All gamblers know that when they walk into any brick-and-mortar casino, they need to abide by certain rules and etiquette.
Some of these rules are displayed clearly on the walls of the casino and usually can’t be missed. They’ll usually tell you what’s acceptable to wear on the casino floor, or which areas you cannot take food into.
Other rules are just strange, such as the prohibition to use dice for craps when playing craps in Canada or the ban for locals to enter Monaco casinos.
And then there are those unspoken rules, which are essentially the way players act (or don’t act) when playing at casinos. This collection of ‘rules’ can be referred to as etiquette.
For example, good casino etiquette means dressing properly, not getting drunk, turning off your mobile phone, listening to the dealer, and being polite to your fellow players around the table. Sure, perhaps these unwritten rules might seem somewhat obvious to many, however, nothing can be taken for granted.
What’s more, when we think about playing casino games online, we tend to think that we can relax those rules. After all, one of the biggest advantages of playing online is that you could do so with your feet propped up on your living room table in your most tattered pajamas, if you wanted. There’s no one to see you and tell you to do otherwise.
But… can you really do whatever you want when playing online?
Surprisingly, there exists a set of unwritten rules when playing online. So without any further ado, let’s delve deep into the ins and outs of what’s considered acceptable and what to avoid at all costs (pun intended)…
Respect your Fellow Players
In this day and age, when a lot of our communication takes place from behind a keyboard, we tend to say things that we wouldn’t necessarily say to the face of the person on the other side of the screen. Hence the increasingly popular term ‘Keyboard Warrior’. But when playing at online casinos, it’s always a good idea to conduct yourself appropriately. After all despite not being face to face, you’re still forming part of a community and interacting with others, albeit virtually.
Just because you can’t see the face of the player who has joined the chat room around the virtual poker table doesn’t mean that you can berate him, bully him or mock them. Be polite at all times.
If the player looks like he’s picking a fight, be the bigger person and don’t waste your time arguing back or waste time in unnecessary confrontation. Be the pro that you know you are and simply ignore them or move to another table.
Don’t Be a Sore Loser
When you go into your gaming session, you already know that the casino will always have the edge over players. Otherwise, it would go out of business very fast. You should know that you’ll have good and bad days, and that’s just the name of the game.
If you’re having a bad stroke of luck, accept it with grace and keep a cool head. Seasoned gamblers set themselves limits before they start playing, and they know exactly when to stop. Don’t chase your losses. Instead, close shop and come back another day.
Don’t go whining to customer support or other players about your poor luck. It will just show that you’re nothing but a sore loser, and that’s not cool.
Be Kind to the Dealer
Most online casino games are within the format of just you against the machine. You don’t meet a dealer or other players, as you would at a brick-and-mortar casino, and nobody will mind if you throw obscenities in the direction of the screen.
But there are some types of online casino games where you’re playing against the dealer. Take, for example, Live Casino games that are found at a wide range of popular online casino sites.
Live Casino games are played with human dealers instead of the computer, although from the comfort of wherever you access the casino. Live Casinos are the perfect combination of both worlds, provided by top software groups such as Evolution Gaming.
But you have to remember that you’re playing against a human being.
You should never be rude to the dealer, either by swearing or being abrupt. Rather, be kind, professional and courteous at all times – even if you’re not in the mood to be so.
Don’t Hold the Game Up
Back to Live Dealer games: Don’t slow down the rest of the players at every turn. Yes, we get that you need time to think about your next hand because you’re playing with real money, but you need to find the right balance. Respect everyone’s time around the table.
If you feel that you’re getting stressed at a particular Live Casino table, ask yourself why. Are the betting limits too high? Do you think you need to understand the rules better? Do you feel that you’re not playing in your league?
Be honest with yourself and think of ways that you can play at a better pace. After all, you don’t want to annoy other players around the table.