16 Casino Do’s and Don’ts For the New Recreational Gambler

06/24/201906/24/2019Leave a comment

So, your friend or family member offers to take you to a casino for your very first time. But, never having been before, you haven’t a clue about what to do when you get there. So, here are 16 Casino Do’s and Don’ts to enjoy your recreational visit to the casino.

Bankroll, Game Rules and Rewards Club

1) Know how much money you can wager and lose. Yes, that’s right, lose. Know your Bankroll. Approach it as entertainment first. Remember, if you’re not an Advantage Player looking to make a living, it’s recreation.

2) Know the rules of the games you might play. If you can, get a free app on your smart phone or tablet and play a little before you go.

3) Decide if your trip is for gambling only, or it’s to enjoy all that the casino experience can offer. You can spend sometime dining, shopping or watching live entertainment. These are good activities too. Just don’t gamble in casinos to make your trip productive.

4) Sign up for a rewards card. You may get a free slot play bonus, or get freebies for eats later on. You could get free tickets to a concert, and if you play enough to raise your level of card, you could get additional things from a special parking area for your card level, to entrance into a VIP lounge.

5) Be contented with small casino wins. First timers usually lose more in casinos. Breaking even in casinos is generally considered a win.

Casino Do’s and Don’ts – Online Resources

6) Check the local newspaper for advertisements, or check the web on the best deals in casinos. NETimeGambling often lists promotions and New England casino news on Twitter and Facebook. Sign-up bonuses, double points, giveaways, dining deals – they’re all for the taking. Go where the whole experience will be great, not just the gambling.

7) Don’t believe in superstitions like “hot machines” or “it must be time my luck changed’ or, “surely it can’t be red again” because each bet is an event of it’s own, with no connection to the previous event. As soon as you realize this, the easier it will be for you to understand the gambling experience. Repeat after me – “The House has the advantage.” Good! Now go out there and enjoy it, win or lose. Be prepared ahead of time and be knowledgeable.

8) Do drink alcohol responsibly when gambling. Excessive alcohol will inevitably cause you to accept losing beyond a “healthy situation.”

9) Do Bring a watch and your cell phone. Casinos show no clocks, and don’t provide windows Wrist devices like FitBit or Apple Watches can signal you with incoming messages by vibrations or sounds that you can feel or hear above the cacophony of noise in the casino and prove invaluable.

Be Aware Of the Little Little Things

10) Casinos convert your cash into chips at the tables. Simply said, this is so you lose the sense that this is really money. Remember chips ARE money.

11) Don’t be afraid to ask staff for help. Remember, the casino is built on getting you there (or should be) and so there are many people who are there simply to help you as a hospitality service.

Don’t be shy. If you are new (or not) to the game, please ask the dealer for advice. They want you to win! The more you win, the more likely you are to tip, however tip for their helpfullness and entertaining personality – they have nothing to do with your winning. Don’t worry about taking a little longer. Everyone starts as a beginner, and most will appreciate your attempt to make the correct play.

12) Don’t hand dealers chips or cash – they are not allowed to handle it directly. The “Eye in the Sky” is watching your play and their work. Put the chips or cash on the table. They will not accept it any other way.

Non-smoking, Tipping, and pictures

13) If you smoke, be aware of those around you. If you are a non-smoker in a smoking part of the casino, be flexible. Reach a common ground that you both can be comfortable with. th (16)

14) Take a walk around when you arrive. In this day and age, make sure you know your nearest exits if new to that property. Get acquainted with your surroundings. Casinos can be difficult to navigate through. That’s the way they want it.

Tip your waitstaff, especially if you request specific items.

15) Carry dollar bills for tips. In most casinos, complimentary beverages are served, but the wait staff is usually expecting a small tip.

Related Post – Tips on Tipping

16) Be aware of the casino’s rules concerning using your phone for taking pics. Each casino has different rules and it is important for player to be aware of them. Hey, SELFIE-ADDICTS – Taking pictures in a casino or talking on a cell phone can get you into big trouble if it breaks the rules. Some casinos allow some picture taking, like when a jackpot is hit. But don’t be surprised when you asked to put your phone away. SELFIE STICKS aren’t tolerated by both the casino staff and the patrons. Remember, many visitors would prefer not to be in anyone’s picture – especially those Advantage Players that make a living in anonymity.

Related Posts: Mindful Gambling – Improving Your Experience In The Casino

Casino Decisions For the OBLIVIOUS Recreational Gambler

Finally, have fun. It’s social, it’s entertainment. Let’s just leave it as that.

That’s all for now.

Binbin

Improve Your Video Poker Etiquette

04/26/201905/31/20191 Comment

As with most behavior in public spaces, behaving properly usually helps provide a better experience for you and for those around you. No where in the casino could that be true than the winding rows of slot machines and video poker machines, where you could find yourself shoulder to shoulder with a variety of others.

Playing Video poker and enjoying the solitary play of one vs. machine could bring a need to make new friends during your session. Well, consider the following suggestions:

Video Poker Etiquette.

Common sense etiquette suggests that you should never touch the slot machine of another player. You should also not lean on their chair or shoulder as this motion could cause them to jerk and hit the wrong button concerning denomination or number of credits.
Video poker etiquette frowns on those people that pound the buttons on a machine as if it needs to be punished. Not only does it wear the game out over time, most importantly, it’s incredibly distracting to the other players around you. Besides, you’d have to punish the RNG for your bad luck.
If you are going to watch a person play, do not sit in the chair next to them unless you plan on playing yourself. This especially includes bar top VP, since it takes a seat away from another player.
Understand the rules before you sit down. Don’t be lazy and expect others to teach you on their time. Be prepared before you play.
If someone has leaned their stool or chair up against the machine, this usually means they haven’t finished playing, or maybe took a restroom break. Usually the person playing the slot machine has just went to the bathroom or to get a drink.
Do not watch others play over their shoulder if they do not know you, that’s just creepy !!!! In small casinos it seems to be accepted to do that once your money runs out…just wander over and watch a total stranger play. Like I said – CREEPY!!
Don’t be a slob! – Ashes, spilled drinks, coughing without covering, sticky hands from food – these are just some of the things that annoy your fellow players. (Suggestion – always have hand sanitizer when playing. It comes in handy)
Don’t share your superstitions, myths, or ignorance of how these machines work with those around you. Denomination, rhythm, which buttons to push, whether your rewards card is used or not – these are all just ignorant nonsensical notions of those players who just want attention. Ig
nore their suggestions. The random-number-generator runs the machine, period.
If you need to use the restroom, put your service light on. As long as you are not taking a 15 minute break, slot attendants are around to help you out in this area. DON’T ASK THE PLAYER NEXT TO YOU TO WATCH YOUR MACHINE! Let them have their fun without feeling like a hostage until you decide to come back. My response to strangers who ask is “No, thank you. I don’t know how long I will be here.
Don’t “hover” over a machine you want to play. Some people watch a person’s credits and watch until the player is done so they can “POUNCE!” If I feel that kind of pressure from someone, I will use my phone, check my wallet, stand and stretch – basically anything to waste time to let them know that no kind of predatory pressure will make me succumb to their creepiness.

That brings us to the last point when it comes to behaving properly while playing video poker machines – tipping.

Service with a smile? – Tip!

When to tip? While tipping is a personal decision there are certain times where it’s customary to tip. For example, when you’re receiving a jackpot payout that a floor attendee must help you with, it’s customary to tip them (Granted, if the service is lousy and the attendant is incredibly slow to pay you out or perhaps not professional, you can think twice about tipping.) The rule of thumb is usually to tip around .5 – 1% of the jackpot amount, make sure to keep this in mind when working on your bankroll management budget. Concerning beverages, yes they are free in many casinos, but tip the staff as you would in a restaurant. Again, if the service is lousy, don’t. But if you especially make a specific request, be sure to tip.

With a little respect towards fellow gamblers and adherence to the golden rule, you’ll be able to improve the experience of other players, as well as your own. Use common sense, and be courteous to those around you. Bottom line is have fun, stay healthy, enjoy recreational gambling – but not at somebody else’s expense.

Binbin

Responsible Gambling Tips from NETG’s “Gambling Cats”

02/18/201906/01/2019Leave a comment

Cats Playing Poker

Just about everyone tries gambling of one form in their lives. Some involve money, others may gamble at running a red light. Each has its own degree of risk and consequences.

There are professional gamblers who have been able to gamble for a living and not fall into the dark side of addiction. These Advantage Players, or AP’s, know the importance of knowing how they react to the rush of winning and the down side of losing.

Cat Advantage Player

But professionals also detach a lot of the emotion – it’s a business – which helps keep those fiery endorphins more stable. Most humans can gamble, whether money based or consequence based (or both) without concerns, but some have trouble when any gamble turns into habit – especially casino gamblers.

With the help of the “NETG Gambling Cats.” this post includes simple tips and a few items to help responsible gambling. While many have a fun, exciting gambling experience without them, these tips and forms may be something to consider. As far as the cats know, they are the “purr-fect” answer to responsible gambling.

Take a look at the following tips; they’ll help you to learn more about how you can enjoy gambling without putting yourself at risk for problem gambling.

Have the right attitude – gamble for fun and entertainment. If you are considering playing poker, video poker, blackjack (probably the only casino games you could make a living in), be well-practiced, well-funded, and strategically perfect – that’s all! Otherwise, keep it as a leisurely activity.
Set a limit on how much money and time you can afford to spend gambling. Try not to change this limit while you play. If so, it must the next bankroll negatively or put off your next gambling trip.
Leave any extra cash at home, and think twice about taking your bank and credit cards with you. When you run out of money, don’t borrow from family, friends or others so you can keep gambling.
Don’t gamble for comps. Gambling for comps is a rabbit hole that will swallow up extra money you didn’t expect to spend. Comps will accumulate. Check rewards clubs for the best deals, and compare to the best games, or an experience you prefer. Then, just let it happen.
Plan for sessions by bankroll increments, not by time. Have a clear plan on what you will do if you spend all that money sooner than expected. Eat, walk, people watch? Something to lengthen the time between sessions. Or, there’s another option – go home.
Know how much it costs to play per hour on the games you enjoy. While you win sometimes, you also lose, so it is important to know the average cost per hour. Click HERE for your free chance to calculate your own cost of play, provided by the Addiction Foundation of Manitoba.
What is your reason for gambling? Don’t know? You should. Be aware of your own reasons for gambling. Remember that, while gambling can be fun, it is not a way to solve problems, get away angry, or spend time depressed. Have fun, enjoy time with friends and family. Make it something you would do again with no consequence.
Balance gambling with other leisure activities.Gambling shouldn’t be the only activity you do in your spare time. Other activities can blur into other casino events, such as culinary interest, music performance, and sports.
Finally, if you gamble on a regular basis, keep track of the money you spend. Most people would never think to keep track. It’s no fun to track your gambling, and lets face it, most of us are just TOO lazy. Statistics don’t lie. Print out the NETG Gambling Log 3 to keep track – it will help you to keep a realistic record of your gambling expenses.