101 Weekends of Fun

If you've never been to a casino, it might be intimidating. There are all sorts of games you can play. Two of the most popular casino games are poker and blackjack. These games let you sit and play against other people. If you're ready to move beyond the slot machines and video poker, then these games are great picks.

It can be scary to sit down at a poker or blackjack table for the first time, however, so here are some tips to get you ready for the casino.

Low Limit Poker

If you want to play poker against people, as opposed to video poker, then low limit poker is where you should start. Many casinos will offer a $2/$4 limit game. Limit poker is more beginner friendly than No Limit. In a No Limit game, someone can bet as much money as they have in front of them.  This means that if you have $200 dollars in poker chips, and your opponent also has $200, they can bet the entire $200. In a Low Limit game, you would only ever have to face a $4 bet. This makes it a great game for a novice.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a very beginner friendly game. It is very easy to learn the rules. The object of the game is to get closer to 21 than the dealer. You will be dealt two cards. These will be added together. You then have the decision to stand or hit. Stand means you don't want more cards because you think your hand is better than the dealers. If you hit, it means you want a third card.

For instance, you are dealt a 3 and a 5.  These two cards add up to 8. You would certainly want to hit. If you were dealt a King and a 9, you would stand. Face cards, except Aces, are equal to ten. Aces can be either 1 or 11. With a King and a 9, you have 19. It would be dangerous to hit because any card besides an Ace or a 2 would send you over 21 and you would lose.

There are many free blackjack strategy charts online. Here is one. These help you memorize the correct play for certain situations.

Table Minimums

If you are comfortable with the rules of blackjack, then you need to think about the table minimums. Table minimums are what they sound like: the minimum bet allowed at the table.

There are many different blackjack tables in a casino. You don't want to sit down at one that has a minimum bet of $100 dollars. You could lose a thousand dollars in a few minutes.  What you want is a table with a small minimum, say $5. Here is a list of some casinos and their table minimums.