Casinos often carry the same types of games. Slots are the most popular. Other typical games include video poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette. Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em are also common games.
Some games are limited to regional markets. These are typically table games. However, it may sometimes be types of machines.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant dealt by many East Coast casinos. It uses 48-card decks because the 10s are removed. Jacks, queens, and kings remain and are worth the usual 10 points. This causes strategy changes and fewer dealer busts.
Bonus hands are added to the game. Five or more cards that equal 21, 777, and 678 are related to Spanish 21 bonus payouts. The 678 and 777 hands pay more when suited.
Casinos across the East Coast deal this game, including ones in Connecticut, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. By contrast, only one Las Vegas casino deals Spanish 21, and they don’t even call it that. Venetian deals the clone called Bahama Bonus.
Criss Cross Poker
Criss Cross Poker is a poker pit game. It usually has a $5 minimum bet because it requires so many raises. Criss Cross Poker is all over East Coast casinos. However, it failed four times in Las Vegas. It has been dealt at Planet Hollywood, Linq, Strat, and Golden Nugget, in that order. There was never more than one Las Vegas table at a time. It is no longer available in Las Vegas or other regional Western markets.
Players start with equal Ante Across and Ante Down bets. Players get two cards. Five community cards are placed in the center. There is no dealer hand. Payouts are based on the hand’s strength. There is no house hand to beat. Players may raise one to three times the Ante Across or Ante Down spots. Three raise opportunities exist, one each on the Across, Down, and Middle spots as community cards are exposed. The player must fold if the raise is not made.
A pair of sixes to tens push. Players win with a pair of jacks or higher. Larger hands have bigger payouts.
Four Card Poker Versus Crazy 4 Poker
Four Card Poker is dealt at many East Coast casinos. Crazy 4 Poker is available in other parts of the country. The games are slightly different.
In Four Card Poker, players may bet the Ante, the Aces Up bets, or both. Players get five cards, while the dealer gets six. Both play their best four cards. This gives the house the advantage of winning more hands, mostly offset by the player being able to raise the Ante up to three times.
In Crazy 4 Poker, both the player and dealer receive five cards. Ante and Super Bonus bets are both required. A Play bet is required to stay in the game. It is equal to the Ante when the player has a hand lower than a pair of aces. A pair of aces and higher allows a Play bet of up to three times the Ante. The dealer needs king-high to open. If the dealer fails to qualify, the Ante pushes, and the other bets remain in action. The Super Bonus bet pays on a straight or better.
Mississippi Stud, Cajun Stud, and Louisiana Stud
Mississippi Stud, Cajun Stud, and Louisiana Stud play exactly the same. The only difference is the side bet. Mississippi Stud is often the name at Western casinos, with the other names used in Midwest and East Coast casinos. However, there is no real pattern to the name usage. The decision is usually based on licensing fees.
Two cards are dealt to each player. Three community cards are placed in the center. The dealer does not get a hand as payouts are based on its strength. There is no house hand to beat.
Players start the betting with an Ante. Betting rounds are available after the deal and after the first and second community cards are exposed, requiring a total of 10 bets to account for maximum raises and the Ante. Raises may be one to three times the Ante. If the player does not raise, the hand is folded. A pair of sixes to tens is a push. A pair of jacks or higher wins. Larger hands have bigger payouts.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker is one of the original poker pit games. It was last dealt in Las Vegas in 2020. It disappeared from other Western casino markets before that. A handful of East Coast casinos still deal the game.
The concept is simple. An Ante is placed. Players and the dealer receive five cards. One dealer card is face-up. Players decide to raise double the Ante or fold. The dealer qualifies with ace-king high or better. If the dealer fails to qualify, the Raise bets push. The Ante stays in action. The Raise pays even money for winning hands of less than a pair. The Raise bet pays according to a fixed paytable, up to 100/1 for a royal flush. Many tables also offer an optional progressive jackpot side bet.
Pot of Gold machines are still popular in the South
Pot of Gold machines were offered by a handful of tribal casinos throughout the U.S. The machines were very popular in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia when video poker was legal across those states. Today, these machines are largely extinct outside of the two Harrah’s Cherokee properties in North Carolina, and some day cruises that leave ports in the Southeast for a few hours into international waters.
The most popular games on Pot of Golds are keno and Shamrock 7’s. The keno games are unique as there is a minor skill element on most machines. Players are asked if they would like to double their bet after 10 of the 20 balls drop. Keno games have progressives.
Shamrock 7’s is a Joker Poker game where a special bonus is awarded when the player makes three, four, or five sevens. This hand, which includes a full house with three sevens, triggers a bonus round where three pots of gold are displayed. The player picks one, and a prize is awarded. Any five of a kind wins the progressive jackpot when the proper number of coins are wagered. Pot of Gold machines also have slots and other video poker titles.
Joker Poker
Speaking of Joker Poker, it is a much more popular game on the East Coast than in Western markets. The games are also a little different. East Coast Joker Poker games usually start at two pair as the bottom payout and have equal jackpots for five of a kind and a royal flush. Western casinos usually have the kings or better version with only a royal flush as the main jackpot.
For examples of slots with regional popularity, check out our separate article on them here!
