Gambling Basics

Your first trip to a casino doesn't have to be a stressful experience. Sure, it may seem intimidating - all the different games, the noise, the lights, the cocktails being shuffled around by short-skirted waitresses. And at first you might feel out of place among the other patrons who all appear so poised. But even the high rollers had to start somewhere, and hopefully after reading this you’ll feel you have a grasp enough of the basics to have a go.

The Basics

The best way may just be to jump right in. Walk into the casino prepared to show ID (most places require that you’re 21) and bring as much cash as you’re prepared to spend, and can afford to lose. It might be a good idea to leave the cash card at home - casinos do all have a copious amounts of ATMs, but topping up is a bad habit to get into, especially at this early a stage.

Drinks at casinos are usually complimentary if you’re playing, though if you order at the bar you may be required to pay. So take your first baby steps - stroll on over to the slots, ease some cash into one and look around for a cocktail waitress as you pull your first lever.

Slot Machines
By far the most popular games, slot machines are sometimes called “one-armed bandits” in reference to the lever you pull to start the reels turning and the speed with which they empty your pockets!

Slot machines are available in a number of denominations - from penny machines up to $100 machines in some places, so it all depends on how much you want to risk. For a first timer, it may be safer to stick to the quarters.

You'll usually find the denominations listed on the machines, as well as above the appropriate areas on small neon signs. Decide how much you want to spend then choose which machine looks fun/attractive to you.

You can usually insert bills from $1 to $100 into the machine, with some still accepting coins. You then decide how many quarters you want to play at a time, from “one up” to “Max bet,” which may be as many as four at a time. Obviously the more quarters you bet the greater your winnings, with some yielding significantly higher returns on the max bet.

Each slot has its own requirements for paying out, with most having pictures of bars, fruits, sevens, etc which you have to land on a “pay line” in order to win. Some machines also have wild cards which may take the place of a missing picture to complete the set on the pay line.
The best thing to do is to familiarize yourself quickly with the rules, and then just start playing. You can “cash out’ with a button on the machine that will usually print a receipt with your winnings that you then take to the cashier or insert into another one-armed bandit if you’re feeling daring (sorry, that $10,000 win isn't going to all come out in quarters!)

Table games
The most popular card games are Blackjack and Poker. You just have to find a table that suits your minimum bet (displayed on the signs on each table), with these usually starting out at a $5 dollars per hand minimum. Find an empty chair at a table, exchange your cash for chips with the dealer when the hand already going on at the table has finished, and you're ready to begin.

Black Jack
In Blackjack, the object of the game is to reach 21 with the cards in your hand (or as close as you can) without going over (called a “bust”). You play against the dealer, not the other players, and you have to get closer to 21 than the dealer without busting.

The court cards (king, queen, jack) are all worth 10 points, with aces worth 1 or 11 – you can choose.
You decide at the start of each hand how much you want to gamble. Try the minimum until you're comfortable. The dealer will deal each player 2 cards face up. You then have to say “hit” me (or signal with a small hand gesture) if you want another card or “stay” (or another appropriate gesture) if you feel you’re close enough to 21 without busting. You can hit more than once, and hold at any time.

The dealer, meanwhile has dealt himself two cards – one face up, the other face down. After all the players have gotten as close to 21 as they can, or have busted, the dealer will try and get to 21. This is where you actually have an advantage over the dealer. You can hold on 16, but a dealer has to hit again if he has anything less than 17, meaning he has a greater chance of busting.
There is actually a mathematical system that tells you when it is best to hit or stay, depending on what cards you have. It's easy to learn the basics of this system, and here's a useful and free website to practice on that gives some pointers on when to hit and what to look for in the dealer's hand: www.hitorstand.net.

Poker
Poker has more complex rules, and also an array of variations on the game, with Texas Hold 'em being particularly popular these days. Unlike Blackjack, you're playing against the other players.
In all poker games your win will depend on the combination of cards in your hand compared with your opponents, with different combinations being worth more than others. For example, a flush is when all the cards in your hand are of the same suit, but not in sequence. If they are also in sequence this is called a straight or running flush. A full house is when you have three cards of the same rank, and two of another (for example, 3 of hearts, 3 of clubs, 3 of spades, jack of hearts, jack of clubs). There's also four of a kind ( four cards of different suits but the same rank), three of a kind, and two pair, where you have two cards of one rank and two cards of another.

You can pull off the infamous “bluff’ in poker by making the other players believe your hand is better than it actually is, and not folding despite a less than great set of cards.
While it may be fun for those that know the rules, it's best to brush up on your knowledge of the specifics of the game first if you’ve never played before. Check out www.pokerlistings.com/poker-rules if you think poker may be your game.

Roulette
The spinning wheels of roulette are always an enticing draw for newcomers. Here too, you must find a table bearing a sign for the minimum bet you are willing to wager and then find an available spot at that table.

There are a number of ways of betting on the roulette table - whether on one number, a range, a combination, odd/even or red/black.
The ball will be rolled along the outside of the wheel (the spinner will announce when it’s too late to place any more bets) until it stops and lands in a small pocket in front of a red or black number up to 36, plus a 0 and a 00.

Betting on one number will yield better pay offs, but at much reduced odds of winning. If you bet red/black or even/odd you're more likely to win, but those winnings won’t be nearly as high, while betting on a range of numbers will obviously increase your chances but force you to wager more.

Craps

The famous dice game we've all seen in the movies also requires that you find an empty place at a suitably priced minimum bet table.

Basically you have to roll a set of 2 dice in a series of rounds to earn more and more money. If your first roll is a 2, 3, or 12 you lose your money (called “craps”). If your first roll is a 7 or 11 you win. If any other number is rolled you must continue rolling until that number or a 7 or 11 is reached.

The rules of this game are also a bit complex for a novice. You can find information here if you want to try it: www.gamblingplanet.org/craps.php.

Remember...
Like with so much else, a bit of practice goes a long way, and the Internet gives you the chance to practice without losing your shirt. But it goes without saying that whenever gambling is involved, you should be careful, and going with cash only can be a good way of keeping things under control.

And if you do strike it lucky, remember that many times the key difference between a more successful gambler and one who isn't is knowing when to walk away. Whether it is because you've just won big or lost everything you came with, try and avoid the temptation of having “just one more go.”