Being successful at gambling can be tricky, as games are designed to favour the house. To win at gambling, there are some practical strategies that you can employ that improve your odds of winning.
Read on for some quick tips that will guarantee a rewarding gambling experience the next time you favourite your favourite online casino, sportsbook or poker room.
Be Aware of Your Bankroll at All Times
Before you start gambling, you should always separate your bankroll from the rest of your money.
Set aside a certain amount of money that you’ll spend playing your favourite casino games.
Most avid gamblers stick to a particular rule: your bankroll should cover 250 bets, which gives you a 90% chance of having a gaming session that lasts three hours.
Stick to that amount, and don’t chase losses.
Once you have reached that budget, you should stop. You can always consider yourself a winner when you walk away without losing more than you can afford.
If you’re a regular player, be sure to keep records. There are plenty of apps available that allow you to track your spending and you can set own expense categories so you can keep an eye on how much you wager throughout the month. There are also apps that are designed specifically for gamblers, such as Stay on Track, which let you know when you’re about to exceed your set budget.
Always Look for Bonuses
When you play at online casinos, you’re always eligible for bonuses that have the potential to help you claim generous prizes easily. Some are much better than others, and it is recommended that you keep an eye out for free spins bonuses.
Free spins are the best types of bonuses for claiming a quick win. Many online casinos will provide you with no deposit free spins offers that are credited to your account as soon as you sign up to the site. This bonus allows you to play great games for free without having to spend any of your own money.
While some come with wagering requirements, there are many that do not. These “real spin” free spins allow you to keep what you win, but they tend to max out at about £100.
If you prefer to punt, you can also claim free bets from online sportsbooks. They operate on a similar premise to free spins, and you can always keep your winnings up to a certain amount.
Avoid Betting Systems
If you’re looking for a quick win, some experts will have you believe that employing betting strategies will boost your odds – but this isn’t the case.
“Betting strategies” dictate whether you should increase or decrease your next wager based on whether you’re winning or losing.
The idea behind betting strategies like Martingale and Labouchere is that you’ll be able to take advantage of winning or losing streaks so long as you adjust your wagers accordingly.
It is advised that you stay away from these systems, as they make big promises that they rarely deliver on. These strategies rely on patterns to award generous wins, but casino games are completely random. You’ll be very lucky if the Martingale System actually works in securing you a winning outcome, and it is advised that you simply stick to the wagers dictated by your bankroll.
Get to Know the Game You’re Playing
Every casino game that you play offers different odds of winning, so be sure to choose wisely. As an overview, these are the house edges for the most popular casino games:
Craps: 1.4% to 11%
Blackjack: upwards of 1.5%
Baccarat: upwards of 5%
Video Poker: 0.5% to 5%
Caribbean Stud Poker: upwards of 5%
Roulette: upwards of 2.5%
Ensure that you’re aware of the house edge when playing any table or card game so you can be realistic about your bankroll. The way you bet on some games will also affect the house edge and increase your odds of hitting generous prizes.
For example, in Craps, Pass/Come bets only have a house edge of 1.41% while riskier bets like Any Craps have much higher edges that can exceed 11%. So, get to know the various types of bets that you can make on your game of choice, and determine which ones offer the best odds.
When it comes to playing slots online, every game has a different payout percentage or RTP (return to player) – which refers to how much of players’ wagers are returned as winnings.
It is always ideal to play games with payout percentages that exceed 96%. While you’re not always guaranteed a winning session, slots with higher RTPs are more likely to present you with more frequent payouts and a more rewarding experience. You can find out the RTP of just about any slot by reading the fine print in the game’s paytable.
Stick to the above tips to get the most out of your gambling experience, and remember – gambling should be fun! If you leave the casino feeling good about how you spent your time, you’re already a big winner.
