years, the core selection of common table games offered in most casinos has changed little over that time. The classic casino options this article will focus on are:
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Baccarat
Blackjack and baccarat started in Europe in the 14th or 15th century, in Spain and Italy respectively. Roulette started slightly later in 1700s, also in Europe. One interesting fact you might not know is that Johannes Gutenberg, printer of one of the first mass produced books, the Gutenberg Bible, also turned his new invention to printing playing cards.
The actual origins of these games are not entirely clear, with some suggesting the early version of blackjack Vingt-et-un (21) inspired baccarat, and other sources saying they developed independently. Nevertheless, the printing press being a novel invention made owning playing cards a reserve of those with means for many years. Either they had to be hand made, costing many labor hours, or printed, which was also very expensive and difficult to do at the time.
For readers interested what a modern online casino selection looks like, the TitanPlay casino table games is a good example. It includes a range of classic table games in multiple formats, including live dealer streams and virtual tables available 24/7.
By the 18th century, blackjack and baccarat were widespread across Europe and many casinos opened up in famous resort towns like Monte Carlo in Monaco and Baden-Baden in Germany. These venues cemented casino games as an established leisure tradition at the time.
Gameplay Structure of Casino Table Games
In the modern day, another aspect that distinguishes table games from slots is the level of player interaction. Slots, despite their visual features, generally involve initiating a spin. In blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, players make betting or gameplay selections that determine how each round is played. These actions shape the structure of the game, while outcomes remain determined by the game rules and random processes.
Whole books and research papers have been written examining blackjack gameplay decisions and probabilities. Roulette has dozens of bet options from individual numbers, or groups, or columns, or even colors, each of which follows different odds as defined by the game rules.
Casino table games are also more visibly structured than slots, where a lot of the action is determined by numbers in a computer behind the screen. With cards and wheels, players can see the physical game unfolding in front of them.
As well as gameplay the venue also matters. In casinos, high limit card rooms are often still segmented off from the normal slot machine floor – creating a different environment from the main floor. In fact, some historic casinos in Europe have few or no slot games to emphasize the traditional aesthetics.
Professional dealers, standardized gameplay layouts and procedures and the generally well-known casino atmosphere help keep things familiar to players in casinos the world over.
Modern Twists on the Classics Keep the Games Fresh for a New Generation
The most significant invention in recent years at physical casinos has been casino poker. This is a variant of Texas Hold ‘Em poker that can be played solo against the house, rather than the traditional way of playing between gamblers themselves. Although now mostly found as video poker, it is still found on casino floors, particularly in the US.
With online casinos, the biggest innovation has no doubt been live casino games. For a long time, online casino games were limited to virtual versions of blackjack and roulette, which don’t have the same tactile qualities as real physical cards or spinning wheels. Live casino games, now often even streamed from actual casinos, recreate many elements of the live experience for players to access on home or mobile devices.