Gamblers often enter the casino without proper preparation. They have no plan or direction, they just expect to throw their money on the table and accept whatever fate may deliver. Casinos love those kind of players because that’s the gamer mindset that allows them to turn the biggest profits.
Casino gamers need to remember that winning cash prizes, whether at the real money casino or when playing online casino games comes down to basic math. In the long run, the games are designed to give the house an edge.
What smart gamers need to remember is that it’s not their responsibility to add to the casino’s advantage but rather, to flip the odds against the house. You don’t need to get involved in advanced gambling strategies to do that. Rather, by sticking to the basics of casino strategy, you’ll enjoy more success at both land-based and online casino venues.
Spread out Your Wagers
When you’re planning out your betting schedule, you should bet only a small percentage of your bankroll per wager. Spreading out your wagers in this way is an important tool for risk management because it allows you to minimize the impact of individual losses on your overall funds. You’ll be protected against significant financial setbacks and better able to withstand losing streaks because one or two losses won’t deplete your entire bankroll.
Managing your wagers in this way helps you to maintain control of your emotions while you’re involved in real money play. Betting large chunks of money can lead to increased emotional stress, anxiety and impulsivity – emotions that can negatively affect your decisions. You’ll be more focused and able to think logically if you’re now placing big bets. Slow and steady wins the race as you grow your bankroll over time.
As a rule of thumb, casino advisors suggest that you keep your bets limited to 3% of your bankroll. The 3% Rule ensures that you will be able to ride the waves of gambling’s ups and downs and withstand the games’ volatility.
House Edge
Every casino game has a house edge which is the odds advantage in the house’s favor. A game’s “house edge” refers to the average gross profit that the casino can expect to make from that game. For the player, the higher the house edge, the harder it is to win the game and the more that the casino can expect to profit from that game. Obviously, casinos want you to play games with a high house edge but if you spend a few minutes looking for games with a lower house edge, you have more chances to win when playing those games.
The game with the lowest house edge is blackjack, both the basic blackjack variation, Spanish 21 blackjack and Blackjack Switch, where the house edge can go as low as 0.42% (how low you can bring that house edge depends on how adept you are at playing that game – whether you know and play according to the game’s basic strategy, etc). Other games with relatively low house edges include baccarat (house edge can go as low as 1.06%), video poker and Pai Gow poker (house edge starts at 0.76%), roulette (2.70% for European roulette and 5.26% for American roulette). Online slots have a house edge of anywhere from 1% to 12%, depending on the game’s Return to Player and volatility .
Games like Sic Bo, Keno and other lotteries have a notoriously high house edge but they’re fun to play if you’re just looking for an enjoyable gaming interlude and not, necessarily, a win.
Rules
Every gaming machine or table has its own rules. Some rules that are good to look for include:
- Tables with 3:2 payouts (blackjack)
- Tables with fewer decks (card games, the fewer the number of decks being used, the lower the house edge becomes)
- Stay away from 6:5 payout blackjack games. Anywhere from six to eight decks of cards are generally used in those games which makes them an unfortunate bet.
- Look for casinos and games that allow crypto bets. The ability to bet with crypto means that you get faster deposit and withdrawal service, more favorable conditions for currency exchange and lower transaction fees.
- Aim for Roulette wheels with one zero pocket. When the roulette wheel was first introduced, it had one green zero pocket. That zero pocket means that, regardless of whether you bet on red or black, and regardless of which number, or group of numbers, you bet on, if your ball falls on the zero pocket you won’t win. The zero pocket isn’t part of any betting scheme. The single zero pocket is, today, known as “European Roulette.” In the 1800s, the “double zero pocket” was introduced, meaning that wheels with the double zero pocket have TWO zero pockets. This DOUBLES the house edge for the casino. Today, there are even roulette wheels with three zero pockets, which TRIPLES the casino’s house edge. So it’s easy to understand why you should stay away from anything but the single zero pocket roulette wheel
- Find each game’s basic strategy. Poker and blackjack basic strategies tell you how to play your hand – when to take another card, when to hold, when to trade and how to play against the dealer. Roulette, craps and baccarat basic strategies give guidance on how to place bets …which bets have the highest chance of success, etc. These basic strategies present you with the options that you have that offer the highest percentage of winning your bet when you’re playing your preferred game. The advice that they give is based on mathematical statistics of winning each bet, meaning that
People play casino games to enjoy the gaming adventure and to win money. The casino guide will make it easier for you to maximize both goals as you become more adept at managing your money, finding games with the lowest house edge and finding the best bets.
