Regardless of whether you're playing at a land-based casino or on a real money online casino platform, you'll find that your casino visit is packed full of fun and excitement as you anticipate rewarding wins. Winning at casino games involves a great deal of good fortune. However, smart players know how to leverage the casino's house edge so that they achieve better results than they would have had they left everything to chance.
The house edge is the casino's built-in advantage. It's a mathematical algorithm that ensures that, overall, the casino will always come out on top. That doesn't mean, however, that every spin of the reels, roll of the dice, or deal of the cards will result in a loss. The savvy gambler understands that there are strategies that can significantly reduce the house's advantage and sometimes even tip the odds in the player's favor. These strategies aren't magic tricks. They involve a combination of discipline, game selection, and a basic understanding of probability.
There's no guarantee that you'll win when you follow these strategies. Rather, over time, you can decrease the percentage of losses so that you end up with a more successful gambling event.
Here are the most profitable casino strategies that actually work:
Games
The most important decision that you have to make when you enter the casino is what game to play. There are significantly different house edges for different games, so you need to find the game where you have the best advantage.
Some things to focus on include:
- Avoiding high-edge games - The most colorful and exciting games often have the worst odds. Lottery games, specialty games and slot machines typically have high house edges that can range from 5% to over 20%. They're a poor choice for a player looking for a profitable session.
- Avoiding "sucker bets" - In games like craps, there are high-payout "prop bets" which offer terrible odds and should be avoided at all costs.
- Focusing on low-edge table games - games that involve a degree of skill and strategy offer the best chances. This includes games like blackjack where the house edge can be as low as 0.5%, as low as 0.5%, craps with "Pass Line" or "Don't Pass" bet that are backed up with "Odds" bets (0.8% house edge), baccarat which has a house edge of just 1.06% on the "Banker" bet and French roulette where the "La Partage" and "En Prison" rules cut the house edge on even-money bets to a mere 1.35%.
Luck and Skill
For games that allow for player decisions, a basic strategy is not just helpful—it's essential. Two casino games that have basic strategies are blackjack and poker. The basic poker strategy and the basic black strategy are sets of mathematically proven rules that guide you to the best possible play (hit, stand, split, double down) for every possible hand that you're dealt against every possible dealer up-card. You don't have to play according to the strategy, but if you don't, the house edge jumps from under 1% to over 2-3%. That means that what could have been a favorable game becomes a losing proposition.
Video poker is played like poker – even though it's a video game, it is unlike slot machines in that the basic poker strategy applies and gamer skill plays a big part in the outcome. If you understand the strategy chart and the paytable, you can achieve a Return to Player of over 99%.
Bonuses
In addition to the game bonuses, the casino often offers additional bonus give-aways that allow you to play more games for more time without adding additional deposits. To leverage the advantage of playing with casino bonuses, review the casino's promotional offers before you start playing. Compare and contrast your casino's bonus offers to those of other casinos and select the casino that presents the best deals.
Look at the Promotions Page and make a list of all the promotions. When you choose your game, check your list to determine which promotions are applicable to your specific circumstances. Then, be sure that you include the appropriate coupon codes for the relevant bonuses when you make your first deposit to ensure that you receive all the bonuses to which you are entitled.
Money Management
Good money management is the foundation of any good strategy. If you can't manage your money properly, no strategy will help you increase your wins.
- Set a budget and stick to it. Never gamble with money that you can't afford to lose. Stick to your budget regardless of whether you're winning or losing.
- Know when to quit. Knowing when to walk away is a crucial skill. The house edge is a slow grind. Statistically, the longer you play, the more likely you are to lose. Keep your gaming sessions short and sweet.
- Avoid chasing losses. Don't try to win back lost money, regardless of which "strategy" is being promoted. There are numerous "betting strategies", all of which are a variation of the idea that you should play for longer or increase your bets to win back lost money. Following these betting strategies (Martingale Strategy, D'Alembert System, Fibonacci System, Paroli System, Labouchere system, etc) is a sure way to accelerate your losses.
While the casino always holds the long-term advantage, you can develop a profitable strategy to give you a disciplined approach to your gaming activities. Selecting the right games, mastering the proper strategy, and exercising control over your bankroll will allow you to turn a game of chance into a game of skill, reduce the house edge, and increase your chances of walking away a winner.
