There are many card games that have developed over the years. They can be played at home, with friends, online, on the PC and also in casinos. By far, blackjack and poker are the most popular casino card games.
Another name for blackjack is twenty one. The reason for the name is that the object of the game is bringing the total hand value as close as possible to 21 without exceeding it. Each player draws cards to an initial two card hand with twenty one as their objective value. If ones hand value is greater than twenty one, they lose the game. If it is lower, they can either take another card form the dealer or stay. It is played with a deck of fifty two cards or several decks of the same number of cards.
Poker is a game that has been in existence for a long time, originally with male players. From the twentieth century it has become very popular, and even has large audiences and tournaments. There are many variants of this game.
They both involve betting. However, for recreational playing among friends, bets are not placed. Since they are popular the world over, most casinos have them available since many people understand the rules and game play.
Some people play them not only for recreation, but also as a source of income. They involve a lot of strategy and planning, and because of this players who have played for a long time are better than new ones.
Since they have been around for a long time, techniques of cheating or ensuring a win have developed. In blackjack, some players gain advantage by way of counting. They train to count cards, and after more than one deal, they are able to anticipate which cards have not been dealt and to use this information to benefit them. The act of counting is banned in most casinos.
In the case of poker, good players learn to read the emotions and facial expressions of their opponents to gauge what kind of hand they have. This is not illegal. However, some people bluff. This is when they pretend to have a better hand than they actually have by placing a high bet. The other participants are then swayed into not placing equal bets, which causes the bluffer to win that round.
Although there are numerous cards games out there, these two are the most popular. Professional gamblers have formed a blackjack hall of fame. There are also published materials on how to play or about the game itself that have been written and or influenced by players.