How to Win at a Casino: 12 Tips & Strategies to Increase Your Chances

It doesn’t matter if you love playing progressive slots, pounding the craps table, or squeezing your baccarat hand like a master, casinos have designed the games so you lose! Now we have gotten that inconvenient truth out of the way, you have no excuse to feel salty about your losses because they are expected. But don’t give up just yet! Even though casinos have an edge, winning is still possible, especially over the short term. Below we are going to show you exactly how to win at an online casino by choosing the right game, developing an optimal betting strategy, and finding a legit casino. Combine all our tips and strategies together and show the casino who the boss is!    

7 Tips to Pick a Casino Game

A massive factor in your ability to win at a casino comes down to game selection. If you pick the right game, you could go on the run of a lifetime and hit some massive wins. However, if you choose an unlucky game, you can say sayonara to your bankroll. When picking a casino game, consider these factors:

1. Make sure the game matches your skills
2. Play low-house edge games to give you the best odds
3. Find games with advanced features
4. Run the risk calculations
5. Choose your bet money size wisely
6. Walk away after a big winning streak
7. Create customized strategies based on each game

Choose a Category That Suits Your Skills

There is no point playing games you absolutely hate just because they offer a slightly lower house edge. Ideally, you can find a game that you enjoy and has a low house edge. If you are more of an introvert and prefer doing your own thing, online slots or video poker games like Jacks or Better are great options. You can go into your own little zone and focus on the game. However, if you are looking for a more social gaming experience, live craps is a more suitable option. You also need to analyze your betting skills. If you are a savant who loves crunching numbers, try your luck on the poker tables or take on the dealers in a game of blackjack. However, if you would rather save your brain power for other activities, playing something like baccarat or roulette makes sense.

Pick Casino Games Based on the House Edge

While all the games at a casino have a positive house edge, it can vary dramatically between different games. For example, when you use basic strategy while playing blackjack, the house edge is just 0.5%, this means if you make bets totaling $100,000, you are expected to lose just $500, if you are betting $1 per hand, that is a lifetime of play. Another great low house edge game is video poker. In this game, you are dealt 5 cards and can then redraw. The goal is to make the strongest poker hand possible, and you win if you make a pair of jacks or better. The strength of your hand determines your payout, a royal flush pays out 800x while a straight flush pays out 50x. When you play optimally, the house edge is 0.46%, slightly lower than blackjack! Video poker and blackjack both require strategy and can take some time to learn. If you want a low-house edge game where you don’t have to think, try out baccarat. In this game, you can either bet on your own hand or the banker’s, and whoever gets closest to making a 9, wins. But don’t worry, all of the drawing decisions are automated, and if you bet on the banker’s hand, the house edge is just 1.06%, which is why this game is so popular with high rollers. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t even consider playing Keno. This lottery-style game has a house edge ranging from 25% to 30%. Big 6 is another terrible game, with a house edge varying from 11% to 24.07%.

Choose Games With Advanced Features

To keep games fresh, developers have created new versions with advanced features. Sometimes these features give you more ways to win and lower the house edge. Here are some games worth checking out:

• European Roulette – American roulette has two 0s, while European roulette has only one. The result is that American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, while European roulette has a house edge of just 2.7%
• Online Slot Machines With Random Multipliers + Free Spins – When playing online slots with random multipliers, any win can be instantly doubled, tripled, or more, and free spins are in-game bonuses where you get free play and don’t risk losing any of your own cash. For example, Fruity Party from Pragmatic Play is a great slot with 256x multipliers and 10 free spins every time you hit 3 or more golden fruit scatters.

• Blackjack With Surrender – This rule change allows you to give half of your bet after you have seen your two cards and the dealer’s up card. Early surrender allows you to surrender half your bet before the dealer checks for blackjack, and late surrender allows you to surrender your bet after the dealer checks for blackjack. Early surrender reduces the game’s house edge by 0.6%, which means if you play basic strategy, you are the favorite, while late surrender reduces the house’s edge by 0.1%.
• Roulette With Multipliers – When making straight-up roulette bets, sometimes random multipliers are applied and can be as much as 500x, which leaves the typical payout of 35x in the dust. Quantum Roulette by Playtech is a great example of roulette with multipliers.

Consider the Risk Involved in Each Game

If you want to chase big wins, you need to play highly volatile games with a high max win, such as high-volatility slots and video poker. If you are looking for medium volatility games that still have solid max wins, betting on individual numbers in roulette is a great choice, as the payout is 35x. However, if you are looking for a coin flip, then betting on red or black on roulette, playing a hand of blackjack, or some baccarat is a fantastic option. A game’s volatility and risk profile influences your bankroll management. The rule is the higher the volatility, the more buy-ins you need. For example, when playing baccarat, you can get away with a small bankroll in comparison to your bet size, but not when playing online slots.

Choose Your Bet Size and Verticals

Sizing your bets is incredibly important. If you bet too big, even a small amount of negative variance can wipe out your bankroll. However, if you bet too small, your wins will be barely noticeable and bring you zero satisfaction. If you are playing blackjack, have 40x your bet size. So if you have betting $30 per hand, have $1200 ready to use. As slots have a higher house edge, aim to have 400x your average bet size, this bankroll should sustain hours of play and give you a good at walking away a winner. As a general rule, you should avoid all side bets in table games like blackjack. These side bets have been specifically designed by casinos to get more money from players. Casino executives know that games like blackjack have a low house edge, so they added side bets that have very high house edges. For example, insurance bets have a house edge of over 7%, and the house edge for perfect pairs is as high as 13%. When playing slots online, you shouldn’t worry about paylines. Instead, just focus on the RTP, as this will reveal the house edge. There are high-paying slots with only a few paylines, like Starmania, and low-paying slots with tons of paylines, like Mega Moolah. Just remember to bet enough to be eligible for jackpots and different bonus features.

Walk Away After Big Wins

Casinos are littered with players who didn’t hit the cash-out button after a big win and lived to regret it! If Lady Luck takes a shine to you and helps you unleash a massive 200x multiplier, you should jump for joy out of your chair and the casino. Big wins don’t come along every day of the week. If you managed to land a juicy payout, pocket the money instantly. A good little trick is to cash out 90% of your winnings and then use the remaining 10% to fund your gambling sessions. This way, you get to free roll with your winnings, and you limit your losses to a small portion of your big win. However, be careful, you need to resist the temptation to deposit the 90% portion of your winnings if you blow through your bankroll.

Consider Strategies Based on Each Game

Each casino game has unique rules, so it makes sense that they also have unique strategies. Here are some tips and tricks to help you gamble optimally when playing common casino online games:

• Blackjack Strategies – You will often hear casino players say blackjack has one of the lowest house edge. This is only true if you play what is known as a basic strategy. Basic strategy reveals what the optimal play is based on your hand and the dealer’s hand. Back in the day, players would memorize what to do in each strategy. Nowadays, you can just input your cards and dealer’s into a calculator, and it will instantly tell you the right play. When you play basic strategy, the house’s edge is just 0.5%!
• Roulette Strategy – A common roulette strategy is known as martingale. With this strategy, you double each losing bet until you win. For example, let’s say you bet $1 on black and lose, the next round, you bet $2 on black, and you lose again, then you bet $4 on red and finally win, ending up with a $1 profit ($4 winnings – $3 in losses). The martingale can work over the short term. Unfortunately, you will eventually encounter a massive losing streak that will wipe you out. Also, it doesn’t take many losses until you hit the table max bets. For example, a 10-in-a-row losing streak when betting on red or black on roulette will happen around 1 in 600 times.
• Slots Strategy – Online slots are famous for their lack of strategy, but you can still boost your winning odds by ensuring you bet the min to win jackpots and play online slot machines where you can buy bonuses. The latter can significantly boost the games’ RTP but also adds up to the risk factor.
• Video Poker Strategy – Video poker has the lowest house edge of any game if you know what you are doing. Video poker can get pretty complex as you need to know which hands to play and which cards to discard in thousands of different situations. Fortunately, you can enter your cards into a video poker calculator and find out the correct play. Also, remember to bet at least 5 coins every hand so you can win the maximum royal flush jackpot.

5 Online Casino Gambling Tips That Work

While the odds of winning over the long term are not in your favor, that doesn’t mean you can’t shrink the house odds! To become a master of the virtual felt, follow these 5 online casino gambling tips:

1. Never chase losses and lose track of winnings
2. Claim bonuses
3. Research online gambling sites before you sign up
4. Always gamble responsibly
5. Play at sweepstakes casinos rather than traditional online casino sites

Never Chase Losses

In gambling, there is a psychological condition called tilt, where the player is unable to make rational decisions and, in some cases, even tries to lose more money. Tilt is often triggered by a loss or bad beat and can quickly spiral into a severe bankroll-crushing loss. If you start feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions and nothing is working for you, immediately stop your session before you blow some serious cash!

Go for the Bonuses (But Always Consider Their Rules)

Bonuses are the fastest way to reduce the casino’s house edge, and sometimes, if the casino gets generous, they flip the odds in your favor. Bonuses cost casino money, but based on their calculations, they determine they are worth it as they encourage new players to sign up and existing players to keep gambling. Some bonuses worth claiming include:

• Free spins – Receive complimentary play on designated slot machines and keep all the money you win. Each free spin is usually worth the minimum bet on a particular casino slot unless specified otherwise.
• Bonus cash – Cash provided by the casino that you can use to play slot machines and casino games and win money. Usually, you get bonus cash as part of a first deposit welcome bonus. For example, if you claim a 100% deposit bonus and deposit $100, the casino will credit your account with an additional $100 in bonus funds.
• Cashback – Get a percentage of your losses refunded. For example, if you claim 20% cashback and lose $1000, the casino will send $200 back to your account.

Before you claim any bonus, you need to closely read the terms and conditions. Pay special attention to wagering requirements, expiration dates, and game restrictions. If you can find bonuses with low wagering requirements (sub 25x) that let you play high RTP games, then they are worth claiming.

Pick Online Casinos Based on Research and Data

The online gambling industry has undergone significant regulation since the wild west days of the early 2000s. To ensure that your personal information is protected, your funds are safeguarded, and your winnings are legit, you should only play at legal and licensed online casinos. Some of the safest online casino sites in the US include BetMGM (800+ games), DraftKings (1000+ games), and FanDuel (160+ games). Licensed casinos are subject to strict laws, and their sites are regularly audited by professional 3rd parties, ensuring you have a safe gaming experience. Avoid offshore casinos, no matter how good those bonuses look! Offshore casinos are operating illegally in the US, and if they decide to steal your deposit or not credit a bonus, there is very little you can do, no US gaming authority is going to help you, that is for sure.

Gamble Responsibly and Keep It Fun

Don’t add unnecessary stress to your life by betting with cash you can’t afford to lose. Before you start a session, you should come up with a number that, if you lose, doesn’t negatively affect your mood, for example, $50. Once you hit that number, you should immediately log out and forget about gambling. Too many players bet above their pay grade and end up ruining their day or even week because of a few bad beats. To keep gambling a fun hobby, bet responsibly, play games you enjoy, and don’t worry too much about the result.

Pick Sweepstakes Over Online Casinos

Sweepstakes sites offer a number of advantages over most online casinos in terms of access and gaming experience. Here are the reasons we prefer to play at sweepstakes sites:

• No Deposit Bonuses – Virtually all legit sweepstakes sites offer a no deposit bonus which can be as high as $10. Even better, the wagering requirement is often just 1x! No deposit bonuses are much rarer at traditional casinos, and the wagering requirement is typically around 30x.
• Availability – Currently, online casinos are only legal in 6 US states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In contrast, you can legally play at sweepstakes casinos and win cash prizes in 48 US states excluding Idaho and Washington.
• A wide selection of games to win big – Top social casinos have a wide variety of casino-style games, including table games, fish games, and progressive jackpots.
• Mail-In Bonus – For sweepstakes casinos to operate legally, they must provide a free alternate method of entry, this is usually in the form of a mail-in bonus. Essentially you send the sweepstakes casino a handwritten letter requesting sweeps coins (virtual currency used to play casino-style games that can be exchanged for cash prizes), and they will credit your account with free sweeps coins. As long as you comply with the letter formatting requirements, you can claim this bonus an unlimited number of times. This bonus does not exist at traditional online casinos.
• Play games from top developers – A number of highly rated developers like Pragmatic Play have chosen not to enter the legal US online casino market. But don’t worry, you can play hundreds of Pragmatic Play games like Chili Heat and Wolf Gold at sweepstakes sites.
• Make purchases and redeem cash prizes using crypto – Certain sweepstakes sites like Stake.us allow you to use Bitcoin and Ethereum as payment methods to make purchases and cash out. Crypto gambling is currently prohibited at licensed online casinos in the US.

   

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