Getting at least slightly carried away during your first visit to a casino is the norm. Blinded by flashing lights and deafened by the din of the whole thing, you suddenly find yourself swept away in a world of all-things glamorous.

And of course, common sense takes a back seat to dreams of walking away with a pocketful of cash for your efforts. 

However, there are a few rookie errors that should be avoided for the sake of both your enjoyment and your bankroll. Even if you’ve a fair amount of experience with online casino gaming, it’s important to remember that the Vegas-style experience is a whole different ball game.

With this in mind, here’s how to ensure your first traditional casino visit is memorable for all the right reasons:

Don’t Blow Your Entire Bankroll on Slots

This is purely a case of personal preferences, admittedly. Nevertheless, there’s no point whatsoever blowing your entire wad on the exact same slots you could be playing at home online. Playing slots in a traditional casino is an absolute blast and comes highly recommended. It’s just that you’ll enjoy the experience far more if you spread yourself and your money across a variety of games.

Casino table games in particular are completely different in a crowded casino hall than they are online. By contrast, slots are pretty much the same – given the fact that you play them on your own and pit your wits against a machine. By all means spend some time playing slots, but at least take the time to try out a few games that are completely different in a traditional casino setting.

 Not Requesting Lower Denomination Chips 

It’s not uncommon for first timers to not even realise they can ask for their chips to be provided by the cashier in just about any denominations they prefer. If you wander over to the cashier and simply hand them £100 without saying anything, you’ll probably be handed three £20 chips and four £10 chips. Fair enough, but what if you only want to bet £10 or £5 more often than not?

When you have a pocketful of low-denomination chips – say £5 or even £1 – it becomes much less tempting to bet more than you can afford. It also gives you the opportunity to spread your bets across a variety of wagers accordingly, so as to improve your chances of winning. Of course, it’s an entirely different story if you’re a high roller with a limitless bankroll to burn through. For everyone else, pocketing plenty of lower-value chips is a good idea.

 Beware the Allure of Progressives and Jackpot Games

At every turn in every casino worldwide, you’re bombarded with powerful and practically irresistible marketing materials. Life-changing jackpots, millions up for grabs with a single spin, the chance to drive home in a sports car – you name it, they’re advertising it. The trouble is that while these messages and the games/prizes they apply to are technically real, the odds of winning them are about the same as winning the lottery…as in literally. 

The occasional flutter on a jackpot game can be extremely enjoyable and is all part and parcel of the casino experience. But when you find yourself waxing £10 here and £20 there on games with multimillion-to-one odds stacked against you, it’s money you may as well light your next cigar with. Treat these games like lotteries – which is more or less what they are – and allocate the biggest share of your bankroll to games with more amicable odds.

 Sticking Within Your Comfort Zone 

To a degree, certain aspects of visiting a casino for the first time can actually be quite daunting. Surrounded by loud and rambunctious veterans who know exactly what they’re doing, it can be tempting to shy away from the whole thing and keep yourself to yourself. Or at least, stick to the games you already know inside-out to avoid embarrassment.

Nevertheless, this really defeats the purpose of the whole casino experience in general. If planning on heading to a real-life casino, it simply makes sense to make the most of the experience. Push yourself beyond your usual boundaries, get out of your comfort zone and try something new. The worst that could possibly happen is you decide you don’t like it and try something else. 

Not Practicing Before You Go 

When planning a trip to a casino, you’ll almost certainly have a bunch of games in mind you plan on playing. This also means you’ll have a decent idea as to which of these games you are already familiar with and which you haven’t a clue about. With all those that fall in the latter bracket, it is strongly advisable to practice online before you go.

Practicing at an online casino isn’t exclusively about improving your chances of winning. If anything, it’s primarily about boosting your confidence so that you can focus your time and energy on enjoying the experience. It’s not the end of the world if you turn up at a table not knowing what to do – it’s just that doing so can make the experience a little more daunting.

Having Unrealistic Expectations

Last but not least, everybody without exception heads to the casino hoping they walk away with a profit. However, there’s a difference between hoping you leave in the black and expecting to leave with big wins in your pocket. Fall into the trap of having unrealistic expectations and you are 100% guaranteed to leave angry, upset and disappointed.