The number of Arabic gamblers is on the rise. This is largely due to more relaxed legislation in some countries with traditionally strict gambling rules. While Arabic gamblers do enjoy a variety of games at online casinos, you’ll find more than a fair number dabbling in card games. On this page, we want to take a look at some of the most popular card games among Arabic gamblers at online casinos.
- Blackjack
Head to any online casino targeting Arabic customers and you’ll almost certainly find blackjack pushed incredibly hard. Blackjack is so popular among Arabic customers that many online casinos now offer live blackjack online in Arab casinos, and it will be available in Arabic. It is rare for other live dealer games to be available in anything other than English. That goes to show just how popular this game is.
Part of the reason why blackjack is so well-known due to the simplicity of the game. The rules are simple – beat the dealer by getting a value closer to 21, but not going over. The player has limited options in what they can do with their cards, and to some extent, there is strategy involved (although this strategy is not infallible). Gamblers can get through a few hands of blackjack incredibly quickly, and a good betting strategy may help a player come close to breaking even.
- Baccarat
Baccarat is another simple game that is well-liked by Arab gamblers. While you will find some live dealer rooms offering baccarat, a lot of people prefer to play the more traditional online casino version of the game as it plays a lot faster.
With baccarat, the goal is to bet on which hand will be closer to 9; the dealer’s or the player’s. So, it’s simple. If the sum of the two cards dealt to the dealer and the player goes over 9, then only the second number counts (so, the total can never be over 9, no matter what). In rare cases, a third card will be dealt, which can shake things up a little bit.
One of the great things about baccarat is that the house edge is fairly low. Throughout Asia and the Middle East, it is often a firm favorite among the higher rolling gamblers, although this is a game that lends itself particularly well to a bit of low rolling too.
You will find a few variants of the game, but the more traditional baccarat will be the most popular version.
- Texas Hold’em poker
There are a few variants of online poker. However, it is the Texas Hold’em variant that dominates both Arabic casinos and casinos worldwide. The game does involve a lot more strategy than the other two card games that we’ve mentioned, but some people thrive on that.
Texas Hold’em poker (and poker in general, for that matter) is one of the rare card games where you could, feasibly, win with the worst possible hand. You just need to do a brilliant job at convincing people that your hand is better than it is (known as bluffing).
The rules for Texas Hold’em poker are quite simple, although this is a game that can take a lifetime to master. There are so many intricacies when it comes to reading potential card combinations and other players. You could lose with the best possible hand if you don’t know how to read the other players, for instance.
Some online casinos may have a variant of the game where you don’t play against other players, but you play against the house. Technically, the rules are the same. The game will play out the same. However, you don’t get the full thrill of playing poker since there isn’t any interaction with the other players. Still, if you want the game to play a bit faster, then this might be the option to go for.
- Teen Patti
Teen Patti is a card game that is only really found in Middle Eastern countries. You won’t find it anywhere else around the world. This means it can be tough to find the game online. Still, options do exist.
You can think of Teen Patti as a simplified version of poker. Each player is dealt three cards (face down, only visible to the player dealt the cards), and each player takes turns to place bets based on what they think the strength of their hand is. Players can fold, increase bets, ask for a showdown etc.
You can find live dealer versions of the game, as well as a whole host of other variants of Teen Patti. These variants play out in much the same way, just with a twist here and there.
- Final thoughts
Arabic gamblers love their card games, so it is no surprise that so many online casinos are pushing them now. Whether you try out blackjack, baccarat or something else, we are positive that you’ll have a whole lot of fun – once you’ve found a decent online casino, at least.