For aspiring poker players, the age of twenty-one is the huge age of reckoning. It marks the occasion when you are finally able to go into a casino and gamble. The bright lights and spinning slot machines beckon, just waiting for your money. But be careful. Just because you indulged in a card game over at someone's home does not mean that you are ready for the big time. It takes time and practice to be able to sit in at a game of poker with the big guns.

There is no doubt that the first trip into a casino, and we are not discussing casinos online but instead the ones found in Las Vegas, Tunica or Atlantic City, is absolutely exhilarating.

But do not get distracted.

The best advice for learning how to sit in with the big guns is to know how much money you are willing to lose.

The bright, flashy slot machines nab the attention and you just cannot help but wander over and stick in a dollar bill, with the hope of winning the big jackpot. But there in the center of the casino floor is where the big money is made. It is where the card games, such as Texas Hold em or Roulette are played. Even the Black Jack tables draw the eye in as hundreds of dollars exchange hands in a matter of minutes.

The real money comes from the card game known as poker. It comes in many forms but it is the real deal when it comes time to gamble. Millions of dollars can be at stake on one single hand of cards. The card game is one of skill and talent where it is you against the dealer and the other players. Anyone can sit down at a slot machine and plunk in some tokens but it takes real skill to sit in a on a poker game.

Many aspiring poker players all hope to be the next huge star but quickly find out that playing cards in a friend's basement is not the same as competing with professional players. The best thing you can do is to learn the game thoroughly and be prepared. Maybe eventually you will be the next big star.