Online Gambling: A Word or Two About Game Variations

Online casino games come in various forms. One of the best things about playing online is the fact that there is a lot more room for games of all kinds than there would be at even the largest of the land-based casino ventures. That is, naturally, because the games in the online atmosphere are "virtual."

There is a result from this, which is that you can experience a number of variations on the same game when you venture online to play it. Of course, sometimes it doesn't really look like the same game when another version of it is played.

Let's take the game of blackjack, for example. You can play the conventional version (if one can call it that), which essentially resembles that which is played in a Las Vegas casino. There are some software companies, such as Microgaming, where you can play the Atlantic City version of the game or the European version. However, there are also more radical departures from this. One of them is called "Double Exposure Blackjack" or as far as some software providers are concerned,. "Face Up 21," which is the game where the player can see both of the house's cards before making a playing decision, rather than just one.

The thing about a game like this is that even though it looks as if you are getting the opportunity for a big edge on one end, you wind up giving it away on another end. In the Double Exposure game, the house is going to win all ties, with the exception of when both of you have a blackjack (a tow-card 21), so right there you are sacrificing something that is valuable, since you are going to have a "push" (tie) in blackjack about 8% of the time. There also other little edges you are going to give up. The blackjacks you receive will be paid at even money, instead of 3-to-2, as you would find in other versions, and much of the time the house will hit with a soft 17 (that is, a hand with an Ace and a six) and that is never going to be to your advantage.

All of a sudden, it doesn't look like it's all that big a deal when you can see both of the house's cards, does it?

In a way, it depends on what you are looking for out of a game. There are some people who just want to spice up their life with something different, and frankly, there is nothing wrong with that. But if you are looking for better chances to win, and think it's going to come the easy way, you may want to put a little more thought into it.