We are all new at everything at some point, and there is, of course, nothing wrong with that. The issues can be where to find the right info that is easy to comprehend in a friendly way.
We have all been there, including us, as there was a time when we also were new to gambling and wondered about how all these things work and how to play casino games.
With all this in mind, we will make the information on this page as easy and straightforward as possible and become the ultimate casino guide you were looking for.
You will learn about the different casino games, the odds, the rules, and responsible gaming. We will also share some smart strategies with you that we have accumulated over the years and explain how to gamble.
This page is dedicated to both land-based and online casino players.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
Most casino games are games of chance and about luck. However, there are some cases where your decision-making and skills can affect the outcome. Luck is always a deciding factor, though, especially in the short term.
There are two things that you need to be wary of when gambling in a casino:
- The house (casino) is the only long-term winner as the odds are always in its favour.
- Not following responsible gaming practices is the quickest way to experience a disappointing and, in some cases, harmful outcome when gambling.
Now, let’s have a closer look at the different games that you can find in land-based and online casinos, and how to play casino games.
Understanding Casino Games
You can sometimes find new innovations, experiments, and variations of casino games, but the core games are always the foundation of any casino. These classics are the games we will get to know better as we learn how to play in a casino in this casino guide.
Slot Machines
Let’s start with our favourite casino games: slot machines.
There are different types of slot machines that cater to players of all levels, from beginners to experienced casino players. Some are looking for slots that can offer a longer and entertaining experience, while others seek riskier games where you can lose fast but also win big when luck is on your side.
There are various slot strategies that you can implement that can help your chances on how to win at slots if you want to dig deeper into the subject.
However, the main concept is the following:
- Slots have reels, rows, and paylines. The most common slots have 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 fixed paylines.
- You need to decide how much you want to bet per spin.
- Wins usually happen when you land 3 or more matching symbols on a payline starting from the leftmost reels, but variations exist.
- The main aim is often to land 3 or more scatters/bonus symbols that trigger the game’s free spins/bonus game, where your chances to win the most significant wins increase.
You can find information on how the games work in more detail in our online slot reviews, where we also give you the max win info and everything else that you need to know about the slots. We also give you the option to try the games for free through our slot demos.
Slot machines are released with various Return To Player (RTP) percentages that determine how much will be paid back to players and the casino’s long-term profits.
The best-paying online slots average around 96% RTP, while land-based slots typically offer significantly lower RTPs due to higher costs and other factors.
Slots also have different volatility settings, meaning that low volatility slots like Starburst can offer a better experience for beginners than the most highly volatile slots that can pay the biggest max wins.
Roulette
Roulette is another favourite casino game that can deliver plenty of action and is a must to include in a casino guide. The main downside of roulette is that you can lose your money quickly if you bet too aggressively, as it’s fast-paced.
The rules are pretty straightforward. The dealer spins the ball, and you can bet on the specific numbers or the outside options before the ball drops. The winning bets will then be paid, and the casino will collect the losing bets.
European Roulette has 36 numbers and a single zero, while American Roulette usually also has a double zero, further increasing the casino’s edge.
A winning bet on a number (straight up) pays 35x the bet, while outside bets pay 1x (black, red, odd, or even numbers) or 2x the bet (columns and rows)
You also have the option to bet on many numbers and mix inside and outside bets during a spin. It’s also popular to place bets like splits (two numbers), corners (4 numbers), streets (3 numbers), and other variations when playing roulette.
Be aware of “guaranteed win strategies on Roulette” online, on ÝouTube, and on social media, as these are false. Casinos wouldn’t offer a beatable game. Period.
However, it can be a good idea to familiarise yourself further with all the different bet options and payouts before playing roulette so that you fully understand the game and your options.
The house edge on American Roulette is 5.26% while casinos have a house edge of 2.7% on European Roulette. Quite a difference when you factor in billions of spins and bets over the long run.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another classic game to include in a casino games guide that you always find in land-based casinos. It has also become very popular online, particularly in virtual live casinos where you play against real dealers and other players, such as those offered by Evolution Gaming.
You don’t have to have the brain capacity of the MIT Blackjack team featured in the movie 21 to win at Blackjack, but some basic knowledge will certainly help when learning how to play casino games.
The goal of Blackjack is to reach 21 (or as close to it as possible) while beating the dealer’s hand.
All participating players are dealt two cards each, while the dealer shows one card. The number cards from 2 to 9 retain their face value, while all picture cards (King, Queen, Jack) are worth 10 points each. The Aces can count as 1 or 11.
The betting round always starts from the left side of the dealer and continues until the last player or box has made their decision on the right-hand side. Players are allowed to stop or draw a card at any total value, while the dealer has to continue to draw cards until they reach 17 (or more) or go over 21.
Wins pay 1x the bet and happen when: Your total value is higher than the dealer’s, or the dealer “busts” and goes over 21 while your bet is still in the round.
You lose when: The dealer beats your value, or if you “bust” and go over 21.
Blackjack wins happen when you reach 21 with only two cards and pay 1.5x the bet.
Your odds of winning increase significantly when you follow the basic Blackjack strategy, which is the optimal way of playing the game.
The house edge on Blackjack depends on the number of decks used.
| Number of decks | House advantage |
| Single deck | 0.17% |
| Double deck | 0.46% |
| Four decks | 0.60% |
| Six decks | 0.64% |
| Eight decks | 0.66% |
Blackjack offers some of the best odds when playing casino games if you follow the basic blackjack strategy, so we advise you to learn it.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another game we often see portrayed in movies like Casino and The Ballad of a Small Player, when high rollers play casino games or when James Bond enters a casino and gives the viewers a glimpse of how to gamble.
However, you don’t need to have the budget of an oil tycoon or a secret British spy to play this game, as smaller bets are accepted as well, and it is one of the easiest casino games to learn. The rules are straightforward, and there’s no strategy or skill needed.
The game is played with eight decks of cards and is dealt from a shoe. The player chose to wager on the Banker or the Player, and the one closest to nine wins. There is also a Dragon Bonus side bet.
Each hand starts with 2 cards, and a third may be dealt. If the banker’s or player’s hand has a total of eight or nine on the first two cards, no more cards are drawn.
The other Baccarat Basic Rules are:
Player:
- 0 to 5: must draw a card.
- 6 to 7: must stand.
The banker draws or stands based on the player’s third card.
The odds of winning at Baccarat are almost 50/50.
Poker & Video Poker
Poker is a game of skill and luck. For example, playing poker games like Texas Hold’em or Omaha against less-skilled players will give you an advantage and increase your chances of winning, especially long-term, but there are never any guarantees, as luck plays a significant part in the outcome when gambling in a casino.
Playing mathematically correct against players who continuously make “wrong” moves will eventually make you a winner, but requires thousands of hands without the circumstances changing.
However, luck is what makes poker popular, as an amateur player can qualify through an online poker satellite to a major tournament like the WSOP and later win the whole thing against professional players, as Chris Moneymaker did when he turned a $86 entry into a $2.5 million win.
Video Poker is also more about luck than skill, but knowing what to do and how to play casino games most efficiently can increase your chances of winning.
Craps
Craps can be the most socially rewarding casino game, but it might not be the most beginner-friendly game to start playing at, as we learn how to play in a casino.
The good news is that you can join the fun as a spectator until you start understanding the rules, or you can place bets without being the “shooter”.
The shooter is the one who throws the two dice, and there are plenty of betting options available in this game. The result of the first roll determines what everyone involved will bet on in future rolls.
The most common bet on craps is the “Pass Line,” which is an even money bet, but there are plenty of other options to bet on that pay much higher odds.
Craps is not found in all land-based casinos as it requires a lot of knowledge from the dealers and is a costly game to operate, as you need more staff to run a craps game than, for example, roulette or blackjack.
Offering craps online would, in theory, make more sense, but game studios haven’t managed to create a popular online craps game yet, as the feedback about those games has been generally poor so far.
How to Pick the Right Casino Game
So, now that you have an idea of how to gamble, which casino game should you play? This can be answered by adding a few factors into the mix in this casino games guide.
- What are you interested in?
- Are you looking for easy games to play?
- Do you want the best possible odds?
- Do you want to add in the social aspect or prefer to play games on your own?
- Are you prepared to increase your knowledge before playing, or want something straightforward?
- What kind of risks are you prepared to take?
Slots are often straightforward, especially in land-based casinos, where no preparation is needed to understand the rules. Spin and hope that the right outcomes land on the reels to win.
Online slots can range from advanced to straightforward versions, depending on what you are after, and we have reviewed them all here at CasinoWizard.com.
Blackjack and Poker ideally require some knowledge to maximise your chances of winning, though many players just play by feel and can win or lose either way.
Meanwhile, Craps and Roulette in land-based casinos can offer players the most fun social experience when luck is on their side and the vibe is good.
| Game | Difficulty | House Edge |
| Slots | Generally easy | 4%-20% |
| Roulette | Easy | 2.7% or 5.26% |
| Blackjack | Easy to moderate | Less than 1% (basic strategy) |
| Baccarat | Easy to moderate | Almost 50/50 |
| Poker & Video Poker | Moderate | 0.46% – 0.75% (Jacks or better) |
| Craps | Hard | 1.40% |
Know the Rules & Learn Basic Strategies
Doing a bit of research and learning how to play in a casino from a casino guide will not only enhance your overall gaming experience, but it can also increase your chances of winning.
For example, having a quick look at the paytable and game info before playing slots will make it more fun as you know what to look for and how the game’s special features work. Especially when you want to play slots online and look for the best UK slot sites and the highest RTP versions of the games, it can pay off to pick your casino carefully to ensure that you play with the best odds when casinos offer various RTP versions of the same games.
Playing Blackjack without knowing the basic strategy rules is also a bad idea when figuring out how to gamble, as you are giving away free margins and increasing the casino’s profits. You will be surprised to find how many players play Blackjack without knowing when it’s ideal to draw and stand once you get the basics.
Roulette is fun to play, but familiarising yourself with all the different bet options and their payout values to know how to play casino games will make that experience more fun next time you visit a Roulette table.
Understanding the Odds and House Edge
One of the fundamental rules when learning how to gamble is to accept that all these games have one long-term winner: The casino.
All casino games are designed with an edge in favour of the house (the casino). That’s just the way it is. Players can have lucky streaks and win big amounts at times, but that luck will never last forever, as the maths within the games won’t allow it.
As you have learnt, some games, such as Blackjack and Baccarat, can offer players close to 50/50 odds. At the same time, it makes a big difference if you play American or European Roulette because of the extra double-zero that tilts the odds further in the casino’s favour.
Online slots will generally offer a higher RTP than land-based slots. However, online casinos can most often choose between several RTP versions of the same game. One casino might offer players the 96.21% RTP version of Book of Dead, while another might offer the 87.25% RTP version of the same game. At CasinoWizard.com, we exclusively guide you towards the better-paying options.
How to Manage Your Bankroll Like a Pro
It’s easy to get carried away when gambling and just live in the moment without much thought or care about the outside real world. We have heard enough real-life stories about people who lost control and gambled away everything they had, so please pay extra attention to this and the rest of this “how to play in casino” guide to avoid the same pitfalls.
Everyone is entitled to do as they please, but we urge you to set a budget before playing. This budget is your bankroll used for gambling, and be prepared that you might lose it all. Most importantly, this is money that you can afford to lose and doesn’t interfere with your money outside of gambling.
To manage your bankroll, we also advise you to set session limits and decide your bet sizes beforehand. A common rule is to use a 1% bet rule, where your bet size doesn’t exceed more than 1% of your total bankroll when playing.
Safe & Responsible Gambling
This is probably the most important part of this whole “how to play in casino” page.
Why do you want to gamble? The answer should be that it’s for entertainment purposes. It can also add some excitement as the gambling element is exactly that, it’s exciting, and you can win money while doing so.
However, winning is a bonus because, as you now know, the odds are against us players and the only long-term winners are the casinos.
You want to keep your gambling habits under control, and you need to emphasize some self-control to do that. Luckily, things have improved in recent years, and casinos under UKGC governance and in other regulated jurisdictions are required to intervene if players show signs of problem gambling. This doesn’t remove your personal liability, though, as we can’t rely on casinos to do all the controlling for us. It’s gambling after all, and it’s ultimately your responsibility to keep your gambling activities under control, and no casino or casino guide can do that for you.
It’s important to know that games like slots can be highly addictive to some people, so be aware of this before playing and keep an eye out for any signs that might indicate that things are getting out of hand.
Set a Budget and Stick to It
The foundation of responsible gambling and the basics of how to gamble is to set a budget and stick to it.
This is not just empty words; it is something that all of us who gamble should cement as our main rule. Never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. Never.
Everyone’s financials are different, so it’s important that you are honest with yourself when setting your gambling budgets. It could be a daily, weekly, or monthly budget, and it’s crucial that you stick to the one you have decided on.
Avoid Chasing Losses
Chasing losses is the classic and most horrible way to bury yourself in a deep hole, and it’s what gets a lot of people with gambling problems into trouble.
This is why sticking to your decided gambling budgets is so crucial, even if you lost your bankroll faster than anticipated or whatever the reason might be.
Chasing losses will make everything worse and escalate any situation you’re in, so stop before it happens.
If you feel an urge to play anyway, use the tools provided by the casino you play at. You can set time limits on your account or self-exclude for different periods, or even permanently. These tools are available to you when needed, so make sure to use them.
Use the “One In, One Out” Rule
If you never withdraw any winnings, you will likely keep playing and lose what you won, plus more. This is why it’s advisable to follow a “one in, one out” rule.
The “one in, one out” rule means that for every pound you win, you put one pound away.
There is, of course, a withdrawal limit, but implementing a win rule when you master how to gamble can help you to withdraw winnings when you win to make sure that you limit your potential losses.
Did you win today? Ok, withdraw the winnings and stop playing, and call it quits for that day while continuing to follow your budget rules obsessively next time you play. The money you withdrew is now part of your winnings and outside of your gambling budget, and is not allowed to be deposited on top of your decided daily/weekly/monthly budgets.
This might sound a bit excessive to some, but following this rule is part of maintaining a healthier gambling activity while limiting your losses, and a crucial part of this is how to play casino games page.
Take Breaks & Set Time Limits
Why are there no visible clocks or watches in land-based casinos? Because they don’t want you to know what time it is. The main rule for the casino to keep earning money is to keep players inside the casino and keep them gambling. That’s the hard truth.
Online casinos don’t have that “luxury” but must clearly show the time.
Either way, it’s essential to set time limits before playing casino games, as they can be very entertaining and make you easily lose track of time.
Is your plan to play for 15, 30, or 60 minutes or even longer? Set an alarm and stick to what you have decided.
It’s also important to take breaks, especially if you are playing for more extended periods. Go for a walk, have a coffee, and do something else for a while to refresh your mindset and to keep in control.
Play Sober & Stay Focused
Drinking alcohol and gambling are not a combination that we would recommend, but sometimes, they are part of social norms. If you, for example, visit a land-based casino with friends and decide to gamble after or during having a few drinks. You might also want to gamble while having a glass of wine or a drink after work. Avoid it!
The reason is that alcohol can affect your judgment by interfering with brain communication pathways, especially in areas responsible for decision-making. Not something you want to happen when you are making decisions on how much money to gamble with and for how long, etc.
You might have a great understanding of how to play casino games, but you overestimate your knowledge or decisions when under the influence of alcohol.
Play sober and stay focused to make better judgments and avoid unnecessary mistakes you will regret later.
Seek Help if Needed
Gambling should be entertaining, but unfortunately, it can sometimes lead to all kinds of issues and problems.
It’s important to know that there is help.
If you show any signs of gambling problems or need someone to discuss with, feel free to contact these organisations that are available:
- Gamcare (UK) – gamcare.org.uk
- Gamstop (UK) – gamstop.co.uk
- Gamban (UK) – gamban.com
- GambleAware.org – gambleaware.org
Casino Etiquette: How to Behave Like a Pro
Common sense and normal behaviour will take you far when gambling in a casino or playing casino games online, but there are a few things that can help you settle in nicely, which we cover in this casino guide.
Some of these unspoken rules include:
- Tipping (when allowed). Are you happy with a dealer’s performance and service level? Feel free to leave a tip to show your appreciation.
- Wait for your turn. Are you eagerly waiting for a place on the Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, or Poker table? Wait for your turn, and check with a casino employee whether a waiting list is available.
- Respect the dealers and other players. Speaks for itself, but sometimes forgotten.
- Don’t blame the dealers for your losses. The dealers are doing their best to do their job and are not responsible for your wins or losses.
Bonuses, Rewards & Casino Promotions
Casinos need new players to visit and gamble to maintain profitability, and they often sweeten the welcome offer with a casino bonus, free spins, or other incentives while you figure out how to play casino games.
Land-based casinos might offer cashbacks, free hotel rooms, dinners, shows, etc, depending on the player’s potential “value” to the casino. Meanwhile, online casinos often use welcome bonuses to attract new players.
While it’s great to receive free things or more bonus money to play with or free spins to try games, things rarely come for free.
Find out if there are any requirements attached to what’s been offered to you before accepting anything from land-based casinos.
When playing with online casino bonuses, keep an eye on the bonus wagering requirements.
The same applies to any loyalty program bonuses or other incentives that you might receive when playing at a casino.
Common Mistakes New Players Make
You want to avoid the following common mistakes new players make when gambling in a casino and when learning how to play in a casino.
- Not knowing the rules of the game
- Betting too much or too little
- Misunderstanding the odds
- Letting your emotions affect your decisions
These are easily avoidable if you come prepared and with a clear mindset.
When to Stop Playing
It’s important to know when to stop playing. Some ground rules include:
- When it stops being fun
- When emotions start affecting your decisions
- When you start feeling tired
- When you reach your time limits
- When the budget cap has been met
- If you played for too long
- When you have met your win target
- If you don’t understand the game
Key Takeaways
Following these points, as discussed in this casino guide, will help you to understand how to gamble and to make better decisions.
Remember that the most important thing is to have fun while gambling and always to follow a responsible gambling strategy, no matter what.
Knowing when to stop is as important as sticking to your budget when gambling in casinos.
Learn the rules for a better overall gaming experience and, in some cases, increase your odds of winning and play smart when possible.