You know you’re going to lose, right?
It doesn’t matter if you sit down to play slots, craps, roulette or even a “low house edge” game like blackjack; the odds are against you. You’re supposed to lose.
You don’t have to let that dampen your spirit, though. Knowing you’re supposed to lose makes gambling much easier, because when you lose your money you don’t feel so bad about it. You expected it.
It also allows you to focus on something different. For example, instead of feeling bad about losing your money, you can focus on trying to improve your chances of winning.
Because that IS possible. We’re going to show you how.
Below, you’ll find 20 tips for how you can overcome the casino’s edge. They are split into 3 categories: casino games, game strategy, and the casino.
Follow a tip or two, and you might save a little money. Try to follow them all and you might be surprised at all the extra money you find in your pockets.
How do slot machines work?
To learn how to beat slot machines, you need to first know how they work. Slots are amongst the most popular casino games in the world, both in land-based and online casinos. Slots are almost entirely down to chance, meaning there is very little strategy involved, and every player has the same odds of winning. You simply spin the reels and hope to match symbols along the various paylines.
Casino Game Tips
Find The Best Games
This is subjective; who’s to say which games are better than others?
What we mean is to choose games that have a lower house edge. Examples of games with a low house edge include blackjack, baccarat, poker, sports betting and video poker.
What if you don’t like those games?
That’s okay, too. Just find the best version of the game you like to play. For example, choose French roulette over American or European roulette.
Play Games That Give the House the Thinnest Edge
Dice and stick on a craps table
Keno has one of the biggest house edges of all games, while blackjack and craps give the house some of the thinnest advantages.
If your game is keno, then first of all, you have my condolences, but second—consider finding a game that will take your bankroll in smaller bites.
With a house edge of a mere 1.06%, baccarat is one such game. So, dry-clean that tux or evening gown, learn why stirring a martini is barbaric, and head for the baccarat table.
The tux may not grant you a license to kill, but it should at least qualify you for a learner’s permit.
Study the pay table
Every slot machine comes with its own unique pay table. The pay table shows what each symbol is worth and which ones are the most lucrative. It’ll also tell you whether the game has wild symbols and scatters.
Use A Basic Blackjack Strategy Cheat Card
There is nothing against the rules about using a blackjack strategy card. In fact, land-based casinos will allow you to use the basic strategy card at tables.
If you are too intimidated by using a cheat card inside a casino, there is no pressure at online casinos. Have the tip card in front of you or in a browser for when you play blackjack online.
Know When to Bet Max Coins and When Not to
One of the best ways to win a lot of money at the casino is to play slot machines that pay off much higher rewards with max coins than with just a single coin in.
For instance, a slot may pay $5 for three sevens with one coin in but pay $50 for that same win if you wagered three coins (assuming max coins for that machine are three). Other slots have payouts that are only winnable provided you have played max coins.
Be sure you know which is which. Sometimes the key to how to get big wins at casinos is as simple as knowing how many coins are just enough.
If you want to look at more of the right and wrong ways to hit the bet max button, then look at the piece below for more.
Stick to your budget
One of our most important pieces of advice is this: set your budget before you begin. Don’t start spinning those reels until you’ve decided on a maximum sum that you are prepared to spend. If you reach that sum, stop playing. Never bet money you can’t afford to lose.
Leave while you’re ahead so you don’t risk losing your winnings
If you win big, cash out and leave the casino. The chances of you hitting a big winning streak, tempting though that is, are very, very low. Casinos will want to keep you in there after you win so that they have a chance to win their money back. Experts suggest cashing out and walking away after you’ve won.
Some casinos will even start offering you free things: a room for the night, meals, and gifts, in an effort to get you to stay and play. It’s okay to accept the gifts (because who doesn’t want a complimentary room for the night?)—just remember to leave the gambling area!
Choose games that fit your goals and playing personalities
Are you looking for games that give you maximum jackpot opportunities, games extend play with frequent small wins or something in between?
Lines can be a little blurred as game designers experiment in all formats but there are a few general guidelines.
Three-reel games put more emphasis on their top jackpots but have a lower hit frequency with more losing spins. They give you the best chance to win big, but also the best chance to lose fast.
In video slots with pick’em bonuses, you touch the screen to pick gift boxes, restaurant dishes, alien creatures or other game icons to reveal your bonuses.
Video slots that feature pick’em bonuses usually have high hit frequencies with many small wins that give you extended play, but a lesser chance at a big jackpot.
Video slots that feature free spins as their main bonus events usually fall between the three-reel games and the pick’em games in both volatility and the chance at a big win.
During free spins you make no additional bets and can win anything up to the top jackpot. However, it’s also possible to win nothing on the free spins.
That possibility of a zero-bonus balances the possibility of bigger wins than you see in pick’em bonuses.
It’s up to you to decide where to find the most value – in jackpot chances, in the player-participation opportunity of pick’em bonuses, or in the hit-and-miss nature of free spins.
Find The Best Payouts
All casinos offer the same games. However, one thing that makes them different are the payouts the casinos offer if/when you win.
This can have a significant impact on the house edge.
An easy example is blackjack. Some casinos pay 3:2 for natural blackjacks, while other casinos pay 6:5 or worse. This alone can more than double the casino’s edge.
This applies to other games, too. Caribbean stud, 3-card poker, and casino hold’em are all games where you can expect the payouts to fluctuate from one casino to the next.
You can improve your chances of winning by finding the casinos that offer the best payouts.
Try Online Slots for Extra Variety
Major slot machine manufacturers who supply games to live casinos also distribute their games online. A check of online games will find slots from International Game Technology, Scientific Games, Aristocrat Technologies and other familiar game makers.
But there’s a new breed of game designer that looks first to the online market. NetEnt, ReelPlay, NextGen and others put creative touches on games with online players in mind. High Five Gaming has licensed games to large slot manufacturers for live play, but is active in the online market.
Video slots in live casinos and online slots are very similar. They are programmed in the same way, with numbers from a random number generator mapped onto reel positions and bonus possibilities.
Big, showy displays with moving parts are difficult to translate to online gaming. Other than that, online slot designers can let their imaginations run wild to give you creative bonus events such as the mystery chase through the Crime Zone in NetEnt’s Cash Noire or the outer-space cluster payoffs that replace paylines in ReelPlay’s Cosmic Convoy.
If you’re online and a live casino favorite catches your eye, by all means, play it. But try games from unfamiliar game makers, too. You might find some brand new favorites.
Conclusion
You’re supposed to lose.
That’s the name of the game whenever you walk through a casino’s doors. But, while it’s important to accept this, that doesn’t mean you have to take it lying down.
You can improve your chances of winning in the casino. You might not eliminate your losses. You might not gain an edge over the casino.
However, you can reduce the edge they have over you. You can reduce the amount of money you give to them.
The tips above will help you do just that.