Everyone who walks into a casino wants to walk away a winner, without realizing they lose just by walking through the door. The casinos have stacked the decks in their favor—literally—but that doesn’t mean there’s no way to beat them. Here is your chance to even the odds against the house (well, not even them exactly, but optimize your chances): these tips will help you beat the casino and walk out a winner.
Bet What You Can Afford to Lose/Only Bring Money You Expect to Lose
If you decide before hand how much money you are willing to lose at the casino, the casino can’t really beat you. They’ll win, in that they’ll take your money, but they’ll only take the money you were willing to part with. Decide if you are also going to spend any winnings that you make and make sure to keep track of where you stand. Use an expenses app on your smartphone to help you visualize your loses. Another, more extreme version of this strategy is to only bring the cash you’re willing to gamble. If you can keep away from the ATM you can limit your total losses and make sure that the casino doesn’t wind up owning your house.
Don’t Drink
Drinking is only going to put you at a disadvantage against the house because when you drink, you make bad decisions. We’ve all seen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and we all want to be Johnny Depp rock stars, but if you’re gambling to win, you should do it with a level head. The casino will offer free drinks once they notice you gambling for a while. You can always say no, and you should. You can party later on after you’re done at the tables.
Ins and Outs of Slots
Slots are the default method of gambling for most people at the casino. It’s easy and you don’t have to interact with anyone else like a dealer. But how can you make sure that you don’t just sit there for hours dumping hard earned money into the slot machine’s unfeeling metal jaws?
Whether the slot machine is operated by pulling a lever, by the buttons on a video screen, or the click of a mouse, their results are always controlled by a random number generator. This process ensures the result of each spin is unpredictable. One way to maximize your chances of winning is to choose a machine with small payouts. Playing these machines gives you a greater chance of hitting a jackpot. A jackpot on a slot machine with a progressive pay out will be higher, but most often has almost impossibly hard odds to beat. Pick a slot machine that is highly visible, because casinos make these machines pay out more often to entice other gamblers. Don’t hide in the corner! If you play online, check the payout tables before you start paying to get a slot that is right for you.
