Table Games

Casino games played at a table as opposed to a machine.

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When people think of casino gambling, they are likely to think of table games. A table game is a game played at a casino table, usually with a dealer or dealers present. Poker, blackjack, craps and roulette are just the most famous examples of table games.

While table games like poker and blackjack get the attention, machine games actually make more money for the casino. Machine games like slot machines and video poker machines are estimated to bring in between 70% and 80% of the profits for modern casinos.

Table games and machine games tend to attract two different sorts of gamblers. Table games are more social, because there is a dealer present and often numerous other players. Games like poker bring out the competitive side of a casino gambler, because the poker player is playing against live opponents and other casino patrons. They players can talk and interact with other people, matching wits against their opponents.

Blackjack does not pit two casino customers against one another, but the player matches up against a live opponent in the form of the blackjack dealer. Craps, on the other hand, encourages camaraderie, since players tend to make the same wagers on the dice rolls, and therefore cheer one another one to wins or console one another in losses. Of course, players can play the villain and bet against their fellow craps players, which makes life interesting around the craps table. Either way, players socialize with one another while playing.

Machine games, on the other hand, tend to be more private affairs. While a slots player might talk to the player at the adjacent slot machine, this is less common and sometimes impossible (if the slots area isn't filled up). What's more, many players want to avoid other gamblers and enjoy a quite game of slots or video poker, so they avoid the tables games in lieu of game versus a machine.