Beginner’s Guide to Casinos
This section of our casino guide is specifically for those that are completely new to playing casino games. If you have never played in a casino before, but would like to, then you’ll find all the information you need to get started right here. Much of this information will be useful to players with some experience too, so even if you’ve played before you might want to take a look through all of it.
Our beginner’s guide to casinos is made up of a collection of articles written by players with a great deal of casino related knowledge and experience. Reading these articles will help ensure that you fully understand what’s involved with casino gambling and how it all works. They also contain advice on subjects such as how to behave in the casino and how to remain disciplined. There are some top tips for new players as well, and details of some common mistakes that you should try to avoid.
We’ve listed these articles below, with a brief overview of each one. We’ve also provided some other useful resources for you too; a glossary of terms, an FAQ, and guides to a selection of popular casino games.
Articles and Other Resources for Casino Beginners
Games of Chance Explained
Casino games are all games of chance as opposed to games of
skill. This means it is luck that ultimately determines whether
you win or lose, rather than your ability to play well. Your
decisions can affect the outcome of some games, but luck will
always be the overriding factor. This article explains games of
chance in more detail, looking at the roles that both luck and
the actions of players have.
The House Edge & Its Effect
Most casinos offer a wide selection of different games. This
variety is part of what makes casino gambling so appealing, but
it can also be overwhelming when you first start
playing. There are so many games to choose from that it’s
difficult to know where to begin. In this article we discuss the
factors you should be taking into consideration when deciding
what to play.
Choosing Which Games to Play
The house edge is basically what ensures that casinos will
always make a profit in the long run. The term refers to the
built in mathematical advantage that the casinos have in every
single game that they offer. This advantage cannot be overcome
and, even though it’s possible for players to win if they get
lucky, the odds always favor the house. This article helps
to understand the house edge and the effect it has.
Etiquette in the Casino
Although a trip to the casino should be an enjoyable and
exciting experience, it can also be a little daunting as a
beginner. It’s natural to be a little nervous on your first
visit if you don’t really know what to do, but playing in a
casino is actually quite simple. There are just a few formal
rules about what you can and can’t do, and some further
unwritten rules about the way you should behave. This article
covers them all.
The Perils of Betting Systems
Betting systems can be very dangerous. Many players decide to
use them in the casino at some point, and there isn’t
necessarily anything wrong with that. However, they can be a
problem for players who start believing that these systems can
help them overcome the house edge. We don’t believe its right to
say you should never use a betting system, but you should be
aware of the potential problems they can cause.
Self-Control in the Casino
Casino games can be very addictive, so it’s somewhat vital
that you stay in control when playing them. This might sound
easy to do, but it’s harder than you might think when you get
caught up in the thrill of winning and losing money. A lack of
discipline can easily lead to you spending more money than you
should, which you definitely want to avoid, so please read this
article and follow our advice.
Top Tips for Casino Beginners
There’s nothing we can tell you that will ensure you win
money in the casino. That will always come down to whether or
not luck is on your side. We can help you to have a fun and we can help you improve your overall
chances of winning. Our top tips for beginners are all simple
and easy to follow, so it’s well worth checking them out.
Common Mistakes in the Casino
You are almost certain to make some mistakes in the casino as
a beginner. You obviously want to try to avoid making too many
though, particularly as they can end up costing you a lot of
money. To help you do this, we’ve compiled a list of some of the
more common mistakes that new players (and sometimes experienced
ones) make.
Game Guides
Our game guides are among the most popular pages in our casino section. We cover all of the most popular games, along with many of the not so popular ones, including the following.
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Slots
- Caribbean Stud Poker
- Keno
- Baccarat
These guides contain all the information you could possibly want to know about each game, including the rules on how to play them. They also feature strategy advice where relevant.
Casino FAQ
As a beginner, you probably have a number of questions relating to casino gambling. That’s why we provide a comprehensive casino FAQ section in this guide. We’ve put together a list of some of the more commonly asked questions, including the ones listed below, and provided detailed answers to them.
- Is Casino Gambling Expensive?
- Can I Get Addicted to Casino Games?
- Should I Tip the Dealers?
- Can I Really Win?
Glossary of Casino Terms
Quite a few of the words and phrases that you’ll hear in a casino might not be familiar to you. It’s quite easy to work out what some of them mean, but some are a little less obvious.
Our casino glossary contains straightforward definitions for all the terminology that might cause you some confusion. This is the resource to use when you need some clarification on what any particular word or phrase means.
Important Information for Casino Beginners
All of the information in our beginner’s guide is important really, but there are a few key points that we want to make absolutely sure you understand. These are as follows.
Casino Gambling Is NOT Just for Suckers
Some people would have you believe that only suckers play casino games, and that it’s impossible to win. This is complete nonsense. It’s true that the house always wins in the long run, and it’s true that most casino players lose overall. However, it’s not true that every single player loses every single time they play.
The very nature of casino games is that they have random outcomes. The house edge combined with the laws of probability means that those random outcomes will always favor the house eventually, but they can favor the player on occasion too. Players can, and do, go on winning streaks, and those who know when to quit can easily walk away ahead with some degree of regularity.
It’s important to know that you can’t do anything to guarantee a win, but with sensible money management and a bit of luck there is absolutely no reason at all why you can’t have your fair share of wins.
Casinos Effectively PAY You to Play
One of the biggest casino gambling mistakes that people make is not taking advantage of the fact that most casinos, both live and online, will reward you for playing with them. The casino industry is a very competitive one, and casinos will happily incentivize you to play with them rather than the competition.
They only do this because they expect to make an overall profit out of you, but it’s still crazy to miss out on the extra value that is available. If you’re playing in a live venue, you should always make sure you get a players card. You will then earn “comps” every time you play, and these comps can be exchanged for all kinds of rewards. You can get your accommodation rate reduced, if applicable, free meals, tickets to events, or even straight cash.
If you’re playing online then you can take advantage of sign up bonuses to get better value for your money when joining somewhere new, and most online casinos also have loyalty programs or VIP schemes where you can gain lots of benefits based on your playing activity.
Chasing Losses Is NEVER a Good Idea
If we could give you just one piece of advice for playing in the casino it would be this. Chasing losses is probably the single biggest mistake that leads to people losing more money than they should, and it’s something you simply must try to avoid doing.
We believe the best way to do this is to set yourself some limits. Firstly, you should have some limits in place for how much you will stake on any single bet. This should prevent you from increasing your stakes to try and recover previous losses. Secondly, you should have some limits in place for how much you will spend in a particular session. This should prevent you from losing more money than you are prepared to lose.
Please always remember that casino gambling is supposed to be fun. It’s ultimately up to you how much you choose to spend, but we can promise you that you’ll get much more pleasure out of the whole experience if you are sensible with your money and stick to a budget of some kind.
Managing your bankroll when casino gambling is a critical part of the process. That is why we have to put together the following page to provide you with a guide to managing your gambling funds.
Best Games for Casino Beginners
Even the most complicated games in the casino aren’t exactly difficult to learn, but as a new player it’s advisable to start out with the games that are particularly straightforward. That’s why we’ve put together the following list. Below you will find a few details on what we believe to be the top five games for casino beginners.
Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular games you’ll find in a casino, and this is largely due to the fact that it’s so simple. The rules are very easy to learn and it’s a game you can pick up in literally just a few minutes. It’s a card game, and the basic idea is that you have to beat the dealer by getting your hand as close to 21 as you can without going over.
This game is also popular because of its very low house edge. The odds are only ever so slightly against you, so you have a reasonable chance of winning whenever you play. You can even improve your chances of winning with learning how to use good blackjack strategy, which is also relatively simple.
Roulette
Roulette is another of the more popular games, and again its beauty lies in its simplicity. The game involves the spinning of a wheel with several numbered compartments. A ball is dropped into the wheel while it is spinning, and this ball will end up in one of the numbered compartments. Before each spin you can bet on which number the ball will land in. You win your bet if you guess correctly.
One of the great things about roulette is all the different bets you can place. You can bet on a single number, whether the number will be odd or even, whether the number will be red or black, or specific groups of numbers. If you choose to bet on a single number you only have a small chance of winning, but the potential payout is very high. Choosing to cover a lot of numbers with a single bet gives you a much better chance of winning, but the potential payout is much lower.
Slots
Casino games don’t come much simpler than the slot machines. Pretty much all you have to do is put your money in and press a button. This might not sound like a lot of fun, but slot games are actually incredibly popular. This is partly because many of them offer the chance to win very big sums of money relative to the amount staked, and partly because they are more enjoyable than our simple description would suggest.
It’s difficult to understand just how exciting playing slots can be until you’ve tried it for yourself. They may not particularly appeal to you, but we’d definitely recommend at least giving them a try. It’s more than likely that you’ll be pleasantly surprised, especially if you get lucky and land a nice jackpot.
Video Poker
Video poker games are basically electronic versions of five card draw. You don’t play against opponents though; instead you simply have to try to create the best possible poker hand that you can. You place your stake before each new hand, and you then win money if you end up creating a strong enough hand. The better the hand, the more you win.
There are lots of different variants of video poker games. They all work on the same basic principle, but they each have a slightly different set of rules. The payouts usually vary from one game to the next. It’s worth noting that some video poker games have an extremely low house edge.
Craps
Craps is a dice game, and one of the reasons it’s so popular is that most people at a craps table are betting on the same outcomes. This can help to create a great atmosphere when everyone is winning, which is why the craps tables are often the loudest in the casino.
The basic idea of the game is that you bet on the outcome of the roll of a pair of dice. This might seem simple enough, but some people would actually argue that craps is too complicated to be a suitable game for beginners. This is because there are lots of different bets you can place. You don’t need to learn all of them though, as there are a few very straightforward ones and many players stick primarily to them.
Using Online Casinos
Our beginner’s guide is primarily focused on casino gambling in general. Most of the information it contains is relevant irrespective of whether you are playing in a brick and mortar casino or an online casino. If you are looking for information specifically regarding playing online then you might be interested in the following section.
The above section of our website is dedicated entirely to teaching you all about how online casinos work, and how to get the best possible experience when playing online. It features a number of useful and interesting articles, covering subjects such as the following.
- Online Poker vs Live Poker
- Choosing Where to Play
- Joining a Poker Site
- Online Bonuses & Rewards
- Myths About Online Poker
- Poker Site Software Explained
In addition to all the above articles, we also provide up to date reviews of the best online casinos currently available on the web. These rankings are incredibly useful if you need help with choosing where to play, as we make recommendations in a range of different categories. This means you can easily find an online casino that is high quality, reputable, and suitable for any personal preferences you may have.
