Casinos in Odessa Ukraine
The Top Games to Play in Odessa Casinos
Everyone is aware of the basic games you can play in Odessa casinos and those in other parts of the world, such as video poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines. There is nothing wrong with playing these games as they are a lot of fun and also offer people opportunities of walking away with a significant amount of money. As a matter of fact, when you just take a look at the massive number of slot machines that are available on the casino floors, it seems as people have more than enough variety. However, it is undoubtedly fun to try something different every now and then.
Other than these commonly played games in Odessa casinos, you will also find some options that are not so widespread, but are also quite lucrative and offer entertainment opportunities. Listed below are some of the top games that you are not playing, but should add them to your list when you visit Odessa casinos:
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
A casino game that’s based on Texas hold’em, Ultimate Texas Hold’em is one of the options to explore in Odessa casinos. Rather than competing against the other players, you are going up against the house in this game. The basic concept behind this game is that you place an ante and a blind bet and you can raise only once after that. The earlier you decide to raise, the more money can be put into action. There is also an optional side bet available on trips. It doesn’t matter whether your hand loses or wins, this bet wins.
When you decide to play Ultimate Texas Hold’em in Odessa casinos, you will begin by placing your bets. Both you and the dealer will receive two face-down cards. You can take a look at your cards and decide if you wish to raise. Raising at this point in the game means placing an additional bet of 4 times the size of your ante. It is also possible to raise 3 times the ante. Whether you decide to raise or not, the flop is dealt by the dealer, which include three face-up cards that are used by you and the dealer both in the final poker hand.
If you didn’t raise before, you have the chance to raise 2x the ante. The last two cards are then dealt at the same time, which are the turn and the river. If you haven’t already raised, you now have two options, either fold or raise (the size of the ante). After you have made a decision, the dealer shows their cards and grades the hand. The dealer must have at least a pair to qualify and if they don’t, the ante bet pushes. If they do qualify and you have a better hand, then you win the ante.
The raises and blinds play regardless of the dealer qualifying or not. If the dealer boasts a better hand, you lose your raises and blinds, but if you are better off, you win. If you tie with the dealer, you push the blind bet and the raise.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em has quickly grown in popularity in Odessa casinos and it is worth a try. The crux strategy of the game is deciding when to raise.
- Pai Gow Poker
One of the best games that you can play in Odessa casinos when you are on a budget is Pai Gow Poker. You will lose less money when you are playing this game than when you do while playing other games in Odessa casinos. This is because a push is a common result and Pai Gow Poker is also a slow-paced game where you have to ‘set your hand’ in every round. You can think of this game as a combination of Poker and Pai Gow, which is basically a Chinese dominoes game.
This game is played with a dealer and involves a 53-card deck. The joker is also included, which basically acts as a wild card. Seven cards are given to the players, which have to be sorted into two hands; a two-card hand and a five-card hand. If both of your hands are able to beat both of the dealer’s hands, you will win the bet. But, if you lose both to the dealer, then you also lose the bet. If one hand wins and the other loses, then the hand is considered as a ‘push’.
To put it simply, a push is when you are able to get back your bet, but don’t receive any winnings. It is similar to a tie result. Like in the case of blackjack, the dealer cannot decide how to play their hand and they have to follow ‘the house way’. This means they have to hit any total of either 16 or lower. On the other hand, you are free to set the hand anyway you like. This means that Pai Gow Poker is essentially a game that involves strategy. As opposed to Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker is one of the oldest games that you can play in Odessa casinos. It was introduced back in 1985 and is a leisurely game where you don’t lose a lot of money.
- European Roulette
One of the most popular games in Odessa casinos is roulette, but one thing to understand about it is that it can be found in numerous variations and there is a dramatic difference in house edge. If you are playing American roulette, the house edge is around 5.26%, but changes are made where the European roulette wheel is concerned. This game boasts only one green 0 and this change can reduce the house edge to 2.70%. This means that when you decide to play European roulette in Odessa casinos, you have a higher chances of winning.
Furthermore, when you go over the rules of European roulette, you will discover that the house edge is reduced even more. This is because you will be playing with the ‘en prison’ rule in place, which is applicable to even money bets, like a bet on odd or even or black or red. When you have made these bets and the ball lands on the 0, you will not lose straight away. Instead, the bet will be ‘imprisoned’ until the wheel is spun again. If the ball lands on your bet this time, you can get your bet back. Otherwise, the house will get it.
As per these calculations, the house edge is only at 1.35% and it is a must-try when you go to Odessa casinos.
- Baccarat
Similar to roulette, blackjack and craps, one of the games that seem to have been around forever is Baccarat. It is highly popular in Odessa casinos, and high rollers in American casinos also enjoy indulging in this game. But, there are some gamblers who don’t go near the Baccarat tables, even though it doesn’t require any skills to play. One of the most vital things to know about baccarat is that it has a relatively low house edge, as compared to the other Odessa casino games.
As in the case of blackjack, players compare their hand with the banker’s hand in a game like baccarat for determining the winner. But, it is different from blackjack because you don’t make any decisions about your hand. You will receive your cards and the banker will receive his and whoever has the better total will be the winner. Another feature that distinguishes baccarat from blackjack is that it allows you to bet on the player or on the banker. In the latter, you only bet on your hand.
Baccarat is one of the Odessa casino games that are quite similar to betting on a coin toss. The primary thing that you should avoid at the baccarat table is betting on a tie because the house edge is 14%, so this bet is not really worth making. There was a time when baccarat was only exclusive to high rollers in Odessa casinos and elsewhere, but this has changed because of mini-baccarat. The betting limits are still on the high side, but it is a classic game that every gambler should try.
- Pick’em Poker
Amongst the Odessa casino games that you should try is Pick’em Poker, which is a kind of variation of video poker and is rather unusual. As compared to the other video poker games you will find in Odessa casinos, it has a lower house edge. One thing unusual about this game is that it is rather simple; most video poker games require you to decide whether you want to discard or keep each of five cards. But, you start with two cards when you decide to play Pick’em Poker in Odessa casinos.
You then receive two more cards and one of these two additional cards has to be discarded. You receive two more cards again and one of these has to be discarded, leaving you with a five-card hand. You will get paid on the value of the final hand. As long as you can find the right table for the game at Odessa casinos, you can enjoy a payback percentage of 99.95%. Even if you opt for an inferior table of Pick’em Poker, you can still get a payback of around 99%, as long as you have the best strategy.
- Three Card Poker
Another table game that you will find on Odessa casinos, which is similar to Poker, is known as Three Card Poker. However, it should be noted that it is not a real poker game and the primary difference is that you play it versus the dealer, instead of against other players. In this respect, Three Card Poker is similar to the first game mentioned above i.e. Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
You can begin the game by placing an ante bet and after getting your cards, you have to decide if you wish to continue with a ‘play’ bet. If you are not interested in placing the additional bet, you have the option to fold, which means you will forfeit your bet regardless of how your hand is in comparison to the dealer’s hand. It is essential for the dealer to have a queen or better, or else the hand will not play at all. In such a situation, play wagers are regarded as a push and even money is paid off by the ante wager.
But, if your hand is better than the dealer and they play, you will win, but if their hand beats yours, they will emerge as the winner. If there is a tie, it will result in a push. Another important thing that you should know about Three Card Poker is that the poker hand rankings are not the same as regular poker. They rank like this:
- Straight flush
- Three of a kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Pair
- High card
There are also optional side bets that featured in Three Card Poker, but these bets have a high house edge, so it is best not to place these bets.
Along with these games, there are some other options that you will also be able to explore at Odessa casinos. You can choose to try out Keno, which may have a high house edge, but if you win, you walk away with a big prize. Who doesn’t want that? You will also find other popular poker variants that you can check out, especially if you are a fan of poker. Rather than playing the standard game, you can give Caribbean Stud Poker a try where you will play against the house instead of the other players at the table. The payouts of this game will vary from casino to casino, so you can see what you can expect from the Odessa casinos you plan on visiting.
You can play some of the commonly played games, along with these different versions when you go to Odessa casinos to keep things interesting and intriguing for yourself.