Asian Casino Games – Top 5 Asian Gambling Games You Can Play With Live Dealers

Before we start dissecting the games themselves, we have to answer a simple question – what are Asian casino games, exactly?

Technically, any game played in an Asian casino falls into this category. However, this vague definition was not enough for the LiveCasinos.com team. After all, baccarat and roulette are still the most popular table games in Asian casinos, both online and offline. However, we hesitate to call baccarat an Asian casino game. Despite its massive popularity throughout the continent, baccarat clearly originates in Europe and is too widespread and universal to truly be called Asian.

As such, our look at the allure of Asian casino games only considers games that actually originate from an Asian country (to the best of our knowledge.) Of course, you should take this statement with a grain of salt. Many of these games are ancient, and no exact point or time of origin is known. Also, the rules and specifics of these games have changed over the years, collecting all sorts of influences.

In that sense, the term ‘Asian’ is used to refer to style instead of geographic origin. Still, it’s a useful description, as you’ll see in our list.

Secondly, every game we present in this article has to be available as a live casino game. Live casino games bring the authenticity of real-life casinos directly to your screen, offering the best way to play table games online. As you may have guessed, that’s what we focus on here on LiveCasinos.com, so that’s what this list is all about as well. If you’re not sure what live dealer games are or how they work, you can find more information in this guide.

Most Popular Asian Casino Games in Live Casinos

The list below is an overview of the best Asian gambling games you can play live right now. We based our picks on our comprehensive collection of live casino game reviews, ensuring every game is actually playable in live dealer format.

Sic Bo

One of the true veterans of Chinese culture, the traditional dice game called Sic Bo has existed for thousands of years. The game’s fast pace, exciting ruleset, and wealth of options have ensured it’s a mainstay of most modern online casino sites. Extremely popular in Asian casinos and an important part of the Chinese identity, Sic Bo is a must-play for anyone who really wants to experience East Asian gambling.

What is Sic Bo?

Sic Bo is an exciting dice game with roots in ancient China. Thanks to Chinese immigrants, it became popular in the USA in the early 20th century, and now you can play live Sic Bo online from basically anywhere in the world. Its name translates to “dice pair,” and it combines the luck of rolling dice with the thrill of dynamic betting.

The goal of the game is to predict the outcome of a single roll of three dice. Players can make all sorts of bets in Sic Bo, ranging from the sum total of all three dice to specific outcomes, pairs, or combinations.

The appeal of Sic Bo lies in its simplicity and the variety of betting options, making it an excellent choice for both newcomers looking for an easy-to-understand game and experienced players who enjoy challenging gameplay.

How to Play Sic Bo

The base gameplay loop of live Sic Bo involves two stages – betting and action.

During the betting phase, players can make any number of bets on a large, intricate betting table. Simply select the size of your stake and click on the wager you wish to make.

The action is even simpler – the dealer shakes the dice and reveals the results. In live dealer Sic Bo, an automated shaker throws the actual dice. This ensures absolute fairness and removes any possibility of the dealer controlling the dice.

Bets you can make in Sic Bo include, but are not limited to:

• Small/Big bets predict whether the sum of all three dice is bigger or smaller than 10.
• Odd/Even bets predict whether the sum of all 3 dice will be odd or even.
• Total predicts the exact value of all 3 dice.
• Singlewins if at least one of the dice shows the number you selected.
• Double bets win if at least two dice show the selected number.
• Tripleonly wins if all three dice show the number you chose.
• Any Triplewins if all three dice show the same number as one another, regardless of which number it is.
• Combination bets predict a specific combination of two numbers.

If you want to find out more about the basics of Sic Bo, check out our tutorial. For advanced information, make sure to also read our Sic Bo strategy guide and our collection of tips and tricks.

Sic Bo Odds and Payouts

The payouts, probability, and house advantage of Sic Bo vary from bet to bet. Some bets have higher RTP than others, making them more suitable for beginners. However, playing this game is all about managing risk and rewards, which means you need to be aware of the stats of every bet in Sic Bo. The table below will help with that.

Unlike most other casino games, Sic Bo does not have standardized odds. This means that different casinos and software providers sometimes offer different odds, which directly impacts how profitable the game is. Make sure to check the in-game paytable before committing your money.

Best Available Live Dealer Tables

Sic Bo’s popularity ensures that most major live casino software providers have at least one table in their collection. There are dozens of different variants of live casino Sic Bo out there, but here are some of our top picks:

• Live Sic Bo from Ezugi – A classic take on the game with solid payouts, great visuals, and multi-language support. A great pick if you just want the classic game with no extra frills.
• Sic Bo by Pragmatic Play – Another standard version with top-tier graphics. It offers best-in-class odds for most classic bets, which makes it the perfect choice for strategy-oriented players.
• Lightning Sic Bo by Evolution – An innovative variant of the game inspired by the mega-successful Lightning Roulette. It introduces random multipliers that can massively increase payouts at the cost of lower base rewards. The multipliers can affect any bet in the game, which is why we consider it to be superior to the more popular Super Sic Bo.
• Sic Bo Deluxe by Playtech – Another supped-up version with extra multipliers, Sic Bo Deluxe looks great and offers a great hybrid gaming experience.

Dragon Tiger

Dragon Tiger embodies everything that is considered characteristic of Asian casino games: fast pace, solid odds, and a focus on chance over skill. Initially confined to Macau’s spectacular venues, various technological advancements made live Dragon Tiger a hot commodity in the online gaming space.

What is Dragon Tiger?

Dragon Tiger is a type of simple casino game that’s vaguely based on popular classics like Baccarat or even Hi-Lo. It’s incredibly straightforward – you can learn how to play it and all of the basic rules in a matter of seconds. This makes live dragon tiger games very exciting and dynamic. However, players who want more depth and strategy in their betting games should probably look elsewhere.

The goal of Dragon Tiger is simply to predict which of two cards will be higher. That’s pretty much it. The gameplay itself is reminiscent of a simple, faster game of baccarat.

The main advantages of live Dragon Tiger are its speed, simplicity, and excitement. You can pick it up and play at any moment – you don’t even have to pay a lot of attention, which may be a nice perk for mobile casino players.

On the other hand, this can get repetitive very quickly. Main betting options are limited, and there’s not a lot of strategy or decision-making involved. That said, most Dragon Tiger tables spice things up with additional side bets.

How to Play Dragon Tiger

In Dragon Tiger, the dealer draws two cards in every round. They place them on two table positions – Dragon and Tiger. Whichever card has the higher rank wins.

Your goal is to predict whether the Dragon card or the Tiger card will be higher. Simply place the stake you wish to wager on the betting position of your choice, and your bet will be active in the next round.

If your chosen card wins, you win 1:1. If not, you lose the whole stake. If you bet on Dragon or Tiger but the result is a Tie, you get half of your stake back.

The main Dragon and Tiger bets are virtually identical. They offer the same payout and have the exact same chance of winning, so pick whichever one seems right at the moment. This stands in contrast to baccarat, where the main Player and Banker bets have different odds.

Alternatively, you can also bet on a Tie, which wins if the two cards are of the same rank. Like in baccarat, the Tie bet has a huge house edge and is best avoided in most situations.

Most Dragon Tiger live casino tables also spice things up by adding more betting options in the form of side bets. These additional wagers predict various aspects of the upcoming round and cards but are not directly related to the main bets.

You can find a more detailed guide and step-by-step instructions in our Dragon Tiger tutorial. Advanced information is available in our strategy guide and our collection of tips and tricks for Dragon Tiger.

Dragon Tiger Odds and Payouts

The game’s simplicity means that you don’t have a lot of stats and figures to worry about. Dragon and Tiger bets are functionally identical, so picking between the two is a matter of your gut feeling (in other words, luck.)

The RTP rate of the Tie bet is not a typo – it’s just that bad (something that baccarat players are all too familiar with.)

As such, the choice boils down to either Dragon or Tiger. These bets are completely statistically equal. Make sure you don’t fall for the classic Gabler’s fallacy here – there are no situations in which Dragon is more likely to win than Tiger, or vice versa. The results of previous rounds do not impact the outcome in any way, shape, or form.

Best Available Live Dealer Tables

Dragon Tiger is not a massively popular game in online casino sites, but it’s still fairly commonplace. Most providers and sites offer at least a table or two, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one.

Here are our picks for the best Dragon Tiger games in live casinos right now.

• Dragon Tiger Live by Evolution – A basic example of a live casino Dragon Tiger with no extra features or surprises. It’s a simple game that focuses on fundamentals such as good looks, exciting gameplay, and fast playthrough.
• Dragon Tiger Live by SA Gaming – A simple iteration from one of the world’s greatest Asia-facing software providers. Features no side bets, bonuses, or unnecessary elements – just pure Dragon Tiger.
• Live Dragon Tiger by BetConstruct – A more involved take on the classic game with additional side bets, detailed roadmaps, and other extra features.
• Lightning Dragon Tiger by Evolution – Another member of the proud Lighnting family, this unique variant introduces random multipliers to specific card suits. These multipliers can then increase your rewards, adding another layer of excitement.

Andar Bahar

The next step in our tour of Asia leads us to India. Andar Bahar emerged in the past few years as a surprising new addition to online casinos around the world. The casino variant is noticeably different from the traditional game, which is a multiplayer card game. Nevertheless, Andar Bahar offers a distinct experience compared to pretty much any other common type of betting game.

What is Andar Bahar?

Andar Bahar is a simple card game based on drawing cards into two boxes – Andar and Bahar. It’s a very straightforward game with only two betting options and fast gameplay. However, its unique rules and pace make it stand out from virtually any other table game you’ll find at a casino.

The goal of Andar Bahar is to predict which of two card piles will draw a card whose value matches a pre-selected card called the Joker. Its name roughly translates to “Inside – Outside”, which refers to the two main betting options.

It’s said to originate in southern India, where it was originally enjoyed as a social experience. However, it was adapted into a betting game over the years, which is the version of Andar Bahar most people will be familiar with. This casino-friendly format quickly spread across different online casinos and software providers as the size and importance of the Indian casino market grew.

While it may be unfamiliar to many Western audiences, Andar Bahar is quickly becoming a staple of many online casino sites.

How to Play Andar Bahar

The game is played using a single standard deck of 52 cards. Any number of players can join the table. Before the dealer starts dealing, the players are expected to place their bets on either Andar or Bahar, which are the two main betting options.

Before the round begins, the dealer draws a single card from a freshly shuffled deck. This card is sometimes called the “Joker” and it’s essentially the goal for the current round.

The dealer will then start placing cards on the Andar and Bahar boxes, alternating between them with every card.

Whichever box draws the first card with the same value as the Joker wins. Both Andar and Bahar pay 1:1, although different implementations of the game may offer different payouts.

Traditionally, the color of the Joker card determines which box receives the first card. If the Joker is black (Clubs or Spades), the first card is given to Andar. If its red (Hearts or Diamonds), Bahar draws the first card. This is important because the first side to draw a card is more likely to win.

Importantly, most live dealer versions of Andar Bahar always give the first card to Andar. It’s a simpler system that also adjusts the odds accordingly.

Many Andar Bahar tables also feature a side bet that predicts how many cards will be drawn in total before the round ends.

You can find a more detailed guide to Andar Bahar in our tutorial. If you’re looking for more in-depth info and advanced figures, check out our Andar Bahar strategy guide as well.

Andar Bahar Odds and Payouts

The baseline payout for both bets in Andar Bahar is 1:1. However, the payouts will differ slightly depending on where the first card is drawn (not counting the Joker).

Betting on the side that draws the first card pays 0.9:1. Betting on the side that draws the second hard pays an even 1:1. If an online Andar Bahar game always draws Andar first, then Andar will always pay 0.9:1.

Keep in mind that the table below assumes Andar always draws first. This is not always the case, but it’s how most Andar Bahar games in online casinos work.

As you can see, the side that draws first offers superior RTP in every case. That’s why the simplest (and most reliable) strategy for the game is to simply always bet on Andar.

Best Available Live Dealer Tables

If you asked a typical casino player about Andar Bahar a decade ago, they would have no idea what you’re talking about. Nowadays, though, it’s available in multiple varieties from several leading software providers. Here are our top picks for online Andar Bahar games to play.

• Andar Bahar Live by Playtech – A typical example of live casino Andar Bahar, polished to perfection. It’s a great-looking live stream with expanded side betting options, strong odds, and Playtech’s trademark quality-of-life features.
• Live Andar Bahar by Ezugi – A classic version of the game that used traditional rules, which means the first card is determined by the Joker’s color.
• Ultimate Andar Bahar by Ezugi – An innovative variant that throws in random multipliers that can affect the two main bets. Players can win up to 125x for the cost of a 20% fee on all bets.
• Super Andar Bahar by Evolution – Another version with extra multipliers. However, in this game, the multipliers can only affect the card number side bet, so there’s no extra fee involved.

Keno

Another ancient Chinese creation, the game of Keno allegedly came about during wartime when the people needed to raise money. The legend even goes as far as to claim that the building of the Great Wall of China was founded through Keno. From a modern point of view, Keno has similarities to games of chance like bingo and regular lottery. Interestingly, it also boasts a bigger presence in the West.

What is Keno?

Keno is a chance-based gambling game that is largely similar to lotteries such as bingo. In fact, the difference between Keno and certain varieties of Bingo is often a matter of some debate.

Either way, the format of Keno should be largely familiar to most interested players. Players pick numbers while a large drum machine draws a series of numbered balls. The more your selected numbers match the ones on the drawn balls, the more you’ll win.

This ability to pick your numbers instead of buying pre-determined tickets and cards is often considered the main difference between bingo and keno. This option gives a lot more freedom to the player. However, it’s also difficult to implement into a live dealer table format, which is why there aren’t many true keno games online.

The main draw of Keno is that it offers a huge number of options to you as a player. Not only can you change the numbers you want to win with, but you can also adjust the odds by selecting more or fewer numbers. On the flip side, the game is a bit slow and it generally suffers from very low RTP.

How to Play Keno

Keno is played with a ticket or card that contains numbers from 1 to 80. Players are expected to select up to 20 numbers from that ticket. You can pick more or fewer numbers, which affects your chances of winning and payouts.

How many numbers you get to pick depends on the table rules. You’ll typically need at least 2, and the maximum is generally 20. However, there are Keno games out there with different ranges, such as 5-15.

Wagering options include straight bets, way bets, and combination tickets.

• Straight bets are the basic wagers most people are familiar with. The rewards for the ticket grow exponentially with more hits.
• Way bets are wagers on groups of numbers instead of individual numbers. Instead of individual hits, the payout increases as you complete sets of 3 numbers each. Way-betting keno tables typically allow you to select more numbers.
• Split bets are rare options that combine Way and Straight bets into a sort of hybrid.

Each of them has its perks, but the straight ticket is the most frequent wager and the simplest one.

The presenter will then draw 20 out of 80 balls from the drum machine. The more numbers you match between your ticket and the results, the higher your payout. However, you generally need to hit at least 3 or 4 to get any sort of reward.

Keno Odds and Payouts

Unlike the other games on this list, Keno does not have standard payout rates. Instead, every casino or Keno hall picks its own rewards based on internal calculations.

In land-based casinos, the most common type of layout is called Spot Keno. The table below shows payouts based on the number of picks by the player and the number of matching numbers or ‘catches.’

Note that most Keno games will likely not match the odds presented here since there is no real “standard” version of the game. The table simply illustrates how payouts work in Keno.

The bottom row displays the expected RTP based on your number of selections, which shows that this decision matters a lot.

Best Available Live Dealer Tables

Over the years, Keno has been adapted to live casinos several times. Note that none of these are a direct adaptation of classic keno – the way the game works makes that impossible. Instead, every provider had their own ideas on how to make live Keno work.

• Live Keno by Ezugi – the earliest known take on live dealer Keno, featuring selections of up to 8 balls and a surprisingly high RTP.
• Live Keno by BetConstruct – A relatively stripped-down version in which players wager on the sum total of drawn numbers, the color of the balls, etc.
• 1Bet by TVBet – An interesting hybrid of keno and roulette in which players make basic roulette bets, but the game determines results based on drawing numbers.

Fan Tan

Although Fan Tan has been around for centuries, it has not yet truly spread into the world of iGaming. However, new variants have popped up in recent years that have seen Fan Tan expand in the online gambling scene.

What is Fan Tan?

Fan Tan is an ancient gambling game originating in East Asia based on dividing beads and predicting the outcome. It uses a pile of white buttons, a cup, and a wand. This fact alone immediately helps it stand out from any other standard casino game.

The goal of Fan Tan is to predict the number of beads remaining on the board after the dealer removes some of them based on a specific set of rules. However, the game also offers additional betting opportunities which we’ll describe below.

Although most gambling games have a long and storied history, few can match just how truly ancient Fan Tan is. Most records track it back as far as the 3^rd and 4^th centuries. It then spread throughout China during the time of the Qing dynasty, eventually reaching the rest of the world through migrations of Cantonese people.

How to Play Fan Tan

The game begins with a lengthy betting time, as usual. During this betting time, the dealer will use a metal cup to take several beads out of a big glass bowl. The number of beads is random, which is where the luck factor comes from.

Once the wagering period is over, they will then use a special stick to sort the beads out on the table. Essentially, they’ll divide the beads into groups of 4 and neatly spread them out on the table. The dealer will then remove beads in groups of four until there are 1, 2, 3, or 4 beads left.

The main bet is simply called Fan. Its goal is to predict the exact number of beads that are left after the dealer removes the unnecessary ones. The bet pays 2.85:1 for all four possible options – 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Other wagers include:

• Odd/Even – predicting whether the number of remaining beads will be odd or even.
• Nim – Adds an “insurance” number to a Fan bet. If the number of beads matches the insurance number, the bet pushes. The downside is that Num pays less than Fan.
• Kwok – A bet on two numbers of beads, both of which result in a win at reduced odds compared to Fan.
• Sheh-Sam-Hong – A bet on three numbers of beads, any of which will win at severely reduced odds.

Fan Tan Odds and Payouts

The table below shows the standard payouts for common types of Fan Tan bets. We’ve also included the probability of winning any bet and the related RTP rate.