The Best Casino Table Games In New Zealand.

Gambling has been practised for centuries. In fact, it’s been practised before written history. And dates as far back as the Paleolithic period.   Viewed by many as the world’s favourite pastime, and in terms of revenue spend it exceeds the amount of money spent on fast food, music, and movies annually in many cases. Gambling is a favourite pastime for many around the world. Of which New Zealand is also a major hub. New Zealanders love their gambling. And casino table games are quite popular among New Zealanders.      

Blackjack

Blackjack is extremely popular with New Zealanders and its popularity continues to grow and its been around for many centuries. Throughout the year’s blackjack has evolved. It’s commonly believed that blackjack started in France in the 18th century. It was played extensively in the courts of Louis XV and was referred to like 21 which is Vingt-et-Un or Vingt-Un in french. There were some slight differences to today’s modern-day form of blackjack. For example, dealers weren’t allowed to double down and bets couldn’t be placed with every card but getting as close to 21 as possible without going over was the same premise. Other games can be traced back even further, that influenced the creation of blackjack like the Italian Sette e Mezzo, Spanish Trent-Un, and the French Quinze. But the game of Vingt-et-Unstarted made its way to America and quickly spread throughout northern America and started to be referred to as 21. It was highly popularized in Nevada when it was legislated in 1931. The name was eventually changed to blackjack when the rules for the game of 21 changed. Payout odds increased 10 to 1 if a hand contained an ace of spades for instance. Online casinos eventually began to expand rapidly as online casino play became more popular. Online casinos started launching in the mid-90s and the popularity of blackjack followed suit. Blackjack is now one of the most popular table games played in New Zealand.    

Poker

Poker dates as far back as 1000 years. In the Civil War Poker was played by both the North and South. Poker is a game where the player must fold, call the bet, or raise the bet. North America is probably where it’s most popular but it’s played extensively in New Zealand as well. It was initially viewed as shady and dangerous by many New Zealanders, this was a result, in large part, because of how it was portrayed in Hollywood. The arrival of the WSOP in the 70s eventually changed many New Zealander’s perceptions of the game. It stopped being viewed as a game played in smoke-filled, shady rooms, occupied by nefarious and unscrupulous characters. In 1994 New Zealand’s first-ever casino “Christ Church Casino” opened in New Zealand. It became instantly popular because it gave New Zealanders an option to play poker in a comfortable clean environment which was a far cry from the kitchen table environment many were accustomed to. Poker’s popularity in New Zealand exploded with the advent of online poker play. New Zealanders were given the option to improve their skills through free online play which made them better players and developed an increased desire to compete with others online all over the world. Texas Holdem is probably the most popular form of poker in New Zealand, it became the most popular form of play when the WSOP hit the screens. Video poker is another form of poker that’s popular among New Zealanders because it teaches poker basics and also offers a way to transition into other forms of poker.  Recently versions like five-card draw, and three-card poker, have become increasingly popular with New Zealanders.  

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Roulette

Roulette is probably of French origin considering the name. But the gameplay is more European and similar to two other games that were quite popular in Europe in the 17th century. Betting on the outcome of a spinning wheel was the premise. Considering it was illegal in many European countries at that time it wasn’t that popular for those reasons. Strict gambling laws were eventually passed in the 18th century. This led to the resurgence of gambling in  France and certain parts of Europe. European settlers eventually exported Roulette to America in the 19th century.  But the 5.26% house edge angered many players because of low earnings and hampered roulette from gaining popularity in America. Roulette presently is fairly popular in New Zealand but is probably one of the least popular table games in New Zealand. The reason roulette is probably not more popular is that there are no real strategies to beat it and it is exclusively a game of chance. But it still holds interest for many players because the suspense of watching the wheel spin without really knowing where it will fall holds a certain allure for most players. There are many forms of roulette that are popular in New Zealand. Such as Multi Roulette, Mini Roulette, Live Roulette, European Roulette, American Roulette, and French Roulette.

Roulette has been around as far back as the 1700s. In the American roulette version, for example, the payout doesn’t change even though the 00 pocket has been added to the wheel but the house edge jumps to 5.26%. In comparison, the French Roulette version has only the 0 pocket so even chance betters have some of the best odds while playing online roulette. Consequently, only half your money is paid back when losing on red or black even chance bets. Strangely enough, European Roulettes house edge is just 2.7% and it also has only the 0 pocket. While Live roulette, for example, offers a trained croupier by way of a technologically advanced video cam connection while using real equipment. This offers the player the ability to clearly see everything that’s transpiring right in front of them.   Before the dealer starts spinning the wheel you place your bets by clicking on the table. In the world of online casinos, Mini roulette is a popular method of play as well. The Mini roulette wheel has only 13 slots, 6 Black, and  6 Red,  and just one 0 pocket. It’s an option that comes in handy if you are under time constraints or interested in something different. These are the most popular table games in New Zealand. With Roulette probably ranking lower in terms of popularity because players are essentially at the mercy of the wheel because there is no real way to develop effective strategies to beat or win against it. Poker and Blackjack may be the most popular because of the many different strategies that can be developed to increase the player’s chances of winning. The prospect of the increased likelihood of winning, as a result of strategizing, normally results in increased player participation. Table games have been played for centuries in different countries, and New Zealand. And their popularity with New Zealanders only continues to grow.