Rules

Players are expected to abide by a number of conventions in order to facilitate the smooth running of the games. These can be summed up as follows:

• Do not engage the dealer in conversation
• Do not put money or chips into the dealer's hand
• Do not throw chips or money at the betting layout
• Never move another player's bet
• Give up seats to players if you are watching only.

Although all dealers are trained to be friendly and welcoming, they must also pay attention to the game and be alert for cheats. If you try to engage a dealer in casual conversation he or she may ignore you, as distracting dealers is a trick frequently used by cheats. If you need assistance, the best person to approach is one of the floor managers, as their duties include socializing with players. If you have a query about a game, ask the dealer to call an inspector.

Do not put money or chips into the dealer's hand

Security requirements prevent dealers from taking anything from a player's hand or possessions such as handbags (purses) or jacket pockets. Dealers are also not allowed to shake hands with players, to prevent them from covertly passing across chips.

Do not throw chips or money at the betting layout

Throwing chips at the betting layout can result in other bets being knocked away from the correct place. On large tables, such as roulette and baccarat, if you cannot reach the area where you want to place a bet, simply put the chip on the table in front of you and call out loudly and clearly to the dealer where it should go. The dealer will repeat the instructions and place the bet. Unless you are actually buying chips or betting, never put money, cash chips or table chips directly onto the table or the betting layout, as it will be assumed that you are making a bet.

On roulette, the first player to bet with cash chips takes precedence, and no-one else may bet with the same value cash chips. Other players will be warned that someone is betting with cash chips as the dealer will announce, for example, "red on" or "pinks on" (depending on the color of the cash chips).

Do not leave your chips unattended at the tables, as it is quite likely that they will be stolen. The exception is poker, where the dealer will watch the player's chips during a leave of absence from the table.

Never straighten up or move another player's bet. If you need to place your chips on someone else's chips and their bet is ambiguously placed, query the bet with the dealer before making any moves.

Players should not touch any gaming equipment or cards unless instructed to do so by the dealer. In some casinos, blackjack players are not allowed to touch the cards at all, while in poker, where players hold their own cards, the cards must be kept in view at all times.

Players should wait until all the winning bets have been paid out before placing bets on the next game. The dealer will give the cue by announcing "place your bets" when it is time for the next game to begin.

Dealers have set procedures that they must follow, such as paying out all winning bets in a specific order, so even though you may be in a hurry to leave the casino it is useless to request that your bet is paid out before your turn.