So you’re new to the world of online casino games. Or perhaps new to casino games as a whole. You’re keen to jump in and start playing, but aren’t sure where to even begin. Don’t worry, there are plenty of fun, entertaining games that are easy to pick up and immediately play. Depending, of course, on the type of casino game that interests you.
Let’s take a look at online casino games that are perfect for newcomers.
How Do I Get Started?
Before we start talking about individual games, let’s talk about how to start playing at an online casino. First and foremost, you must only play at licensed, regulated online casinos. An online casino will show proof of its license generally in the footer. Click on the license to get more information.
Once you’ve chosen an online casino, you’ll have to sign up. This will involve providing details such as a name, email address, telephone number, and billing address. Don’t worry, the casino won’t charge you anything until you make a first deposit. The site might also ask you to provide validated identification documents. Signing up will go much faster if you have a validated identification document at hand.
Now that you’re signed up, ready to play on a desktop computer or mobile device, which game should you try?
Slot Games
Even if you don’t play slots yourself, you’re surely aware of what they are. But how do they work? A slot game is the most basic form of gambling, requiring that you make a wager, spin reels, and receive a payout. On the reels are symbols, generally playing cards, picture symbols, and special symbols. If these symbols land in a matching sequence on the reels, you get an instant payout. The payout will be higher the longer the winning sequence, and the higher the value of the symbols.
Special symbols include Wilds, Scatters, and various other Bonus symbols. A Wild substitute for any other symbol, allowing matching sequences to land more frequently. Scatter and Bonus symbols trigger special features, assuming they match.
Special features include Free Spins rounds, jackpots and other such rewards. To put it in a nutshell, when you play slots you’ll want to shoot for the special features. However, keep in mind that slots are 100% luck based. Although great fun, you will never have any influence over how each round turns out. Slots are a pure game of you versus Lady Luck.
Roulette
Roulette is an extremely popular, fast-paced game. Unlike slots, Roulette requires that you manually choose where to put your bets. You can choose any betting position on the table, with options that include red or black, odds or evens, the first, second, or third 12, a lucky number, and much more.
Once you’ve placed your bets, the roulette wheel will be spun. If the ball lands in a pocket that you’ve bet on, you will receive a payout. Importantly, some bets pay out more than others.
Roulette is primarily a game of risk versus reward, as with all casino games. It’s unlikely that you’ll choose the exact number that the ball lands on. But if you do, you’ll receive a large payout. On the other hand, if you bet on red and win, the payout will only be 1:1. 1:1 is your original bet, plus that same amount again.
Note that roulette wheels also have 0 pockets. 0 isn’t included in any of the other betting groups, so you have to bet on 0 specifically to win. Or, more likely, when 0 is hit you’ll lose your bets. You can try out roulette now at a great site like Mandarin Palace.
Blackjack
Contrary to popular belief, Blackjack is a very skill-based game. Which is to say; you will do much better at Blackjack if you play well. Skill-based games are a double-edged sword, demanding that you play well, but also offering you a higher chance of walking away with money. To put it another way, you should certainly not jump into Blackjack if you’re sceptical about your chances of doing well. It is much better to research blackjack, learn strategies, practice, and then only play for real money.
In Blackjack, you are going head-to-head against the house. You’re dealt a pair of cards, and the house is dealt a pair of cards. The idea is for the total of your cards to be closer to 21 than the house. You can stand with the cards you have, or ask for another card as you see fit. Either way, once you stand the house will play and try to beat your total. If either you or the house exceed 21, the hand is bust.
Blackjack seems simple on the surface, and is to an extent, but is a deeply complex game. Take note that when a round starts the house will have a single card face up. This face-up card gives important clues as to how the house’s hand will play out. If you’re familiar with the game and its rules, you can play blackjack extremely well, winning far more often than losing. Take blackjack seriously if you intend on playing.
Video Poker
If you’re intimidated by Blackjack, consider Video Poker instead. Video Poker is also a skill-based game, but not as complicated or demanding as blackjack. Video poker is based on creating the best Poker hand possible, with the general rule being that hands with a value higher than a pair of jacks pay out.
A round involves you being dealt 5 cards, after which you can choose to keep cards, or have them thrown out. Thrown-out cards will be replaced with other random cards. Once you have your final hand of 5 payouts are made accordingly.
Video Poker, of course, demands that you understand the value of poker hands. If you’re unfamiliar, don’t worry, a paytable is available when you start playing. Video poker is an excellent gambling game, perfect for beginners, and a great way to get familiar with skill-based gambling. Good luck!
