It’s a pretty secretive and specific gaming arena, but miscellaneous table games in casinos today can be really innovative and fun.  Games include Sic Bo; an extremely quick-paced game involving three dice and a board of different combinations, Pai Gow; a poker variation where basic poker knowledge is a must, often known as ‘blackjack for poker players,’ And Keno; also known as ‘Chinese Lottery’ where both bingo and lottery games are prevalent.

While there tends to be less different actual variations of these sorts of games and they haven’t necessarily gained the global popularity of others yet, different software providers have come up with new and charming ways of building them up to be an integral part of casino fun. Different table games tend to be very attractive to players who favour skill-based play over chance and here at The VIP Gambler we have sourced the best around for you!

Table Games Facts

Sic Bo is a great game with a great many names, including hi-lo in the Philippines, dai siu in Asia, tai sai, and big-small! It is also often compared to old English gambling table games such as Hazard.

Keno, rumoured to be used to fund the building of the Great Wall of China, was known as the White Pigeon Game because white carrier pigeons were used to send game results between towns during its early years.  The game we know today came to the United States with Chinese immigrants, and it took quite a lot of work to pass the removal payout caps which were initially imposed upon its legalisation in Nevada.

Pai Gow can be a confusing one because even today, thousands of years since its inception, the name can be used to refer to poker variants and also a tile game.  Both are very popular but quite different!

Table Games History

The history of different table games is a real hobby-subject, literally steeped in folklore, extinct games and the treasured past times of the human race over centuries.

Pai Gow, which by ancient literal Chinese translation means, ‘make nine’ is rumoured to be thousands upon thousands of years old, originally played using domino tile sets.  It is believed to stem from other even more ancient Chinese games, notably yu-p’u and yeh-tza.

Keno is roughly 3,000 years old and hailed to be of Chinese origin (hence its nickname the Chinese Lottery).  It is even said to have been invented to fund the construction of the Great Wall of China! Despite this, the term ’keno’ is reputedly of French or Latin linguistic origin.

Sic Bo, again of ancient Chinese origin, literally means ‘dice pair’ despite being played with three dice!  It continues to be particularly popular in Southeast Asia, Korea and China today.

Table Games Rules

Table games truly exemplify those casino nuggets where understanding the rules is golden.  In Pai Gow, for instance, the rules are pretty simple.  If you understand that each player gets seven cards, which you split into a hand of five and a hand of two (the ‘back’ and ’front’ respectively) you have the basics to build strategy upon.

For Keno, actually playing couldn’t be much simpler, as all you need do is to assess the board of numbers, ranging from 1 to 80, and pick between 1 and 20 of them then see which come up.  This doesn’t mean there are no strategies for the game (check out our table games strategies for more) but it does explain why Keno players tend to play high stakes.

For Sic Bo, where the dealer throws three dice and the players bet on combinations, it looks much more difficult than it is!

Table Games Strategy

Table game strategy is dependent upon the specific game, but here are some great places to start.

For Pai Gow, there are three basic elements which will aid your game.  The Optimal Pai Gow strategy, applicable for any 7-card hand, involves understanding the difference between this and poker. In Pai Gow you need to win both hands to win the bet.  The other strategies include understanding the House Way; the way the house chooses dealers should set hands, and the bonus bet; one for the experts.

In beating Keno, two components which hold the key to being a great player are selecting just how many numbers you choose and exactly which ones they are.  Keno players need to understand low, medium and high risk, despite common belief that it takes a high risk player to play Keno anyway.

For Sic Bo, low, medium and high risk strategy is also available.

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