When you're ready to visit your first casino you'll be excited and curious all at the same time. I hope you enjoy yourself and come away with great memories.
Everyone has their own idea of what to expect in a casino.
There Is a Minimum Age. That might not strike you as surprising, but there is a minimum age for. No deposit bonuses allow a first-time player in selected casinos with such offers to play without spending any money. It is a promotional strategy by free casinos to attract new members to try out.
Wondering how realistic the movies and TV shows are in depicting the casinos?
Many of them are filmed in real casinos. The lights, the sounds, and the huge variety of games–they're all realistic.
The action on TV and in the movies, though, is, of course, staged.
Wouldn't it be great if you could memorize a sequence of actions to follow and win a jackpot at a slot machine (ala Ocean's Thirteen)?
Of course it would.
But that would also be illegal.
What most people don't know is that real criminals have enjoyed engineered success like that. They've also been arrested and charged with felonies, so I don't recommend cheating at casino games.
The essence of gambling is taking a risk on the outcome of an unpredictable event. If you cannot predict the outcome and the casino cannot predict the outcome of a game, then it's a fair transaction.
I say 'fair' but you need to understand that the casinos only offer games that provide them with a statistical 'edge'. In other words, they expect to win more often than they lose. Worse, they also expect you to put all your winnings back into their games, so even if you win 'big' (say, a few thousand dollars) you might leave the casino with nothing.
I wish I could offer you sure-fired ways to win, but I can't. No one can.
But I can offer you some tips to help you keep your wits — and your winnings — about you as you enjoy the experience.
1. Pick a Great Casino Resort to Visit for the First Time
Over 1,000 commercial and Native American casinos operate in the United States. The difference between a 'commercial casino' and a Native American casino should be obvious.
The Native American casinos are all located on native American reservations, and they are owned and operated by those nations.
A commercial casino is operated by a licensed corporation operating in only a few states that allow commercial gambling. Nevada is the most well-known state, but you'll find commercial casinos in about 18 states.
In addition to traditional casinos, many other establishments provide games of chance where you can bet real money. Depending on state law, you may find slot machines or gaming rooms in a lot of small establishments:
- Highway convenience stores
- Airports
- Racetracks
- Bars
- Restaurants
Most of the casinos I have played in were modest to large. I've walked into and out of a few small 'casinos' that immediately made me feel uncomfortable.
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Why did I feel uncomfortable?
Because I like big casinos.
Some people are comfortable in the smaller casinos. They may even prefer to play in those places. If you add occasional casino gambling to your entertainment budget you may gravitate toward the smaller, less grandiose casinos.
Still, I think you should pick a nice resort for your first experience. Get a feel for what it's like to stay in the hotel for a couple of nights. Enjoy the restaurants and at least one show. Your first casino experience should be about more than sitting at a table and playing cards or pushing a button on a slot machine.
You do get a rush from the suspense of not knowing if you just threw away $5 or if you'll win $100. The excitement you feel while gambling for the first time is a real thing.
But there's so much more to look forward to. Some of the larger casinos offer spas, shops, and other non-gambling vacation amenities.
Also, a great casino resort should be located close to other entertainment venues. That includes other casinos, auditoriums, theme parks, and more. I wish my first casino experience had included a trip to a theme park with the family; it would have been more memorable. I'm not even sure I can remember the first time I went into a casino. I know I lost my stake quickly and left within an hour or two.
That's not the way you should remember the experience.
Go for a robust, full entertainment experience your 1st time out.
2. Join the Casino's Member Program Immediately
As soon as you walk in the door, find the customer service desk and sign up for the casino's loyalty program.
Even if you never go back to that casino again, join the program. They'll explain the rules to you and show you how to claim any rewards you earn.
One of the most common rewards you get from these programs is a free meal or drink. Gambling eats up the time. In fact, casinos are designed to help you lose track of the time.
But you'll eventually grow thirsty or hungry. You'll need a break. Instead of spending yet more money, if you have earned enough points you can get a snack or drink at one of the less expensive restaurants.
The membership is free. You can keep the card as a souvenir or throw it away when you're done. That's your decision. You can always get a new card next time you visit the casino, too.
Casino Times News
Casino members may get special bonus points from time to time. Each casino sets its own rules ahead of time. Check their website to see which days they award extra points and games. These are almost always 'off peak' days and times.
In other words, they won't have a big crowd (usually). You'll find it's easier to play the games you want to try and you won't be as confused by all the noise as you would if you go on the busiest night of the week (usually a Saturday night).
If you don't want to sit in a near-empty casino (and many people don't), then pick an evening time after most people are off work. The action usually picks up around 8-9 PM in the evenings. If you arrive around 6-7PM, that gives you time to join the member program, try out a few games, and wander through the casino to get a feel for the lay of the place.
3. Take Someone with You on Your First Trip
Honestly, I hate gambling alone for the most boring and practical of reasons.
I'll explain that below.
Here's why I think you should go with one or more friends your first time:
It's more fun to share that experience with someone. You have someone to chat with and you'll feel less like a stranger. My first (barely memorable) trip to a casino, I went by myself. It's no wonder I lost my money so quickly and left with hardly an impression. In fact, I didn't go back to a casino for about two years. I just didn't enjoy my time in there.
Going with family or friends on your first trip heightens the excitement–especially if at least one or two of your companions have never been to a casino before. Your memory of that first time will be stronger and the shared experience is good for your friendships. When you have a few casino trips under your belt, you'll tend to head for your favorite game even if you go with a group. Everyone just splits off and does their own thing. A good mentor will invite you to try a few games and sit with you on your first trip, but their excitement won't be in sync with yours.
Another reason to go with one or more friends on your first trip is that you won't have a game plan for managing your time. When you're sitting alone in a crowded casino and you feel the need to visit the men's or ladies' room, you'll agonize over leaving the game you're playing. Sitting beside a friend is much better when those needs arise. You can feel better about leaving your seat. Ladies, you should keep your wallets or purses with you at all times, but if you have a companion you can leave your valuables with (someone whom you know and trust deeply), you'll feel a little less anxious about that.
As the casino fills up, regular players quickly claim spots they won't give up for hours. Some people will leave a chair leaning against a slot machine as a sign that it's being played, but there's no casino rule that requires people to honor that claim. In fact, casino employees may come and clean up the slot game and put the chair back. Having at least one buddy to hold a place for you pays off when the place is teeming with people and there's a line waiting for the game you are playing.
The buddy system also makes it easier for you to get snacks and drinks. Yes, a great casino has servers wandering the floor.
But their services are in high demand at peak times. You could wait 30 minutes to an hour for a drink.
And the servers may quickly prioritize you as a customer if you never tip them.
4. Avoid the High Roller Games
It's tempting, especially if you have just won a jackpot, to go try your luck at the high roller games. You may read conflicting advice on the internet about whether the high roller games pay better or worse than the main floor games.
That doesn't matter.
Your first trip to a casino is not the time for you to try being a high roller. A typical high roller game might require you to bet hundreds of dollars for one spin or one hand of cards.
How likely are you to win a jackpot?
I won several jackpots within 30 minutes of walking into a casino. Big, busy casinos may pay out jackpots throughout the day. Any win that requires a casino employee to come and check the machine counts as a 'jackpot'.
That could amount to $1,000 or $1,000,000. You're far likelier to win a $1,000 jackpot than a $1,000,000. The largest jackpot I remember winning was about $8,000 on a $3 bet. Most of the jackpots I won were in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.
By playing the lower stakes games your money will last longer. You really can't prepare for that first casino visit by playing free casino games on the internet or your PC. It's just not the same. The lights and sounds are almost overwhelming. (It's still worthwhile, though.)
If you choose a high end casino (and many Native American casinos fit into that category) for your first experience, you'll be blown away by everything: the luxurious architecture of the building, the artwork lining the walls, the carpets, the lounges–everything is designed to make you feel like you are living a life of luxury.
Enjoy that feeling, but don't throw your money at the casino.
Whether you sit at a table game like roulette or blackjack, or play a slot game, or bet on a race, or place bets on a lottery game like keno, you'll have the opportunity to raise the size of your bets. All these games offer minimum and maximum bet limits. You'll feel your heart beat hard enough when you go from betting 25 cents to betting 25 dollars.
High roller games are a different level of entertainment, and you should save that first time experience for another day.
First Casino In The World
5. Make a Simple Plan that Is Easy to Follow
By simple plan, I mean make it impossible for you to impoverish yourself.
From choosing which casino to visit, to deciding where to park, to how much money you'll bet, you should know before you enter the casino's parking lot what you are going to do.
Start by setting a budget. This is the most common advice offered to new gamblers.
It's also the most important. If you only have $200 to gamble, don't take your credit cards, check books, or debit cards into the casino with you. Don't leave them in your car, either. Make it as hard to get more money as you possibly can.
If you walk into a casino with $200 and find yourself wishing you had more, give yourself a moment to realize what just happened: you just paid $200 for (hopefully) an evening's entertainment. At this point, it's time to cash in your comps and go home.
Plan for when and how you will leave the casino.
Don't leave desperate, frustrated, and broke.
No casino owes you anything more than the experience you're willing to pay for. They provide a safe entertainment experience, not a guaranteed income. The games are designed to give a little bit but take a little bit more.
The casino will let you bet everything you have on the first throw of the dice, but they're prepared to wait out even the most stingy and conservative players.
So there's no need for an elaborate 'strategy'. Set one rule:
You leave when you have X dollars.
Maybe that means you lose everything you take in.
Maybe that means you triple your money.
But take a watch with you, or make sure your smart phone keeps proper time. Set an alarm to tell yourself when it's time to go–especially if you're visiting a local casino and you have to be somewhere the next day. The casino is not going to tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Is it past your bedtime?'
You'll be shocked to realize just how late it is when you finally leave the casino (assuming you don't lose all your money quickly like I did my first time).
6. Do Not Try to Take Pictures or Videos of the Games
You have undoubtedly seen a lot of photographs and videos taken from inside casinos. People post them all over the Internet.
So why shouldn't you do that?
The reason is actually quite simple:
Someone who works for the casino may ask you to stop, or they may force you to leave. Casinos used to be more tolerant of inside photography, but things have changed over the years.
It's probably safe to take pictures when you are away from the games. If in doubt, ask a casino employee what the rules are. I'd be surprised if any casino agrees to let you take video or pictures of a slot game. That is because eastern European criminals were caught using a supercomputer to rig slot machine games.
The story about the phone cameras and slot machine games is too long to include here.
But suffice to say that several people were arrested at American casinos for sending live video back to the supercomputer. The casinos do not want you to take video of those games why they are spinning. It might be okay to take a picture after the reels have stopped and you have a jackpot.
Ask before you get into trouble.
Obey the rules.
The casinos usually post signs with rules around their floors to help people quickly see what is and is not acceptable behavior.
But you can also always ask a casino employee what is allowed.
If you must take a phone call, step away from the game. This is also considered courteous to other players.
By the same token, keep texting to a minimum–especially if you're playing a table game. Concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing at the casino.
Step aside and find a semi-private space for phone calls and text messages.
7. Do Not Drink or Use Drugs While Gambling
No matter how well you think you can 'handle it,' the casino is counting on players getting at least a little bit tipsy. They make sure it's easy to get alcohol even if other types of drugs are not available. As you become more inebriated, your judgment becomes impaired. Just as you should not drink and drive, so you should not drink and gamble.
And that goes for over-the-counter medications that can make you drowsy.
It also goes for prescription medications that can make you dizzy or drowsy. It might feel good to you when you're stoned, but you won't like waking up in jail or completely broke because you blew your rent money.
Don't try to prove you can 'handle it'. Prove you can manage yourself and have a good time without the help of alcohol or drugs.
If you're feeling so sick that you need strong cough medicine or antihistamines the day you're supposed to go to the casino, it's better if you delay that first-time experience until you're feeling better. You really don'tt need to sit in a casino for 6-8 hours if you're sick. Not only will that drain you (and if there is cigarette smoke you'll worsen any breathing problems you have), you could make other people sick.
Visit the casino when you are well, sober, and ready to have a great time with a few trusty friends or family.
And on a budget, naturally.
Conclusion
There's so much more I wish someone had told me before I went into a casino for the first time. You devote most of your forethought to learning games so you can 'be ready' for that first time experience.
You know what?
All that practice goes out the window. You're overwhelmed. You just want to get in there and play, play, and win, win.
But in reality, you're never ready for that first visit.
Your first time experience should not be about winning. You should not visit a casino because you're short on money and need a quick cash injection. Don't burn your first time like that. Save it for when you can relax, enjoy the company, and marvel at the environmental experience of being inside a huge, glitzy casino.
Be safe, have fun, and create memories you'll cherish for the rest of your life.
Best of all, teach yourself good gambling habits early in your experience. Make sure you're there for the entertainment.
You'll have more fun that way.
I visited my first casino, The Sands in Las Vegas, in 1996. The VP of marketing at the company where I worked told me that the first thing I should do when I got there was place a bet on '7 black' at the roulette table. He thought this was big fun, because, of course, the 7 on the roulette wheel is red.
I wish someone had given me some real, practical advice before I visited a casino for the first time. Since no one did that for me, I'll do that for you. The things you should know listed below are obvious to regulars at the casino.
But they can save you a lot of money and heartache if it's your first.
Here are the top 10 things you need to know if you're visiting a casino for the first time:
1. The Wide Area Progressive (WAP) Slot Machines Are Some of the Worst Bets in the Casino
A progressive slot machine is one with an electronic ticker at the top which displays an ever-increasing jackpot amount. You'll find 3 kinds of progressives:
- Single machines
- Local area progressives
- Wide area progressives
What all these games have in common is that they 'fuel' the progressive jackpot by taking a percentage of each bet and applying it to the jackpot. In the case of single machines, the jackpot only grows when you're playing that specific machine.
Local area progressives are machines within a specific casino which tie into the same jackpot. Any bets placed at any of these machines grow the jackpot amount.
Wide area progressives are machines within a certain geographic radius. In Las Vegas, the most famous wide area progressive slots are the Megabucks machines. Literally, thousands of slot machines power these jackpots, and they're correspondingly huge – at least $10 million.
The problem with slot machines with jackpots this large is that their payback percentage is inferior to the payback percentage on a flat top machine. (A flat top machine has a fixed jackpot amount.)
A typical Vegas slot machine has a payback percentage of at least 90%. A wide area progressive has a payback percentage of 80% or less when you discount the effect of the progressive jackpot. Since you only have a 1 in 15 million chance of winning the top jackpot, it's sensible to deduce that amount from the overall payback percentage for the machine.
2. Payback Percentage Is How You Measure the Odds for Gambling Machines
You might have heard of the house edge. That's a term used to describe how good or bad the odds are for table games. It's a mathematical prediction of how much you'll lose per bet on average over a tremendous number of trials.
The house edge is expressed as a percentage. If a game has a house edge of 1%, the casino expects to win $1 every time you bet $100, over the long run. In the short-term, anything can happen. What most gamblers don't realize is that they long run is longer than they think.
The payback percentage is the flip side of the house edge. It's the amount of money the casino expects the player to win back for every bet. It's also expressed as a percentage. For example, if I tell you a game has a 99% payback percentage, the casino expects you to win 99 cents every time you wager a dollar – again, on average, over time.
You can use house edge and payback percentage to compare the odds for different games.
3. Video Poker Machines Have Transparent Payback Percentages that Are Superior to Slot Machines
The higher the payback percentage, the better. The problem with slot machines is that they're the only game in the casino where you can't know what the payback percentage is. In fact, the payback percentage for slots is usually the lowest in the casino.
That's one of the major differences between slots and video poker, in fact. On a video poker game, the probability of getting a result is something you can calculate. The random number generator on a video poker game emulates the same odds as a standard deck of 52 cards.
You need 2 pieces of data to calculate the payback percentage for a gambling machine:
- The prize amounts
- The probability of winning those prizes
Unless you're Rain Man, you can't just look at a video poker pay table and know the payback percentage.
But computer programmers and gambling writers have analyzed almost every video poker pay table you can imagine and published the results online.
A quick search of Google can help you compare video poker machines to find the ones with the best odds.
Also, even the video poker games with the worst odds are usually better than slot machines.
4. Drinks Are Free in the Casino
This isn't true in every jurisdiction, but in most major casino destinations, drinks are free – but only if you're gambling. (Last time I was at the Winstar, they were charging for alcohol, even if you were playing.)
You still need to tip your cocktail waitress, though. A buck or two is sufficient.
But just because the drinks are free doesn't mean you should over-indulge.
Casinos offer free drinks because alcohol impairs your judgment. You'll gamble over your bankroll and lose more money than you intend to if you drink too much.
Don't be that guy who thinks he's more macho than the other drinkers in the casino, either. He's the guy who loses the most money, regardless of what he claims.
No one likes that guy.
Also, a word to the wise:
If you can't control your drinking, you probably can't control your gambling, either. You might be better off avoiding casinos altogether.
5. Table Games Offer Better Games than Gambling Machines – With One Exception
The rule of thumb for gambling at a casino is that the easier the game is to understand, the worse the odds are.
It's easy to understand a slot machine. You put your money in, spin the reels, and hope that winning symbols line up.
Blackjack, on the other hand, is harder to understand. You have to learn the values of the cards. You have to know what your options are when playing each – hit, stand, double down, split, etc. And it helps to know what the right move is in each situation.
But look at the difference in house edge.
The house edge for most slot machine games is at least 7%. Even if you're terrible at blackjack, the house edge isn't more than 4% or so. If you spend a little time learning basic strategy, you can but the house edge to blackjack down to 1% or less.
Even the table games with no skill required, like baccarat, craps, and roulette, offer a lower payback percentage than most slot machine games.
There's one exception, though – video poker machines.
Good video poker machines combine the thrill of playing a gambling machine with the low house edge of a table game.
Much of this is because video poker games are based on card games. The random number generator duplicates the odds you'd see if you were dealing hands from a 52-card deck.
Slot machine payback percentages usually range between 75% and 93%. The outliers might top out at 97% or 98%.
Video poker payback percentages range from 92% up to 100.1%. Those numbers assume that you play with a reasonably correct strategy most of the time.
6. Betting Systems Don't Work
It won't take long at the casino before you meet someone who's a proponent of the Martingale or some other betting system. It's tempting to think that a betting strategy like this might work, but it doesn't – at least not in the long run.
Here's how the Martingale System works:
You start by defining a single betting unit and choosing an even-money bet. The most common game people try the Martingale on is roulette, which has several even-money bets that seem to have a close-to-50% chance of winning.
You then start by betting a single unit. If you lose, you double your bet, hoping to recoup the previously lost bet along with a single unit profit. You repeat this doubling of your bets every time you lose.
Here's an example:
You bet $10 (one unit) on red. The ball lands on black, so you lose your $10. The system says you double your bet, so now you bet $20 on red. The ball lands on black again, so you lose $20. The system says you double your bet again, so now you bet $40. This time, the ball lands on red, so you win back the $30 you lost on the previous bets. And you're ahead by $10.
This can work well in the short run, but people have a few misunderstandings about the viability of such a system.
The first is the assumption that long losing streaks are terribly unlikely. The truth is, losing several times in a row is a lot more likely that you probably think.
The second is the lack of understanding of how fast doubling your bets makes you put money into action. $10 is no big deal, and neither is $20. Heck, even $40 isn't that much for most people.
But if you lose 4 or 5 times in a row, you're betting hundreds of dollars per spin.
It doesn't take long for you to get to a point where the next bet in the progression is beyond your bankroll or beyond the betting limits at the table.
All the Martingale System does, in the long run, is get you some small wins here and there, all of which will eventually be wiped out by a huge losing streak.
The house edge for a casino game remains unaffected by your betting system.
7. Casinos Offer Classes in How to Play Their Games
Some people who are new to the casino adventure are intimidated by table games – especially craps. That's too bad because these games offer better odds than the slot machines. They're easy to learn, too. And I think they're more fun.
But you don't have to try to puzzle out how to play blackjack, craps, or roulette from tutorials on websites like this one. You don't even have to buy a book or an instructional video about how to play.
Almost all casinos offer classes on how their games work. To find out when these games are scheduled, just ask anyone in customer service at the casino. If the specific individual can't tell you what the schedule is like for these free classes, they can point you in the direction of someone who can.
These classes are usually held in the mid-morning. They're usually followed by actual game-play, but that's optional.
I learned to play blackjack from my mom at the kitchen table. Roulette was so easy I just sat down at the table and got the hand of it.
But I learned to play craps at a class at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas.
You can also learn to play these games using free games at Internet casinos, but I think you'll enjoy the free classes at the casino.
One caveat, though:
Take strategy advice from casino dealers with a grain of salt. For example, they love to explain hedging your bets in craps at these classes. That's a lousy strategy.
8. Almost Everyone Working in or Near the Casino Industry Rely on Tips to Make a Living
You don't have to dole out all your money to everyone working at a casino. But it sometimes feels like it. If you want to be a good person with a little bit of class, remember to tip a reasonable amount for various services.
If you eat at a buffet restaurant, a dollar or 2 for each person is a reasonable tip. Your waitress is only refilling your drinks, not providing full table service, so that doesn't warrant a 20% tip.
Real sit-down restaurants work the same way in Vegas as anywhere else. You should tip a minimum of 20% in a casino destination. If you're happy with the service, consider 25% or 30%, instead.
In addition to traditional casinos, many other establishments provide games of chance where you can bet real money. Depending on state law, you may find slot machines or gaming rooms in a lot of small establishments:
- Highway convenience stores
- Airports
- Racetracks
- Bars
- Restaurants
Most of the casinos I have played in were modest to large. I've walked into and out of a few small 'casinos' that immediately made me feel uncomfortable.
Why did I feel uncomfortable?
Because I like big casinos.
Some people are comfortable in the smaller casinos. They may even prefer to play in those places. If you add occasional casino gambling to your entertainment budget you may gravitate toward the smaller, less grandiose casinos.
Still, I think you should pick a nice resort for your first experience. Get a feel for what it's like to stay in the hotel for a couple of nights. Enjoy the restaurants and at least one show. Your first casino experience should be about more than sitting at a table and playing cards or pushing a button on a slot machine.
You do get a rush from the suspense of not knowing if you just threw away $5 or if you'll win $100. The excitement you feel while gambling for the first time is a real thing.
But there's so much more to look forward to. Some of the larger casinos offer spas, shops, and other non-gambling vacation amenities.
Also, a great casino resort should be located close to other entertainment venues. That includes other casinos, auditoriums, theme parks, and more. I wish my first casino experience had included a trip to a theme park with the family; it would have been more memorable. I'm not even sure I can remember the first time I went into a casino. I know I lost my stake quickly and left within an hour or two.
That's not the way you should remember the experience.
Go for a robust, full entertainment experience your 1st time out.
2. Join the Casino's Member Program Immediately
As soon as you walk in the door, find the customer service desk and sign up for the casino's loyalty program.
Even if you never go back to that casino again, join the program. They'll explain the rules to you and show you how to claim any rewards you earn.
One of the most common rewards you get from these programs is a free meal or drink. Gambling eats up the time. In fact, casinos are designed to help you lose track of the time.
But you'll eventually grow thirsty or hungry. You'll need a break. Instead of spending yet more money, if you have earned enough points you can get a snack or drink at one of the less expensive restaurants.
The membership is free. You can keep the card as a souvenir or throw it away when you're done. That's your decision. You can always get a new card next time you visit the casino, too.
Casino Times News
Casino members may get special bonus points from time to time. Each casino sets its own rules ahead of time. Check their website to see which days they award extra points and games. These are almost always 'off peak' days and times.
In other words, they won't have a big crowd (usually). You'll find it's easier to play the games you want to try and you won't be as confused by all the noise as you would if you go on the busiest night of the week (usually a Saturday night).
If you don't want to sit in a near-empty casino (and many people don't), then pick an evening time after most people are off work. The action usually picks up around 8-9 PM in the evenings. If you arrive around 6-7PM, that gives you time to join the member program, try out a few games, and wander through the casino to get a feel for the lay of the place.
3. Take Someone with You on Your First Trip
Honestly, I hate gambling alone for the most boring and practical of reasons.
I'll explain that below.
Here's why I think you should go with one or more friends your first time:
It's more fun to share that experience with someone. You have someone to chat with and you'll feel less like a stranger. My first (barely memorable) trip to a casino, I went by myself. It's no wonder I lost my money so quickly and left with hardly an impression. In fact, I didn't go back to a casino for about two years. I just didn't enjoy my time in there.
Going with family or friends on your first trip heightens the excitement–especially if at least one or two of your companions have never been to a casino before. Your memory of that first time will be stronger and the shared experience is good for your friendships. When you have a few casino trips under your belt, you'll tend to head for your favorite game even if you go with a group. Everyone just splits off and does their own thing. A good mentor will invite you to try a few games and sit with you on your first trip, but their excitement won't be in sync with yours.
Another reason to go with one or more friends on your first trip is that you won't have a game plan for managing your time. When you're sitting alone in a crowded casino and you feel the need to visit the men's or ladies' room, you'll agonize over leaving the game you're playing. Sitting beside a friend is much better when those needs arise. You can feel better about leaving your seat. Ladies, you should keep your wallets or purses with you at all times, but if you have a companion you can leave your valuables with (someone whom you know and trust deeply), you'll feel a little less anxious about that.
As the casino fills up, regular players quickly claim spots they won't give up for hours. Some people will leave a chair leaning against a slot machine as a sign that it's being played, but there's no casino rule that requires people to honor that claim. In fact, casino employees may come and clean up the slot game and put the chair back. Having at least one buddy to hold a place for you pays off when the place is teeming with people and there's a line waiting for the game you are playing.
The buddy system also makes it easier for you to get snacks and drinks. Yes, a great casino has servers wandering the floor.
But their services are in high demand at peak times. You could wait 30 minutes to an hour for a drink.
And the servers may quickly prioritize you as a customer if you never tip them.
4. Avoid the High Roller Games
It's tempting, especially if you have just won a jackpot, to go try your luck at the high roller games. You may read conflicting advice on the internet about whether the high roller games pay better or worse than the main floor games.
That doesn't matter.
Your first trip to a casino is not the time for you to try being a high roller. A typical high roller game might require you to bet hundreds of dollars for one spin or one hand of cards.
How likely are you to win a jackpot?
I won several jackpots within 30 minutes of walking into a casino. Big, busy casinos may pay out jackpots throughout the day. Any win that requires a casino employee to come and check the machine counts as a 'jackpot'.
That could amount to $1,000 or $1,000,000. You're far likelier to win a $1,000 jackpot than a $1,000,000. The largest jackpot I remember winning was about $8,000 on a $3 bet. Most of the jackpots I won were in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.
By playing the lower stakes games your money will last longer. You really can't prepare for that first casino visit by playing free casino games on the internet or your PC. It's just not the same. The lights and sounds are almost overwhelming. (It's still worthwhile, though.)
If you choose a high end casino (and many Native American casinos fit into that category) for your first experience, you'll be blown away by everything: the luxurious architecture of the building, the artwork lining the walls, the carpets, the lounges–everything is designed to make you feel like you are living a life of luxury.
Enjoy that feeling, but don't throw your money at the casino.
Whether you sit at a table game like roulette or blackjack, or play a slot game, or bet on a race, or place bets on a lottery game like keno, you'll have the opportunity to raise the size of your bets. All these games offer minimum and maximum bet limits. You'll feel your heart beat hard enough when you go from betting 25 cents to betting 25 dollars.
High roller games are a different level of entertainment, and you should save that first time experience for another day.
First Casino In The World
5. Make a Simple Plan that Is Easy to Follow
By simple plan, I mean make it impossible for you to impoverish yourself.
From choosing which casino to visit, to deciding where to park, to how much money you'll bet, you should know before you enter the casino's parking lot what you are going to do.
Start by setting a budget. This is the most common advice offered to new gamblers.
It's also the most important. If you only have $200 to gamble, don't take your credit cards, check books, or debit cards into the casino with you. Don't leave them in your car, either. Make it as hard to get more money as you possibly can.
If you walk into a casino with $200 and find yourself wishing you had more, give yourself a moment to realize what just happened: you just paid $200 for (hopefully) an evening's entertainment. At this point, it's time to cash in your comps and go home.
Plan for when and how you will leave the casino.
Don't leave desperate, frustrated, and broke.
No casino owes you anything more than the experience you're willing to pay for. They provide a safe entertainment experience, not a guaranteed income. The games are designed to give a little bit but take a little bit more.
The casino will let you bet everything you have on the first throw of the dice, but they're prepared to wait out even the most stingy and conservative players.
So there's no need for an elaborate 'strategy'. Set one rule:
You leave when you have X dollars.
Maybe that means you lose everything you take in.
Maybe that means you triple your money.
But take a watch with you, or make sure your smart phone keeps proper time. Set an alarm to tell yourself when it's time to go–especially if you're visiting a local casino and you have to be somewhere the next day. The casino is not going to tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Is it past your bedtime?'
You'll be shocked to realize just how late it is when you finally leave the casino (assuming you don't lose all your money quickly like I did my first time).
6. Do Not Try to Take Pictures or Videos of the Games
You have undoubtedly seen a lot of photographs and videos taken from inside casinos. People post them all over the Internet.
So why shouldn't you do that?
The reason is actually quite simple:
Someone who works for the casino may ask you to stop, or they may force you to leave. Casinos used to be more tolerant of inside photography, but things have changed over the years.
It's probably safe to take pictures when you are away from the games. If in doubt, ask a casino employee what the rules are. I'd be surprised if any casino agrees to let you take video or pictures of a slot game. That is because eastern European criminals were caught using a supercomputer to rig slot machine games.
The story about the phone cameras and slot machine games is too long to include here.
But suffice to say that several people were arrested at American casinos for sending live video back to the supercomputer. The casinos do not want you to take video of those games why they are spinning. It might be okay to take a picture after the reels have stopped and you have a jackpot.
Ask before you get into trouble.
Obey the rules.
The casinos usually post signs with rules around their floors to help people quickly see what is and is not acceptable behavior.
But you can also always ask a casino employee what is allowed.
If you must take a phone call, step away from the game. This is also considered courteous to other players.
By the same token, keep texting to a minimum–especially if you're playing a table game. Concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing at the casino.
Step aside and find a semi-private space for phone calls and text messages.
7. Do Not Drink or Use Drugs While Gambling
No matter how well you think you can 'handle it,' the casino is counting on players getting at least a little bit tipsy. They make sure it's easy to get alcohol even if other types of drugs are not available. As you become more inebriated, your judgment becomes impaired. Just as you should not drink and drive, so you should not drink and gamble.
And that goes for over-the-counter medications that can make you drowsy.
It also goes for prescription medications that can make you dizzy or drowsy. It might feel good to you when you're stoned, but you won't like waking up in jail or completely broke because you blew your rent money.
Don't try to prove you can 'handle it'. Prove you can manage yourself and have a good time without the help of alcohol or drugs.
If you're feeling so sick that you need strong cough medicine or antihistamines the day you're supposed to go to the casino, it's better if you delay that first-time experience until you're feeling better. You really don'tt need to sit in a casino for 6-8 hours if you're sick. Not only will that drain you (and if there is cigarette smoke you'll worsen any breathing problems you have), you could make other people sick.
Visit the casino when you are well, sober, and ready to have a great time with a few trusty friends or family.
And on a budget, naturally.
Conclusion
There's so much more I wish someone had told me before I went into a casino for the first time. You devote most of your forethought to learning games so you can 'be ready' for that first time experience.
You know what?
All that practice goes out the window. You're overwhelmed. You just want to get in there and play, play, and win, win.
But in reality, you're never ready for that first visit.
Your first time experience should not be about winning. You should not visit a casino because you're short on money and need a quick cash injection. Don't burn your first time like that. Save it for when you can relax, enjoy the company, and marvel at the environmental experience of being inside a huge, glitzy casino.
Be safe, have fun, and create memories you'll cherish for the rest of your life.
Best of all, teach yourself good gambling habits early in your experience. Make sure you're there for the entertainment.
You'll have more fun that way.
I visited my first casino, The Sands in Las Vegas, in 1996. The VP of marketing at the company where I worked told me that the first thing I should do when I got there was place a bet on '7 black' at the roulette table. He thought this was big fun, because, of course, the 7 on the roulette wheel is red.
I wish someone had given me some real, practical advice before I visited a casino for the first time. Since no one did that for me, I'll do that for you. The things you should know listed below are obvious to regulars at the casino.
But they can save you a lot of money and heartache if it's your first.
Here are the top 10 things you need to know if you're visiting a casino for the first time:
1. The Wide Area Progressive (WAP) Slot Machines Are Some of the Worst Bets in the Casino
A progressive slot machine is one with an electronic ticker at the top which displays an ever-increasing jackpot amount. You'll find 3 kinds of progressives:
- Single machines
- Local area progressives
- Wide area progressives
What all these games have in common is that they 'fuel' the progressive jackpot by taking a percentage of each bet and applying it to the jackpot. In the case of single machines, the jackpot only grows when you're playing that specific machine.
Local area progressives are machines within a specific casino which tie into the same jackpot. Any bets placed at any of these machines grow the jackpot amount.
Wide area progressives are machines within a certain geographic radius. In Las Vegas, the most famous wide area progressive slots are the Megabucks machines. Literally, thousands of slot machines power these jackpots, and they're correspondingly huge – at least $10 million.
The problem with slot machines with jackpots this large is that their payback percentage is inferior to the payback percentage on a flat top machine. (A flat top machine has a fixed jackpot amount.)
A typical Vegas slot machine has a payback percentage of at least 90%. A wide area progressive has a payback percentage of 80% or less when you discount the effect of the progressive jackpot. Since you only have a 1 in 15 million chance of winning the top jackpot, it's sensible to deduce that amount from the overall payback percentage for the machine.
2. Payback Percentage Is How You Measure the Odds for Gambling Machines
You might have heard of the house edge. That's a term used to describe how good or bad the odds are for table games. It's a mathematical prediction of how much you'll lose per bet on average over a tremendous number of trials.
The house edge is expressed as a percentage. If a game has a house edge of 1%, the casino expects to win $1 every time you bet $100, over the long run. In the short-term, anything can happen. What most gamblers don't realize is that they long run is longer than they think.
The payback percentage is the flip side of the house edge. It's the amount of money the casino expects the player to win back for every bet. It's also expressed as a percentage. For example, if I tell you a game has a 99% payback percentage, the casino expects you to win 99 cents every time you wager a dollar – again, on average, over time.
You can use house edge and payback percentage to compare the odds for different games.
3. Video Poker Machines Have Transparent Payback Percentages that Are Superior to Slot Machines
The higher the payback percentage, the better. The problem with slot machines is that they're the only game in the casino where you can't know what the payback percentage is. In fact, the payback percentage for slots is usually the lowest in the casino.
That's one of the major differences between slots and video poker, in fact. On a video poker game, the probability of getting a result is something you can calculate. The random number generator on a video poker game emulates the same odds as a standard deck of 52 cards.
You need 2 pieces of data to calculate the payback percentage for a gambling machine:
- The prize amounts
- The probability of winning those prizes
Unless you're Rain Man, you can't just look at a video poker pay table and know the payback percentage.
But computer programmers and gambling writers have analyzed almost every video poker pay table you can imagine and published the results online.
A quick search of Google can help you compare video poker machines to find the ones with the best odds.
Also, even the video poker games with the worst odds are usually better than slot machines.
4. Drinks Are Free in the Casino
This isn't true in every jurisdiction, but in most major casino destinations, drinks are free – but only if you're gambling. (Last time I was at the Winstar, they were charging for alcohol, even if you were playing.)
You still need to tip your cocktail waitress, though. A buck or two is sufficient.
But just because the drinks are free doesn't mean you should over-indulge.
Casinos offer free drinks because alcohol impairs your judgment. You'll gamble over your bankroll and lose more money than you intend to if you drink too much.
Don't be that guy who thinks he's more macho than the other drinkers in the casino, either. He's the guy who loses the most money, regardless of what he claims.
No one likes that guy.
Also, a word to the wise:
If you can't control your drinking, you probably can't control your gambling, either. You might be better off avoiding casinos altogether.
5. Table Games Offer Better Games than Gambling Machines – With One Exception
The rule of thumb for gambling at a casino is that the easier the game is to understand, the worse the odds are.
It's easy to understand a slot machine. You put your money in, spin the reels, and hope that winning symbols line up.
Blackjack, on the other hand, is harder to understand. You have to learn the values of the cards. You have to know what your options are when playing each – hit, stand, double down, split, etc. And it helps to know what the right move is in each situation.
But look at the difference in house edge.
The house edge for most slot machine games is at least 7%. Even if you're terrible at blackjack, the house edge isn't more than 4% or so. If you spend a little time learning basic strategy, you can but the house edge to blackjack down to 1% or less.
Even the table games with no skill required, like baccarat, craps, and roulette, offer a lower payback percentage than most slot machine games.
There's one exception, though – video poker machines.
Good video poker machines combine the thrill of playing a gambling machine with the low house edge of a table game.
Much of this is because video poker games are based on card games. The random number generator duplicates the odds you'd see if you were dealing hands from a 52-card deck.
Slot machine payback percentages usually range between 75% and 93%. The outliers might top out at 97% or 98%.
Video poker payback percentages range from 92% up to 100.1%. Those numbers assume that you play with a reasonably correct strategy most of the time.
6. Betting Systems Don't Work
It won't take long at the casino before you meet someone who's a proponent of the Martingale or some other betting system. It's tempting to think that a betting strategy like this might work, but it doesn't – at least not in the long run.
Here's how the Martingale System works:
You start by defining a single betting unit and choosing an even-money bet. The most common game people try the Martingale on is roulette, which has several even-money bets that seem to have a close-to-50% chance of winning.
You then start by betting a single unit. If you lose, you double your bet, hoping to recoup the previously lost bet along with a single unit profit. You repeat this doubling of your bets every time you lose.
Here's an example:
You bet $10 (one unit) on red. The ball lands on black, so you lose your $10. The system says you double your bet, so now you bet $20 on red. The ball lands on black again, so you lose $20. The system says you double your bet again, so now you bet $40. This time, the ball lands on red, so you win back the $30 you lost on the previous bets. And you're ahead by $10.
This can work well in the short run, but people have a few misunderstandings about the viability of such a system.
The first is the assumption that long losing streaks are terribly unlikely. The truth is, losing several times in a row is a lot more likely that you probably think.
The second is the lack of understanding of how fast doubling your bets makes you put money into action. $10 is no big deal, and neither is $20. Heck, even $40 isn't that much for most people.
But if you lose 4 or 5 times in a row, you're betting hundreds of dollars per spin.
It doesn't take long for you to get to a point where the next bet in the progression is beyond your bankroll or beyond the betting limits at the table.
All the Martingale System does, in the long run, is get you some small wins here and there, all of which will eventually be wiped out by a huge losing streak.
The house edge for a casino game remains unaffected by your betting system.
7. Casinos Offer Classes in How to Play Their Games
Some people who are new to the casino adventure are intimidated by table games – especially craps. That's too bad because these games offer better odds than the slot machines. They're easy to learn, too. And I think they're more fun.
But you don't have to try to puzzle out how to play blackjack, craps, or roulette from tutorials on websites like this one. You don't even have to buy a book or an instructional video about how to play.
Almost all casinos offer classes on how their games work. To find out when these games are scheduled, just ask anyone in customer service at the casino. If the specific individual can't tell you what the schedule is like for these free classes, they can point you in the direction of someone who can.
These classes are usually held in the mid-morning. They're usually followed by actual game-play, but that's optional.
I learned to play blackjack from my mom at the kitchen table. Roulette was so easy I just sat down at the table and got the hand of it.
But I learned to play craps at a class at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas.
You can also learn to play these games using free games at Internet casinos, but I think you'll enjoy the free classes at the casino.
One caveat, though:
Take strategy advice from casino dealers with a grain of salt. For example, they love to explain hedging your bets in craps at these classes. That's a lousy strategy.
8. Almost Everyone Working in or Near the Casino Industry Rely on Tips to Make a Living
You don't have to dole out all your money to everyone working at a casino. But it sometimes feels like it. If you want to be a good person with a little bit of class, remember to tip a reasonable amount for various services.
If you eat at a buffet restaurant, a dollar or 2 for each person is a reasonable tip. Your waitress is only refilling your drinks, not providing full table service, so that doesn't warrant a 20% tip.
Real sit-down restaurants work the same way in Vegas as anywhere else. You should tip a minimum of 20% in a casino destination. If you're happy with the service, consider 25% or 30%, instead.
Casino game dealers deserve tips, too. It's customary to throw them an occasional tip after a win. If you want to look sophisticated, place a bet on behalf of the dealer. This is especially common at the blackjack table.
A good rule of thumb is to plan on using 5% to 10% of your starting bankroll for tips to the dealer. It's up to you to decide when to tip. Some players tip when they're ready to leave the table, while others tip during the game. I think it's more fun to tip while you're playing.
Cocktail waitresses deserve at least a dollar for bringing you a drink. I'll often tip more than this early in the evening to make sure I'm not ignored throughout the night, though. If you're planning to spend several hours drinking in the casino, consider giving the cocktail waitress $10 or $20 for the first drink she brings you.
You can scale back after that but occasionally provide a larger tip to keep her coming around.
It's also customary to tip bell hops, taxi drivers, and the hosts who seat you at the various shows. Tipping the host at a show can get you a better seat. You can even tip the person at the check-in desk in hopes of getting a room upgrade. It's customary to include a $20 or $50 with your credit card when you check in. Don't be shy. Ask if they have any upgraded rooms available at the same price as your room.
If you get a reputation as stingy with your tips, you won't have as much fun at the casino. No one likes that guy.
9. Casinos Have Their Own Rules of Etiquette
You'll pick up on the most common rules of etiquette in the casino eventually. But a little knowledge in advance can help you be less of a bore.
I've already covered tipping, but there are other unwritten rules you should know about.
The most important rules of etiquette, at least from the perspective of the casino's staff, relate to the handling of cash. You never hand a dealer money. You put your cash on the table, and the dealer exchanges it for tips.
This is for security purposes, but it also protects the dealer from accusations. By putting the money on the table, you make the entire transaction visible to the cameras above the casino floor. (These are called 'the eye in the sky'.)
Kenny Rogers is right, too – never count your money at the table. It's crass. It's also dangerous because casinos attract pickpockets and thieves just like any other den of iniquity.
Specific games have specific rules of etiquette, too. For example, in a single deck blackjack, it's customary to pick up your cards. But in a game dealt from a shoe, you should never touch your cards.
10. You Should Budget More Money for Your Trip than You Think
The biggest mistake I made the first time I went to Vegas was underestimating how much money it would cost. After all, Vegas is famous for cheap meals and free (or close-to-free) entertainment.
The thing is, all these cheap and free experiences are come-ons to get you gambling. And gambling is always more expensive than most first-time gamblers expect it to be.
I recommend having multiple budgets for your trip, too. Your gambling funds, especially, should be entirely separate from all your other expenses.
I have a friend who went to Vegas and gambled almost all his money away the first day. He barely had anything to eat for the rest of the trip, and he spent most of the rest of his trip watching television in his hotel room. He had enough sense to set aside money to get himself back to the airport.
I can't imagine a more disappointing end to a trip to Vegas, though.
You should have a budget for meals, a budget for entertainment, and a budget for getting to and from the things you want to do while you're there. Your gambling budget should be separate from all that.
I suggest drawing up a budget for each of those, based on what you've learned about prices there from Frommer's or from travel guides on the Internet.
Then add 20% to each line item in the budget.
You'll be better off having too much money for your trip than too little.
Conclusion
Casinos are a lot of fun, especially if you're visiting for your first time.
But gambling and casino entertainment can also be intimidating for the beginner. They don't have to be, though. With a little bit of education and some planning, you can have a successful first trip to the casino.
If you're like most people, your first trip to the casino probably won't be your last.
