7 Things My Mom Never Taught Me about Casino Gambling
(But Should Have)

Life is short, and because of this, we like to live it to the fullest. For some, that may mean eating their dessert first, while for others it may mean a night out with their friends playing a variety of casino games. Casino gambling can be a very entertaining form of entertainment, but can also cost you a lot if you are not careful.

Today, casinos are dotting the landscapes almost everywhere across the United States and attracting a large group of the population. According to the American Gaming Association, close to 27% of Americans visit a casino at least once every year, and that number continues to grow annually. This just comes to show that gambling is becoming one of America’s favorite pastime.

You are finally in a casino, and you are itching to roll the dice and win millions of dollars. You may have even started to dream of hitting the jackpot and buying that private island you have been fantasizing about. The odds are however very low, and that might not happen. You can however have a great time casino gambling and it can offer a nice rush when things shake out in your favor.

 Here are 7 things you should know about casino gambling that will not only make it more enjoyable for you, but also increase your chances of winning more often.

The House Always Has an Advantage

Whichever game you choose to play in the house (the casino you are gambling in) has an edge. The casinos, unlike you, do not need to rely on luck to make some money. Casinos are like most other businesses in the world of entertainment, they just make money in a different way.

When you go to a concert or a show, you pay an entrance fee. The difference when it comes to a casino is that they let you in for free, then make money from you with the games that they offer. This is what is referred to as the house edge.

Mathematical calculations can be used to determine the house edge. It is actually safe to say that all forms of gambling boil down to math. The house edge is the amount of money made by the casino over a long period of time on a game.

When gambling, you can make some wins and losses over a short period, however if the game you are playing has a higher house edge, the house will eventually make more money from you in the long run. This is the reason casinos are not too worried about short-term wins and losses. They are sure that their profit will match the expected house edge over time, unless there is some form of cheating in the game.

The two most important things you need to understand about the house edge are;

1. You need to play games with a lower house edge to increase your chances of winning.
2. The rules and in most cases the strategy that you use to play some games can help you change the house edge.

Take for example the house edge in games like roulette is usually pretty high, so you can try and avoid such types. For lower house edges you can turn to most table games. If you use the right strategy, you can lower the house edge of games like blackjack, video poker, craps and baccarat to less than 1.5 percent.

If you are not looking to put a dent on your bankroll, you should games on slot machines. Slot machines have an edge of around 5-30 percent, depending on the casino’s preferences. Additionally, they are played much faster than table games and do not have a strategy you can use to alter the house edge.

To pave your way to becoming a good casino gambler, you should know which games have a lower house edge and also those which when played with a good strategy alter the house edge to a favorable percentage.

The Speed of the Game and Its Correlation to How Much You Lose Per Hour

Although the house edge is the most important thing to understand in the world of gambling, the speed of the game follows closely behind in the role it plays on your chances of winning. 

By default, casinos are designed to win a percentage of the money wagered into playing their games. This percentage that they win is the house edge. To calculate the wins a casino can get over a period of time, you multiply the amount of money wagered times the house edge.

Take for example, if a player makes 30 bets of $50 each on a roulette wheel, with a house edge of 5.17 percent every hour, the casino expects to win $77.6.

30 bets times $50 per bet is $1,500. $1,500 times 5.17 percent is $77.6.

As mentioned earlier, this are results that can be expected over a long period of time. The results can vary of a short period, but after over thousands of hours of game-play, the house edge is often usually achieved.

If you observe, you will note that in the calculation example used above, in order to get the expected amount the casino should win within an hour, we had to determine the number of bets made. This has to do with speed. Which means that if you only made 10 bets within an hour instead of 20, your expected loss would be reduced by half.

In casino gambling, some games give you some control over the number of betting decisions that you can make per hour like slot machine games which are fast playing games. You can choose to play 50 spins per hour instead of 100 within an hour to increase your chances of winning. You can also choose to play games with fewer betting options within an hour like Pai Gow Poker which is one of the slowest games in the casino to increase your chances in luck. 

Finding a game where you can control the number of decisions made hourly or play slowly is one of the best things for a casino gamble. You should however couple this with a low house edge if you do not want to drain your bankroll.

Learn As Much As You Can About the Games Before You Start Playing Them

This is something many people brush aside, thinking they can learn on the game or skim through a few rules quickly before they play, this however does not cut it.  Getting to learn more about a game before you play it will not only improve your odds of lasting significantly longer while earning some money but also help you enjoy the game. If you are not too sure how to play a game, why not polish up before risking your money?

You wouldn’t offer to play Christiano Ronaldo a one-on-one soccer session for $2000 would you? Your odds of beating him would match those of you winning at a casino game you have no idea about. And while getting to learn how to play soccer won’t help you beat Christiano, learning about the game first might really help.

Another important reason you need to learn the rules is so that you do not make mistakes. Mistakes that are made while gambling usually have a direct implication to you losing your cash and when you do not know the rules you are most likely to make mistakes. There are a number of places you can learn to play games with different rule variations online.

If you are going to play, then pick the right games and learn the proper strategy. Do not put a dime on the table until you know what you are doing. The difference between playing smart and playing on a whim can be staggering.

If a Game Is Quite Easy To Play, It Usually Has a High House Edge

The easiest games to play in the casino are those where strategy won’t help you win. Such games include keno and the slot machine games where your input into the game is usually very little. With such games, all you have to do is sit down and pull a handle or press a button to gamble.

Casinos try to offer a variety of games so that every visitor can find something suitable to their liking. Most of these gamblers are usually just looking to have a good time and don’t want to think about anything, and the casinos take advantage of this by offering such games. These games usually have a very high house edge and work in favor of the casino.

Some games are however also easy to play and can offer a low house edge. Examples of such games include video poker and blackjack. The downside to playing such games is that if they are not played while following the rules and using the best strategy, the house edge becomes higher. Even though not as high as the slot machine games, it can dent your bankroll.

There Are Some Games You Can Beat the Casino At

Although casinos are designed to take money from you, there are some games you can learn to win over time. The common areas you can do this from are;

1. Betting on sports – Some people are usually able to beat the books when it comes to sports. They do this by studying the games and trying to find the weak lines in order to win their bets.

2. Playing poker – In some games like Omaha and 7 Card Stud, you play against other players and not the casino. The casino only takes a small percentage from each of the players, which means that you can learn to play well enough to beat your opponent, it can be quite difficult to win poker consistently but some players can do it.

3. Playing blackjack – You can beat blackjack by learning how to count the cards. Some cards in the deck help you win, while others work against you. Learning to track this cards can help you raise your bet whenever the deck favors you.

Learning how to beat casinos can be quite tiresome, however if you are willing to put in the time and effort, it is a possibility.

Join the Player’s or Slots Club

Most casinos have a player’s or slots club and to join one you need to simply visit the designated area of the club and sign up. Signing up is free and won’t cost you a cent. You will then receive a card which you can use every time you gamble.

The advantage of having this card is, you get free things for playing at the casino. Some of the things you can get include special tournament entries, free meals and hotel rooms, and even your money back at some of the casinos. These free things that you earn are called comps.

If you choose to do some gambling, you might as well decide to get some free things while at it anyway.

Even though comps are designed to get you to gamble more often and not really reward you for playing, why not take advantage of the casino’s offers. Just make sure you do not gamble more than you intended to, just so that you can earn comps.

You Should Know When to Stop

Gambling can be very addictive, in fact, problem gamblers account for 40 to 60 percent of slot machine revenues, according to recent studies. This means that you need to take precautions and know when it is time to quit. After all, you have a lifetime to gamble, do not ruin your life by playing recklessly.

You should also never try to chase your losses thinking that you will suddenly get lucky and win all your money back. Trying to do so is called gambler’s fallacy and unfortunately things never work out that way. As soon as your train of thought starts moving in that direction, stop immediately.

Also, quit while you are ahead. There is no worse feeling than winning big, feeling lucky and playing with your winnings, and then losing everything. If you have to continue playing, put away a good percentage and try your luck with a small portion of your winnings. This way you get to walk away with something rather than nothing.

Conclusion

Knowing these 7 things won’t make you rich, but can help you stay on top of your game at the casino. When you combine a slow game with a low house edge, it gives you the chance to win more often and extend your playing time. Do not hand over every advantage to the house by ignoring some of the facts.

You should also not hamper your enjoyment by taking too many risks. Remember, its only entertainment if you are smiling while you are playing. If you are not smiling, you are not really having fun and ought to consider at least taking a break or quitting altogether.

Now you are ready to hit the floor, roll a dice, and say some cool terms like “hit me” while at it. Break a leg!