As with any other public space, people are expected to observe certain niceties and rules at casinos. Whether you’re playing live dealer casino games or enjoying a fun night out at a land-based casino, it’s important to know the proper casino etiquette to maintain the culture and respect of the establishment.
The last thing you want is to offend your fellow patrons or violate house rules and be banned from playing in a casino online or asked to leave a casino when playing in person. Just ask the many celebrities who started out as bingo callers for their horror stories of rude players. Here are some tips on how to be a polite player at both land-based and online casinos.
General Tips
There are some tips that apply to both online casino games as well as real-life casinos. In most cases, it simply requires you to apply common sense and basic human decency. However, it bears mentioning some of the main things you can do to avoid spoiling the fun for everyone.
Know How the Game Is Played
Everyone who arrives at both land-based or online casinos is there to enjoy the experience. Playing with people who clearly don’t understand the games and the rules that govern them severely impacts the overall experience.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and perhaps try playing a few solo versions of the game either online or even with your friends and family in the comfort of your home before testing your skills in the real world. Games like poker require a minimum of basic playing knowledge to maintain proper casino poker etiquette.
While dealers and other players may be patient and even offer a quiet word of advice every so often, it’s generally frowned upon for novices to expect them to explain every move or decision.
Don’t Commentate on Others’ Strategies
No one likes a know-it-all. This goes for casino games as well. Resist the urge to comment on your opposition’s strategies and tactics, especially if they’re on a bad losing streak. The last thing they want to hear is your opinion on their choices.
Keep Your Advice to Yourself
Following on from the commentary tip, don’t offer any advice, especially if the person hasn’t asked for it. Worse is explaining how you beat them in the last round or what they could have done to avoid losing. These pearls of wisdom, no matter how well-intentioned, almost always come across as condescending and could lead to a heated exchange.
Keep the Game Moving
Players enjoy a fast-paced and convivial spirit when playing casino games. Inexperienced or ponderous players slow things down and can change the whole feel of the game, making it miserable for everyone.
Avoid distractions as well, as they can also slow your response time down, and while people and dealers are generally patient, you don’t want to test their limits.
Play Fair
There are players who find it particularly amusing to try to cheat their way to a win without getting caught, while some want to win at all costs. Whatever the preference, cheating is not tolerated at casinos. You’re likely to get banned or blacklisted from playing if you cheat.
So, if you really enjoy a game, it’s best to work hard and practice to get better at it. You only have to look at some of the professional poker players who achieved fantastic lifestyles by following those two rules. Not only will playing fair help you avoid getting kicked out, but it’ll also make your wins feel so much better.
Be Friendly
Whether you’re playing with or against others, it’s essential to be a good sport in all online games. Losing is always a possibility, even if you’ve given it your all, so it’s important to handle it gracefully.
Avoid throwing temper tantrums or taking your frustration out on your teammates or opponents because no one likes a sore loser. Instead, if you find yourself on the losing side, congratulate the winner and take your loss with good spirits. If you can afford it, you can always try again later!
However, let’s not forget that the main goal of any game is to have fun. If you’re not enjoying the experience and constantly feeling angry or frustrated, it may be time to ask yourself if it’s worth continuing to play.
Online Game Tips
While you may be sitting on the other side of a screen, you should always remember that your online behavior can still negatively impact others. This is especially important while chatting with other players and dealers and placing your casino online bets. Here are some tips on how to be polite while playing online casino games.
Don’t Be Rude
Depending on the game and the people you’re playing with, there may be some strong language flying around, ranging from mild teasing to full-blown insults. To avoid being reported or banned from the game, it’s generally best to keep your conversations PG, especially if you’re unsure about the language that’s acceptable in different online spaces.
However, completely censoring yourself and refraining from swearing altogether may not be necessary. Before deciding how to behave, it’s a good idea to review the rules of the chatroom, consider the age group and personalities of other players and tone it down if necessary. While it’s best to avoid insults altogether, some light banter or teasing may be acceptable in certain situations.
Avoid Spam
Spamming is unacceptable — there’s no other way to say it. While trolls may find it amusing to flood game text or voice chat with emojis, music or sounds, for most players, it’s simply irritating. What one person finds entertaining or relevant is likely to be tedious and unimportant to other players.
This also applies to typing in all caps or shouting into your microphone during voice chat. If you don’t want to be automatically banned by the bots that most online games employ to regulate such behavior, don’t spam.
Keep Your Avatar Clean
When playing online games, it’s common to have the option of using an image or avatar to represent yourself. You need to consider the appropriateness of the image or avatar before using it, though, particularly if it’s offensive or rude.
While it may seem funny at the time, using an image or creating an avatar that goes against the casino’s rules or norms could result in being banned from the service, similar to what can happen in a chat.
If you’re unsure of what is considered acceptable, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you would feel comfortable showing it to your parents. If not, change it.
Fast Internet Is Important
There may be times when you’re fully engrossed in a game only to realize that your internet connection is unstable, causing you to miss turns. While this may not be your fault, it can certainly irritate other players.
To minimize the risk of this happening, it’s best to optimize your internet connection before logging in. It’s also crucial to ensure that your device has the appropriate hardware to ensure that the online casino games you want to play run smoothly.
Casino Game Tips
When you’re in a real casino, the rules can be a little different from online gaming. Players need to be aware of what is acceptable and what isn’t and exercise discretion to avoid being escorted away from their slot machine or table game.
Dress Accordingly
Most casinos have a dress code, and while you may be tempted to arrive in shorts and flip-flops, it would be worth your while to check the code before you leave the house.
Some casinos are more relaxed and allow casual wear. Just be careful not to dress too casually, as this may make other patrons uncomfortable and embarrass you as well.
Phone Etiquette
Just as you would turn your phone off in a cinema, you should do the same during a game. All the players are there to enjoy the game, and a person who is distracted by texts and calls will not only irritate them but will also slow the game down.
Turn your phone off or at least mute notifications and ringtones to avoid annoying your fellow players.
Be Careful of Borrowing Money
It’s considered extremely rude (not to mention very dangerous) to borrow money from strangers. If you’ve lost your bankroll, call it a night and go home. The last thing you want is to be indebted to a stranger who may pose a threat to your safety.
If someone approaches you, politely decline. It may seem fairly natural in the casino environment but don’t be fooled. It’s frowned upon by both players and casino officials alike.
Be Careful at the Roulette Table
It’s always a frenetic affair when a crowd gathers around a roulette table. To avoid an altercation or even being asked to leave the establishment, keep a reasonable distance from other players and be considerate of everyone, especially when the dealer spins the wheel.
Most importantly, don’t reach over others to place chips or keep an eye on the wheel.
Tipping Is Key
Dealers and waiters make most of their money from tips, so observing basic casino tipping etiquette is essential. It’s considered especially rude not to tip your servers at least $1-$4 every time they bring you a complimentary drink or snack.
Similarly, dealers spend long hours on their feet dealing with grumpy customers and try their best to make your experience as enjoyable as possible. Tipping them from your winnings is usually a good way to show your appreciation.
Drunk Players Spoil it For Everyone
It goes without saying that playing while drunk is not only objectionable to other players, it can also be very dangerous for you as a player. Alcohol is a disinhibitor and can lead to chasing losses, tilting and unregulated emotional responses to other players.
Leave the Cards Alone
It may seem innocuous, but touching cards that are placed face-up on the table is a huge taboo. Dealers will politely let you know not to touch the cards. However, if you do touch them most casinos deem the entire hand to be fouled, and you can lose the bet.
Leave the Chips Alone
Once the game is in play, resist the urge to touch your chips or the chips in the pool. It may be an innocent twitch, but other players and the dealer will consider it an attempt to cheat by reducing your bet (especially if you’re losing.)
Don’t Leave With Small Denominations
This is not often observed, but it’s considered good practice to trade in smaller denominations of chips for bigger ones from the dealer before cashing out. Also important is that you don’t do it during a hand.
Handle Your Cards With Care
Most casinos expect you to know basic card etiquette, especially in games like blackjack and poker. This includes the following:
- Pick up face-down cards with one hand.
- Don’t be rough with the cards or damage them in any way.
- And again, never touch face-up cards.
Play Nicely With Borgata Online
Now that you’re well-briefed on how to be a great casino patron, it’s time to enjoy the fun. Register with Borgata Online, where you can enjoy some of the best online casino games available. From online slots with huge winnings at our famous jackpot slot games to poker tournaments and even online roulette, Borgata Online guarantees a wonderful casino experience.