Sit down like you've done it before.

The small sign on every table gives the smallest and largest bet it takes, for example $15 to $5,000. Every bet you make has to fall inside that range, so choose a table whose minimum fits your bankroll, not the other way round.

Bring enough for at least 20 to 40 minimum bets for a session. At a $15 table that's $300 to $600. With less, an ordinary losing streak can end your night in minutes. Decide what you're prepared to lose before you sit, keep your bet flat, and leave when you reach it.

Wait for the hand to finish before you sit down or buy in. Some tables don't let you join mid-shoe; watch for a sign or ask.

Lay your cash flat on the felt between hands and say how you'd like it. The dealer can't take money from your hand. They spread it out for the cameras, count it, and push chips back to you. Never put cash in the betting circle during a hand; at many tables that plays as a bet.

Most Las Vegas casinos use the same colours, and dealers and players call them by colour, so "two greens" means $50.

• White or blue. $1
• Red. $5
• Green. $25
• Black. $100
• Purple. $500
• Orange or yellow. $1,000

Stack larger chips on the bottom and smaller ones on top so the dealer can count your bet fast.

The dealer and the cameras go by your hands, not your words. At a blackjack shoe game, tap the felt to hit and wave a flat hand over your cards to stand. Say it out loud too, but the signal is what counts.

• Leave your bet alone. Once the cards are out, don't touch the chips in your circle, even to straighten them.
• Touch only what you're handed. Never touch cards dealt face up. At mini-baccarat only the dealer touches the cards.
• Keep the felt clear. Drinks and phones stay off the felt and the rail.
• Let others play their own hands. Don't tell other players how to play unless they ask, and never blame someone else's play for the dealer's cards.

Tipping is never required, and many players tip when they're winning. The usual way is to bet for the dealer: place a chip just in front of your betting circle, and if the hand wins, the dealer's bet wins too. You can also hand a chip over between hands and say it's for the dealer.

Whichever way you do it, do it between hands, never while one is live.

Between hands, push your chips to the dealer and say "colour up". They swap your small chips for as few large ones as possible, which keeps their rack stocked and makes your chips easier to carry. Never do it while cards are out; if the dealer is shuffling or paying someone, wait.

Dealers don't give cash back. Take your chips to the cashier's cage, where they're counted again and paid out. Keep your stack in sight on the way, and don't leave chips on the table when you step away.

• Blackjack. To double or split, place the extra bet beside your circle, not on top of it. Check whether blackjack pays 3 to 2 before you sit.
• Poker. Act in turn and say your action clearly; anything you say in turn is binding. Put chips out in one forward motion, or it's a string bet.
• Craps. Buy in between rolls, keep your hands out of the landing area, and don't say "seven" at the rail. Throw the dice so both hit the back wall.
• Ultimate Texas Hold'em. Ante and Blind go down before the deal, and you keep your hole cards to yourself, even after folding.
• Baccarat. At mini-bac only the dealer touches the cards. At the big table, handle only the cards you're handed and don't drag out a squeeze.
• Pai Gow Poker. Set your hands face down, low hand in front, and ask the dealer for the house way if you're unsure.