Popular Card Games around the World

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From time immemorial, Card games have been the center of attraction in the gaming world. They were quite prominent among the soldiers during World War I, and until now, they’ve not lost their charm. Card games are used in casinos for high-stake betting games. Considering all these factors, we can conclude that they’ve beaten all odds.

Google Trends data indicate that searches increase every year, especially during holidays. However, their popularity has exceeded the limits in 2020, given that the searches have increased by 112% in March and May.

The unexpected card game’s popularity resulted from the lockdown induced following the Coronavirus outbreak. People could not move around, and card games became their only consolation. This explains the sudden increase in card game searches.

Popularity Contest of the Card Games

Google search data highlights the 10 most prominent card games globally. Besides, there is a prediction regarding upcoming games that will rule the gaming world, just like the classics.

According to that data, Blackjack has more fans, but it’s facing stiff competition from other games such as Teen Patti, a game that has already started extending its roots into other 2 countries apart from India its origin. If the research conducted is anything to go by, Teen Patti will be played worldwide by 2025. Below is the ranking for Popular Card games across the globe;

This list has been created following the information revealed by Google trends data on Card games.

  1. Stud

Stud poker games rule the card games world with the current popularity of 91%. Nevertheless, popularity has decreased by 5%, as it was 95% in 2015. Stud poker’s future is not as bright as it seems because its future popularity percentage stands at 87%.

  1. Blackjack

The blackjack game is a force to reckon with among the card games. It’s already in 14 countries, hence loved by many players across the world. 5 years ago, it had percentage popularity of 55%. It has continued to attract more attention, with its current popularity percentage standing at 58%. Its popularity is projected to hit 60% by 2025.

  1. Teen Patti

Teen Patti refers to three cards. The game has its roots in India. This card game almost resembles 3 Card Brag British game. It uses an international 52 card park, and the ranking is in the usual order from high to low. At least 4-7 players can play the game. By 2025, Teen Patti will be a worldwide card game, according to the current research. 5 years ago, this game had a popularity of 35%, and its current popularity stands at 53%. However, by 2025, the popularity is projected to be 91%.

  1. Poi Gow Poker

Poi Gow Poker has not been left behind. In fact, it’s among the card games whose popularity is increasing at a ground-breaking speed. For instance, in 2015, it had 37% popularity, the current rate is 47%, while in 2025, the popularity rate is predicted to be 57%.

  1. Baccarat

Baccarat is one of the most loved card games. Its popularity has tripled in a short while from 11% to 45%. The Baccarat card game is promising and expected to hit 71% by 2025.

  1. 3 Card Poker

5 years back, 3 Card Poker had a popularity of 39%. The current popularity is 38%. Unfortunately, the current figure is predicted to fall by 1% within the next 5 years.

  1. Let it ride

Let it ride is gradually fading, having decreased its popularity from 51% to 35% within 5 years. According to Google search data, let it ride popularity will continue to decrease up to about 21% by 2025.

  1. Omoha

Omoha is a great card game and requires tons of action plus top-level strategy. It resembles Texas Hold’em, not to mention that it’s easy to play. Nevertheless, its popularity is decreasing from 46% to 35% within 5 years. By 2025, the percentage is projected to be 24%.

  1. Texas Holdem

Texas Holdem is an exciting card game, but it may soon become one of the things we used to know. Its future popularity percentage is 18%, while the current percentage is 35% from 52% in 2015. This game is available in only 2 countries.

  1. Jokers Wild

Jokers wild card game is the least in the top ten lists. Its highest popularity percentage was 14%, and it’s predicted to be 8% in the next 5 years. Currently, the percentage rate is 11%.

Amarillo Slim

amarillo_slim-300x198A Brief Introduction

Amarillo Slim, was born in 1928 and known as Thomas Austin Preston Jr. He played Poker professionally and was notorious for his larger than life character and witty remarks during gameplay. His visual trademark was the wearing of a giant Stetson hat.

Amarillo Slim’s career as a gambler.

Amarillo Slim became famous in 1970 with the advent of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, featuring his favourite game, Texas Hold’em. As a result of both his initial interest but also his dedication and ability, he won millions.  Not only did poker bring him riches, but also the opportunity of play it against President Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Pablo Escobar, the notorious Columbian drug lord. Quite a mix!

In addition to that,  the famous country singer Willie Nelson was defeated by him in dominoes where he won $300,000, proving that he could turn his hand to other games. It doesn’t end there – as the colourful character also won a table tennis match where he used frying pans and coke bottles for paddles. To call Slim a non-conventional gambler would be an understatement. Larry Flynt, the publisher of a well known adult magazine, played against Amarillo Slim too. Perhaps predictably Flynt went on to lose  $2,000,000 in a poker game against Slim.

It’s certainly fascinating by modern standards that someone in every day life made such an impression and worked their way into positions where they were playing poker  (and dominoes!) against celebrities, politicians and drug lords. There are aspects of course of it being a different era. In modern times the likes of onlinecasinobluebook.com often make playing casino games such as poker and blackjack something that is instantly available on any electronic device going, rather than a ‘place’ you have to go. I suppose that’s the modern age distilled really; the option to either have the experience of old, or fast track it in the here and now.

Amarillo Slim was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992 and has competed in tournaments worldwide. This five-time Poker World Series winner also appeared in a movie called “All In”, a Poker Movie which was released in 2012 – also the year he passed away at the age of 83.

Final thoughts

Amarillo Slim is regarded as the greatest gambler of all time. He won bets in pool halls and on rivers, jail cells, and golf courses during his rich (in all senses of the word) gambling career. The man insisted he was not a compulsive gambler but a professional Poker player. According to his words in a book he published, he said that he didn’t specifically look for suckers. “Whenever I see a champion, I make a sucker out of him.”  Slim consistently argued that knowing the odds is the key to winning. To him this applied both to casino games and also to sports betting, where of course there can be numerous variables at play at any given time.  “It helps to know something other people don’t know.” he once said in an interview with NPR’s Scott Simon.