What's a good house advantage in roulette?
What's a good game for beginners?
Do you have poker tips?

If dropping nickels into ever-greedier slot machines bores you, we've got a cure. With a little advice, game strategy and a bit of luck, any gambler can go from blowing a few bucks to enjoying a variety of games.

First, any gambler should learn the basics. If you want to try blackjack, you'll need to learn a little strategy. Video poker players should know how to play each hand correctly. Even slot players need to learn how to read the front of a machine to determine whether they will get penalized for not playing maximum coins.

Where Should You Start?

• Take the free lessons. Lessons are offered in most casinos, and while they won't teach you sure-fire winning strategies (there aren't any), they are a fun way to get introduced to new games.

• Read the advice columns. Whether your question's about house advantage, poker skills or just good slots, online gaming advice columns will be able to help. (Give them a whirl.)

• Browse gaming magazines. One of the oldest and most respective of these is Casino Player Magazine. Their articles cover all aspects of the games, the casinos and the proper strategies. Gaming Today now publishes an online edition to their weekly newspaper. Their weekly columns deal with the business side of the industry. There's also the Rolling Good Times, which has been publishing only online for more than a year.

• Start with the free stuff. Practice your skills by playing free games online.

• Understand the house edge. Casinos, of course, are not in the business to make you rich. The house edge is the difference between the true odds and the odds that the casino pays you when you win. (Read more about it.)

• Know your limits. We can't stress this enough--only gamble what you can afford to lose. If you do need to know gambling tax law, it's available online.

Copyright 2001 by TheHometownChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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