Online Casino Games

Online Pokies

What the rest of the world calls slots, Kiwis call pokies, the most popular of all online casino games. A classic pokie has 3 reels and a single payline with rotating fruit and other traditional symbols. Video pokies, however, have evolved far, far beyond that, adopting themes from every genre imaginable — including branded Hollywood blockbusters, sports contests and comic book characters – and enriching them with multimedia animated effects and cinematic soundtracks. Most video pokies have a 3-row, 5-reel layout, offering multiple ways to win, typically 9 to 20 but sometimes in the hundreds. Many games also have lucrative bonus games built in, where on additional screens you can play for free spins, extra coins, and multipliers. Typically, there is a wide range of bet amounts, from a penny per spin to $100 or even more for the high rollers among you.  You can try the free play games before you try casino games for real money. In Microgaming’s Avalon II, based on the theme of King Arthur and the Holy Grail, no less than 8 bonus features including a 160x multiplier add extra excitement and drama for players. But there are thousands of video pokie game types. But the adrenaline races fastest when you approach progressive jackpots, like those found in Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune, available only in online casinos. Multiple pokies in different casinos are networked together, so that a fraction of every bet on every spin adds to the jackpot, which every so often pays out more than a million dollars, and sometimes more than 10 million.

The Most Popular Pokie Games in New Zealand

Online Blackjack

Blackjack, or 21, is one of the most widely played card games in the world. The online casino version can pit you alone against the house, or you can join a live game with multiple players betting in real time.  The game is simple – the goal is to form a hand of cards that add up to 21, or nearest to it, without going over.  That means knowing when to take the “hit” of another card, and when not to. So while blackjack depends largely on the luck of the draw, it also has a captivating strategic element that attracts bettors confident they can beat the house. The basic game has evolved into many variations, so most casinos offer a wide selection. Multi-hand Blackjack, which lets you play several hands of cards at once, is a favorite. There are also variations of this casino game type like Atlantic City, Double Exposure, Vegas Strip, Spanish Blackjack and many more.

Online Roulette

In traditional roulette, a spinning wheel with numbered channels is the emblem of the real-world casino. Players need to bet on which number and color of the channel on which the ball will stop on when the roulette wheel comes to a stop. The online versions, using random number generators, has successfully translated the exciting spectacle of a roulette wheel spinning, even though computer programming has replaced the laws of physics for determining where the little ball stops. There are 37 numbered channels on European roulette wheels, but there are 38 on American wheels, in which an extra channel is added to increase the house’s edge. You just need to bet the number of the channel you think the ball will land in. You don’t need to just wager on one number, although those wins pay highest, 36 times your bet. You can bet odds or even, or a series of numbers. In addition to French, European and American Roulette, there are variations like English, German and Double Ball Roulette. Some of these casino game types even have a double wheel. Some games are available as either low or high limit games, the latter for high rollers only. The online roulette experience is gratifying to the senses – the multimedia graphics and sound effects are high resolution and all-encompassing. You may feel you’ve been teleported to Monte Carlo, Macau or Vegas.

Online Poker

Poker enjoys a privileged place in popular culture, and it has made a successful transition online. Although poker still depends on chance and the luck of the draw, it is one of the most strategic of card games, which gives more power to an informed and intelligent player, who can learn the ways to cut the house edge. Poker has many different variation, with rules varying dramatically between one game and another. The basic principle of poker is to form the most valuable hand of 5 cards from what is dealt or drawn from a pack of 52.  Top ranked combinations are 5 of a kind (assuming wild cards are used), a straight flush (consecutive cards of the same suit), and 4 of a kind.  Next in value is the full house (3 of one kind, and 2 of another), flushes, straights, two pair and a single pair.  If there are no winning combinations, or two combinations of the same kind, the winner is the one with the higher card rank, with ace being the highest. If we consider the classic poker game known as Five Card-draw, each player after putting in an ante bet, is dealt 5 cards. After another round of betting, each player has 3 options: call (meet the bet of another player), raise (increase the bet which other players must been) or fold (quit the game).  Then each of the players can get rid of up to 3 of the cards they were dealt, and be dealt the same number of new cards. That’s followed by another betting round, after which either the hands are shown for all to see, or all but one player folds, leaving the survivor to be the winner without even needing to reveal the winning cards. Online casinos have free play demo games where you can practice your preferred poker variation, and many offer low limit games for your comfort. There are a bunch to choose from, though Caribbean Stud and Texas Hold’em are perennial online favorites. But the real fun comes when you play for real money.

Scratch Cards

Scratch cards are simple, mindless fun. Much like the paper cards at the checkout of a convenience store, online scratches let you reveal a prize. No scratching is needed. A little button press is all it takes, and you get the additional pleasure of an animation as your prize – if there is one — is being revealed.

Live Games and Lotteries

Many folks are nostalgic for the social dimension of the casino experience. Some players are wary of computer software. For these types of player, there are live casino games involving real players in diverse locations watching the action, and each other, by real-time webcast. A live video stream connects you directly to a table hosted by a professional, and usually attractive, dealer or croupier. Everything happens in front of your eyes, and you can interact with the dealer and other players at the virtual table, in various ways. But get comfortable with the play and rules of your chosen casino game type first. In live games, you always play for real money. To get a better hang of it, pick up a bonus to play so you get free credit from the house to practice with. Live games can get the adrenaline pumping and the heart racing, because you can really feel the drama and nuances of human interaction. Blackjack and roulette, baccarat and poker are frequently available, sometimes craps and sic bo, including VIP rooms and exclusive tables for high rollers.  Some of the larger online casinos, including some of those we recommend, even host live lottery draws, just like on television.