It’s fair to say that some casino games are more complex to understand than others. So, as you dip your toes into the water, it makes sense to stick to those that have simple rules that you can pick up easily.

It’s also good to bear in mind that many online casino games are available in demo mode, which is a great way to get used to the controls and the style of gameplay without having to put actual money on the table.

If you’re looking for the best beginner-friendly casino games, the options outlined below are some of the most accessible.

Slot games

Slot games have changed significantly over the years, from the one-armed bandits and fruit machines of the early 20^th century to the online slots of today that offer bonus rounds, special features and novel gaming mechanics.

One of the reasons that slot games are well suited for casino beginners is that the basic mechanics tend to remain the same. You choose your stake size, hit the spin button and watch the reels whirl before stopping with a range of symbols in place. To win at slots, you generally need to match three or more of the same symbol on an active payline.

These paylines typically run from the left-most reel across to the right, taking the form of horizontal and diagonal lines. You can usually learn where the paylines are in a slot by viewing the game’s paytable, which details exactly how winning combinations are formed and how much they pay out.

Some of the more contemporary online slots feature game mechanics such as Megaways and Pay Anywhere. In short, these are slots in which the paylines are patterns found all over the reels – you don’t necessarily need to start a winning combo from the left-most reel. These are slightly more complex, so if this is your first time playing a casino game, we would recommend first trying out more traditional slots with fixed paylines.

Penny slots

There’s a sub-genre of slot gaming known as ‘penny slots’, and these are also a good option for newcomers to casino gaming because you can wager just a few cents when spinning the reels. These slots do not require a large budget, and they can help players become familiar with standard slot machine structures and functionality.

With no strategy to focus on, and the possibility of winning various jackpot prizes, slot games can be a fitting starting point for beginners.

Blackjack

The basic premise of blackjack is as follows: score as close to 21 as possible with your cards.

The dealer will hand you two cards face down. Take a look at them: if you have an ace and a 10-value card (e.g., a 10, jack, queen or king), then you have a ‘natural’ blackjack hand – this cannot be beaten, unless the dealer also has a natural.

For any other combination of cards, you have one of four decisions to make:

• Stand – You will stick with the two cards you have. 
• Hit – You will receive another card.
• Split – This is available where your two cards have the same numerical value.
• Double down – You will ‘buy’ another card.

Remember, the object of blackjack is to score as close to 21 as you can without going bust (i.e., scoring 22 or more). So, you should always make the decision that gives you the best possible chance of beating the dealer’s score. If you have a hand score of 18, for example, then standing rather than hitting is the percentage play.

You should hit when you have a poor-to-middling hand, usually in the range of 12 to 15. The hope is that your next card will boost your score without making you go bust.

There’s a lot of theory online about whether you should split pairs or not. You can read this at your own leisure, but as a general rule, consider the score of your hand before splitting: do you want to split a pair of nines when 18 is a solid enough total?

Doubling down is an interesting move. You can double your bet and receive another card, and this is a smart play when you have a score of 10 or 11 in hand. Why? Because there are more cards valued at 10 in the deck than any other amount, which means that you have a fair chance of upping your score to 20 or 21 with your additional card, without the possibility of going bust.

There are a couple more points of order. Aces can be high or low in blackjack, while a special hand that you can craft – a five-card trick – is second only to the natural. This is, as the name suggests, a hand of five cards that doesn’t exceed 21.

Some blackjack games allow you to surrender your cards. So, after being dealt your two cards, you can surrender them back to the dealer with no further action taking place – half of your stake will also be returned.

Blackjack is a suitable game for casino beginners for the following reasons:

1. It is relatively simple to understand and play.
2. There’s a strategic component, which can make it more appealing to some players.

Roulette

Roulette is a casino game that is widely recognized and identifiable. Most of us would have seen at least one or two popular films that feature this game of chance in some capacity. The most essential aspect of the game is selecting what to wager on – colors, numbers, or groups of numbers. You want to examine your odds and decide how much you are willing to bet. If we have one piece of advice for casino beginners, it’s to become familiar with all the different types of bets that are available in roulette:

Bet Type	Numbers	Odds	Payout
Single number	Any, from 0 to 36	37/1	35:1
Odd or even	Odd or even numbers from 1 to 36 (0 loses)	1.11/1	1:1
Red or black	Red or black numbers from 1 to 36 (0 loses)	1.11/1	1:1
High or low	High (19-36) or low (1-18). 0 loses	1.11/1	1:1
Column	The 12 numbers in a column on the bet board	2.17/1	2:1
Dozen	1-12, 13-24, 25-36	2.17/1	2:1
Split	Any two adjoining numbers on the bet board	18/1	17:1
Corner	Any four adjoining numbers on the bet board	8.5/1	8:1
Street	Any three numbers joined horizontally on the board	11.66/1	11:1
Double street	Any six numbers from two adjoining ‘streets’	5.33/1	5:1

These are the main bet types that you will find in roulette, with the odds shown based upon games that feature a single zero pocket. Some roulette variants have single and double zeros, which skews the odds in favor of the casino.

There are so many ways to bet at the roulette wheel, and yet the game is as straightforward as it gets in terms of its rules – either the ball lands in your favor on the wheel or it doesn’t.

Casino Hold’em

If you’ve watched a poker tournament on TV or in person, then you’ll have seen the strained looks on the faces of the players as they think over their next move, which may be enough to put off many newcomers.

However, that is tournament poker, where every decision is most likely based on working out the odds and probabilities of a favorable outcome.

Casino Hold’em is different in that the strategic elements of the game are kept to a minimum. Instead of playing with multiple individuals, it’s simply you against the dealer, and the best five-card hand wins.

The key thing to know about any form of poker, including Casino Hold’em, is the ranking of each hand – the stronger your hand, the higher your probability of winning:

• #1 – Royal flush: A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
• #2 – Straight flush: Numerically connected cards of the same suit – e.g., 7-6-5-4-3.
• #3 – Four of a kind: Four of the same numbered cards – e.g., four 7s.
• #4 – Full house: Three of the same number plus a pair – e.g., 7-7-7-3-3.
• #5 – Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
• #6 – Straight: Five numerically connected cards of any suit – e.g., 9-8-7-6-5.
• #7 – Three of a kind: Three of the same numbered cards – e.g., three 7s.
• #8 – Two pairs: Two different pairs of cards and any other – e.g., 7-7-3-3-J.
• #9 – Pair: Two cards of the same numerical value and any three others – e.g., 7-7-4-8-10.
• #10 – High card: When you don’t have any of the hands above – e.g., king high (K-J-10-5-2).

Once you’ve become familiar with these hand rankings, you’ll find it easier to know what and when to bet.

You start playing the game by placing an ante bet before receiving two cards from the dealer, known as ‘hole’ cards. The first three of the community cards are then placed in the middle of the table. This is known as the flop. 

Once you’ve looked at your cards, you can analyze your chances of putting together a good hand with the first three community cards. Now, you can decide what you want to do: you can either call (bet the same amount again as the ante) or fold (you scrap your cards and lose your ante stake).

If you call, then the final two community cards are dealt. This means that you have two in your hand and five in the middle of the table. The objective is to have a better hand than the dealer based upon the ranking system outlined above.

Casino Hold’em is an accessible introduction to the Casino game of poker – it’s easier to play than you might imagine, so it’s ideal for casino newcomers.