What Casino Games do Asian Players play the Most?

Contrary to popular belief, gambling is big in Asia. In Japan, nearly every anime film features casino themes. In China, Macau is the new entertainment capitol of the world after overtaking Las Vegas a decade ago.

Throughout the continent of Asia, there are plenty of unique casino games people have been playing for ages. Many of these games are available at leading Asian online casinos. Let’s get started.

 1—Baccarat

James Bond’s favorite casino game, baccarat, isn’t just popular in Las Vegas. It is the most dominant game in Macau. Baccarat helps Macau casinos generate up to 70% of their revenues per year.

Elsewhere around the world, slots are the most dominant casino games, including in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Europe. So, how did baccarat win over Macau? For one, it is wealthy gamblers from mainland China who love this game.

Secondly, baccarat is a simple game to play. It uses regular poker cards. But you have to rely on cards whose face value are 2-9. Face cards like queens and kings count as zero while ace cards count as one. The objective is to get a hand of nine.

Unlike most casino games, you can bet on three outcomes in baccarat: banker, player and draw. The banker hand has the lowest house edge at 1.06%, the player comes in second at 1.24% while ties have the worst odds at 14.36%.

2—Pai Gow & Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow is a traditional Chinese game that works like dominoes. It features four tiles with eight dominoes each. It is one of the most popular casino games in Macau, the Philippines and Singapore. Lately, you can also play Pai Gow in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

To win a Pai Gow game, you need to form two hands known as the front hand and the rear hand. The goal is to beat a dealer at both hands. If one of your hands lose to the dealer, it’s treated as a push—a draw.

Pai Gow poker is a blend of Pai Gow and poker. Sam Torosian, owner of the Bell Card Club in Las Vegas, is believed to have created the first Pai Gow poker game in 1985.

This game uses the standard 52-card deck. It features six players who compete to defeat a casino dealer. You need to strong hands to win: one hand made up of five cards and a second hand made up of two cards. 

3—Sic Bo

Depending on where you find this game, it might be called tai sai, dai siu, hi-lo or Sic Bo. Regardless, it’s the same game first played in China and now available in both Asia and the West.

Sic Bo is a game of dice. As such, it purely based on chance. All the same, below are some of the outcomes you can bet on. Keep in mind the dealer rolls three dice:

• Big—the total score the three dice will range from 11 to 17.
• Small—the score will range from 4 to 10.
• Odd/even—the total score will be an odd or even number
• Specific Triple—The three dice will have the same outcome
• Specific double—two of the three dice will have a specific number

4—Pachinko

In Japan, they have an arcade a game that resembles pinballs known as Pachinko. The goal is to catch the pinballs once they are thrown into a pachinko machine. Because gambling is restricted in Japan, players get prizes instead of money after they win this game.

5—Slot Machines

Pachinko might be a great alternative for slots in Japan. But in most parts of Asia, slots are more popular. In fact, slots are pretty dominant in Japan too, with developers winning the populace with Asian-inspired themes:

• Sakura Fortune
• 88 Fortunes
• Koi Princess
• 100 Pandas
• Hong Bao

As we mentioned earlier, slots are the most successful casino games in most parts of the world. They are attractive by design. They are easy to play and they promise huge profits.

Now, not all slots can turn you into a millionaire. And not all games are fun to play. If you want a slot that pays out generously, try progressive jackpots. If you want fun slots, get in touch with video slots.

6—Poker

In the table game space, few games capture gamblers’ attention the way poker does. Most people who fall in love with poker don’t care about other casino games. They dedicate all their efforts to become excellent poker players.

Speaking of which, poker is one of those games that’s less about luck and more about skills. Take Texas Hold’em as an example. After you receive your first two cards in the pre-flop stage, whether you win or lose depends on how you play it out.

Some people leap, meaning they raise their blinds (bets) by too much. This tactic can scare opponents to fold. But it’s rarely recommended. After the flop, most players usually know their prospects of winning. As such, some will go all-in with their bets. Others fold while some play it safe.

7—Roulette

Casino players all over the world love roulette for several reasons. It is one of the simplest games online. It’s also a fun game to play with friends. No skills needed. No experience required.

You decide how much money to risk. And you pick a roulette bet:

• Straight Number
• Black/Red
• Odd/Even
• Dozen Bets
• Corner Bets
• Doubles and Triples

Every bet type has a specific house edge and payout. For example, a black/red bet pays 1 to 1 and the odds are 48% in European roulette and 47% in American roulette. 

8—Blackjack

In some parts of the world, blackjack is considered a royal game. Unlike poker, you compete against the house and not your fellow players. You play against a dealer. 

The goal is to defeat this dealer in producing a hand of 21. If you win, you get paid 3:2 or 6:5. In some blackjack variants like perfect pairs, you could also get paid 30 to 1 or 1 to 1 depending on the outcome of your cards. 

This is a paid guest post.