Most newbie players have one huge issue once coming for the first time into a casino. Choosing which game to play might be an issue, and going with what your friends tell you is rarely a good choice. You will need to choose and adapt the casino game you’re playing to your character.
There are, in general, three things to look for:
1. Level of Control
2. Competitiveness
3. Budget
Each casino game will have some mixture of these three and offer different excitements to different people. Some really like competing with other players for the winning pool, while others prefer going solo and relaxing while the machine does its thing.
Even when the games are pushed away from brick and mortar buildings and to a digital setting of an online casino, the deal is still the same. You will simply have more fun with one set of rules and goals over the other.
It should be Fun, not Stressful
With much of modern existence, we have forgotten that some things don’t need to be stressful. If you resent sitting at the poker table, just leave and find something else that will be fun. Unless you are the croupier, it is not your job to sit there.
Also, some people focus too much on how playing something will appear to others over how it makes them feel. This is the same trap as leasing a car you can’t afford, much more trouble than it is worth.
Thankfully, with the push towards online games, this type of peer pressure is dialing down. Still, you need to be mindful that it is your game and that you always deserve to have fun.
#1 Poker
Short for trivia competitions that some casinos like to host, poker is the least luck-based game you can play. Even with the random number generator (RNG) component, that is the cards, the win is most often with the experience.
The cards you are using are just a tool and even a dud of a hand can win if you make your opponents think it will. Similarly, a royal flush can sometimes only bring you the small buy-in pool and nothing else.
If you like to have control and are competitive by nature, poker is the game for you. The budget might be an issue, because good players look for high stakes, but there are penny-chip games where you can slowly develop your skills.
#2 Blackjack
Although tales about card counting are fairly common in the gambling community, and each is more fantastical than the last, they are but stories. Even real card-counting is still very reliant on chances and will only give you a bit of an edge.
That being said, there is a significant skill component when it comes to blackjack. You need to have a general idea when to hold, when to hit, and when to split, which is not something a new player will be familiar with right from the get-go.
Also, there is no competitiveness. There is no point in raising your blood-pressure when playing against the house, as you know that they always have the upper hand, otherwise you won’t be allowed to play.
Still, for those who want to have some control but prefer staying cool and employing their mind, blackjack is the place to be. It is not too intense, but can still get you riled up at times.
#3 Slots
While online slots are for the most part pure RNG, they employ a lot more strategy than they do tactics. There is also zero competitiveness, especially when it comes to online casino games.
The biggest advantage of online slots is the lightness on the budget. For the same price as ten blackjack hands, you can play online slots for hours, even if you have the utmost worst of luck.
And if you are just a bit luckier than the average you will leave with more money than you came in with. That has everything to do with slots high RTP, or ‘Return to Player’. Going through the best payout online slots, you’ll see that for some this number is as high as 99%.
If you are not competitive and want to have fun on a budget, slots are definitely for you. And unlike regular games, there are a lot of variations online, all with their own way to spice things up a bit.
#4 Roulette
Roulette is, in many ways, the opposite of poker. While it seems that there is a skill-based component in the game, there really isn’t. There is no way to know where the ball will land and you will always have the same chances for the same bet.
But, for those who really want to test their luck and are willing to splurge on predicting where the little ball will stop, roulette is the best game ever.
Also, even though you are playing only against the house, the number of players at the table will give an illusion of competitiveness, because someone will always be right and others will be wrong. And there are those who thrive on that fact.
#5 Wheel of Fortune
Depending on the casino or online operator, the wheel of fortune might just be a simplified version of online slots. There is no component of strategy or much skill to speak off. Someone with a very confident hand might try to gauge the turn, but that is unspeakably hard.
If you are just there for luck and don’t care to think about it a lot, this is the game for you. And it is generally not expensive to play, costing similar to slots.
Your chances of winning big are slimmer, but there is always that glimmer of hope that the big prize will be there with your next try