Understand Casino Game Rules in Minutes

Getting started with casino games is easier than you think. While each game has its own set of rules and gameplay, the basics can be picked up in minutes with a little guidance. Whether you want to learn how slots work, understand the objective of blackjack or get familiar with rolling dice in craps, knowing the fundamental rules goes a long way.

Slots

Slots are the most popular and prevalent casino games on many websites, including Vegas Now Casino. The main objective is to spin the reels and hope matching symbols land on one of the paylines. This form of gameplay traces back over 100 years ago to the original Liberty Bell machine. While slots have come a long way thanks to video screen animation and bonus features, at their core, they still work the same way.

Modern video slots work by using a random number generator (RNG) to determine the symbols that appear after each spin. As soon as you hit the spin button, the RNG software behind the game randomly selects numbers which correlate to symbols on the reels. Because this process is truly random, each spin is an independent event, meaning slots operate on luck rather than skill.

Payouts depend on the types of symbol combinations you line up. Higher paying symbols like 7s, bars and special icons pay more than lower ones like cherries and playing cards. The paytable shows the payout for each winning combo. You simply take your bet size and multiply it by the posted payout amount. With multi-line games, wins can be formed on any enabled payline.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a classic card game where you compete against the dealer to make a hand as close to 21 without going over. Getting 21 automatically pays 3:2 on your bet. You start by placing a wager and receive two cards while the dealer gets one card up and one face down. You then decide to hit, stand, double down or split. The goal is to beat the dealer’s hand.

There are a few basic gameplay rules worth noting:

• Face cards are 10 points, aces are 1 or 11 and all other cards are pip value
• Going over 21 results in a bust and lost bet
• Beating dealer by having a higher score wins
• Push if you and dealer tie
• Blackjack (21 points) pays 3:2

Following proper blackjack strategy around when to hit, stand, split, etc. lowers the house edge and improves your odds over less skilled players. While you can’t completely eliminate the house advantage, blackjack offers one of the best odds when played correctly.

Roulette

Roulette consists of a spinning wheel with either 37 or 38 number pockets, a ball and a betting grid layout on the table. You place chips on the table, predicting where the ball will land after the wheel spins. If your bet matches where the ball stops, you win a payout based on the posted odds for that wager.

There are inside and outside bet options:

Inside bets:

• Straight up – Bet on one number
• Split – Bet on two adjoining numbers
• Street – Bet on three numbers in a row
• Corner – Bet on block of four numbers
• Line – Six numbers from two rows

Outside bets:

• Red/black – Bet on color outcome
• Even/odd – Bet on even or odd number
• High/low – Bet on lower or higher half
• Dozen – Bet on 12 numbers in one dozen
• Column – Bet on 12 numbers in column

The house edge comes from the extra green 0 (and 00 in American) pockets that tilt odds slightly in the casino’s favor over time. But in short sessions, results come down to the randomness of where the ball falls on each spin.

Craps

Craps revolves around wagering on the outcome of rolling a pair of dice. One player is the shooter who rolls while others can bet alongside. There are ample betting options thanks to the variety of possible dice totals. A new shooter rotates after every roll.

Here are some of the main craps bets:

• Pass Line – Bet on shooter to win or lose
• Don’t Pass – Bet against shooter
• Come/Don’t Come – Same idea but for additional points
• Odds – Take extra odds behind pass/come
• Place – Bet on certain point numbers to roll before a 7
• Field – Small wagers on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12
• Proposition – Various single roll or multi-roll bets

There are a lot of specialty bets, but focusing on simple wagers like pass line and place bets work well for beginners before getting into more complex options.

Baccarat

Baccarat has a set of rules centered around a simple objective – wager on whose hand between Player or Banker will be closer to 9 points. Gameplay moves fast with only three betting options. You can wager on Player hand, Banker hand or Tie. Hands contain just two or three cards dealt automatically based on fixed drawing rules.

Scoring:

• Ace = 1
• Face cards and 10s = 0
• Just single digit value of hand matters

Rules:

• Start with two cards to Player and Banker
• If Player is 5 or less then hits, otherwise stands
• If Banker is 5 or less then hits if Player hit otherwise stands

If banker and player tie, bets push. Winning banker bets pay 19 to 20 while player bets pay even money minus a 5% commission. With short decision-making needed, baccarat offers an elegant table game.

Getting Started

Many of these classic casino games share common fundamentals around betting, outcomes, randomness and combinations that determine results:

Learning these basics allows you to approach new casino games with the confidence of understanding how they fundamentally work. It also makes the gameplay more engaging once you know the key objectives, betting options and winning outcomes.

With a little familiarity, you’ll be able to walk up to a table or machine and know how to properly place bets and evaluate results. Each game has deeper levels of nuance worth studying, but just grasping the basics clears the biggest hurdle when starting out. So explore the games at your own pace and most importantly – have fun!