Category: Guide

As they say, you will never know about something you learn it. This simply shows that until you make out time to learn about something, you can never tell how it works.

You may speculate about it, assuming the worst, without knowing there’s nothing to worry about.

This is exactly the way it is with how some individuals view the game of Blackjack.

Blackjack is a table as well as a card game. It is not the only game played with cards, mind you, but it is one of the best because it is simple, exciting, and practical.

Blackjack is simple because it is easy to understand and play. It is exciting because it is filled with suspense: no one can tell the outcome of a hand.

Finally, Blackjack is a practical game, which must be played to win or lose.

Many people stay away from Blackjack because they believe it is a difficult game, which requires a lot of tactics to be played.

Well, in as much as they may not be wrong about the game requiring strategies, they are not correct about it being difficult to play. By the time you are done with this guide, you will not desire to play any other game but Blackjack.

This guide will break down the game in a way you will understand how it is played. Here, you will learn the terms related to Blackjack, the layout of the table, how to count the cards, the different basic rules of the game, and the steps to follow to play the game.

This guide is going to be a one-stop-shop on how to play Blackjack Online as a beginner.

Everything you need to know about the game is contained here.

Why You Should Play Blackjack

So many things discourage people from playing Blackjack. The name of the game alone makes some people think playing the game is a big deal.

But, once they play it, they will discover how friendly and easygoing the game is. If you are wondering why you should play Blackjack, here are some things you should know:

a. Blackjack is easy to play. As stated earlier, this game isn’t as difficult as a lot of people assume. You will soon see that it is the simplest card game to play.

I mean, you don’t have to worry about the right kind of bets as seen in Roulette or what the dice outcome means, as you would do in Craps. Here, you only worry about the total value of your cards.

It only requires little arithmetic skills from you. That’s all.

b. You will only focus on the dealer. What this means is that the business at the table is between you and the dealer. Other players may or may not be there as far as you are concerned; you have nothing to do with them. So, you don’t have to worry about other players this time.

c. The outcome of other players does not affect yours. All of you can win and all of you can lose. That someone else on the table won does not mean you too will not win in that round. You will understand why it is so as you continue reading.

d. The table is not rowdy. The game, in most cases, does not admit more than five to seven players per table. Because of this, you will have a chance, as a beginner, to play Blackjack without feeling like an amateur.

No one will make you feel bad or embarrassed if you don’t know what to do next. Besides, with the small number of players on the table, the dealer will have time to assist you.

e. No one will cheat you. It is actually difficult for anyone to be cheated in this game. To start with, you only play against the dealer and he is standing right there before you, with everything done in the open.

So it is almost impossible to cheat anyone there.

f. You don’t have to be a professional to play the game. To a large extent, Blackjack is a game of chance.

It is under probability that you will receive the right kind of cards that will make you win. Nevertheless, you still have some control over how the game turns out.

g. Blackjack is loaded with excitement. The table may not be rowdy and crowded but the game is thrilling because of the suspense that accompanies card dealing.

Remember, you don’t know the card you will receive and, since the outcome depends on the cards, you will anxiously wait for your cards to come.

Things to Remember and Do

As you sit down to play or observe this game, you need to understand some of the things happening around the table and bear them in mind. That way, you can avoid mistakes and enjoy the game.

1. There is no position in the sitting arrangement. This is to say that sitting at the first, second, or fifth chair at the table does not affect the game or influence its outcome.

The cards are shuffled and reshuffled once the deck goes down, so no one can tell the card that will come up first, second, and so on.

Hence, find a seat and position you find more comfortable and enjoy the game. But, you may avoid the first seat from the left of the dealer. You will know the reason in the next item.

2. The dealer starts dealing cards from the first seat at his left because he is supposed to deal clockwise.

After dealing cards, he starts the game from the player on the left too. Until he is through with that player, he will not move to the next one.

This is why you may need to take the third, fourth, or last seat, if applicable since this is your first Blackjack game. At least, before the dealer comes to you, you would have learnt a thing or two from the other players.

3. You are not affected by the presence of other players on the table. The dealer will attend to every player individually so the presence of the others will not determine the outcome of the game.

Remember, you are betting against the dealer and not the other players. If the total value of your cards is higher than that of the dealer but not more than 21, you will win. What other players have does not affect you. Always remember this.

4. As a beginner, I will advise you to bet low. Each table has a betting limit so go for the one within your budget.

You should also go to casinos that accept low bets. It is only in such casinos that you can find tables that will accept low bets.

5. There is always a placard on the table to indicate the minimum and maximum bet limits. If the table doesn’t have one, ask the dealer to supply you with the information before you settle in to play.

Also, let the dealer know your planned bets so he will give you the appropriate chips.

6. Always remember that playing this game is a form of gambling. With that in mind, you should know there is no guarantee you will win back the amount you wagered.

This is one major reason you should bet low. It is advisable to bet the amount you are willing to lose. That way, you won’t be a sore loser.

7. If the dealer uses some terms unknown to you, feel free to ask him the meaning. Remember you are just a beginner, who has taken a bold step into a new exciting world. So, don’t feel awkward while asking for explanations to terms you are not sure of their meanings.

8. The game of Blackjack involves a lot of hand signs. You will learn those signs and their uses within this article.

The dealer will prefer you use these signs during the game so the cameras can capture them for accountability’s sake.

9. You should go ahead and download free online Blackjack games so you can play privately to get yourself ready for the game in a live casino.

This does not mean you will play like an expert when you try it in a live casino but it will make you feel more confident.

10. Don’t play this game just because you want to win and make money. Truly, every player wants to win prizes from the game, but that shouldn’t be your utmost interest. Try to have fun too. Let the winnings be part of the fun.

Objectives of Blackjack

The primary goal of the game of Blackjack is to beat the dealer. Remember, the ‘war’ is between you and the dealer. But, let’s look at how you can beat or lose to the dealer.

a. Remember, your intention in this game is to have a hand value that is 21 or as close to 21 as possible. But, if the value goes beyond 21, you will ‘bust’ and the dealer will win.

So, do your best to keep the total of your cards from going over 21. This is why this game is also “21”.

b. Here is something else you should know. Your objective should not just be to get as close to 21 as possible but also to have a hand value that is higher than that of the dealer without busting.

For instance, if your hand value is 18 and that of the dealer is 17, you will win even though it is not up to 21. But, if it is the other way around, that is, the dealer’s hand value is 18 while yours is 17, you will lose while he wins.

c. You will also win this game if the dealer busts while you didn’t. This happens if the dealer draws a hand value that is greater than 21.

So, when the dealer loses, you win. When he wins, you lose. Remember, a dealer may lose to another player but still win in your case.

d. If the total of the first two cards the dealer dealt you is 21, you will win. This is known as Blackjack or the Natural.

This can only happen if you received a 10-value card and an Ace, which you converted to 11. However, if the dealer also has a Blackjack, the game is a tie. This means you neither won nor lost.

Know Your Cards

One of the major things you should know before playing this game is the name for each card and its value. But, let’s start by learning the game cards based on their symbols.

a. Every standard pack or deck of cards contains 52 cards.

b. The 52 cards are broadly divided into four groups or suits. These are Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds.

You can tell them by the shape of the symbols on them and their colours. Hearts and Diamonds are coloured red while Clubs and Spades are painted black.

Note that grouping the cards into these broad categories does not affect the game in any way. What matters most is the ranking or values of the cards.

c. Each group or suit of cards is made up of 13 cards of different values. This is to say that 13 cards have the spade symbols, another 13 have the hearts, and so on.

d. In each suite, there are three face or court cards, one Ace card, and nine number cards. The face cards are the King, Queen, and Jack while the number cards are numbered 2 to 10.

You can tell the value of a number card by the Arabic number written at the top left and bottom right parts of the card as well as by counting the number of the symbols drawn at its centre.

e. An Ace card contains one symbol of its suit drawn on its middle and the letter ‘A’ written at the top and bottom.

In some cases, the symbol on the Ace of Spades is different from that of the others in the suit. But you shouldn’t worry because you can tell an Ace card once you see one.

f. The joker is not used in the game of Blackjack, so don’t expect it.

Counting the Cards Value

Now that you can identify each card, it is time to learn their values. Trust me, it is not difficult at all.

i. For the numbered cards, each card is valued according to the number written on it. For instance, a card with the number ‘10’ written on it is worth 10. If ‘2’ is written, it is worth 2.

So, when summing up your cards’ values, count each numbered card according to the number it bears.

ii. Face cards are worth 10 each. So, if you get a King, a Queen, or a Jack, irrespective of the suit it belongs to, you should count it as 10.

iii. The Ace is the card with the highest and lowest value. It can be counted as 11 or 1, depending on the player’s decision.

If counting the card as 1 will make you win, do so. If number 11 is what you need to win, you can count your Ace as 11.

The Blackjack Table Layout

The Blackjack table is quite simple but you need to understand the images drawn on it. The table is semicircular and built to accommodate the number of players it is intended for.

You can tell how many players that can use a table by the number of betting circles, rectangles, or squares (sometimes, the casino’s logo) on it. Each player has his or her own betting space.

So, if you see five shapes, for instance, the table is meant for five players. Note that it is only the chips placed within these betting shapes that the dealer acknowledges.

The dealer also places the cards beside the chips on those betting spaces.

On the left-hand side of the dealer is the ‘shoe’, which is used for keeping shuffled cards. Directly in front of him is the tray for storing chips.

It is from there that he will remove the chips he will give you and where he keeps them when he collects losing bets from you.

The small container on his right-hand side is the ‘discard tray’. It is used for keeping used cards until it is time to reshuffle and keep them in the shoe.

NB.

a. Never keep your cash or the chips you are not betting close to or on the circle. The dealer may assume they are bets.

b. Make use of the betting space that corresponds with your sitting position.

Understanding Blackjack Terms

Here, you will learn the basic terms and decisions associated with Blackjack, which you need to know and understand before you can play this game very well.

a. To deal a card: This simply refers to when the dealer distributes and/or gives cards to players. In this game, cards are passed to players face-up.

b. Active players: When you hear this term, it simply refers to the players that have wagered in the current round of the game.

c. Hand(s): This is used synonymously with rounds of the game (e.g. “this hand”), cards (“your hand”), and game (“your hand”).

Anytime you hear “hand” in this game, just know it is not about your physical hand butd the game and the cards.

d. To bust: This is the term used to signify that a player or a dealer has collected more cards so that the total value of his or her hand (that is, cards) is more than 21.

Note that it is impossible to bust with the first two cards dealt you because the highest value cards are the Aces, which can be counted as 11 or 1.

So, if you received two Aces on the first deal, you can split it (you will find out how soon) or count one of them as 1. However, splitting is the usual thing to do. Nevertheless, you have to be careful while collecting cards to avoid busting.

e. Blackjack: This is sometimes referred to as “The Natural”. It is a term used to describe the situation whereby the total value of your cards equals 21 because you received an Ace and a 10-value card.

If you have a Blackjack, and the dealer does not, your payout is 3 to 2. That is, you will receive 1.5 times your original bet. But, if the dealer has a Blackjack, it will become a tie.

f. Up-Card and Down-Card: This is also referred to as the ‘Face-Up Card’. When a dealer deals cards, only one of his is faced up.

This is the card that is known as “up-card”. His card that lies face down is known as ‘Down-Card’

g. Insurance: This is a side-bet players wager to predict the dealer will have a Blackjack. This bet is usually placed when the dealer’s up-card is a 10-value card or an Ace.

If you have a Blackjack, for instance, the dealer may ask you to buy insurance so that you will win a prize if his hand turns out a Blackjack too.

To buy insurance, the interested players will have to wager half of their original bets. If it turns out the dealer has a Blackjack, all the players that wagered will win double the amount they bet as insurance.

However, if you have a Blackjack and were asked by the dealer to buy insurance, turn it down. You have nothing to lose whether he has it or not. Besides, chances are he won’t it.

h. Push: This occurs when you and the dealer have a tie (you neither lost nor won). It doesn’t matter the value, so long as you both have the same value, and he cannot ‘hit again’, it is a ‘push’. This means your bet will remain in place for the next round or you can remove it.

i. Reshuffling: Dealers don’t usually reshuffle cards after every round. When a dealer gathers players’ cards, after settling bets, he keeps them facing upwards in the discard tray. When it is time to reshuffle, he gathers the used cards, reshuffles them, and returns them to the shoe.

j. Stand: This is used by a player to indicate that he or she no longer wants another card. For instance, when a dealer deals you the first two cards and you don’t want to collect more, you will indicate, with a signal, that you no longer need more cards.

Remember the dealer will not come back to you after you have taken a decision. So be sure before you send him along.

You will get the hand signals for this and other decisions later in the guide.

k. Hit: This refers to when players demand more cards. You are free to hit again and again until you bust, get to 21, or decide to stand.

One of the commonest mistakes players make is drawing cards because they want to attain 21. This can make them bust.

l. Double-Down: When you notice the total value of your cards can be improved by the addition of only one card, you can double down.

To do this, you will have to wager an amount equivalent to your original bet. You will keep the extra chip(s) beside the original one before the dealer gives you the card.

You will not receive more than one card here. The card will, however, be given to you facedown.

m. Split: This is used to describe where a player ‘splits’ his cards to play two hands. A player can split his hands if the first two cards he received have the same value.

For instance, if the two cards are the number 2 cards of spades and diamonds, the Ace of Hearts and the Ace of Clubs, or the King of hearts and the Queen of diamonds, the player can split them.

He can also split a number 10 card and a face card. So long as the cards have the same value, irrespective of the suit they belong to, the player may decide to ask for a split. Note that the player does not split the hands by himself.

He has to signal the dealer, who separates the cards, places them side by side, and then asks the player to wager another bet that is equivalent to the original one.

It is until the player wagers again that the dealer deals another card on each of the split hands.

n. Splitting Aces: If the cards you are splitting are Aces, the dealer will only deal you a card. If one or both of the new cards you received are Aces too, you can split them again and receive another new card(s).

But he will only give you one card. Nevertheless, if the split is for other cards, you can hit, stand, double down, or split again, if that is applicable.

o. Surrender: This is done when you don’t like your initial hand and want to give up the game. Here, you will be given back half of your original wager.

Steps by Step on How to Play Blackjack

We are finally here. Of course, you must have discovered all the game of Blackjack entails by now. For instance, you already discovered the cards and their values.

You can now tell the various decisions you have to make after the dealer has dealt you the cards. You also have a number of things to bear in mind as you play the game.

So, you can actually play the game now. Nevertheless, let us go through the steps you have to follow before and during the game.

Step 1: Leaving for the Casino

The first step you will take here is making up your mind to play Blackjack. When you finally decide to play, you should remember to do the following:

a. Set a budget. Remember there’s no guarantee you will win back any percentage of your wager. So, make up your mind on how much you will spend and the bet limit you will set for yourself so the money can be stretched for as long as possible.

b. Keep your credit card at home. If you leave with it, you will be tempted to spend more than you budgeted.

c. Be intentional about having fun. If you are going to the casino to make money, you may come back angry and disappointed.

Go there because you want to relax, get excited, laugh a little, and make new friends. If you make money along the line, good; if you don’t, that’s still good.

d. Prepare your mind to lose some money so you can bear the loss. Remember, this game, to a large extent, is a game of chance. Many articles may try to teach you how to guess the upcoming cards but they will still tell you the strategies won’t work 100%.

However, you can go ahead and read them but they shouldn’t stop you from being ready to lose some money.

Step 2: Find a Suitable Casino

You must have found a good casino by now but let’s assume you haven’t. That means this is the time to find one. Remember to go for a casino that suits your budget.

Step 3: Find a Table

When you go into the casino, find a Blackjack table that has a vacant seat. You can determine this by counting the betting spaces and the people seated or the bets placed on the table. If you are unsure, ask the dealer.

Hopefully, he will answer your questions. Furthermore, remember to go for a table that has maximum and minimum betting limits within your budget.

You can find this information on a sign placed on the table. If you sit at the wrong table, you will be forced to spend all the money you came with after a few hands. You may also feel embarrassed when you mention a bet that is below the table’s limit.

Step 4: Find a Seat

After you locate a table that suits your budget, the next thing to do is to find a seat. Remember to sit wherever you are comfortable with, that is, if it is not occupied.

But, as mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t sit on the first or second seat since you are a beginner. The reason for this is that you need to observe what is happening at the table before the dealer comes to you.

Step 5: Change your Money into Chips

After sitting at the table, the next thing to do is to buy your chips. If there is a game going on when you sat down, you have to wait for it to finish before calling the attention of the dealer. When the current hand has finished and the dealer has cleared the table of chips and cards, it is time to key into the next hand.

You do this by dropping cash on the table and saying, “Change, please”. Remember not to place your money on the betting circle or square so the dealer doesn’t assume you are making a cash bet.

Don’t hand the money directly to the dealer because he is forbidden from collecting money directly from players. You have to keep the money on the table, from where he will collect it, spread it as he counts it, and announce the amount.

After that, the supervisor will come to see and verify the amount before the chips are counted out. When the dealer finishes counting out the chips, he will push them towards you.

NB: Take note of the following as you buy into the game:

a. The dealer cannot collect anything from your hand the same way you cannot collect from his. All transactions are done on the table so the camera can capture them.

b. Keep your chips close to you on the table after collecting them from the dealer.

c. The dealer may likely change your money into the chips for the minimum table limit. Feel free to ask him to understand more about this.

Step 6: Place Your Bets

You have to place bets to become an active player. Remember to keep the chips within the betting circle, square, or image.

Step 7: The Deal

When all the players are done betting, the dealer begins to deal cards to them, one after the other, from the shoe.

He starts from the first player sitting on his left-hand side and works down to the last one sitting on his right.

He first passes a card each to the players and himself and then comes back to pass the second one, following the same pattern.

Hence, he and the players will have two cards each by the end of the deal. Note that there is no third passing of cards in the game of Blackjack. Players that need more cards will collect them during the play.

In Blackjack, cards are dealt face up. However, only one of the dealer’s cards faces up because the second one faces down.

This is why players have to make decisions about their hands by guessing the total value of the dealer’s cards.

Step 8: Decision on How to Play Hands

Now that the dealer is done with the card dealing, he will start asking players to make decisions about their hands.

He will start with the player on his left-hand side, and work clockwise to the last one on his right. He will not jump to another player until he is done with the one he is attending to. Remember, once you make a decision, you cannot change it.

Hence, think hard and do all forms of calculations before making a decision. The dealer will wait for you as you do so.

In case you are wondering, this is the stage the dealer expects you to stand, hit, double down, split, or surrender.

i. If you want to ‘stand’, you should extend your palm and wave it over the cards, slightly. Even if you say “stand”, you still have to do this hand signal so the camera will capture it.

ii. If you want to ‘hit’, you should tap or scratch the table, gently and close to the cards, to indicate you need more deals.

iii. To ‘double down’, place another wager that is equal to the original one on the left side of that initial wager. The dealer will pass you a card afterwards.

iv. If you want to ‘split’ your cards into separate hands, simply place another wager that is equal to the original one, like you did in double-down, but you must signal by splitting the index and third fingers, as if you are doing the sign of peace, on the table.

This will tell the dealer you are splitting your hands and not doubling down.

v. To ‘surrender’, draw a line behind your bet as if you want to slit the table. You can utter the word as you do this so the dealer doesn’t mistake your sign for ‘hit’.

NB.

Remember to avoid buying insurance if you have a blackjack. Also, avoid ‘hitting’ cards until you bust.

Do the much you can to move up as close to 21 as you can but don’t step across the boundary.

ALSO READ: How to Play Video Poker in 2022: An In-Depth Guide

Step 9: The Dealer Exposes Down-Card

After every player has taken a decision, including buying insurance, the dealer then exposes his down-card. If the total value of his hand is below 16, he can draw cards to raise the value.

However, if it is between 18 and 21, he is not allowed to hit. In that case, he will pay those with values above his (because they won) and collect the wagers of those with values below his (because they lost).

The wagers for the ‘push’ are allowed to stand until the next hand if the player wishes.

But if the dealer ‘bust’, all the players that are still in the game (that is those that did not bust) will be paid even money, that is 1 to 1 of their wagers.

Conclusion

As you can see, Blackjack is a simple game. All you need to play this game are your simple arithmetic skills and the knowledge of the cards’ values.

However, you should avoid drawing lots of cards while hitting so you don’t bust. Also, remember to have fun as you play.

How to play video poker. One of the most exciting games you can find in both live and online casinos is the video poker game. In fact, if you need a game that can keep you busy while you have fun, try video poker.

This game is designed in such a way that you will keep coming back for more, whether you are losing or winning. Of course, with video poker, you win more than you lose.

So, if you have not played this game but you are willing to give it a try, go ahead and do it. You will enjoy every bit of it, trust me.

Sometimes, what discourages people from playing games is that they don’t know how to go about it.

If you belong to this group, you don’t have to worry any longer because this guide will give you all you need to know to be able to play video poker.

Here, you will discover the meaning of video poker, the basic rules for playing the game, and the steps you will take to play them.

You will also find out some tips on how to play video poker game and the things you have to bear in mind as you prepare to play.

As mentioned earlier, the game of video poker is easy to play and win. All you need to do is follow the explanations and recommendations of this guide to find your footing.

Nevertheless, this guide will not make you a professional video poker player, so you still have more works to do to develop that skill.

What is Video Poker?

Video poker is a 5-card draw electronic poker. Like slots, the game is played on machines and operated by gaming software.

You can only play this game through their machines or at online casinos. This may be one of the reasons the game is also referred to ask poker slots.

Video poker is a 5-card game because five cards are drawn on each hand and the outcome of the game depends on those cards.

If you draw cards that match any of the payout hands presented on the game’s paytable, you will win. If not, you will lose.

There are many versions of video poker games but the most popular of them all is the one known as Jack or Better. Apart from being the commonest video poker game, you will see out there, “Jack or Better” sets the standard for other video poker games to run.

This is to say that the other video poker games follow the basic rules set by “Jack or Better”. As a result, the winning hands of the video poker game that will be described in this guide belong to the “Jack or Better” paytable.

Reasons to Play Video Poker

It is only natural to find out the reasons you should play a game. Apart from using it to stay busy and have fun at the same time, playing games can also help you to be creative, improve your cognitive ability, as well as earn a little money.

Of course, some people hit jackpots now and then to earn a lot of money from games but you shouldn’t play games primarily to make money. This is to that you should play games to have fun, stay busy, develop skills, and make money.

But then, why should you play video poker games? Why should you leave all the other games played at the casino for video poker? Since it is played on a machine, why not opt for slots instead of video poker? What’s so special about video poker?

If you are asking yourself any of these questions, it’s ok. No one is saying you should not play the other games, but you need to have a feel of video poker.

In case you are contemplating playing the game, here are some reasons why you should:

1. You don’t have to become a pro to play video poker. This is the truth many guides will hide from you.

Video poker may look ‘professional’ to you as a beginner but all you need to play the game is the knowledge of its rules and some strategies. You will understand more about this soon. As for the rules and strategies, they will be discussed here too.

2. You can’t be cheated. Many players avoid playing games because they worry about being cheated. This may be more worrisome considering that you are just a newbie in the game.

But here’s the good news: no one can cheat you on video poker. The reason is that you are playing against the casino/computer and not other players.

Apart from that, the machine has been programmed to play the game in a particular way and it will tell you when you win.

So, unless the casino fixed the machine not to pay players, which is not possible, you will win and lose appropriately.

3. With video poker, you will not have to worry about other players. You are only playing against the computer, so to say.

You won’t have to worry about a large crowd of onlookers or a table filled with rowdy or silent players. It’s just you and the computer.

Besides, since you are still a newbie here, you won’t be worried someone will patronise you or give you an embarrassing look if you make a mistake. But you can still get help from the casino lobby.

4. The computer will direct you on what to do. Right there on the screen, you will see all the information you need about the game. The pay table will help you to know what your payouts will be and the hands that will earn you those credits.

You will also get prompts to deal or bet. If you win, the machine will tell you that too. So, you may as well just read this guide and try out your first game today.

5. You can wager low. You know, the good thing about this game is that you can place odds in cents. You can also bet from one to five credits or coins, depending on how much you want to spend.

If you plan that a credit will be $0.25, for instance, wagering two credits (or ‘coins’ in some machines) means that you are betting $0.50 per hand.

Nevertheless, you need to find out the minimum and maximum amount each coin is worth in a machine before settling to use it.

6. The payouts are great. In video poker, you have a lot of options that can make you win. In fact, many of the machines give 97.29% to 99.54% returns. So you can imagine playing a game you are almost sure you will win more than you lose.

7. The game is loaded with excitement. Of course, every casino game is exciting but not all of them are as thrilling as video poker. The way the game is played fills you with expectations as you await the result. If it turns out good, you will be happy. If it turns out not so good, you will desire to deal again. But the good thing here is, the game pays more than it takes. Nevertheless, just as many players do, you should aim for the jackpot.

Things to Understand about this Game

Now that you have decided to play (or are you still contemplating?), here are some notable things to bear in mind about the game and how to play it:

a. Video poker is, to a large extent, a game of chance. In as much as you can do your best to win by applying certain strategies, the outcome of the game still depends on luck. Many video poker “experts” have lost a lot of games even though they used the strategies they proffered.

Nevertheless, those strategies can increase your chances of winning but they will not make you win all the time. You still need lots and lots of luck to play this game and win.

b. The outcomes of the game are determined by the machine. Every video poker machine, be it the ones in live casinos or in online casinos, contains a Random Number Generator (RNG), which generates millions of numbers and number combinations within seconds.

The number generated by the software the moment you draw cards by pressing the ‘Deal’ button determines the cards that will be dealt. This is why the video poker game depends on luck and, of course, strategies.

c. You need to set a budget before playing this game. Remember video poker is a game that can keep you excited and busy for a long time. That means you will spend a lot of money to play it if you are not careful; and you don’t want to lose a lot of money, do you. So, set your budget and stick to it.

One more thing, keep your credit card far away from you as you play this game. That way, you won’t be tempted to spend more than your budget.

d. Remember video poker is a casino game, meaning it’s a form of gambling. This is to say that you will win some hands and lose the others; you don’t win all the time.

For this, you have to prepare your mind to lose. As you can see later, in this game, the decisions you make can cause you to win or lose. But, you don’t have to feel bad when you lose, do you? So, prepare your mind before playing this game so you can endure any loss.

e. Remember to consult the paytable before you choose a machine. That way, you will go for the machine that has a higher payout percentage.

f. You stand a better chance to win big if you bet the maximum odds. This means that instead of betting a coin/credit or two, you should bet five.

If you press the “Bet Max” button, you will stand a chance to make more money if you win. But that means you will also bet more. So, the ball is in your court.

Nevertheless, if you are there to just have fun, you don’t have to bet max so you can stretch your budget farther enough.

g. Have fun. This can never be overemphasised. Even if you are playing to make money, try to have fun too.

What’s the Objective of Video Poker Game?

The objective of video poker is simple – draw a hand that will give you the best win. Note that there are up to seven or more payout matches in every video poker game (some are up to nine).

These payouts are ranked based on how rare the combinations of the cards are. The rarer the combination of the card is, the higher its payout will be.

Hence, your intention should be to draw hands that will match the rarest combination that will pay the highest prize.

To achieve any of these paying hands, you have to decide the dealt cards that may give you the desired result and the one(s) that won’t. As a result, you have to guess the card to discard and the one to hold.

You will see the “Hold” and the “Deal” or “Draw” buttons on the screen. Any card you don’t “hold” will be discarded automatically and replaced by another one when you press the “Deal” or “Draw” button.

If your decision to hold (that is to keep a card) or discard cards yields a good hand, you will win. If it doesn’t, you should try again.

Note that you only bet once in this game and play several hands until your credit is exhausted. This is why you should bet low so you don’t exhaust your budget earlier than you planned.

What Do the Cards Mean?

Video poker is a card game. It uses the usual 52-deck cards you know. But, unlike other card games, the way those cards are used here is different.

In this section, you will find out how the cards are ranked in video poker so you will know what to expect, based on the payouts of the game’s paytable.

Description of the Cards

For the benefit of those that don’t understand the meaning of the drawings, letters, and numbers on the cards, this sub-section is for you. It will describe the cards so you can identify them easily when next you see them.

a. As mentioned before, a deck of cards contains 52 cards.

b. The cards in a deck are divided into four different groups, known as ‘suits’. These suits are Diamonds, Spades, Clubs, and Hearts. Each suit has its symbol and colour code.

For instance, the Clubs have a three-petal flower-like symbol that is coloured black while Diamonds are represented with red diamond-shaped symbols.

The suit a card belongs to, as you will later find out, plays a major role in the game of video poker but it is not in all cases. But you need to know the cards very well so you can identify each suit when a card shows up.

c. The 52 cards in each deck are equally distributed in the four suits. This means that each suit has 13 cards. The cards in each suit have different values, starting from the low to the high.

d. The components of each suit are three face cards (the King, Queen, and Jack, they are also known as court cards), an Ace, and nine number cards (numbered from 2 to 10).

The values of the number cards are indicated by the Arabic numerals and the number of suit symbols imprinted on them.

Note that symbols that count in this case are those imprinted on the middle of the card.

Those under the Arabic numerals at the top right and bottom left-hand side of the cards do not count.

e. The card that has just a symbol of its suit imprinted at the middle and the letter ‘A’ written where the Arabic numeral is supposed to be is the Ace.

You may also notice that the Ace of Spades has a slightly different symbol, though it is still the spade symbol. The King has the image of a king and the letter ‘K’ imprinted.

The Queen has the image of a queen and the letter ‘Q’, while Jack has the image of a young prince and the letter ‘J’. Note that the symbols of the suits these cards belong to are imprinted to help you differentiate them.

f. There is no joker in the standard video poker game. However, the paytable will tell you if there is.

Ranking the Cards

The ranks of the cards are only important because you need to tell what each card means when it shows up.

The paytable will let you know which combination of cards will make you win but the total value of the combination does not determine the outcome of the game.

What it means is that, unlike in Blackjack, where you have to sum up the values of the cards, video poker does not calculate the values.

However, when cards of a particular rank are expected to combine to give a particular outcome, you need to know which cards to look out for.

In video poker, cards are ranked as high or low. The face cards (that is the King, Queen, and Jack) and the Ace are high cards. Actually, card ranking starts from Ace and ends with Ace.

Ordinarily, it is supposed to start from Ace and end with two (that is, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 – from high to low), but Ace can be a high number card (11) as well as a low number card (1).

You will understand all these in the section that discussed the hands that payout in the most popular video poker variant: Jack or Better.

Understanding the Paytable and its Components

When you look for a video poker machine in a live casino or one of its gaming software in an online casino, you need to go through the paytable to have all the information you need concerning the game.

You will find the paytable displayed on the screen of the machine. If it is not there, you will see a button telling you to press it and view the table.

A video poker paytable is where the machine displays the winning hands and their prizes.

There, you will see a table with six columns that show you the hands, on one column, and their payouts, on the remaining five columns.

If you scrutinise this table more, you will notice the differences in the figures contained in the columns, including the ones written for each hand.

If you go up the columns, you see that each of them gives the rates of payout for a hand according to the number of activated credits.

You are free to bet one to five credits (five credits are usually the maximum bet) so that any winning hand you draw will be calculated based on the number of credits you activated.

For instance, if you activate five credits and land a Royal Flush, your payout may be 4000:1, depending on what the paytable indicated.

Now you can understand why players are encouraged to bet the maximum odds. The reason is simply to make them win big if they land a good hand.

Another thing you must have noticed on the paytable is the names of the different hands. On the paytable for Jack or Better video poker variant, you may notice about seven to nine winning hands listed against their payouts.

The usual hands are “Jack or Better”, “Two Pair”, “Three of a Kind”, “Straight”, “Flush”, “Full House”, “Four of a Kind”, “Straight Flush”, and “Royal Flush”. These hands are mentioned from the least paying to the highest paying hand. The lesser the probability of drawing a hand is, the higher its payout.

This means that the possibility of landing the “Royal Flush” is low and so its payout is high. The Royal Flush can be regarded as the jackpot of video poker.

What Are the Different Winning Hands?

Considering that Jack or Better is the commonest video poker variant out there and the one the other variants based their rules on, the winning hands that will be discussed here are from the Jack or Better paytable.

Remember to check the paytable of the video poker machine or gaming software you want to play before settling down to enjoy the game. If you are not impressed with the hands and their payouts, you can try another machine or software.

The hands here will be presented from the least to the highest paying. The payouts will be given according to what is usually obtainable.

Note that all the video poker machines may not give you the same payouts even if the game is the Jack or Better variant.

a. Jack or Better: This occurs when your hand has a pair of Aces, Kings, Queens, or Jacks while the remaining three cards can be of any rank or suit.

The payout here is an even number, that is, 1 to 1. For instance, if you wager $0.25 per credit and you activated four credits, that is $1, you will win $1.

b. Two Pairs: This is achieved if you land two different pairs, whereby each pair contains cards of the same rank but different suits. For instance, if a hand contains 4 of Diamonds, Ace of Spade, Queen of Clubs, 4 of Hearts, and Queen of Spades, you have landed a “Two Pair”. On this hand, 4 of Diamonds and 4 of Hearts have the same rank, so they are a pair.

Further, the Queen of Hearts and Queen of Clubs are also a pair because they share the same rank. So, you have landed these two pairs: 4 of Diamonds/4 of Hearts, and Queen of Hearts/Queen of Clubs. Here, the payout is 2 to 1.

c. Three of a Kind: This is where a hand lands three cards that belong to the same rank but different suits. For instance, if the outcome of your draw contains 2 of Spades, 2 of Hearts, and 2 of Clubs, you have landed a “Three of a Kind” because the three cards share the same rank.

The payout here is usually 3 to 1. That is, you will receive three times the value of your wager. Remember, the more credits you activate the more money you win.

d. Straight: This is where the five cards in the hand are in sequence, irrespective of their suits. For instance, you land a “straight” if the cards in the draw are 4 of Diamonds, 5 of Hearts, 6 of Diamonds, 7 of Clubs, and 8 of Spades.

What matters here is that the suits are not the same and the numbers can be arranged in sequence without any of them missing. The payout here is usually 4 to 1.

e. Flush: When five of the cards in the hand are from the same suit, you are said to have landed a “flush”. Note that they don’t have to be in sequence. The most important thing here is that they are in the same suit.

For instance, if the cards are 2 of Spades, 4 of Spades, 5 of Spade, Queen of Spades, and Ace of Spades, you just landed yourself a Flush. The payout, in this case, is 6 to 1, in most cases.

f. Full House: This occurs when you land a ‘pair’ and a ‘three of a kind’. For instance, if the outcome is 2 of Spades, 6 of Clubs, 6 of Diamonds, 2 of Clubs, and 6 of Hearts, you just won the Full House prize.

Note that 2 of Spades and 2 of Clubs form a pair, while 6 of Diamonds, 6 of Clubs, and 6 of Hearts make up the ‘three of a kind’. In most Jack or Better video poker machines or gaming software, this hand pays 9 to 1.

g. Four of a Kind: Just as in the case of ‘three of a kind’, ‘four of a kind’ occurs when you land four cards that are of the same rank but from different suits.

For instance, if you land a hand that contains Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, and Ace of Hearts, you will win a prize because you landed a winning hand.

The aces are of the same rank even though they are from different suits. The payout here is usually 25 to 1.

h. Straight Flush: In this case, the cards formed a ‘straight’ and a ‘flush’ at the same time. This means their rank must be sequential and all the cards must come from the same suit.

For instance, if the five cards you drew read 2 of Diamonds, 3 of Diamonds, 4 of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds, and 6 of Diamonds, you have won the Straight Flush prize. This is among the rarest hands to achieve. Hence, the payout is 50 to 1.

i. Royal Flush: This is the rarest of all the hands to land. It is achieved if you land the face cards (King, Queen, and Jack), the Ace, and a ten of the same suit. For instance, if the five cards are Ace of Hearts, King of Hearts, Queen of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, and 10 of Hearts, you just won the video poker jackpot. In this case, the payout is 250 to 1.

However, there is a usual bonus for those that activated the five maximum credits when they landed this bonus. If the 5 credits were active, the payout here will be 800 to 1.

Steps to Playing Video Poker

As you must have noticed by now, video poker is not a difficult game to play. All you have to do is hold some cards, discard some, and then replace the discarded card(s). But, let’s look at the steps you have to take to play this game.

Step 1: Find a Casino

That’s the first thing you have to do after reading this guide. You can also find a good online video poker game that will allow you to practice the game and develop strategies that will enable you to win more than you lose. Remember to check the paytable to be sure the game has provisions for more returns.

Step 2: Deposit Money

If you are going to a live casino, you have to visit its accounts section to make this deposit. You will be issued a ticket or a special coin (if they still exist) to play the game.

You should ask the staff at the reception for directions on how to go about these. I’m sure they will be glad to help.

If you are playing in an online casino and your credit is low, deposit money into your account. If you are playing an online video poker game, including the free ones, be sure to deposit enough credits that will allow you to play.

Step 3: Choose a Machine

After ensuring you have enough credits to play, you have to select the machine or game to play. Remember to consult the paytable before making your choice.

Step 4: Place Odds

This is the time to place bets, choose the number of credits you will activate, and decide the value of each credit. For instance, if you want to activate five credits but you want to bet $1 per hand, you will have to divide $1 into five to go round.

So, the amount of bet per credit will be $0.20. Remember, it is better to bet low and activate many credits than to bet high and use just a credit.

However, if activating all the credits will reduce your playtime, depending on the amount you budgeted for the play, activate a few credits.

Activating the number of credits you want to play is simple to do. You will see two buttons on the screen of the video poker machine, which are labelled “Bet One” and “Bet Max”.

If you want to activate all five credits, press the “Bet Max” button.

But, if you want to activate less than the maximum credits, press the “Bet One” button until you get the desired amount.

Step 5: Deal

This is where you hit the “Deal” or “Draw” button to receive the first set of five cards. Note that this is not the deal that will determine the outcome of the game.

Step 6: Hold and Discard Cards

After scrutinizing the first set of cards the computer sent to you, you will hold some by selecting the cards and pressing the “Hold” button on the screen.

The cards you do not hold will automatically be discarded when you hit the “Deal” button again. If you don’t hold any cards, the computer will assume you want to discard all of them.

This stage of the game is where your strategies come to play. A few tips on how to develop these strategies will be relayed shortly.

Step 7: Re-Deal

 This is where you hit the “Deal” button again to discard and replace cards.

Step 8: Payouts

If your second deal lands on any of the winning hands, you will receive a payout. The computer will tell you whether you won or not and also show you how many credits you have won so far. Remember, don’t be too hard on yourself; it’s just a game.

Step 9: Deal Again

Of course, what you did earlier was just one out of the many deals you will make. You can play the game as long as your credit lasts. But remember to pull out of the machine to take a break. Note that you won’t bet again after the first one.

Step 10: Have Fun

I couldn’t resist this. Well, have fun as you win and lose the game.

Strategies for Playing Video Poker

Many video poker experts have been giving tips on what you have to do and what you don’t have to do in order to win more games than you lose. Well, here are my tips for you:

a. Download an online video poker game and have firsthand knowledge of how the game rolls. If you can, go for the free online games, they will help you to learn the game very well so you can play without losing a lot of money.

The reason for practising more is that you will be exposed to different video poker scenarios and their possible outcomes.

With such information, you will be able to guess the outcome of every hand when playing with real money.

b. Watch as other play the game. There are a lot of videos on how to play video poker on YouTube. You can see them so you can sharpen your strategies and skills in the game.

c. Don’t be in a hurry to hold and discard cards. Do some calculations about the cards you have before replacing them.

The machine allows you to decide your outcome but it can only happen if you hold the right cards.

However, remember the random number generator is the one that determines which cards will turn up next.

d. If you are playing Jack or Better and your initial deal lands a low pair (that is from 10 and lower) or four cards to flush, hold the concerned cards and re-deal. These may not work all the time but they are worth the try.

e.         Find a strategy chart for the video poker game variant you want to play. Consult these charts before and while playing the game. They will help you to make good decisions. Remember, they are no guarantees that you will win.

f. Never forget to go through the paytable before playing.

Conclusion

Video poker is an exciting game to play and you don’t have to be an expert to do that. However, you should spend some time practising the game with free online gaming software before playing for real money.

You should also find the strategy chart for the variant of the game you want to play so you can consult it from time to time until you become good in the game.

Nevertheless, remember the game is a form of gambling, which means you will lose some and win the others. Hence, prepare yourself to lose money.

ALSO READ: 10 Legit Online Casinos Sites

The best way to do this is to make a budget and stick to it. But, never budget the amount you can’t afford to lose.

Remember there is no guarantee you will win back your money, so don’t bet heavily. Finally, try to have fun as you play.

How to play roulette. There were times I do look at people placing chips on the red and black dots on the table’s layout of a casino game without understanding what they were doing.

What confused me the most then was that the chips were of different colours. I can remember how I kept wondering the essence of the differences in the colours.

I also noticed that players can build mountains of colourful chips as they place one chip on top of another.

Then, my confusion heightens whenever a dealer, who has been observing the players all this while, uses a long stick with a scoop-like tip to sweep off the chips.

But, instead of the players complaining, they begin to place the chips again. And so the round continues.

Well, what I just described up there is what is known as the Roulette game. If you have experienced what I described, especially the confusion part of it, don’t worry, you are not alone.

We are here for you. And, I guess that is why you are here too.

If you have been observing the game of roulette for some time now, you would have noticed the beautiful layout of the table, the box that contains a wheel, how the wheel rotates when the dealer set it in motion, and how it stops moving shortly before the dealer starts clearing the table of some of the chips.

All these may not make sense to you right now because you don’t yet understand how the game is played.

But like I said earlier, you are here today for a specific reason: to understand all you can about the game of roulette and how it is played.

In this guide, you will learn all the tips you should have to be better equipped for your first date with Roulette.

You will learn how to bet, the different types of bets, what the different components of the layout of that beautiful table stand for, the components of the wheel and its role in the game, steps to play the game, the staff you can meet on the table, and so many other things that every roulette player, including beginners, needs to know. So, just tag along, you will be happy you did.

Why You Should Play Roulette

I know it’s easy to get discouraged and intimidated when it comes to playing games you barely understand, but that’s why we are here.

Like I stated earlier, you will find out everything you need to know about this game by the time you are through reading this guide. So, don’t let that table intimidate you anymore.

But then, why should you play roulette? Is this question swirling around your mind? Are you more comfortable with playing slots because it’s just you and the machine? Oh well, you may need to try out roulette when next you go to that casino.

Believe me, you will love it. Here, I will give you some cogent reasons why you don’t want to miss this game at every opportunity you get.

The followings are the reasons you should play Roulette:

1. First of all, roulette does not require any special skills to be played. Well, in as much as many people don’t know this, it is true.

You don’t need to develop any gambling skills, discover some strategies and what have you to play this game.

Just follow the steps, place the bets, and have fun all the way.

2. Roulette is loaded with excitement. You know, in roulette, you place bets, drop chips in the right places, and then wait for the ball to determine your fate.

Isn’t that amazing?

Imagine the joy that comes with discovering the ball likes you and wants you to win. Wouldn’t you feel so honoured and blessed? Well, that’s what happens at the roulette table.

There is always excitement from the beginning to the end of every round. Placing bets is filled with excitement.

Watching the ball roll round the wheel is another intrigue because you are anticipating the result.

Then, winning and losing also have their excitements. So, if you want a fun-filled day or weekend, play roulettes.

3. Everybody can play roulette. I don’t know how to emphasise this so you can understand it very well.

Whether you are a pro or an amateur, roulette is for you. Whether you are among the rich, the working class, the middle class, the high class, or whatever class you belong to, roulette is for you.

All you have to do is locate a casino and the table that suits your budget and start having fun.

4. You can’t be cheated on the roulette table. Who’s going to cheat you anyway? The ball? That’s not possible.

The casino can’t decide where the ball lands, can they? Of course, no. No one can. The ball has its own mind and no one can dictate for it.

But, it may be a different ball game if you are playing an online roulette game. In this case, the gaming software will be programmed to land on certain numbers at a particular point in time.

But no one can still cheat you there. So, play your game. If you win, you cash out. If you lose, you try again. Life is fun.

5. You will have the time to socialise at the table. I noticed some newbie roulette players are afraid to play around with people.

They are uncomfortable with playing in a crowd. They don’t anyone to know they are beginners or amateurs.

But then, if you are afraid of playing in the crowd too, you need to understand there is a day one for everyone.

I mean, people started doing something on a particular day. No one was born a roulette player or a roulette pro.

Everyone you see playing the game learnt how to do it the way you are doing it right now. So, be free and mix up.

Play with the rowdy players and have fun. Socialise. Stay with the team. Lose with them. Win with them. And laugh with them. They are all part of the fun.

6. You will get all the help you need when playing the game. For sure, by observing how other players place bets, you will learn one or two extra things about playing roulette.

The dealer is also there to explain things to you if you become confused. The players may equally give you a useful tip or two, especially if they are among those that win often. So, you can never be lost on the roulette table.

7. Take a break and play something new. If you are used to playing only slots or other table games each time you visit a casino, I think it’s time you make a change.

Ignore those other favourites today and move to the roulette table; you will be glad you did so.

If you play games with online casinos, go down the list of games, ignore all those beautiful slot games, and select roulette. Remember, variety spices up life. So, it’s time to make that change.

Things to Bear in Mind while Playing Roulette

Ok, before we go further into all you need to know about playing roulette, you need to understand some things about the game.

Now, the things I will list here are just some tips that will help you to understand how the game works.

You need to bear them in mind as you plan for the game and when you, eventually, play it:

1. Roulette is a game of chance. Ok, I think I’ve said it before, though not directly, but you need to hear it again. Truth is, winning and losing on the game of roulette is all about luck.

Remember, the ball decides for you. But, how does the ball take that decision? It’s simple: luck, chance, and probability.

There is nothing you can do to determine who wins and who loses (except placing bets strategically).

2. Remember, in online casinos and at online roulette games, the result or outcome of the wheel spin is determined by the Random Number Generator (RNG).

This is the online gaming software that generates millions of numbers and number combinations in seconds.

Here, the number the software generates the millisecond you pressed the play button determines whether you will win or lose.

But, just as seen in a live casino, placing bets strategically are a good chance you have to win.

3. As you can see, you need no special skills, strategies, and/or tactics to play the roulette.

However, you need to learn how to place bets strategically to have more chances of winning.

As a result, you have to learn all the basic types of bets in roulette to be able to play it properly. You will learn about these bets in the “Types of Bets” section of this article.

4. Don’t be in a hurry to play the game. Do your best to observe other players first before going in for the game. That will help you to learn the types of bets that have a higher probability of winning.

Note that the bets are still under probability, meaning that they must not pay all the time even if they pay often.

However, you need to understand now that some bets are more preferable to others. You will understand all these as we move on.

5. Don’t bet too high. I mean, you should have known by now there is no guarantee you will win back your money or any percentage of the money you wagered, right?

So, cut down on your bets. In fact, go for the lowest wagers you can ever get and stick to it.

To make this achievable, here are some of the tips that will help you:

• Set a budget. Here, plan how much you are going to spend at the casino before you leave for it.
• Drop your credit card at home. You don’t want to spend more than you planned to, right? So, avoid the temptation to spend over your budget by leaving your card behind.
• Look for a casino that accepts the level of bet you budgeted. You don’t want to go to places that will run you into debt and make you regret it later, do you?
• Look for a table that will admit your low bets. You can ask the dealer the bet limits if there is no placard on the table to indicate that.
• Bet low. Ok, we’ve said this before but I need to remind you again. So, stay low so you don’t run out of cash shortly after you begin. I bet you want to stay longer at the casino, right? So, achieve that by betting low.
• Don’t bet on every round. Try to back out every now and then to take a breath. Let some rounds pass before you place bets again. Your nerves also need that break.

6. Have fun. People should actually play roulettes to have fun and not to make money. Sure, we all want to win some money, maybe a lot of money, but that shouldn’t be the primary goal for playing the game.

You see, if you play to win money, you will put yourself under the pressure to win. You may even begin to bet heavily and then lose heavily. You will also become angry, antsy, and jealous.

Yes, you may become angry that other players are winning when you’re losing. That way, you will turn your anger on them. Besides, you will start experiencing pains at every loss.

So, don’t be a sore loser and an angry desperate player. Go there to relax, have fun, laugh hard, and socialise.

The best way to achieve this is to bet within your limit and prepare your mind to lose some rounds.

7. Remember to place your chips correctly to reflect the type of bet you wagered. Each box and line you see on the table layout represents a type of bet.

Make sure the place or point you put your chip tallies with the type of bet you wished to place. Feel free to ask the dealer for help if you are unsure of what to do.

The Equipment for Roulette Game

In this section, you will find out the equipment you will meet when you play roulette and what they are used for. But, actually, roulette doesn’t have much equipment just the same way it doesn’t have much staff.

1. Chips: You must have noticed the chips being used by the players come in different beautiful colours. That’s one of the outstanding things about roulette.

In this game, the chips are colourful and are made a bit different from those used in other games. Anyway, the chips you see on the table have different colours because each player is given chips of a different colour.

So, when you get to the table and tell the dealer your bet range, he or she will issue you chips with colours different from the ones held by other players. With that, when you place bets, the dealer will not mistake your bets for other people.

NB: The casino may have different colours of chips for different bet limits and ranges. Remember this while approaching a dealer for chips.

2. The Scoop: You must have noticed the dealer uses a long stick with a scoop at the tip to sweep out chips from the table. That stick is called a scoop.

3. The Ball: This is also called the Pills. This ball is usually white in colour and can come in different sizes.

Some of them are ¾ or ⁵/₈ inches in size. There are casinos that use pills of ³/₈, ½, or ⁷/₁₆ inches.

4. Roulette Wheel: This is of two types: the American Wheel and the French or European Wheel. There is no difference between these wheels except for their number of contents.

The American wheel: This type of wheel has 38 numbered pockets, where the ball can fall into after spinning. These pockets are numbered 1 to 36 and then 0 and 00.

The pockets of these numbers, except for 0 and 00, are coloured either red or black. Actually, each alternating pocket is either red or black. That is, colours are arranged as red, black, red, black, and so on.

For instance, the pocket containing number 5 is coloured red while the one bearing number 24, which is beside it, is black. This is how the pattern continued until the cycle is completed. Note that the numbers are not arranged serially.

They are arranged in such a way that odd numbers and even numbers are alternated. This pattern is not fully observed in all cases though.

But just remember that the numbers on the wheel are not arranged in sequence.

Furthermore, numbers 0 and 00 are painted green on the wheel. They are also placed opposite each other.

The European or French Wheel: The only difference between the American Roulette Wheel and the European or French Roulette Wheel is that while the American wheel has 38 numbered pockets, the European or French wheel has only 37.

The reason for this discrepancy is simply because, whereas the American wheel has ‘0’ and ‘00’, the European wheel has only ‘0’. It does not contain ‘00’. Other than that, all other features are the same in the two wheels.

5. The Roulette Scoreboard: This is not commonly found in all the casinos but you shouldn’t be surprised if you see one on the roulette table.

The scoreboard is used to display the result of the game. The players are told, through the scoreboard, where the ball landed.

6. Video Screen: This is used to show you how the ball is spinning around the wheel and when it finally lands into a pocket to decide winners and losers.

The availability of this video screen for the roulette game makes it unnecessary for players to peep into the wheel box to see how the ball rolls and where it lands.

With the video screen, players are discouraged from disrupting the ball spin and/or manipulating its landing.

Besides, watching the action taking place on the wheel will give players the same excitement they have when they stare directly into the wheel.

7. Roulette Table Layout: Ok, time to explain those colourful patterns and shapes you see on the roulette table layout.

Now, you must have noticed the table contains shapes coloured red or black. You must have also noticed the green parts for the ‘0’ and ‘00’ in the American roulette layout and the green single ‘0’ in the European or French roulette table layout.

Each table layout corresponds with the type of wheel it has. However, the table is used for placing bets.

So what you see people doing at the table is wagering. In the next section, you will understand all you need to know about placing bets at the roulette table.

Types of Bets

So, here we are. It is time to find out the different kinds of bets you will find in the roulette game.

You must have realised by now that the game is more about betting because, technically, the only job you have to do is to place bets. You don’t spin the wheel.

Besides, your bets are the only power you have to determine whether you will lose or win.

As a result, you need to find out the different types of bets in the game so you can make the right choices at the table.

Remember, as a beginner, you should start by betting low. When you become a pro, you can move the bets higher.

One more thing, bet to have fun and not to make money. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with making money out of your bets but don’t have high expectations over the bets because that will kill the whole fun of the game and make you desperate (and frustrated too).

Anyway, here are the basic types of bets in roulette games.

A. Inside Bets: This is the bet you place directly on one or more of the numbers on the roulette layout. They are bets placed inside the big rectangle that contains these numbers.

There are many bets under the inside bets, all of which bets on the numbers, that is, numbers 1 to 36, contained within the big rectangle. The types of inside bets you should try include:

a.The Straight Up Bets: These are bets placed directly on any of the numbers within the rectangle. If the ball lands on any of the numbers wagered after spinning, you will win. If not, you will lose.

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For instance, if you bet straight up on 1, 2, 4 and 5, and the ball lands on 2, you will win. But if the ball lands on 7, you will lose because you did not bet on the number. Payout in straight up bets, if you win, is 35 to 1.

That is, you will receive 35 times the amount you wagered. So, if your bet is $1, you will be paid $35 if your bet wins. This bet is also known as ‘En Plein’ in French.

NB: Remember to place the chip(s) used for this bet directly on the number(s) you are wagering.

A little shift of the chip to the left or right may mean another type of bet. You will find out more about this later.

b.The Split Bet: This is also known as ‘A Cheval’ in French. Here, you place your bet on two adjacent numbers with just a chip to indicate that either of the numbers will be the outcome of the next spin.

To achieve this, you have to place the chip on the line between the two numbers.

For instance, if you want to bet on 16 and 19, you have to place the chip on the horizontal line demarcating 16 and 19. In this case, if the ball lands on any of 16 or 19, you will win.

The advantage of this bet has over a straight-up bet is that you can bet on two numbers with one chip and save your limited budget.

Just make sure the chip lies on the line demarcating the two numbers you are wagering. Here, if you win, your payout is 17 to 1.

c.The Street Bet: This is also known as ‘Three Number Bet’, ‘Trio Bet’, or ‘Side Bet’. In French, it is known as ‘Transversale Plein’.

Here, you place odds on three numbers with a chip. This bet is only done by betting on a row. To do this, you have to place the chip on the front border of the row.

For instance, if you want to bet on the numbers on the second row of the layout (that is, 4, 5, 6), you have to place a chip on the vertical line in front of 4. The payout for this bet, if any of the numbers on the row is landed, is 17 to 1.

d.The Corner Bet: This bet is also known as the ‘Four Number Bet’ or the ‘Square Bet’. In French, it is called ‘Corre’.

In this type of bet, you place odds on four numbers with a chip to show you believe one of the four numbers will win the next roll. For this bet to be valid, the chosen numbers must form a square.

For instance, you can bet that any of 1, 2, 4, 5 or 2, 3, 5, 6 being the next outcome in Corner Bet, but you can’t bet on 1, 2, 3, 4 or 1, 2, 5, 6, because the numbers do not form a square on the layout.

The reason you have to bet only the numbers that form a square is that you have to place a chip on the point of intersection that connected the four numbers. If you win this bet, your payout is 8 to 1.

e. The Five Number Bet: This bet is also known as ‘The Beast’, ‘The Mother-in-Law’, or ‘The Monster’. It is only placed on American roulette layout.

This bet is placed only on numbers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 as a group. If you win here, your payout is 6 to 1. To place this bet, place the chips directly on all of the numbers.

f.The Line Bet: This is also called ‘Six Number Bet’ or ‘Sixline Bet’. In French, it is known as ‘Sixain’. As the name suggests, this is the type of inside bet that allows you to bet on six different numbers with two chips but one wager.

This bet is almost similar to Street Bet except that, here, instead of placing a chip at the border of a row of three numbers, you place two chips, one each, at the borders of the two rows. If any of the numbers is landed, your payout will be 5 to 1.

g.The Basket Bet: This type bets on four numbers as one but the numbers do not form a square. This bet is only wagered on 0, 1, 2, and 3. This is why it is also referred to as ‘First Four Bet’. The payout here is 6 to 1.

h. Snake Bet: As the name suggests, this bet take a snake-like pattern if chips are placed on the affected numbers. The wager is placed on 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34 as a group. If any of these numbers is landed, the payout is 2 to 1.

B. Outside Bets: As the name suggests, these bets are NOT placed within the margins of the main rectangle of the roulette table layout.

That means they are not placed on any numbers directly. Here, you place bets on colours and groups of numbers that share specific qualities.

You may refer to them as ‘Proposition Bets’. Like the inside bets, the outside bets also have different types.

a. Red or Black Bets: This bet, known as ‘Rouge et Noir’ in French, is where you wager that the outcome of the next wheel roll will be a number marked red or black, depending on the colour you wagered.

For instance, if you bet that the next outcome will be black and the ball landed on 8, you will win since the pocket containing number 8 is coloured black.

In this case, your payout will be even money, that is, 1 to 1. To wager this bet, place your chip on the colour you are betting on.

Remember, this is an outside bet, so the chip should be placed on the solid shape coloured black or red, which is located outside the perimeter of the numbers. Of course, the dealer is there to help you.

b.The Column Bet: This is called ‘Colonne’ in French. If you look at a roulette table, you will realise there are three columns that contain twelve numbers each.

For instance, the first column has numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34. If you want to wager the ball will land on any of the numbers on the 1st column on the next wheel roll, you have to place the Column Bet.

Hence, you are betting on twelve numbers that belong to a column.

Note that if the ball lands on 0 or 00, you will lose because they do not belong to any column. Place the chip at the end of the column and wish yourself luck. If you win, your payout is 2 to 1.

c.The Dozens Bet: This is called ‘Douzaine’ in French. If you look at the table, you will notice the numbers are divided into three sections of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd dozens labelled ‘1st 12’, ‘2nd 12’, and ‘3rd 12’.

This is not a column, mind you. ‘1st 12’ numbers 1 – 12, ‘2nd 12’ are numbers 13 – 24, and ‘3rd 12’ are numbers 25 – 36. Wagering on a dozen means you will win if the ball lands on any of the numbers it comprises.

Note that ‘0’ and ‘00’ are not parts of any dozen. To wager this bet, place your chip on the shape that is labelled “1st 12”, “2nd 12” or “3rd 12”, depending on what you want to bet on. The payout here is 2 to 1.

d. The Odd or Even Bet: This bet is used to wager that the next outcome will be an odd or an even number.

You wager this by placing your chip on the shape that is labelled “Odd” or “Even”, as the case may be. If you win, your payout is 1 to 1. Note that ‘0’ and ‘00’ do not belong to any of the groups.

e.The High or Low Bet: In roulette, the numbers contained on the wheel and table layout are broadly divided into high and low numbers. Numbers 1 – 18 are low numbers while numbers 19 – 36 are high numbers.

If you bet on any of these groups, you will win when the number belonging to the group is landed. Place your chip on any of the boxes labelled 1 – 18 or 19 – 36 to wager on any of the groups.

Remember that ‘0’ and ‘00’ are not members of any of these groups. Your payout here is 1 to 1 if you win.

NB: There is no better or worse bet but it is advisable to place odds on several numbers to have better chances at winning.

Nevertheless, in order to stretch your budget, go for bets that wager on several numbers with just a chip.

Steps to Playing Roulettes

You must have confirmed by now that roulette is all about placing bets and allowing the ball to decide. But, you need to know the steps to playing the game. So, here we are.

1. Set a budget. This is so important. Decide how much you are going to spend before heading to that casino. Make sure you budget the amount you won’t mind losing.

2.Choose a table. Every table has maximum and minimum wagering limits. For that, go for the table that accepts wagers within your budget.

3. Buy your chips. This is usually done at the table. Signal the dealer that you want to buy chips, hand over your money, and collect your chips. Remember to keep your chips in front of you.

4. Place your bets. You already know the types of bets to place. So, go ahead and do it. Remember the dealer is there to help.

One more thing, observe how other players place their chips as they wager, it will help you to do the same.

5. Stop betting. Be at alert for when the dealer will ask the players to stop betting so you too will stop on time.

If you don’t, the odds you placed thereafter will become invalid and your chips may be swept away. So, save your chips for the latter.

6. The wheel begins to roll. This is where you wait for the ball to smile or frown at you. This is where we wish you the best of luck.

7. The croupier announces the outcome. If there is a scoreboard, it will show you the result. If there is a video screen, you will see the whole thing.

But, assuming those two weren’t there, the dealer (that’s the croupier) will announce the outcome and place a puck on the winning number and then sweep off chips from lost bets.

8. Receive your prize. That is if you won.

9. Start betting again.  Another round starts the moment the puck is removed from the table.

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Conclusion

As you can see, Roulette is one of the best games any casino has to offer. It is both exciting and easy to play.

All you have to do is place the bets, sit back, laugh with other players, and wait for the ball to decide. What is more? You don’t have to be an expert to play this game.

There is no secret strategy to winning the game.

However, if you want to win at every round, place odds on several numbers with just one chip. The payout may not be much but you will have your money back.

Now you have learned how to play Roulette, you may register on any of these legit online casinos to test your skills.

How to Play Craps. Craps is one of the games you should try often. It’s a fun-filled game that keeps the excitement high from the beginning to the end, that is if you know what to do in order to enjoy the game.

This is the reason you need to read this article to the end.

With this guide, you will find reasons to love the game of craps, if you haven’t been considering it as one of the best table games so far.

Craps, as you must have noticed, is a game of dice. It is played on a table with a special and unique layout.

Hence, craps are one of the table games. You must have also seen some players rolling dice and calling out bets while the others drop coloured chips at different parts of the table.

You must have also noticed that some staff exchange cash for chips as well as moved some of the chips kept by players to the rectangular boxes on the table.

What is more? You must have noticed that a stick is used to move the dice and some chips by a staff of the casino.

All these would have made you wonder what is actually happening on that table. Well, all those activities you see, and more, make craps a unique and exciting game.

This article will help you to pick up the basic information concerning craps game.

It will give you the tips that will help you to play the game whenever you walk towards a craps table to join the excited crowd of players to have fun too.

Here, you will find out the crew members on every craps table and their duties. You will understand who rolls those dice and when they do it.

You will also discover what those chips are for and the reasons they are placed on different areas of the table.

This guide will help you to demystify craps game so you can start playing yours too. From here, you can take it to the next level.

Why You Should Play Craps

A lot of people wonder why they should bother playing craps, especially since they have to learn all about it, including how to play it. But people like this don’t know what they are missing.

In case you are wondering why you should play that game when walking into a casino to play live games, or pick up your phone or turn on your computer for fun-filled online casino games, you need to take a little break reandad through this section.

Here, you will find out why craps players keep coming back for more.

a. Craps is a thriller: The game gives you the same level of pleasure and excitement thrilling experiences give you. Craps players can tell you of the excitement they feel when they throw the dice and watch them roll over and over again until they (the dice) stop.

The suspense has no equal because no one can tell what the outcome will be until the dice stop rolling.

The feelings that come with waiting for the dice to stop and seeing the outcome are indescribable. You only need to experience them to understand. So, take that chance.

b. Some people feel uncomfortable in the midst of the large crowd that is always around the craps table but they didn’t realise that the crowd adds to the excitement.

Imagine the claps, loud cheers, and several pats on the back you will receive when you win. Even if you lose, you will still be encouraged by the people around the table. 

c. The crews and other bettors will be there to help and guide you if you don’t know what you are supposed to do. You can also observe other bettors see how they bet and when they do so. You can never be lost on that table.

d. You can make some money by betting on the outcome of other players’ dice rolling. This is to say that you mustn’t be the one rolling the dice to win. In the game of craps, you may be a shooter (the player rolling the dice) or a bettor (to bet for or against the shooter). You can both too.

e. You don’t need to develop special skills to play craps. Of course, you have to practice how to roll the dice properly but there are no special dice-rolling skills that will make you win all the time.

This is to say that you should be wary of people that claim they can teach you how to roll your dice to win. But, you should watch other players and learn the best bets to go for and the ones to avoid.

Things to Bear in Mind Play Crap

I believe you have decided to try out your luck at craps table when next you visit a casino, be it at an online casino or in a live one.

This is a good idea. Now, there are some things about this game you have to bear in mind.

1. Remember, craps requires no special skills before bets can be placed and won. Hence, you don’t need to go for special craps-winning training to be able to play the game.

2. Craps is a game of chance. It all depends on luck. There is no fixed way of determining the outcome of the game.

In the case of an online craps game, the outcome of the rolled dice depends on the outcome of the random number generator, an online casino gaming software that generates millions of number combinations within seconds.

As a result, the combination created by the random number generator the moment you clicked on the button to roll the dice is what will be the result of the game.

The same way you have no control over the result of the online casino craps games is also the way you can’t control the outcome of the dice in motion in live casinos. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if the outcome is not what you expected.

3. You need to study about craps games before you play it. This will help you to understand what is going on at that table when you get there.

By so doing, you will not be intimidated by the game again. Hence, read and digest this article and any other one you can lay your hands on before playing the game.

4. Don’t feel ashamed to ask the crew for direction if you don’t know what to do. The dealers by the side of the table you found yourself are the best people to ask questions.

They will be willing and ready to supply you with any information you need before making a decision.

5. Different casinos have different bet limits. As a result, go for the casino that will accept the bets within your financial capabilities. Remember, you are playing for fun and not to make money.

Any money you make from the game is part of the fun. You can find the bet limit of a casino through their websites or customer service centres.

You can also see reviews about them from online posts made by other players. If you can, walk into the casino and observe them.

If you are playing an online casino, the instructions about their betting limits may be found in the account section of the bookie’s website.

6. Different craps tables within a live casino may have different bet limits. You can find this information written on a placard and kept strategically on the table.

Be sure to go for the table that offers the bet limits that are within your budget.

7. Don’t scramble for dice. Indicate your interest to roll dice by placing your Pass Line Bet or Don’t Pass Bet on the section of the table reserved for it (usually the “apron”).

The stickman will move the dice to you when it is your turn to play.

8. Observe the other players on the table and take note of those winning. Find out what they do differently, especially their betting, and learn from them.

9. Play a few free craps games before going for the ones that pay real money. You can find many free online craps games that can help you to obtain the rubrics of the game.

10. Never leave your chips or money on the craps table unless you want to place bets or buy chips, as the case may be. The simple reason for this is that the crew, especially the dealers, will assume you are betting if you do so.

11. The on/off puck should be your guide on the table. It will notify you when a game is on and when the round has ended.

It will also guide you on the points established by the shooter.

12. The outcome of the dice (which determines the result of the game) is determined by the numbers facing up after the two dice have stopped rolling and the total and/or combination of those numbers.

One die is not used to calculate the game’s outcome. Note that the part or parts of the table the dice landed is irrelevant.

13. While betting, it is advisable to wager the amount you can afford to lose.

Components of a Craps Table

You must have noticed the mysterious lines, shapes, numbers, and letters on the layout of a craps table.

After reading this section, you will be able to demystify this table and learn what each section stands for.

Since this is to give you the basics, you will not be burdened with any information you don’t need to know about that table.

What this means is that you will only learn the basics that will help you on your first craps game.

If you look at a craps table, you will notice it has three different sections: a side section, a centre section, and then another side section.

But, looking closely at the table again, you will realise that the two side sections look identical. Well, yes, they are actually identical.

That is why it is said that a craps table is divided into two major sections: the sides and the centre sections.

• The Side Section of a Craps Table

The two identical side sections of the table perform the same role except that they are used by the players on either side of the table.

Bettors have to place bets on the side of the table they stood; you don’t place bets across the table (always remember that). Furthermore, each side section has a standing dealer managing it.

Hence, that staff you see collecting cash and handing out chips as well as helping players to place bets doesn’t do anything on the other side of the table.

He minds his own side of the table and only attends to customers on that side. 

The side section of the table is used to place every form of bets except the Propositional Bets. Hence, “Pass Line”, “Don’t Pass”, “Come”, “Don’t Come”, “Place”, “Lay”, and so on are placed on the either of the side sections. However, here is a brief description of the side section of the craps table.

i. Each side section contains two different areas. These are the dealer’s area (collectively known as “Point Boxes”) and the self-service or player’s area. 

ii. The blank section on each side section is known as the “apron”. This is where the odds bets are placed (you will learn more about bets in the section titled “Types of Bets”).

iii. The areas on the table labelled “Pass Line”, “Don’t Pass Bar”, “Come”, “Don’t Come Bar”, and “Field” are reserved for customers to place their bets by themselves.

They are the player’s or self-service area. Some tables contain the “Big 6” and “Big 8” parts too.

iv. Customers can handle the bets they placed in the self-service areas. This means they can move their chips to the right boxes without the help of the dealer assigned to the side of the table.

But then, those boxes are only for the mentioned types of bets. Note that players are not allowed to handle bets on the Point Box (that is, the dealer’s area).

v. The part of the side section that contains numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 is the Point Box.  When a shooter establishes a point (you will understand what this means soon), the dealer on his side of the table will move the on/off the puck to the number on the Point Box that aligns with the point and then turn the puck to “On”.

vi. If a player requests that the dealer place bets for them, the dealer moves his chips to the appropriate position on the Point Box.

• The Centre Section

    This part is managed only by the stickman but it is shared by all the players on the table, irrespective of which side they are. The centre section is used only for propositional bets. Note that players are not allowed to drop their chips at the centre section, even if the stickman is too busy to attend to them. If such is the case, they can talk to their dealer, who will help them to place the bet, if the casino allows such, or notify the stickman when he is free.

Crews in the Game

Basically, craps has a five-man crew managing the game even though you may only see four of them throughout your stay at the casino. These crew members are:

a. The Floorman: This is the person that supervises and manages the events at the craps table. He or she can oversee the games taking place at different tables, so you may not see him even though he is around. As a result, this staff may not be there to help you with any help you needed with the game.

b.The Boxman: This person stays on an assigned table to monitor the events going on there. His duties include:

i. Changing chips to cash (for those that won).

ii. Watching over the dealers to ensure they acted appropriately.

iii. Settling disputes between dealers and players.

iv. Monitoring the betting taking place on the assigned table.

vi. Booking credit-bets for eligible players.

vi. Controlling the games taking place on the assigned table.

c. The Stickman: This is the crew member that handles the long stick used to move dices and chips around. It is the stickman that performs the following duties:

i. Moves dices to shooters at every round of the games (he moves five dice for shooters to select any two of their choices). 

ii. Calls out the outcome of a dice roll

iii. Reminds players of the Propositional Bets placed at the centre section of the table.

iv. Organises the chips thrown for the propositional bet.

v. Instructs the payment of the winnings made through propositional bets.

d.The Two Standing Dealers: As you must have noticed, these dealers stand on either side of the table so they can communicate and answer the questions posed by the players on that side. There are other duties performed by the dealers, which include:

i. They call the bets made from their side of the table.

ii. They pay off the winnings made from their side of the table.

iii. They help players to place bets by moving their chips to the appropriate boxes.

iv. They collect the money paid by players for wagers.

v. They give players the chips that correspond to their wagers.

vi. They are the best crew members to answer customers’ questions concerning the game.

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NB: The crew can switch positions at intervals. So, don’t be alarmed or surprised when the boxman becomes the stickman and the dealer on your side of the table moves to the other side. But this switch will not interrupt the game.

Types of Bet

Before you place bets at the table, you need to read through this section in order to understand the types of bets you can place.

a. Pass Line Bets: This is the bet made by the shooter or another player at the table before the “Come-Out Roll”, that is, the first time a shooter rolls the dice.

By betting a Pass Line, when you are not the shooter, you signal that you believe the shooter will win the come-out roll. So, if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, you and the shooter will win.

But if he or she rolls a 2, 3, or 12, you will both lose. If the outcome of the roll is any other value apart from 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12, he will establish a point.

In that case, the Pass Line bet remains in place while the shooter continues to roll until he rolls the point again or a 7.

If the point is rolled before the 7, you both will win. But if a 7 comes first, you both will lose.

b. Don’t Pass Bet: This is also placed by a shooter and other bettors before the Come-out roll but it is the opposite of Pass Line bet. Here, you bet against the shooter, indicating that he or she will lose the game.

If the shooter, during the come-out roll, achieves a 7 or an 11, you will lose. But you will win when the outcome is a 2 or a 3. If it is a 12, it is a tie, no one won and so you take back your money.

If the shooter establishes a point, the bet remains in place while he or she continues to roll the dice. If the point is rolled before a 7, you will lose. And if a 7 is rolled before the point, you will win.

c. Come Bet: This bet is placed after the shooter has established a point. If you place a Come bet, the first roll that comes after you placed the bet determines whether you will win, lose, or get a Come Point.

If the roll is a 7 or an 11, you will win. If it is a 2, 3, or 12, you will lose. If it is any other number apart from 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, you will establish a Come Point (also known as a Come Wager).

This means the number must be rolled again before a 7 is rolled for you to win. In that case, you will lose if 7 is rolled before the established come point.

You can see that this bet is almost like the Pass Line bet except that it is placed after the shooter has established a point, not before.

d. Don’t Come Bet: This is the opposite of a Come Bet. You also place it after the shooter has established a point.

If the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11 after you placed this bet, you will lose. If it is a 2 or a 3, you will win. If it is a 12, it is a tie, so you take back you money.

If it is another number other than the five mentioned already (that is 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12), you will establish a Come Point or a Come Wager.

That means you will win if a 7 is rolled before the number and lose if the number comes first.

NB: Note that Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come bets are even money bets. That means the payout is calculated as 1 is to 1. For instance, if you bet $5 in any of them, you will receive $5 if you win.

e. Odd Bets: This bet is placed after a point has been established. The point here can be the first roll point or the come point. Hence, you can place odd bets as “Pass Line Odds”, “Don’t Pass Odds”, “Come Odds”, and/or “Don’t Come Odds”.

Note that Pass Line Odds and Don’t Pass Odds are placed after the shooter has made a come-out roll and established a point while the Come Odds and Don’t Come Odds come after establishing a come point.

If you want to place any of these odds, you have to do so alongside the bets they complement. This means you can’t place any odd bets without first wagering.

As a result, Pass Line Odds complements Pass Line Bets, Don’t Pass Odds complements Don’t Pass Bets, and so on.

If you place a Pass Line Odds, you will win if the shooter rolls the point again before rolling 7 and lose if a 7 comes before the number is rolled again.

If it is a Don’t Pass Odds, you will win if your Don’t Pass bet wins, that is, when 7 is rolled before the point is repeated. This means you will lose if the point is repeated before the 7.

The same rules that apply to Come Bet and Don’t Come Bet also apply to Come Odds and Don’t Come Odds. So, if you win your Come bets or Don’t Come bets, you will also win Come Odds or Don’t Come Odds, respectively. 

The essence of placing odds bet is to win the huge payout that accompanies their winnings. The amount to be wagered depends on the bookie, because some may have limits.

But, if there is no limit, you should remember your budget. The payout of these bets also varies, depending on the established point. In Pass Line Odds or Don’t Pass Odds, if the point is 4 or 10, the payout is 2 to 1 (that means double the amount you bet).

If it is 5 or 9, the payout is calculated at 3 to 2. And, if it is 6 or 8, your odds will be calculated at 6 to 5. 

For Come Odds and Don’t Come Odds, the payout for 4 or 10 outcomes is 1 to 2; 5 or 9 roll is 2 to 3; 6 or 8 is 5 to 6. 

f. Place Bet: This can be a “Place Win Bet” or a “Place Lose Bet”. These bets are placed after the shooter has rolled the come-out roll and made a point.

Here, you bet the outcome of the shooter’s roll by placing a bet on any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If you stake a Place Win Bet, you will win if the shooter rolls the number you betted before he rolled a 7 and lose if a 7 is rolled before the number.

For instance, if your place win bet is on 5, you will win if the shooter rolls a 5 before a 7, and vice versa.

On the same hand, if you place a “Place Lose Bet”, you will win if a 7 is rolled before the staked number and lose if the number showed up before 7.

The payout for the place bets depends on the type placed and the number chosen. In “Place Win Bet”, if you choose 6 or 8 as the outcome, your payout, if you win, will be 7 to 6.

If you choose 5 or 9, the payout is 7 to 5. If it is 4 or 10, you will receive 9 to 5 of the amount you staked.

On the other hand, if you opt for the “Place Lose Bet”, the payouts are 4 to 5 for number 6 or 8, 5 to 8 for number 5 or 9, and 5 to 11, for number 4 or 10.

g. Field Bets: This is a one-roll bet that is placed on the outcome of the upcoming roll. If the outcome of the roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, you will win.

If it is a 5, 6, 7, or 8, you will lose. Here, you will win even money if the outcome is a 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 and a double (that is 2 to 1) if it is a 2 or 12.

h. Propositional Bet: This bet is also settled on the roll directly following the bet. There are different types of proposition bets and all of them are found or placed at the centre of the table.

Note that this bet is riskier than the others but pays higher than them, that is, if you win. So, if you know you can’t take the risk involved, avoid this bet.

However, if you want to enjoy the excitement that comes with it and also have the bet limit for it, here is how it works:

I. If you bet “Any Craps”, you will win if the outcome of the roll is 2, 3, or 12. In this case, the payout is 8 to 1.

ii. If you bet “Any 7”, you will win if the outcome of the next roll is 7. The payout here is 4 to 1.

iii. If you bet “Any 11”, you will win if the next roll lands 11. The payout is 15 to 1.

iv. If you bet “Ace Deuce”, you will receive a 15 to 1 payout if the next roll is a 3.

v. If you go for “Aces”, your payout will be 30 to 1 if a 2 is the outcome of the next roll.

vi. If you bet a “Boxcar”, you will receive a 30 to 1 payout if the upcoming roll is a 12.

i. Hardways Bet: This is placed when you want to bet that the outcome of any of the next rolls that will be made before a 7 is landed will be a hard double.

In case a double is realised, the shooter is said to have rolled the “hard way”; so you will win. If the result is not a double, the roll is referred to as the “easy way”, whereby you lose.

For instance, if you bet a hard 6, you will win when the shooter rolls 3, 3 before rolling a 7 but lose if he rolls 5, 1 or 4, 2, that is, the “easy way”, before landing a 7. Of course, if a 7 shows up first, you will lose.

    In Hardways Bet, you can bet a hard 4 (2, 2), a hard 6 (3, 3), a hard 8 (4, 4), or a hard 10 (5, 5). The payout is 7 to 1 for a hard 4 or a hard 10, and 9 to 1 for a hard 6 or a hard 8.

j. Hop Bet:  This is a one-roll bet, where you wager on the outcome of the next roll. But here, your wager predicts what the combination of the next roll will be.

For instance, you can bet that the next roll will be a 5 and 2, a 6 and 2, a 4 and 1, and so on.

This bet does not pay even money but the payout depends on the casino’s rules and the combinations you wagered.

k. Big 6 and Big 8 Bets: These are even money bets. Here, if you bet a Big 6, you will win if any combination of 6 is rolled before a 7 is realised.

This is the same thing if you roll a Big 8. Remember, you lose if the shooter rolls a 7 before the staked number.

Steps to Playing Craps Game

    As you must have noticed, the game of craps has more to do with betting than rolling the dice.

Hence, once you learn as much as you can about the types of bets in craps games and observe how and when other players place them, you are good to go.

However, since you have accepted to play this exciting game, here are the steps you should take:

a. Determine the amount you will spend at the casino. This is where you set your budget and plan how to stick to it.

Remember, you are going there to have fun, not to waste money and, definitely, not to make money. The winnings should only be part of the fun and not the main objective for playing.

b. Choose a casino and then a table. Craps game is played with the same set of rules everywhere and the tables are the same in all casinos (except for minor inconsequential additions).

But the minimum and maximum betting limits are different. So, look for a casino as well as a table that accepts the size of your planned bet.

The betting limit of a table is usually indicated with a placard. Use it as a guide to choose your table.

You should also look for the casino and table that has the size and type of crowd you want to play with.

This will help you to play comfortably. If you can, at this stage, go for a quieter table because it will help you to follow what is happening on the table.

c. Purchase your chips. You can buy your chips right there at the table unless the casino does so differently.

If you are buying at the table, drop the cash on the table and draw the attention of the dealer on your side of the table to change your cash for chips.

Remember, the dealers usually don’t collect cash directly from players. When you receive your chips, keep them on a built-in rack along the table’s edge but in front of you. Never purchase your chips during a game so you don’t disrupt the game.

d. Place your bets. If you want to be a shooter, you first have to place the Pass Line Bet before you are handed over the dice, when it is your turn.

You can also place other bets. You can use the self-service area for the appropriate bets but call the attention of the dealer and/or the stickman for the bets they manage.

e. Enjoy the game!

Conclusion

The game of craps is a game of chance because you cannot control the rolls of the dice.

In the case of an online casino, dice rolling is pre-determined by a random number generator, which generates the combination of your dice the moment you clicked the play button.

In a live casino, there is no known workable strategy for rolling dice (so long as you don’t throw them off the table).

ALSO READ: 10 Legit Online Casinos

So, just read “how to play Craps” guide, observe people playing craps, and be ready to try your luck.

Be sure to bet the amount you are ready to lose without feeling the pinch. But remember, the game is there for fun.

How to play slot online. When you walk into a casino, see lines of slot machines, and got invitations from them to pull the lever or punch the buttons, what do you do? Ignore the invitation and walk away or sit down and play?

How often do you play slots? Do you consider them too technical for you? Well, here, you will find out why you should not ignore those machines any time you go into a casino.

Many people ignore this fun-filled machine because they think it is not worth their time, money, and efforts.

Some players avoid them like plagues because they have tried all they could but have never won a jackpot.

Because of these, they assume playing slots is a difficult game since no gambling tactics, skills, and strategies they know could do the magic.

There are players that have also tried voodoo but the machine refused to budge. So, they just gave up on it and opt for table games they are surer of.

Well, in this article, you will find out all you need to know about slot games, how it works, the myths surrounding it, mistakes slots players make, and tips to win a jackpot from that stubborn slot machine.

So, are you ready for the ride? Let’s go!

Why You Should Play Slots

Before you go further, you need to find out the reasons you should play slot games as often as possible.

Some of these reasons you must have discovered but, in case you are a newbie, you need to find out the following:

a. Slots are very cheap to play. No matter how low your budget is, you will find a game that can give you the fun you wanted.

You don’t have to bet a lot of money to play this game. You can bet as low as a penny, a quarter, 2 cents, or a dollar. It’s up to you to decide.

You may also hit a jackpot or win some bonuses that will help you to stay longer on the machine and play to your fill.

b. Slots are easy to play. In fact, you don’t need to be an expert to play slots. Just push that button or pull the lever (if there are still any machine that functions mechanically) and wish yourself luck. 

c. It is the best game for a newbie. If you are just starting your casino journey, maybe you should start off with slots.

You won’t want to feel uncomfortable going over to the tables, where no one is willing to explain the games to you.

So, start off with slots and take your time to learn the rules of table games and any other one that caught your interest.

d. You can cash out lots of winnings. The jackpot and progressives are there for you to try your luck on.

The good thing about this is that you don’t need any special skills or strategies to hit the jackpot. It is by sheer luck. 

e. Slot game is fun. The excitement that comes with watching the symbols run across the reels until they stop is irreplaceable.

f. You can have your privacy. If you prefer playing games without people putting pressure on you by their presence, screams, cheers, and so on, or watching your every move to see what you will land, then slot game is your best friend.

This game offers you that quietness and privacy you need to play. No one will know when you win or lose.

g. You will have guidance. Slot machines guide players through the game, especially now that you can play video and online slots. The information you will need to play is always available.

Things to Bear in Mind when Playing Slot Game

You are about to find out what slot gaming is, how to play it, and how to land your winnings.

But before that, there are certain things you need to remember each time you sit down to play before a machine or take up your phone to have fun with a slot game.

1. Slot is, actually, a game of luck. You don’t win slot games because you have some special slot playing skills or strategies. You will understand this soon.

2. Slot is there more for entertaining you than for making you win money. The winning should only add to the fun.

So, remember to have fun with this game.

Don’t put yourself under pressure because you are trying to win.

3. A slot machine is a computer, an electronic machine, which has been programmed to work in certain ways.

This is just to let you know that if you don’t win, the machine doesn’t hate you and, maybe, the casino did not program it not to pay you.

4. The casino mounted that machine and developed the software to make money. They did not keep that machine to dish out free money to players.

So, playing the game is almost like paying the casino to allow you to have some fun. The only thing is they may return some of your money to you through your winnings.

5. Slot game is a negative expectation game because it is a game you are expected to lose.

This is why the casino managers become suspicious when you continue to win all odds.

6. Don’t be tempted to stop the reels while they are spinning because it makes no difference.

The reason for this is explained in the “How It Works” sub-section of this article.

7. Don’t hit the machine with the intention of manipulating it to land the combinations you wanted. As you will see later, you have no control over when and how the symbols land and combine.

8. Don’t believe there is special slot playing skills you will need to play the game. There are also no hidden secrets about the game you should learn before you hit a jackpot.

However, here, I will do my best to reveal how you can stand a better chance to win more than you lose.

Just keep your minds open and you will get all you need to know soon.

9. Casinos have different types of slot machines. If you are a beginner, it is advisable to start off with classic slots machines that have three reels and you can easily follow its rules. They will be easier for you to play now.

10. Try to be happy for other players that win their games. Yours will come too.

11. Always check your bankrolls so you don’t run out of credit unexpectedly.

12. Please, set a budget before you start playing. And stick to that budget.

13. Don’t be a sore loser. Remember the game is for fun.

14. Study the rules of the slot machine or game you want to play. Remember they usually have different rules.

15. You can learn the basic slot playing rules by playing free online slot games.

What is Slots?

Now, we are getting closer to the major reason for this article, which is how to play slots. But, you need to understand what slot games stand for before proceeding to how to play them.

By the time you are done with this section, you would have found out the components of a slot machine and how the machine works.

What is a slot game?

A slot is a casino game of luck, which is determined by the matching of symbols on the slot machine reels after they (the symbols) have been spun.

Slots are played on slot gambling machines, which are characterised by reels and symbols.

These symbols land randomly on the payline (or paylines as the case may be) after spinning to determine whether the player won or lost.

Note that slot machines are programmed to generate numbers randomly so you are not in a position to determine which of the symbols will land on the payline at any point in time.

Components of a Slot Machine

If you are playing an online slot game, all you need to look out for are the game’s paytable, “Max Bet” button, and “Spin” button.

Those are the major components of a slot machine in an online slot gaming software. But, if you are going to use a physical slot machine, say the video slot machine commonly found in casinos today, you will need to familiarise yourself with the following:

a. Reels: This is the most important component of a slot machine because it is where the symbols spin.

A reel is vertically positioned and contains a grid display of symbols. Basically, slot machines have three reels but they have been increased to more reels by many slot machines today. 

b. Payline: This is a straight or zig-zag line, where the winning symbols align before you can win. If the symbols did not land on the payline, even if the combination is among the winning ones, you will not win the game.

This is why some players go for the maximum number of paylines the machine has to offer because it gives them higher chances to win.

Note that the maximum number of paylines allowed in a machine depends on how the machine is programmed.

Some machines offer only one payline while others offer as many as possible, even up to thirty paylines.

There are machines that have a fixed number of paylines while some will allow you to adjust them to the number you desire.

Keep this component in mind because you will need it when you plan to win more games than you lose.

c. Symbols: These are the icons that are spun on the reels to win or lose the game. Every symbol has its own value.

There are also rules on how to combine symbols to win. Remember to check for the values of each symbol and their winning combinations on the paytable.

d. The Paytable: This is where you will find the information on the combinations of symbols that will make you win as well as how much each of the combinations pays.

The paytable also tells you about the special symbols the machine has and the values attached to them.

You will find all you need to know about jackpots and progressives from the paytable too.

e. The Coin Tray: As the name suggests, a coin tray is a component for the collection of coins. But this time, the tray receives your winnings when you push the “Cash Out” button.

This is where the coins pour into. Note that it is not all slot machines that have this component because some of them will only issue you a ticket you will present in the account section to collect your winnings.

f. The Slots Lever: This is the component that makes the reels spin. Presently, the lever is not used mechanically to spin the reels.

It is there now to act as the trigger that makes the software set the reels in motion.

g. The Play Buttons: Slot machines have several buttons you may need to know about.

i. “Bet Max” Button: This button may also be referred to as “Play Max”. By pushing this button, you will be able to bet the maximum odds (maximum paylines) allowed for the game.

It also sets the reels in motion after placing odds.

ii. “Spin Reels” Button: This is the button that sets the reels in motion when pushed. It is used when you are not using the “Bet Max” button.

iii. Play Two Credits, Play Three Credits: When you see any of these buttons, it means the number of indicated credits is the maximum the game can offer.

For instance, “Play Two Credits” button indicates that you cannot play more than two credits at a go.

These buttons are almost the same thing as the “Bet Max” or “Play Max” button in some machines.

iv. “Play One Credit” Button: This button, if available, allows you to bet one credit for each spin.

You can press it twice, thrice, and so on to increase the number of credits you want to bet for the next spin.

However, if you push this button, you will still have to push the “Spin Reels” button to play the game.

v. “Cash Out” Button: This is the button pushed to give the machine the instruction to issue you a ticket with which to claim your winnings or to release your coins into the Coin Tray.

Remember to push this button only when you are done with a game or when you wanted to stop playing altogether.

Symbols in a Slot Machine

Each slot game or slot machine has its own symbols, which could be fruits, card symbols, or any character the developers chose to use.

These symbols all have their values, which the machine calculates.

However, the commonest types of symbols you will find in every slot game are described below.

a. Standard Symbols: These symbols are the ones that will be combined or matched in a certain way before you can win prizes. There is nothing specifically special about them.

b. Wild Symbol: This is the symbol that can be substituted for any other symbol on the reels. If it turns up in a combination, you can use it in place of the desired symbol to achieve the desired combination.

c. Scatter Symbol: This is the best friend of slot players even though it doesn’t show up often. Before you land this symbol, you have to fulfil some terms and conditions attached to it.

It is not all players that are eligible to receive a Scatter Symbol because it is a bonus symbol. It usually gives free spins, which you will need to win more games.

d. Multiplier Symbol: Just as the name implies, a Multiplier will multiply your winnings if it ever shows up and lands on any of the activated paylines.

Note that it is not all slot machines that have this symbol. So, choose your machine wisely.

e. Sticky Symbols: This symbol stops the reel it showed up on from spinning until the other reels have spun several times.

When you find this symbol, you stand a better chance of winning the game because all you needed to look out for is the desired symbols matching up on the other reels.

f. Bonus Symbol: Just like the Scatter Symbol, Bonus Symbol also offers bonuses.

g. Blanks: If you meet a blank symbol, kindly ignore it because it has no value. However, check the machine’s rule to be sure there is no value attached to it. Remember, every machine has its own rules.

NB: Remember to check the values of each symbol and the values of their combinations. This information can be obtained on the slot machine’s paytable.

How Slot Game Works

Before we move from this section, you need to find out how the slot machine works.

As a result, you need to remember the following information as you play your games:

Slot machines today are programmed to supply results randomly. This is because it contains a chip known as a random number generator (commonly known as RNG).

This chip has software that determines when and how symbols are combined. The random number generator is designed in such a way that it does not pay constantly.

It pays out winnings based on the percentage it was programmed to pay. Some are programmed to pay out up to 90% while others go as low as 80% or even lower.

These percentages are spread out randomly so that the random number generator spreads winnings randomly to align with the number of winnings it is meant to give.

So, if you are lucky to hit the spin button when the random number generator generates the jackpot combination, you will be lucky to cash out handsomely.

What this means is that the slot machine you are looking at does not decide when you will hit a jackpot. It is the software embedded inside it that does the whole job.

2. The random number generator makes thousands of mathematical calculations within a second. This means that whether the reels of a slot machine are spinning or not, the machine generates and combines symbols.

Hence, when you push the “Spin Reels” button, the symbols that hit the paylines are those that correspond with the calculations made by the random number generator at the millisecond the button was pushed.

So, what determines whether you will win or lose is not the spinning but what was happening at the random number generator the moment you pushed the button.

The spinning is only there to add to the excitement.

How to Play Slot

Finally, we are here. As you must have noticed, playing slots is quite easy: just push the button and wait for luck to do the rest.

Nevertheless, here, you will find out the steps you have to follow to play your favourite game on slot machines or gaming software.

Step I: Buy your Credits

First of all, you have to buy credits. If you are playing online slots, be sure you have enough credits on your wallet that will allow you to place odds.

If what you have there is not enough, go ahead and make deposits. Remember to follow the bookie’s approved depositing methods.

But, if you are about to play a video slot machine or any of those old slot machines, ask the attendants how you can buy credits.

Usually, you have to visit the casino’s banking or account section or department to make necessary payments.

If the machine can be played freely, catch your fun and save your money.

But, remember you cannot win any real money with free games.

Step II: Pay the Machine

An online slot machine will automatically upload your payments, depending on how the casino conducts its operations.

But, if it is a video slot machine, follow the instructions on the screen and pay the machine. You can also ask the attendants for assistance.

Step III: Choose a Slot Machine

If you are playing an online slot machine, you need to read all the instructions attached to the available slot games before selecting the one you will like to play.

If it is a video slot, before you make your choice, read the instructions on the paytables of the available machines and ask for further information about the machines from the attendants, if they will be ready to provide answers to your enquiries.

Here, you should find out the machines that are programmed to accept your desirable bet line, the ones that pay more jackpots, and ones that have a higher probability to pay more winnings.

The casino’s staff may not be willing to provide answers to all these questions, especially the third one, but you can find out the first two from the paytables.

As for the third one, you can use Google to find forums, where players discuss their experiences with the slot machines in the casino.

They may provide you with all you needed to know.

But, if you don’t have time to check the internet for information on the machines, try to observe other players see the machines they prefer.

Nevertheless, don’t lurk behind players and, please, don’t fight over a machine with another player.

Alternatively, you can choose a machine at random but bet low on your first day so you can see how it plays.

Step IV: Study the Game’s Paytable

Here, you will find out how much the symbols and their combinations are worth. You will also learn the combinations you should look out for.

Of course, the machine will tell you when you win and how much you won but there is nothing wrong with finding out how it all works before you start playing.

The paytable will also tell you whether the machine has jackpots and progressive jackpots. If the machine does, the paytable will give you information about them.

Step V: Choose your Coin Value

The amount you choose should be dependent on your budget. Remember, you are still going to activate your paylines.

So, when choosing your coin value, multiply it by the number of paylines you will turn on. It is advisable you go as low as possible on your coin value so your budget doesn’t drain faster.

But here is a tip you should always bear in mind: it is better to have the lowest coin value but a maximum number of paylines.

Step VI: Set your Paylines

This is when you activate your paylines. It is advisable to choose as many paylines as you can afford or as much as the machine offers.

The more paylines you activate, the higher your chances of winning. If the machine has fixed payline, skip this step.

If you want to choose all the paylines on the machine or on the online slot gaming software, push or press the “Bet Max” or “Play Max” button.

Step VII: Push the “Spin” Button

This is the time you have been waiting for, so let the fun begin. You can keep spinning until your budget for the game is exhausted.

But keep your eyes on your credit to know when it is going down.

Also, remember to do your best to claim as many bonuses as possible so you will have better chance of winning.

Step VIII: Cash Out

So you won some money, it is time to push that button and collect your prizes. Don’t touch this button if you are not done with the game.

Please, follow the rules of the game so you don’t lose your money because you wanted to cash out at the wrong time.

If you claimed any bonus, make sure you have met the terms and conditions of the bonus regarding the number of wagers you have to make before cashing out.

Remember, your payout depends on your bet size, the symbols you were able to land on the paylines, and the values of those symbols.

NB: You may want to play several free online slot games before playing the game for real money.

You can find online slots on Google Playstore.

Nevertheless, if you prefer playing video slot machines, start by betting a little at a time. But, remember it’s all for the sake of having fun.

Common Mistakes Players Make in Slot Games

Even though playing slot games is not difficult, you can still mess it up if you are not careful.

This is because there are certain mistakes players make that cause them to lose a lot of money and become frustrated.

These players will be under pressure to recover some of their money, if not all, but they may end up not winning any game.

Apart from that, they will miss the fun part of the game. Well, you should avoid those mistakes so you can have fun and still win some games.

So, as you enter that casino to play slots, avoid:

a. Betting a huge amount of money. Remember this can put you under pressure because you will want to recover your money. If you don’t, which is most likely, you will turn out a sore loser.

b. Playing more than one machine at a time. Some players do this a lot. They drop money into two, three, and more slot machines at the same time.

You will see them hopping from one machine to the other, dropping coins, pushing buttons, and moving to the next one before the machines are done spinning.

They do this because they hope to land the jackpots of those machines or to win as many games as possible.

I don’t know who this has ever worked for but it is not a wise thing to do. The reasons you should not try this include:

i. You will not be able to concentrate on what you are doing. Sure, the machine will notify you when you win but you need to relax and have fun too.

ii. You will spend more money than you budgeted. Of course, when you are pumping money into those machines, you will be tempted to overspend what you planned earlier.

iii. You will make other players unhappy. Maybe taking up more than one machine will not be so bad when the casino is empty.

But it is not a responsible thing to do when there are players waiting in the line. So, pick one machine and let others have fun too.

iv. You will look desperate doing this. Of course, when you hop from one machine to another, dropping coins and pushing buttons, you give people the impression that you are desperately in need of money.

Nobody wants to be seen that way, even if he’s actually desperate.

So, don’t let other players think you are anxious to win.

v. The casino may blacklist you. I don’t think any casino will want to have players that deny others the chance to play.

The attendants may even approach you and take machines away from you. That way, you may lose the machine that pays more.

vi. You may lose your chance with your machine. Do you still remember how the random number generator works?

In case you have forgotten, it generates thousands of numbers every second. This means you may miss the jackpot in your machine because you did not punch the button at the right time.

So, stay with one machine, set up your payline to maximum, bet low coin value, and try your luck over and over again.

You will have better chances than moving from one machine to another.

c. Changing your machine to the one that just paid a jackpot. Naturally, you will want to do this but remember that the machine is programmed not to hit jackpot often. So, don’t move yet.

d. Sitting idly before a machine. Avoid occupying a machine when you are not playing it.

If you want to observe how the game is played, find somewhere else to sit and observe, so long as you don’t prevent others from playing.

But, don’t lurk around the area for too long or you may be confronted.

e. Rushing your spin. Sure, it takes seconds to hit the jackpot but you don’t know which of the seconds is the right one.

So, don’t be in a hurry to start a spin immediately another one stops. And, don’t stop the reels. Allow the spin to stop by itself.

f. Activating a few paylines. You should have known by now that you stand more chances of being rewarded when you activate many paylines.

It is better you have lower coin value and more paylines than the way around. So, activate as many paylines as you can afford.

If possible, activate all that the machine has to offer.

g. Playing without bonuses. Casinos always find ways, especially with bonuses, to reward players and encourage them to play more games and have better chances to win.

If you have bonuses, you will have more bankrolls with which to play more games and get luckier.

So, try to always play with bonuses. Look for the bonuses the slot machine has to offer and make sure to read the terms and conditions attached to them.

If these rules will restrict you in such a way that you cannot play freely and cash out when you want to, or you believe you may not be able to meet the terms, please, consider playing without any of the bonuses. 

h. Ignoring the terms and conditions guiding the game. There are many reasons you need to read the terms and conditions guiding a slot game before you start playing the game. These reasons include:

i. You may miss important information that will help you to win more games.

ii. You may miss the terms and conditions attached to using bonuses, how to claim them, and/or what to fulfil before cashing out winnings made with them.

You need to know all about the bonuses before you claim them.

iii. You may miss terms attached to a jackpot, what you have to do to become eligible for a jackpot, or how you can activate your jackpot.

i. Not joining a slot club. There are many reasons you should join a slot club belonging to the casino you play with.

Ask the casino’s lobby how you can go about this and sign up as soon as possible.

When you join this club, you stand to enjoy cash backs, comps, tournament seats, free bets, show tickets, and many more.

Remember to visit the casino with your membership card so you can log in before playing.

Nevertheless, you should understand that these benefits will not pay you back the money you lost on the slot machines. 

Tips for Enjoying Slot Games

You have received almost all you need to know about playing slot games. But let’s quickly look at some of the crucial tips that will help you to enjoy the games and win some money.

a. Set your budget and stick to it. Remember, there is no guarantee you will get your money back.

b. Join the slot players’ club in the casino you play often. If you are using an online casino, you may not need to look for this group because you have registered with the bookie before using its software.

But, contact the bookie’s customer service about this to be double sure.

c. Don’t bet a large sum of money. If you lose, you will be a sore loser. If you gain, that’s good.

But, it’s better to stay on the safer side. And remember, the slot game is designed to make players lose.

d. Activate all paylines if you can afford it. Remember, the more paylines you have active, the higher your chances of winning.

e. Slow down as you play. Speed kills, remember?

f. Go for slot machines that pay comps, if they are available in the casino.

g. Play with bonuses if the restrictions are not overbearing.

h. Go for the slot machines that have huge jackpots and progressives.

i. Go for the slot machines that are programmed to pay more often.

Best Slot Sites to Play on:

• All Slots
• All Star Slots
• Slotocash
• Slots Capital

Conclusion

You can see it is easy to play slots. You don’t need any special gambling skills to play this game.

However, all the tips given and explained in this article, if utilised, will give you the edge you need to win more games than you lose. As for hitting jackpot, it all depends on luck.