Casino Etiquette: The Do's and Don't's in a Casino
For most of us, casinos are places to unwind and relax for a few days before going back to the sad reality of the daily grind.
But even if casinos were meant to be sanctuaries for people to loosen up, it doesn't mean that one can slack up with their proper manners as casinos too have a list of proper etiquette and decorum.
Here are some easy to remember guidelines to ensure respectability and appropriate conduct for yourself in the casino.
Hands off the dealer.
Physical contact is something that is outside the line of decorum and etiquette in many societies. Bodily touch aside from handshakes is frowned upon especially when one does it to a non-acquaintance.
The same is true for casinos. It may seem subtle but there is a world of difference between handing your bet directly to the dealer as compared to leaving it simply at the felt. The former is a no-no as dealers are strictly prohibited to take money directly from the players.
Why is it so? Well, put yourself in the place of the dealers. Would you want to have contact with the money and hands of players, both of which are effective carriers of germs every time, everyday? Of course not.
Just shut it.
One of the more important etiquette to learn is to avoid giving advice to other players, especially unsolicited ones. One should refrain from giving pointers such as what games to play, how much to wager and what hand to play. Doing so simply reeks of foolish conceit and ignorance of casino decorum.
But of course, one should help others, especially beginners, when sought for advice.
Hands off the cards.
There are many things our hands do that are simply not acceptable when we are in public places. Take eating for example. As much as some of us want to eat with our bare hands, it is just not within the context of proper etiquette and decorum especially in a five-star restaurant because aside from the fact that doing so is basically filthy and disgusting, it will also be sickening for the other customers to see what you are doing.
The same is true when playing blackjack in a casino. Restrain yourself from touching the cards in games where the cards are dealt face up. Besides, you wouldn't want to touch those cards as they probably have been used and passed around by everyone, making it the perfect breeding ground for disease causing organisms. Resort to hand signals instead to indicate your choices of action in blackjack.
On the other hand, if the cards are dealt face down then of course you should touch the cards. How in the world will you know their value if you wouldn't pick them up and look?
Do not amass comps deliberately.
Deliberately amassing comps through taking advantage of casino rules is not just a noncompliance of etiquettes, it is a practice that is simply done in bad taste. Avoid doing this breach of decorum at all costs.
Striving to make a habit out of these casino decorum will help one not to forget the various etiquettes in a place where one is likely to do so especially if the place is of fun and frolic like the casino.
