Hello everyone

Hello everyone. I'm a novice here. Could you please tell me what game to begin with?

Hi, and welcome.

Well, there's an open ended question if ever there was one.

If you've never gambled or played cards before, or maybe not played slots, then the world is your oyster. Do you want mind-crushing simplicity, or do you want to think a little? Are you prepared to take a few hours to learn a skill like playing poker or Blackjack?

Personally, I'd look for something where decisions have to be made and I like BlackJack. I used to like roulette and before that I liked slots, but that was back in the day.

You also need to consider how fast you want to lose your money and that is down to house edge. Some games have very low house edge and you can get many hours of fun for $100. Other games like roulette will see you go broke much quicker, and as to slots, well, feed'em and weep as you kiss your money goodbye to the spectacle of flashing lights.

Go to the games section of this site and you can run simulations at no cost and there are guides to explain how to play many games.

Quote: amoser

Hello everyone. I'm a novice here. Could you please tell me what game to begin with?

Welcome to WOV. Amoser. I am a bit guarded, however, as the last person who was a Newbie who started with a first time thread like yours turned out to be a scammer who had me completely fooled and even had me sticking up for him/her when other WOV members voiced their completely correct suspicions about "Aimee 21" only to look like a complete fool when it was revealed by a Moderator that Aimee was fake. So, I am on my guard a lot more. I am not accusing you of being a scammer, but I am just more wary nowadays after being so completely played about a month ago.

Quote: OnceDear

Hi, and welcome.

Well, there's an open ended question if ever there was one.

If you've never gambled or played cards before, or maybe not played slots, then the world is your oyster. Do you want mind-crushing simplicity, or do you want to think a little? Are you prepared to take a few hours to learn a skill like playing poker or Blackjack?

Personally, I'd look for something where decisions have to be made and I like BlackJack. I used to like roulette and before that I liked slots, but that was back in the day.

You also need to consider how fast you want to lose your money and that is down to house edge. Some games have very low house edge and you can get many hours of fun for $100. Other games like roulette will see you go broke much quicker, and as to slots, well, feed'em and weep as you kiss your money goodbye to the spectacle of flashing lights.

Go to the games section of this site and you can run simulations at no cost and there are guides to explain how to play many games.

Thank you for your answer. I'm trying to sort it out so I'd rather chose the option of "crushing simplicity" for a start :)

Quote: Nathan

Welcome to WOV. Amoser. I am a bit guarded, however, as the last person who was a Newbie who started with a first time thread like yours turned out to be a scammer who had me completely fooled and even had me sticking up for him/her when other WOV members voiced their completely correct suspicions about "Aimee 21" only to look like a complete fool when it was revealed by a Moderator that Aimee was fake. So, I am on my guard a lot more. I am not accusing you of being a scammer, but I am just more wary nowadays after being so completely played about a month ago.

Thank you for such a friendly welcome, Nathan.

Quote: amoser

Thank you for your answer. I'm trying to sort it out so I'd rather chose the option of "crushing simplicity" for a start :)

Crushing simplicity: Roulette or Baccarat.
Lose your money with ease, Get a few ups and a few downs and enjoy along the way.
Or put your money in any slot: Press 'auto play' and drink your complementary drink as you watch some lights flash as your bankroll ebbs and flows away from you.

Quote: amoser

Hello everyone. I'm a novice here. Could you please tell me what game to begin with?

Welcome Amoser to the WoO Forum!

If you select blackjack as your first foray, here's my blog about my first experience this past Oct 2016. I must admit I had some beginner's luck. Perhaps you will be just as fortunate.

https://wizardofvegas.com/member/lostwages/blog/#post1411

Good luck on whatever adventure you select!

LW

Quote: OnceDear

Crushing simplicity: Roulette or Baccarat.

To fully understand Baccarat you have to learn the drawing rules, so "simplicity" may not quite be right - unless you say "bet on Banker and don't worry about the rules." On the other hand, roulette is one big step further along the simplicity spectrum than "crushing simplicity." A comatose lobotomized poodle could understand it.

Quote: teliot

On the other hand, roulette is one big step further along the simplicity spectrum than "crushing simplicity." A comatose lobotomized poodle could understand it.

Poor dog. :(

Quote: amoser

Thank you for such a friendly welcome, Nathan.

If you saw the "Hi, I'm Aimee," thread and how deeply I fell for Aimee's scam, you would see why I am on my guard so deeply now.

Here is the link to the infamous "Hi, I'm Aimee, "thread.

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/general/27950-hi-im-aimee/

My guard is on high alert on this one

Quote: Nathan

If you saw the "Hi, I'm Aimee," thread and how deeply I fell for Aimee's scam, you would see why I am on my guard so deeply now.

Here is the link to the infamous "Hi, I'm Aimee, "thread.

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/general/27950-hi-im-aimee/

And so it begins again.

Reading my posts in the Aimee thread, I DO come across as a hyprocrite as I kept harping,"Newbies are innocent until proven sock puppet "and "Newbies deserve the benefit of the doubt," and "Don't unfairly run off Newbies," and what did I do in this very thread? "Welcome, Newbie! I have my guard up as I was already played by another Newbie in another thread!" What a bastard I came across as, especially after seeing firsthand a legitimate Newbie being unfairly run off another board by older members who thought he was a sock puppet of a banned member. Turns out he wasn't but it was too late when it was revealed that he was a legitimate Newbie.

Don't worry Nathan, you ken try real hard this time and you won't be fooled.

Quote: rainman

Don't worry Nathan, you ken try real hard this time and you won't be fooled.

LOL. I See what you did there.

Nathan, I'm sorry but I registered here with another aim.

Thank you LostWages, I liked your post :) and your tip about card counting trainers especially useful cause I didn't even think about it before. What trainers do you use?

Nathan, I'm sorry that you had such bad experience, but it doesn't mean every newbie is a lier.

Why are you all so obsessed with finding scammers? And why not to ignore such people?

Quote: rainman

Don't worry Nathan, you ken try real hard this time and you won't be fooled.

I am not Kentry. I'd really like the Kentry implications to stop.

Quote: amoser

Nathan, I'm sorry that you had such bad experience, but it doesn't mean every newbie is a lier.

I know. I realized I needed to stop coming hard on you just because another Newbie completely fooled me. Especially because I myself basically said,""All Newbies deserve the benefit of the doubt. "

Quote: Nathan

I am not Kentry. I'd really like the Kentry implications to stop.

I don't think you're Kentry, matey. I think you are a different character all together. I also think a certain other member, who shall remain nameless, may well be Kentry.

To Amoser, Ignore all this chatter about scammers and mischief makers. If you are not one of those, and there's no reason to believe you are, then enjoy your time here. But forgive and understand the regulars here who are used to, and wary of, the arrival of many such mischief makers.

Quote: OnceDear

I don't think you're Kentry, matey. I think you are a different character all together. I also think a certain other member, who shall remain nameless, may well be Kentry.

To Amoser, Ignore all this chatter about scammers and mischief makers. If you are not one of those, and there's no reason to believe you are, then enjoy your time here. But forgive and understand the regulars here who are used to, and wary of, the arrival of many such mischief makers.

Thank you for saying that you don't think I am Kentry. :) The Kentry implications are really annoying. And your advice to Amoser was well said and really meaningful. :)

Quote: tringlomane

Poor dog. :(

yea, why make him suffer through roulette?

Quote: amoser

Thank you LostWages, I liked your post :) and your tip about card counting trainers especially useful cause I didn't even think about it before. What trainers do you use?

Amoser - there's a degree of patience involved with card-counting, and unless you appreciate the concepts behind card counting, it won't do justice to simply jump in with a card-counting trainer(s).

If you have the patience to read and complete this article, let me know. There are 3 articles, and one of them has links to card counting trainers. But don't worry about posting more questions (to me or any WoO member).

https://wizardofvegas.com/articles/A-to-Z-Counting-Cards-in-Blackjack/

If you are not the patient type to read and complete the article above (HINT: it's NOT simple reading) and you just feel like you have a good knack for numbers (I don't), then right in this WoO Forum there is a card-counting trainer. You will be surprised at the depth of information, articles, and links you will find on the WoO Forum if you spend the effort to look/ask. As you've already experienced, just ask your questions and someone will have something to say. It will probably help the readers if you tell them a little bit more about yourself, your gambling goals/dreams, your preferences, your intended trip bankroll, etc.

https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/card-counting/introduction/

Good luck on your journey!

LW

Quote: LostWages

Amoser - there's a degree of patience involved with card-counting, and unless you appreciate the concepts behind card counting, it won't do justice to simply jump in with a card-counting trainer(s).

If you have the patience to read and complete this article, let me know. There are 3 articles, and one of them has links to card counting trainers. But don't worry about posting more questions (to me or any WoO member).

/articles/A-to-Z-Counting-Cards-in-Blackjack/

If you are not the patient type to read and complete the article above (HINT: it's NOT simple reading) and you just feel like you have a good knack for numbers (I don't), then right in this WoO Forum there is a card-counting trainer. You will be surprised at the depth of information, articles, and links you will find on the WoO Forum if you spend the effort to look/ask. As you've already experienced, just ask your questions and someone will have something to say. It will probably help the readers if you tell them a little bit more about yourself, your gambling goals/dreams, your preferences, your intended trip bankroll, etc.

/games/blackjack/card-counting/introduction/

Good luck on your journey!

LW

Wow! Thank you! I'll definitely read it. You seem to be an experienced gambler :)

Quote:

Wow! Thank you! I'll definitely read it. You seem to be an experienced gambler :)

Amoser - yeah . . . real experienced . . . totaling about 10 hours spread over 5 days at the Cal's BJ tables! Perhaps the "experienced" part leans more towards having read all the BJ threads in the WoO Forum, and multiple non-WoO articles, just so I could get a better inside education and "feel" for playing BJ. I pick and choose the many thoughts from the REAL experienced folks in this forum, so spend some time browsing, if you have not already done so. This has helped to polish my experiences.

I hope to add another 10 hours to my experience (yay! 20 hours!) this April, and have signed up to try my first VP Tournament (also at the Cal).

Quote:

It will probably help the readers if you tell them a little bit more about yourself, your gambling goals/dreams, your preferences, your intended trip bankroll, etc.

This is especially helpful whenever you ask ANY question, but it's not mandatory. But when you don't provide enough details, expect (a) no comments or (b) multiple questions asking: "You just wanna bet to win or to have fun? How much? When? Where? What? Why?"

Happy searching & reading, & questioning!

Quote: amoser

Hello...a novice...what game to begin with?

A lot depends on what you're trying to get out of gambling. There's a wide variety of games and you might find some of them interesting and others mind boggling boring or confusing.

For instance if you like card-based games, read the description on the site, try the game at home with one pack of cards (don't worry if the game uses more at the casino, it's just so you'll get the hang of it) and see which ones you like; you can also see if there's an online version to try it out.

There are only a few dice-based games and, if you're willing to read up about it until you understand what a "Pass" line bet is etc., Craps is quite fun.

There are several really simple games, many which require no decision (essentially bet and watch) - personally I find many of these fairly boring as I like to make a decision during the play, but this may be what you're after. Roulette is probably the most obvious, but there are others (and fruit machines come into this category).

Once you've picked the game then there should be some advice around on how to play the game so your money can last longer - for instance if you have a choice, bet on a single zero roulette wheel rather than one with two zeroes - if you like Blackjack it pays to learn the correct strategy (even if you don't get it 100% it's still one of the best games to play to make your money last longer).

There are some games where with a lot of hard work you can beat the casino (e.g. counting at Blackjack) but from your initial question I'm guessing that's not why you're trying to achieve.

Quote:

There are some games where with a lot of hard work you can beat the casino (e.g. counting at Blackjack) but from your initial question I'm guessing that's not why you're trying to achieve.

Amoser - See? CharliePatrick is one of those more experienced, all-around players . . . Nice summary, CP!

While it is still earlier in your career (and my 10-hr career), just be aware of something called "variance". That is, if I learned perfect card-counting along with perfectly executed Blackjack strategy, there could still be many events when the dealer gets more blackjacks or squeaks by me with 1 point . . . or you could have the pleasant luck & journey I had with my 1st experience.

So work on what you want. In the words of Romes (author of the 3 articles mentioned in your OP), "Playing it correctly means you've already won . . ."

Quote: amoser

Hello everyone. I'm a novice here. Could you please tell me what game to begin with?

This thread is for a modest budget:

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/other-casinos/28231-need-help-on-cheap-gambling-eating/#post576786

Quote: charliepatrick

A lot depends on what you're trying to get out of gambling. There's a wide variety of games and you might find some of them interesting and others mind boggling boring or confusing.

For instance if you like card-based games, read the description on the site, try the game at home with one pack of cards (don't worry if the game uses more at the casino, it's just so you'll get the hang of it) and see which ones you like; you can also see if there's an online version to try it out.

There are only a few dice-based games and, if you're willing to read up about it until you understand what a "Pass" line bet is etc., Craps is quite fun.

There are several really simple games, many which require no decision (essentially bet and watch) - personally I find many of these fairly boring as I like to make a decision during the play, but this may be what you're after. Roulette is probably the most obvious, but there are others (and fruit machines come into this category).

Once you've picked the game then there should be some advice around on how to play the game so your money can last longer - for instance if you have a choice, bet on a single zero roulette wheel rather than one with two zeroes - if you like Blackjack it pays to learn the correct strategy (even if you don't get it 100% it's still one of the best games to play to make your money last longer).

There are some games where with a lot of hard work you can beat the casino (e.g. counting at Blackjack) but from your initial question I'm guessing that's not why you're trying to achieve.

I'd like to learn to play BJ and I'm currently reading some blogs on the strategies. Btw yesterday I came across an article about its variations - I didn't know there are so many of them! But right now I'd rather tried my luck at simpler games. Maybe I just need some time to get used, as I'm not as experienced as LostWages.

Quote: amoser

....BJ...Maybe I just need some time...

We were all beginners once and some games take time but are worth the effort learning. The most complicated I've played (to learn the basics rather than mastering the strategy) seems to to be Pai Gow Tiles and the easiest Roulette.

I'd recommend Blackjack if you're happy to learn it bit by bit - start with the simple strategy and build up from there.
Also see https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/appendix/21/ .

NB : The rules for spitting A and 8, and doubling 11 vs Aces or Tens depends on the rules of the Blackjack you're playing; in the UK you only Split As vs Ten so this is what I'm used to.

Quote: Amoser

. . . as I'm not as experienced as LostWages. . .

You're embarrassing me, Amoser! :-) I only have 10 hours of experience playing BlackJack! . . . I've played VP before on the last trips over 10 years, but I've only learned about correct VP strategy recently . . .

Quote: Amoser

. . . I'd like to learn to play BJ . . .

Good, now you've established you want to try your luck at simpler games (remember what I said about Variance, though, so you don't get surprises).

Here's my say on BJ, but I'll willingly step aside for posters with better/other suggestions:

Start with Romes's 3 articles. Remember that Article 1 is not "simple" reading, unless you're comfortable with numbers in general (I'm not). In between reading sessions:

If you're near a casino, ask about their "Learn how to play blackjack" sessions (not all casinos offer this). You don't have to pay to learn how to play, but you' might be tempted to try right after that first lesson! BTW, if you don't have a Player's Card, get one so you can start earning points toward possible comps. P.S. Avoid playing BJ on video machines because the odds are not favorable (at least I haven't found any).

If no casino, and you have an iPad, I would definitely start with WoO's free blackjack game:

https://wizardofvegas.com/games/blackjack/

Rules? Aaaargh! That means you'd need to know the different nuances of the game. Don't worry for now, just get your hands & feet wet playing the game. When you're ready to ask questions, do so!

If you want an app that's always on your iPad AND iPhone, there are many free ones available. My favorite one is MobilityWare's Blackjack, because it also has an option to do card-counting (which you may or may not want to do down the line). (Other posters will probably have THEIR favorite app) You can turn off the card-counter until you're ready to use it.

BTW, it's not MANDATORY to learn card-counting to enjoy BJ, and neither is card-counting a guarantee for winning! So why bother at all? The experienced card-counter (not me! just a beginner!) will ramp (change) his/her bets at critical moments in the deal when conditions (the "count") favor doing this. At the very least, if you are using basic strategy, you should be able to make your session bankroll (the money you brought to the table to gamble) last longer. I think I'll stop here before I overload you with side comments - but I wanted to ensure I steered you in the right direction, like many of the WoO posters did for me! (Thanks, guys n' gals)

LW

Quote: LostWages

Start with Romes's 3 articles. Remember that Article 1 is not "simple" reading, unless you're comfortable with numbers in general (I'm not). In between reading sessions:

If you're near a casino, ask about their "Learn how to play blackjack" sessions (not all casinos offer this). You don't have to pay to learn how to play, but you' might be tempted to try right after that first lesson! BTW, if you don't have a Player's Card, get one so you can start earning points toward possible comps. P.S. Avoid playing BJ on video machines because the odds are not favorable (at least I haven't found any).

If no casino, and you have an iPad, I would definitely start with WoO's free blackjack game:

/games/blackjack/

Rules? Aaaargh! That means you'd need to know the different nuances of the game. Don't worry for now, just get your hands & feet wet playing the game. When you're ready to ask questions, do so!

If you want an app that's always on your iPad AND iPhone, there are many free ones available. My favorite one is MobilityWare's Blackjack, because it also has an option to do card-counting (which you may or may not want to do down the line). (Other posters will probably have THEIR favorite app) You can turn off the card-counter until you're ready to use it.

BTW, it's not MANDATORY to learn card-counting to enjoy BJ, and neither is card-counting a guarantee for winning! So why bother at all? The experienced card-counter (not me! just a beginner!) will ramp (change) his/her bets at critical moments in the deal when conditions (the "count") favor doing this. At the very least, if you are using basic strategy, you should be able to make your session bankroll (the money you brought to the table to gamble) last longer. I think I'll stop here before I overload you with side comments - but I wanted to ensure I steered you in the right direction, like many of the WoO posters did for me! (Thanks, guys n' gals)

LW

Quote: charliepatrick

We were all beginners once and some games take time but are worth the effort learning. The most complicated I've played (to learn the basics rather than mastering the strategy) seems to to be Pai Gow Tiles and the easiest Roulette.

I'd recommend Blackjack if you're happy to learn it bit by bit - start with the simple strategy and build up from there.

Many many thanks to you, LostWages and charliepatrick!

Amoser,
You can be quite a decent player of Blackjack if you just learn ( or keep to hand ) Wizard's simplified strategy card.

Quote: OnceDear

You can be quite a decent player of Blackjack if you just learn ( or keep to hand ) Wizard's simplified strategy card.

See? I remembered whacha learned me about variance in your posts and your very readable blogs! Tally ho!