If you are new to online casino games, it can often be confusing which games to try out first. Whilst most people who play at online casinos for the first time already have a preference for a couple of games, some are still unsure where to start.

Opening up an online casino for the first time can be daunting. You are immediately bombarded by lists of games, special promotions and flashing jackpot lights. The temptation will be there to heads straight into playing a progressive slot, which is a good place to start. Let’s face it, the potential of winning a life changing jackpot is appealing to everyone.

The casino game you choose to play will depend largely on your personality, and ultimately, the type of game that you enjoy the most, given that gambling is something you’re doing for fun as well as money at the end of the day. First you’ll want to look at the options. If you prefer card games, then there’s blackjack and baccarat. If you tend towards machine-generated games of chance, you’ll obviously head for the slot machines, and those with a poker bent will choose the video poker machines. Dice players will head to the craps tables, and that leaves the roulette fans, arguably the most glamorous casino game.

Having decided which form of game you want to try first, you’ll now need to choose a table or machine. The way to decide on this is to look at the bet limits. In other words, be realistic about what you can afford to bet each time. Once again this is a trade-off. You may prefer to make small bets and play for a long time, without much short-term deviation in your bankroll, or you may be the type of person who wants more of a thrill from gambling, and will make bigger bets to make it more exciting, at the risk of losing more. The same principle applies to slots. There are many multi line slots available at online casino that can be played for as little as a penny per line. these are a great way to stretch your bankroll to the limit, but you will have to accept that your potential wins are much smaller as a result. Nevertheless, you will probably be able to spend a lot more time with a relatively small bank roll.

Another factor that you should keep in mind when choosing a casino game is what is know as the “hold”. This is the house edge, the percentage that you can expect to lose over the long run, assuming you don’t have a big win. Different games have different hold percentages, ranging from 94 to 98 percent, or thereabouts. This means that you have a 2 to six percent chance of beating the house, depending on the game you choose. The game with the most favourable hold for the player is blackjack, and games like Keno and Casino War have by far the worst hold for you. Slots fit in somewhere in the middle.

Whatever you decide to do, gamble within your limits and decide how much you are prepared to lose, and stick to it.

By Ryan D.
Ryan is the editor of Online Gambling Insider, an online gambling portal offering free tips, strategies and reviews of online casinos.