Which Are the Best Classic Casino Table Games for First Timers?

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Walking into a crowded casino for the first time can be a daunting experience.  Exciting perhaps, but tinged with undeniable intimidation.

This is the reason why the vast majority of casino newcomers tend to head straight to the slots section. Too nervous to take a seat at any of the tables (certainly those packed with other players), they check out the slots, and keep themselves to themselves.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with checking out the slots action at a land-based casino, which can be an absolute blast. But at the same time, there really is nothing quite like climbing your place at a table and getting right in on the action with everyone else.

Which begs the question – what are the best (i.e. easiest) casino table games for first-time newcomers?  If you have literally no experience whatsoever, which table should you head to as a newcomer? 

Try Before You Buy (In)

Well, the short answer is that you really shouldn’t head out to a land-based casino in the first place, if you haven’t at least had a quick look at how things work online.

One of the biggest benefits of online casino gaming is how it enables you to get to grips with the basics of all casino games for free. You can play just about anything online free of charge, giving you all the time you need to learn the rules, and see how it all plays out. 

After which, you’ll be in a much better position to strode confidently over to any classic casino table game you like.

But even then, it’s common sense to stick with those that are as simple as it gets. Some casino games are naturally more straightforward than others, but which are the outright easiest for those with little experience…or none whatsoever?

Believe it or not, baccarat is the simplest casino table game in existence. It may have a complex and somewhat sophisticated image, but the reality couldn’t be further from its on-screen incarnation. 

There’s absolutely no skill involved in playing baccarat, and nor do you need to know how the scoring system works.  There are just three betting circles within which you can place your wagers, representing the following outcomes:

  • Banker Wins – You wager that the banker hand will win; pays 1 to 1.
  • Player Wins – You wager that the player hand will win: pays 1 to 1.
  • Tie – You wager that the two hands will tie; pays 8 to 1 or 9 to 1.

When the cards dealt are turned over (which again you have no control over), whoever comes closest to nine is the winner.  That really is all there is to it. 

Taking ties out of the equation (which happens quite rarely), the banker has a 50.68% chance of winning.  This means that betting on the banker gives you the better chance of succeeding with your wagers, though will usually be subject to a 5% commission if you win. 

2 – Roulette

The fact that roulette is available as something of a ‘toy’ for adults and kids of all ages to play a home gives you some idea of its simplicity.  Again, the beauty of roulette lies in the fact that there is no skill or intuition involved.

Once you place your bets and the little white ball does its thing, you have absolutely no control over what takes place.

There are countless betting options available with roulette, but around 99% of all players stick with just three (almost) even 50/50 bets:

  • 1-18/19-36 
  • Odd/Even 
  • Red/Black

With these, your odds of winning are as close as 50%. Shy of the ‘zero’ space (where everybody loses), it really is like flipping a coin. The RTP on bets like these is to 97.3%, decreasing to 94.74% with American roulette.

Either way, the whole thing is just about as simple as it gets – you bet, you watch, and you hope for a successful outcome.

3 – Big Six Wheel/Dream Catcher/Wheel of Fortune 

This is a fairly close approximation of the classic game most kids will have played at any number of fun fairs.  It simply involves a large wheel separated into a whole bunch of sections (or slices), each representing a cash value for something else. 

There are far more low-value sections on the wheel (for obvious reasons), and so the odds of the wheel landing on one of these denominations is much higher.

You bet as much or as little as you like on any specific outcome, and you win if the wheel lands in your favour.  Easy to get into and genuinely enjoyable, but with a hugely varying RTP from one wheel to the next. 

The issue being that with these types of games, every wheel you encounter has a tendency to be unique.  It can therefore be difficult to figure out whether or not you really have a chance of winning anything worthwhile.

4 – Blackjack

Last up, it’s often assumed that blackjack is one of the most complex and mathematically demanding games in a casino setting. 

On one hand, you could say that yes – getting to grips with all the statistics and probability behind blackjack is indeed difficult.  Likewise, anyone looking to try their hand of card counting is in for some serious hard work.

But when it comes to the bare bones basics of blackjack, it really is a straightforward game. Your job is to get the total tally of your hand as close to 21 as possible, and to beat the dealer’s score while doing so.

There are endless ways by which blackjack can be approached with mathematics, probability and (often questionable) strategy in mind. Then there’s the common sense approach, where you simply look at the cards you are dealt, and decide whether it’s worth ‘hitting’ with one more. 

Contrary to popular belief, blackjack dealers are not out to get you. They follow a strict rulebook (which essentially makes all of their decisions for them), and they earn their biggest tips when players win. 

Hence, you can expect a surprisingly friendly welcome at the blackjack table, and you may find the game itself nowhere near as intimidating as you thought.

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