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Play Table Games Online: The Best Gambling Games South Africa 2024

When we think of land-based casinos, we imagine roulette wheels, blackjack tables, and more. Indeed, online casinos have worked hard to recreate these casino table games and capture the thrill of playing them. In fact, most online casinos offer an array of table and live dealer games. Most popular table games date back to 1796, where the first written description of roulette comes from. 


It started life in the gambling houses of Paris and its name means 'little wheel'. Both blackjack and baccarat also gained popularity in the French aristocratic casinos of the 18th century. Today, online casinos offer you some of the best table games. However, they are not the only ones available. 


Players can find other table games like poker, sic bo, and dice games. In this review, our team will cover all the major table games and give brief overviews of the games.

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Real Money Table Games vs Free Table Games

As the name implies, to play real money table games, you must wager your own money. Instead, free table games allow you to play a game without investing your own money. Therefore, you can choose whether you want to try your hand and learn about the game on a free table game or play real money games immediately. Let's look at the pros of each game:

πŸ’Έ Real money table games

πŸ†“ Free table games

An extensive choice of games

No risk of losing real money

Win real money

Can learn the game before playing for real money

Gives access to other bonuses and promotions

No need to deposit money or register details


Roulette Online

There are many easy table games, and roulette is just one of them. This is a simple game of chance that is based on the spin of a wheel, which makes it fast-paced and exciting to watch. In the world of casino table games online, roulette is one of the most commonly found. Successful casino table games online are the ones that have proven to be hits with players in land-based casinos. Roulette began in the 18th century royal courts of the French aristocracy.Β 

Then it moved with French settlers to America, to the land-based casinos of New Orleans. It was there that it took its place as one of the principal table games in casino gambling, and became known as a classic table game. Today, it is a much sought-after game. In fact, it is so popular that the world's top-tier game operators offer a wide variety of it, including American Roulette, Live Roulette tables, etc.Β 

How to Play Roulette

In terms of simplicity and elegance, roulette is a game that never disappoints. It is straightforward to understand and there are very few rules. The first step is for the player to place their bet. By spinning the wheel, the dealer starts the game and puts the ball into play. Bets can still be taken at this stage. After a few rotations, the dealer says 'No more bets' and they wait for the ball to drop into one of the slots on the wheel. The player wins if they have correctly predicted where the ball will drop.

Most Popular Roulette Variations

Because of its long history, there are a few different versions of the game. The main variations are French, European, and American. They only vary slightly from one another, but these characteristics can make a difference to the house advantage and ultimately to how much the player can win. Let's take a brief look at each one:

French Roulette

The wheel in this game has 37 divisions and only one zero. They lay the betting grid out in the same format as European roulette. However, the bets around the outside of the number grid are in French. So instead of 'Red/Black' we label them 'Rouge/Noire'. Also, the boxes for high/low wagers are called 'Manque/Passe', and 'Odd/Even' is 'Impair/Pair'. If the ball lands on the zero, the player gets half their stake back. This gives the game slightly better odds than the European game. We know it as the 'la partage' rule.

American Roulette

The wheel differs from the French and European wheels in this game as there is an additional zero, so the player has an extra number to bet on. The extra number is a double zero. This means that there are the numbers 1–36, 0, and 00. The sequence of the numbers on the wheel is also different.

European Roulette

This game is very similar to the French version. It has the numbers from 1 to 36 and only one zero. The difference between the two games is that the bets on the outside are in English. Also, the 'la partage' rule does not apply.

American vs European Roulette

The big difference between these two variants is the double zero in the American game. It may not seem a big difference, but it affects the house advantage. While in the European game, there are 37 divisions, in the American game, there are 38. This means that the odds of choosing the correct division are less in the American game. It changes the edge to 5.26%.

Roulette Bets Explained

The betting rules of this game can seem quite complex at first. This is because there are so many combinations of bets. The bets are based on the grid of the roulette table. On the table, the numbers 1–36 are displayed in three rows of four columns. The colours alternate between red and black in each column. Bettors can place bets both inside and outside the grid. We have summarized the main bets below so that you have a good understanding of them:

Outside Bets

Bettors place these bets outside the number grid. There are five kinds of bets:

  • Colour: Bet on either red or black
  • High/low:Β Choose whether the number will fall between 1–18 (low), or 19–36 (high)
  • Column:Β Select which column the number will be in
  • Odds/evens: Will the winning number be odd or even?
  • Dozens:Β we split dozens into the first twelve numbers, the second twelve, and the third twelve. The player bets on which one they think the ball will fall into.

Inside Bets

Bets placed within the number grid are known as inside bets. There are seven types of these bets.

  • Street:Β This is a bet on 3 consecutive numbers in one row.
  • Six line: Bet on two adjacent streets
  • Corner:Β Place your bet where four numbers join to form a square
  • Basket:Β Bet on the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3
  • Split: place your bet between two numbers on the table
  • Three numbers: choose three numbers, including zero
  • Straight up: Place a bet on one number alone.

The most popular bets are colour, odds/evens, straight, and columns. These are some of the simplest bets to place.

Dice Games Online

Pinpointing the origins of dice is very difficult, as there are so many examples of their use throughout history. The four-sided dice we know today originated in China, around 600 BC.

It is believed that Marco Polo bought dice games back to Europe when he returned from his travels in China in the 14th century. Over the centuries, people have created many games based on dice. Most of them have been forgotten, but a few have become incredibly popular in the online gaming world. We'll take a look at a few below.

Craps

The rules of this game are the same as playing at a brick-and-mortar casino in Vegas. Although it is a simple online game, it can initially seem a little complex. However, it's easy to follow once you understand the rules.

In craps, players bet on the outcome of the roll of two dice. The person who rolls the dice is called the β€˜shooter’. Players bet on if the dice total will be 7 or 11, this is known as a "pass" or "come". Alternatively, they can bet on whether the total will be 2, 3, or 12, which is known as a "don’t pass" or "don't come". Any other number is called a β€˜point’ and it means that the dice are rolled again. The shooter continues to roll the dice until they get a 7, at which point, the game is over.

Sic Bo

This is an ancient Chinese dice game based on chance. It’s played with three dice, and players wager on the outcomes of the dice rolls. The sic bo table has every combination of the dice rolls, with their odds. The player wagers on the odds they prefer, based on the combinations they favour. Some examples of sic bo bets include betting on what number is displayed on one, two, or three of the dice. You can also bet on the total that all the dice add up to, or a specific number appearing on two of the three dice. Naturally, there are many more betting options, but they indicate how the betting works.

Other Dice Games

Games using dice are not restricted to games of chance like roulette and sic bo. Many board games also use dice to decide how a player progresses around a board. Online gambling sites have created digital versions of some of these games, and they can be great fun to play. Monopoly is an example of a dice game that has become very popular online. You can also find other games like Bac Bo, Hazard, Klondike, Chuck-a-Luck, etc.

Live Table Games

Online casinos are great fun and are very convenient to use. However, players sometimes miss the excitement of the land-based casinos. They enjoy interacting with other players and with the dealer. This is where live games come in. They are studio-based, live versions of online casino games. The player still accesses the game from their mobile phone or PC, but they play against other players with a live dealer.

How to Play Table Games on Mobile

Over the years, casinos have made it increasingly simple to access their sites on mobiles. There are three ways to do this: view on a web browser, or download an app for either an iPhone or Android.

View on Web Browser:

Type the address into the browser and it will take you to the site.

⬇ Download the iPhone App

  • Go to the App Store
  • Search for the app by name
  • Click on the app
  • Select Install
  • The app will download and install.

⬇ Download the Android App

  • Visit the Play Store
  • Find the app by searching for its name
  • Select it and click install
  • The app will download to your phone and install automatically

FAQ

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What table games are the most popular?

Among the many games available, blackjack is the most popular online table game.

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What table games have the best odds?

Blackjack has the best odds, followed by craps and roulette.

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Why are table games popular?

They are popular because they are easy to learn, can give good odds and can involve some strategy.

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What table games should beginners learn first?

Roulette is an excellent game for beginners. The rules are very simple and placing bets is straightforward and intuitive.

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