A brief guide to casino games for your Las Vegas Holiday
Posted on 16. Jul, 2010 by admin in Casino
For the majority of people that come to Las Vegas for their holidays, it just wouldn’t feel right to go home again having not spent at least a few hours trying their luck in a casino. The perception is, if you come to Vegas and ignore the casinos, you haven’t really been to Vegas.
So if you’re a gambling novice and you’ve never set foot in a casino before then your first time, especially in somewhere like Las Vegas, it can be a daunting prospect. The first-time casino visitor will imagine that everyone else in the room is a seasoned pro when in actual fact 99% of the other gamblers are just like you, tourists who have booked their Las Vegas travel packages and want to give it a whirl before they go home just to see if it’s their lucky night. You may be unfamiliar with the rules of the games or worried that you may do something foolish or embarrassing in front of a table of experienced players. This is an understandable concern but if you follow a few simple rules you’ll be absolutely fine, have a terrific time and you never know, you may even come out with a few winnings!
Firstly, if you’re a complete novice then why not try one of the casino gaming lessons that are available at most casinos? These classes which are typically about 30 minutes long are both fun and educational and in most cases, completely free! So why, you ask, would the casinos freely teach you how to play their games and thus increase your chances of taking their money? The answer is that they want you to gamble more, of course! Casinos generally offer lessons in blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat and poker but ask at your hotel reception or within the casino itself for specific details on the lessons available and when they are held. A further advantage of attending a lesson is that they can initiate you into the etiquette and jargon that is associated with each game. Taking a lesson will improve your confidence so that you can enjoy yourself in the casino without worrying that you are doing something wrong.
When you are ready to be initiated and approach a table to play, the first thing you should do is look for a placard on the table top indicating the minimum bet at that particular table. It stands to reason that a table offering minimum bets of 5 dollars is far more likely to have novice and first-time gamblers than a table with a 50 dollar minimum bet.
Typically, the games that you will encounter in a casino are roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat, poker, a sports book and of course slot machines. Slot machines are the bread and butter of a casino since they generally take the most money and usually have the lowest odds of winning.
Many of the casinos have loyalty or members cards and signing up for them is free, easy and beneficial! By signing up and becoming a member you obtain access to many promotions run by the casino hotels such as cashback or rewards on the money you spend in the casino, discounts at the restaurants and shows at the casino resort, VIP access to avoid queues and even room upgrades. Many of these cards reward you for the time you spend playing and not just on the money you win or lose. Just ask at the casinos themselves or at your hotel reception about their casino loyalty cards.
The last and probably the most important point to note is never gamble with more than you can afford or are willing to lose. If you take $100 into a casino then be prepared to lose it all. If you can’t afford or bear to lose a certain amount of money then don’t gamble it. Only gamble with an amount that keeps the game fun for you. Remember you here in Vegas to have fun not to make money!