Heading to a Casino soon for the first time and don't want to look like a total Noob

[fustercluck]

I'm heading out to a Casino on Monday (Woot! I've been dying to play at a Casino all my life), but I don't really know all of the rules/etiquette. I'd be kinda lost in a casino. Mainly I'm looking to play Hold em', Slots, Blackjack, and video poker. I want to try and avoid most mistakes inexperienced people make.

Here's some questions to start out with.

1. How do I get chips? Do I just pay the dealer at the table?

2. Do I just use regular quarters for slots? Should I get some kind of casino cash card?

3. I've been playing poker all my life, but I'm still not sure what that big blind/small blind stuff is, and a lot of other poker terminology i'm not familiar with, I'll just look this stuff up if no one explains.

4. Does it matter where I sit at a poker/blackjack table?

5. Why do Kicker cards always screw me and never help me?

Thanks.

 

[her209]

You will exchange your cash for chips at the table.

Don't hand money to the dealer.

Tip the dealer.

At a table of blackjack, if you don't know what you are doing, sit towards the front. People get pissed at you if you bust a lot, meaning you are using up all the high cards when the dealer could have busted.

 

[Maximilian]

Copy the brittish guy with glasses and bad teeth

 

[digitalme]

wear hawain shirt

 

[GagHalfrunt]

When you lose cry and beg for a do-over. That really makes them feel sad and they happily refund your money.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: Adaman
I'm heading out to a Casino on Monday (Woot! I've been dying to play at a Casino all my life), but I don't really know all of the rules/etiquette. I'd be kinda lost in a casino. Mainly I'm looking to play Hold em', Slots, Blackjack, and video poker. I want to try and avoid most mistakes inexperienced people make.

Here's some questions to start out with.

1. How do I get chips? Do I just pay the dealer at the table?

2. Do I just use regular quarters for slots? Should I get some kind of casino cash card?

3. I've been playing poker all my life, but I'm still not sure what that big blind/small blind stuff is, and a lot of other poker terminology i'm not familiar with, I'll just look this stuff up if no one explains.

4. Does it matter where I sit at a poker/blackjack table?

5. Why do Kicker cards always screw me and never help me?

Thanks.

I'm fairly experienced playing holdem in AC. Here goes:

First, you can get chips at the cash window or buy them at the table. If buying at the table, put your cash down flat on the table and the dealer will acknowledge you. If you're a noob, go to a casino that has 2/4 holdem. Those are generally the lowest blinds there are, at least in AC.

Basically holdem follows the dealer button. The two next to them are the small and big blind respectively. That means they bet "blind" without seeing their hole cards (2 in the hand) first, so they cant fold before betting. The next round the button will move and so will the blinds.

Best bet is to sit down, buy some chips, and when the dealer asks if you want to buy in or wait for the blinds, tell him you want to wait for the blinds. Buying in means you can bet the big blind that hand and play immediately, otherwise you wait for the dealer button to go around once. This will give you the opportunity to watch.

Oh, and just ask questions to the dealer if you're unsure. Ignore everyone else at the table, they just want to talk. The dealer sets and enforces the rules, so he's the only one you should be asking for anything. Except the cocktail waitresses, ask them for drinks, they're free but you should tip. You can tip chips.

Same with the dealer, its customary to tip him a buck or two if you win that hand.

EDIT: At least in Atlantic City, you ARE allowed to stand behind a table and watch for as long as you want. You generally shouldnt talk if you do this, but I learned a lot about the mechanics that way.

If you care at all about playing the best odds:

NO SLOTS!!!!
NO ROULETTE, although I have fun at roulette so I play it sometimes

Blackjack if you want, but the house has the statistical edge.
Craps is close to 50/50
Holdem doesnt play against the house, they just take a rake out of the pot each hand. Best odds are there usually.

 

[Lifted]

Best tip I have is to sit that the nickle slots, play slooooow, and order free drinks from every waitress within yelling distance. Then hit the clubs, the casino itself gets boring fast.

 

[bctbct]

Bet it all on black


edit I mean red GL

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: bctbct
Bet it all on black


edit I mean red GL

Green. Payout is mo betta!

 

[FelixDeCat]

Avoid Indian casinos. They are underhanded.

 

[anxi80]

if playing hold em dont show your cards until asked to by the dealer, tip accordingly to the size of the pot you've taken down, if everyone folds to the blinds and you are looking at rags either propose or accept a chop (if asked). you'll get your blinds back and the house doesnt take a rake.

if you are at a blackjack table whatever you do do not touch your cards (unless you are playing single deck where the etiquette is to put your cards under your bet when you want to stand, or flip them over if you bust). i like to double down on 9, 10 and 11 all depending on the dealers card and split aces and eights (unless you are facing a dealer 10). you always assume the dealer has a 10 under there.

like a previous poster said i recommend sitting in the first couple of seats at the blackjack table, and at hold em i probably recommend starting at a pot limit table until you get the hang of things. usually casinos have a 3/6 limit game always going on.

 

[chrisms]

If I'm at the $10 blackjack table do I get free drinks? I turned them down in Vegas because I figured they'd be $8 a piece.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Originally posted by: anxi80
if playing hold em dont show your cards until asked to by the dealer, tip accordingly to the size of the pot you've taken down, if everyone folds to the blinds and you are looking at rags either propose or accept a chop (if asked). you'll get your blinds back and the house doesnt take a rake.

if you are at a blackjack table whatever you do do not touch your cards (unless you are playing single deck where the etiquette is to put your cards under your bet when you want to stand, or flip them over if you bust). i like to double down on 9, 10 and 11 all depending on the dealers card and split aces and eights (unless you are facing a dealer 10). you always assume the dealer has a 10 under there.

like a previous poster said i recommend sitting in the first couple of seats at the blackjack table, and at hold em i probably recommend starting at a pot limit table until you get the hang of things. usually casinos have a 3/6 limit game always going on.

Why double on a 9 if you are assuming the dealer has a 10? Der!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Squint really hard like you aer pooping. Then get a royal flush!

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: chrisms
If I'm at the $10 blackjack table do I get free drinks? I turned them down in Vegas because I figured they'd be $8 a piece.

I thought that the drinks were ALWAYS free on casino floors in Vegas. Even if you're playing the nickel slots, they still want to get you wasted so you'll gamble away more money.

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: FelixDeKat

Originally posted by: anxi80
if playing hold em dont show your cards until asked to by the dealer, tip accordingly to the size of the pot you've taken down, if everyone folds to the blinds and you are looking at rags either propose or accept a chop (if asked). you'll get your blinds back and the house doesnt take a rake.

if you are at a blackjack table whatever you do do not touch your cards (unless you are playing single deck where the etiquette is to put your cards under your bet when you want to stand, or flip them over if you bust). i like to double down on 9, 10 and 11 all depending on the dealers card and split aces and eights (unless you are facing a dealer 10). you always assume the dealer has a 10 under there.

like a previous poster said i recommend sitting in the first couple of seats at the blackjack table, and at hold em i probably recommend starting at a pot limit table until you get the hang of things. usually casinos have a 3/6 limit game always going on.

Why double on a 9 if you are assuming the dealer has a 10? Der!

probably should've worded that better and i have a feeling you understand what i mean but for the op if a 6 is showing you have to assume the dealer has a 10 under there so you are looking at 16. double down and hit a 10 and your 9 is now a 19 against the dealers 16. now you just hope that they dont push or hit a 20 or 21.

 

[richardycc]

one of the unwritten rules in bj at any casino, when you are sitting at the blackjack table, you have to play EVERY hand, you cant just play a few hands and "I will sit this one out and wait for my luck,' if you do that, you will piss of the dealer and other players at the table. you can thank me later.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

If you want to look really smart stop at the door, laugh at the suckers tossing their money away to make billionaires even richer and then go someplace else.

 

[Yossarian]

read this

 

[fitzov]

I would stick with blackjack--it's much simpler than holdem.

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob

Originally posted by: chrisms
If I'm at the $10 blackjack table do I get free drinks? I turned them down in Vegas because I figured they'd be $8 a piece.

I thought that the drinks were ALWAYS free on casino floors in Vegas. Even if you're playing the nickel slots, they still want to get you wasted so you'll gamble away more money.

Yeah they are free, except your supposed to tip. I was just in vegas and got the weakest margarita I've ever had, so don't plan on trying to get drunk for free that way. You'll end up spending more money gambling while your waiting for the drinks than if you had just went to the bar and bought them.

 

[Omegachi]

hmm... i need to know this also.

 

[fustercluck]

Originally posted by: Yossarian
read this

That was a somewhat helpful guide, but there's a lot of poker jargon in there that newbies (like me) wouldn't understand, when writing a guide for beginners, you'd think he'd explain things a bit more, still a good guide though.

What I take from all of this is I can't remember everything and I'm going to end up doing a lot of stupid stuff and offending people when not meaning too...ah well, too bad for them

I still don't get how to get chips though, someone said you can get them from the dealer but don't give him any money? If you gets chips from someone up front then how will you carry your chips from table to table?

 

[KLin]

Don't forget the dealer bets at the blackjack table if you're cleaning up .

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Originally posted by: Adaman
I still don't get how to get chips though, someone said you can get them from the dealer but don't give him any money? If you gets chips from someone up front then how will you carry your chips from table to table?

You have to put the money down ON the table and not hand it to him. I learned this the hard way and felt like an ass at a roulette table when I tried handing the dealer my money and he had to explain it to me after I looked puzzled as to why he acted all offended when I stuck my money out.