Playing online casino games can be a lot of fun. From simple slots to complex card games, a variation on offer is likely to suit a player’s taste. That’s not surprising when you consider that modern casino games are derivatives of age-old traditions, adapted for use in a setting where players don’t need to worry about the element of luck because the game is set up in such a way that the house has a near-certain win margin, but players can still enjoy themselves.
One reason online casino gaming has grown so rapidly is that it’s become more accessible. In the past, you might have needed to visit a physical casino to play, but nowadays, players can enjoy the same games from their homes. Thanks to speedy internet connections and easy-to-use software, players can expect a similarly great experience when they play online as they would get if they went to a brick-and-mortar casino.
Yet despite the ease of access and generally high quality of online casino games, there’s still a sense of mystery around what happens in a real-life casino. Visiting a casino for the first time can be exciting. Still, it’s also common for first-time visitors to feel like they missed some important information in their preparation for the trip because there’s so many aspects to a casino that don’t apply to any other setting.
Most online casinos cater to players who haven’t been to a real-life casino before by including information about the rules and payouts of games in the descriptions, but casino veterans will still appreciate having a thorough understanding of how games work. Knowing the basics of how a casino game is played can make the difference between walking away a winner or being mystified by how someone could win when everything seems to be going your way.
Rules Are Rules
Perhaps the most important thing for a first-time online casino player to understand about casino games is that the rules are generally set in stone. For example, whether you’re playing online or in a physical casino, blackjack has a dealer total of 21 and players must hit if they are holding 12 or more without busting.
The cards are dealt and there’s nothing that can change that. Of course, there’s an element of luck involved in any game, but the basic rules don’t generally vary from casino to casino. Of course, there are “house rules” that casinos can use to their advantage but standard games will have been carefully designed around those rules to encourage players to win—until they lose, of course.
The reason the rules are so firmly established is that casinos make money by taking a cut of the money wagered by players. The rules are designed to ensure that players wager more than the casino pays out, thus ensuring a net loss for the players that equals a profit for the casino.
It’s simple math, and the fact that players often wonder how casinos make so much money when the odds are so heavily in favor of players might mean that you’re a lucky winner but it rarely means that casinos are cheating or being dishonest.
Don’t Stand on Ceremony
Another common misconception about casinos and casino games is that there are some special etiquette players should follow. In just about every other setting outside of a high-society ball, picking up your dice before they roll or shuffling your cards before dealing them would be considered very bad form, but in a casino, it’s completely normal—and even expected.
Don’t feel embarrassed if you need a reminder about what’s proper casino conduct; after all, the rules are there to ensure the casino has a fair advantage, not to create an atmosphere of fancy party etiquette.