Our Top Ten Online Casino Games Picks for 2019
There are some excellent casinos in South Africa, we’re not saying there aren’t! You have the amazingly layered experience at the open all-day, all-night Gold Reef City in Jozi, the fancy Montecasino in Sandton, or the flashy Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. And while they offer sweet service staff, bright lights and a charming experience, just getting there can put a dent in your bankroll. Really, with the petrol prices, who wants to drive for hours to get a gambling high? Not to mention the fancy drinks that just burn a hole in your pocket as well as your memory (if you have one-too-many, of course).
Now, some people will turn to illegal gambling operations because the buy-in is less, and plus, they’re just closer! Really, don’t do this to avoid gambling-related costs, you don’t want your hard-earned money to help shady individuals with their money laundering. Also, there’s no protection if something goes wrong, so no need to put yourself in such a precarious situation.
So, you see where we’re going with this?
That’s right, online gambling. It’s the most convenient by far, with no extra costs! It’s also more accessible, all you need is an internet provider and for Eskom to cooperate and you’re good. Next, it’s safer because it is entirely legal, and therefore, you don’t have to worry about betty bangles getting you. Plus, there are so many games to choose from, and South African land-based casinos are not exactly known for their endless array of choices.
Nowadays, there are so many casinos online welcoming South African players, so you really just need to pick your game and go for it. This is our list of the best games you can play online in 2019 and make money while doing so:
1. Blackjack
Yes, you can make money playing blackjack online, and you can start by clicking right here. And because the house edge with this game is so low, we placed it at number one.
There are so many variations of this game on offer online, and there will be gaming guides just one click away to explain the differences from the standard game. Now, good ol’ original Blackjack is using six or eight standard decks, and because it’s online, there’s a program that generates the cards randomly to keep it fair. The goal is to get your cards value to a total of 21, which is called a “natural” win. Otherwise, you can win if the total value of your hand is less than 21 but more than the virtual Dealer (the casino) and the other players. You also win if everyone else goes “bust,” or in other words, everyone has over 21. Since only you see your cards and usually the Dealer has one facing up and one down, none of the players know if they’ve beaten the casino until the very end. It’s not over until the fat lady sings, they say, and that makes it all very exciting!
2. European Roulette
Most casinos in SA offer just American Roulette, and well, we can’t blame them, it provides them with a better house edge! Because the American variation has 38 numbered-pockets due to having a Double Zero, that edge is 5.27% for the casino.
However, you can easily find European Roulette online, and we strongly suggest that you do! There is only one Zero in this type of roulette, which means a 37 in 1 chance of you picking the correct number statistically. Here, the house edge is just 2.7%.
With so many ways to bet on roulette, there are also many ways to win. But because this game is so purely based on chance, it comes in second on the list.
3. Baccarat
The origins of this game are shrouded in mystery, but the reason for its popularity isn’t! It’s really about making a simple bet — that you (the player) will win, the banker (the casino) will win, or that it will be a tie!
What you need to know is that you don’t want the value of your two cards to exceed the value of 8 or 9. If you get either sum total in the first go, it’s a “natural” win. But if neither the players, nor the banker get that, a third card is (virtually) handed out. This happens whether you want the card or not because the actual rules when it comes to dealing are quite intricate. But fear not, every good online casino will offer some guidelines for that or display a table of some sort, and you’ll have it sussed.
It’s exciting but intricate, so we rank it in third place.
4. Video Poker
Standard SA brick-and-mortar casinos offer three typical versions of poker — Reef Routine Poker, Raise ‘Em Poker Xtra, and No Limit Hold’em Poker. That’s all well and good, but online casinos will offer at least 20 variations!
They will also have a clearly presented payout table at the top of the screen, so you know which hand pays out the most. This is important because the rules regarding the hand values differ from the classic poker ones. For example, some online video poker will have double-or-nothing bonus rounds after certain hands or incredible payouts for a Royal Flush or a pair of Jacks.
Poker is a staple for any-and-all things gambling related, so we pay it our respects with an honorary fourth place.
5. Slots
This is probably the most popular online game in the world ever, period. The reason we put it in fifth place is because it’s a game of chance and can be quite a money drain.
However, the fact that it’s online has allowed software developers to create hundreds of ways to win, and seemingly endless paylines and combinations. There are in-game bonuses and designs to suit every taste and mood! Finally, they’re so simple to play, and we bet almost every gambling enthusiast has given them a spin once or twice.
They’re so easy to use while every spin promises a chance of winning — you’ve got to love a good slot!
6. Craps
The dice will fall where they may, as the saying goes; with Craps, you just have to wager on the outcome! You have to get your thinking cap on and dust off your crystal ball, focus really hard, and try to guess what number will come up! If you guess correctly, you get a handsome reward for your Nostradamus-like skills. You can also bet on which number will be rolled before the next number — there are many variations.
It’s super fun, but it does take having psychic gifts, so we’ve let it roll in on our list in sixth place; of course, in the actual game, you want to roll a 7 or 11 ideally!
7. Pai Gow
This little gem came straight from China, met a poker enthusiast, fell in love, and is now played with cards instead of dominos!
Alright, you got us, that’s not the actual origin story of Pai Gow. But, essentially, it is a domino and video poker love-child. You need to have two winning hands, one with five cards, the other with two cards, out of a total of seven cards. Both of your two hands need to beat the hands of the casino (and the other players!), and the first-mentioned hand needs to exceed the latter hand. This adorable hodge podge is our lucky number seven pick.
8. Keno
If you love playing the lottery, you’ll love the specialty game of Keno. You get a virtual card, and you select 20 out of the 80 numbers on it. Then, the random number generator in the game comes out with 20 numbers, and you can see how many of the ones you’ve selected match up. Different casinos will have different pay tables. In any case, your win is a combination of how many numbers you’ve successfully guessed and the amount you wagered. The house edge on these games can vary to a great degree, and so we’ve allotted the eighth place to it.
9. Bingo
Another classic, this game remains popular despite its utter simplicity. You get a 5×5 card with different numbers on it and the letters B-I-N-G-O are written on the column to the side. The program proceeds to come out with random numbers, and it’s up to you to “cross off” the ones you have by clicking on it (or sometimes, the game will do this automatically for you). Once you get the winning combination, feel free to yell out “Bingo”!
It’s a game that makes us think of sunny Sunday afternoon with the grandparents, and so it trudges into ninth place. It’s not the most exciting vision, but wouldn’t life (and this list) be empty without it?
10. Red Dog
Our last pick has been losing popularity over time, but we think it deserves a spot in the limelight, so here it is! This is a card game where you get two face-up cards and you bet whether the next card to be drawn will rank between those cards, and the suit is irrelevant. The payouts vary if your original cards are of the same value, or you get your wager back immediately if they’re consecutive to begin with. Interestingly, the more decks are used, the lower the house edge, which is never the case in most card games! This unique casino game, therefore, rounds up our top ten list.
