China is one of the few countries whose traditions have gradually become popular around the world. The Chinese New Year, the tradition of giving gifts, feng shui, martial arts, tea ceremonies, healthy living, numerology – all have gained incredible popularity in almost every country in the world. But there is another Chinese tradition that is particularly popular with gamblers. This country has given the world some interesting games that are gaining interest in online casinos. If you are bored with slots, and card games, pay attention to several games that came to us from China.
Sic Bo
Sic Bo or “big or small” is the oldest game of chance. Scientists estimate that it dates back more than 2,000 years. At that time, the game was played with wooden sticks, pebbles and leaves. The rules were simple – guess whether a large or small thing was hiding in your hand. I think you now understand why this game is still called “big or small”? Over time, the playing tool was replaced by dice and the game, along with the Chinese, ended up in the USA. First, Sic Bo as a casino game ended up in the best casinos in Las Vegas, and then it moved to an online platform.
Like any other online game, Sic Bo starts by accepting bets. Participants are offered 50 different bets, ranging from “More or Less” to “Triple”. Bets are accepted until the croupier announces that the betting stops. The dice, of which there are three in the game, are placed in a special bell. To ensure fair play, the bell is completely transparent. The dealer activates the dice in this bell and then stops them. The player’s task is to bet on the winning combination.
As with any other type of gambling, players have already come up with many different strategies. For example, taking up a table with a large number of players, choosing a defensive strategy, or analysing the game before betting. However, if you are a beginner, the best strategy for you is to play for small amounts. To avoid getting frustrated and losing all your money in the process, bet small amounts.
This type of game is of interest only to those involved in the gameplay. And even then, it does not compare with more traditional games. As such, developers very rarely turn to Sic Bo, which means its selection is rather limited. This game is present both in the halls with real croupiers and in the slot machine sections, where combinations are made by RNG.
Pai Gow
Pai Gow is an ancient Chinese game of dominoes. It involves 32 tiles of Chinese dominoes divided into 8 stacks of 4 tiles each. One of these is for the dealer. Each player has to place their four tiles so that the numbers in both hands are higher than the numbers in the other hands. The player’s task is to win the bet with both hands. If he wins with both hands he is considered to have won the bet. If both hands lose, the player loses the bet. If either the front (strong hand) or backhand (weak hand) wins, only the player gets his bet back. This game is of great interest in the biggest land-based casinos in the world.
There is another type of Pai Gow. It was invented by Americans based on poker. It is in demand because its rules are simpler than the traditional Chinese game. It is Pai Gow poker that you will find more often in online casinos, both in the room with real croupiers and in the table games section. The reason for the popularity of the updated Chinese game is the higher odds of winning. There are only three outcomes in this game: win, lose, and draw. The odds of winning in this game are 25%.
There are 52 cards and 1 joker on the game table. Each player is dealt 7 cards. They must be dealt with in two hands – 5 cards in one hand and 2 cards in the other. A set of 5 cards must be stronger than a set of two cards. The player’s task is to win with both hands from the dealer. If the player and the dealer have the same value in both hands, the dealer wins. If one of the player’s hands wins and the other loses, a draw is declared.
Dragon Tiger
Dragon Tiger is initially a very simple game in its rules. However, it has dynamic gameplay, which is why it is loved. Going back to the game’s origins, it’s as easy to learn as possible. It accepts bets on Dragon, Tiger or a draw. However, thanks to the developers, the game has undergone some upgrades in this part. Today, any variant of Dragon Tiger accepts side bets.
Your hands are not directly involved in the game. A deck of 52 cards in total takes part in the game. On the screen, you will see one card each being dealt with the Dragon and the Tiger. You are required to guess whose card will win. The card with the higher value wins. In terms of card value, the lowest card is considered to be the Ace, the highest the King. The average RTP on such a bet is the highest and is 96-97%. If both Dragon and Tiger have equal card values, a draw is declared. In this case, the player gets back half of his bet. The RTP of a draw is the lowest and does not even reach 83%.
In addition to the Dragon/Tiger bet, there is the option to select additional bets. These are taken in parallel with the main bets. The theoretical return (RTP) on additional bets varies from game to game but is generally 90-93%. Of the additional bets in the game, there can be:
- Even/Odd Dragon
- Big/Small Dragon
- Red/Black
- Seven is not included in the winning bet on “Even/Odd Dragon”
- The seven is not included in the winnings of the Big/Small Dragon bet.
Dragon Tiger is designed for Live Casinos. In this case, the player is visually in a real casino and the cards are dealt by the dealer. It depends on him and the outcome of each round. However, online casinos also have games where the outcome depends not on the leader, but on the RNG.
Photo by Dylan Clifton on Unsplash
