Gaming is entertaining, easy, and with the advent of online casinos, it’s more accessible than ever before. But unless you’re a seasoned poker player, where your strategy might hedge the bets in your favour, wins can be hard to come by. You can, however, avoid these pitfalls to maximise your time in the casino and potentially up your odds of winning:
Buying into the Gambler’s Fallacy
A common mistake among gamblers is thinking that if no one has won on a particular game or machine for a while then a win is “due” (or that the opposite is true). The reality is that thanks to the laws of luck (and in certain games, random number generators or RNGs) each game is entirely independent from the last. Your odds are as good the first time you play as they are on the 10th or the 100th time.
If nothing else remember this casino tip: you can’t make up for money you’ve lost by raising or doubling your bets, it just doesn’t work like that. If you’re on a losing streak, don’t chase your losses, rather stop betting altogether and test your luck another day.
Playing with friends who could be a bad influence
Heading to a casino or playing online with one of your mates might seem like a good idea, but make sure you’re on the same page regarding how much time and money you would like to spend gambling. It can be hugely enjoyable to play with friends but you don’t want to play with anyone who is a bad influence, so pick your casino company wisely. Not only do you not want to get yourself into debt or be egged on when it would be best to stop, but you might not want to bail a friend when they can’t control their spending.
Not fully understanding the game
Another top casino tip is to be aware that not all casino games are exactly the same. This is even more true now with the huge variety of online casino games and variations (even age-old table games like poker have a host of variations) available. Make sure that whether you are playing online or on-land, you understand the full terms of the game you’re playing, because it could cost you a lot of money (or even a massive jackpot) if you don’t.
For example, if you’re playing online slots, you may think you understand the basic premise and don’t need to read the rules. But are you playing multiple paylines? Can you still win the jackpot if you only bet the minimum?
If you’re more of a table game player and you’re playing live roulette, for example, are you playing the American or the European version and do you know the difference?
Your potential winnings, the strategy you employ and knowing when to stop all depend on the intricacies of the game you’re playing, so make sure you do a bit of research ahead of time. A major bonus with online casinos, such as Grosvenor Casinos, is that we allow you to play games for free or with “fake money” initially, which enables you to figure out the game before you play with real cash.
Believing in superstitions and systems
Many table games require a level of strategy to up the odds. These strategies are rooted in mathematical equations and they take a fair amount of time and practice to master. There are those games, and there are those that are purely governed by the laws of luck, and no amount of blowing on dice or kissing rabbit feet is going to skew the odds in your favour.
Much like the gambler’s fallacy mentioned earlier, be wary of typical gambling superstitions and “systems” that other players may tell you work for them (despite not letting you in on just how much they have lost with these systems). Understand and accept that for many casino games, it’s either your lucky day or it isn’t, and it’s important not to buy into irrational ideas which could ultimately cost you a lot of money.
Choosing games that aren’t right for you
If you’re looking to up your chances of winning, one of the best casino tips is to play games that are best suited to you and your personality traits. Are you patient? Can you play a long game? Do you prefer to take big risks? Do you like games with a bit of strategy? Ask yourself these questions to help you decide what to play.
When deciding, also ensure you understand what playing will cost you — some games have higher house edges than others (games like Keno or Big Six Wheel tend to have house edges between 5-25% for example), so if you’re looking to win, you might want to look for other games that have better odds (like some video poker games). As an example, if you partake in a game with a house edge of 5%, you can expect to lose at 5 units out of every 100 units you bet, but another game might only be 1.41%.
Another thing to remember is that the more bets you make the more house edge is eating away at your bankroll. You should see every bet as a game; so if you put down two bets for say, live roulette, it’s technically like playing two games. Think about which games you want to play, how you want to play them and then calculate how much it’s actually going to cost you.
Not embracing the freebies
When you play online or in brick and mortar establishments, there are often special offers, freebies, bonuses or comps offered. Especially in the online world, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not fully utilising these perks. Ensure that you read the terms and conditions associated with them carefully and use the ones that make the most sense to you. These can, in some cases, help you to win big.
Indulging in anything that has the power to affect your game
While many casinos offer their visitors discounts on tipple (or even free drinks), it’s important to limit your consumption of alcohol to ensure your judgement is not impaired and you’re not tempted to make irrational gambling decisions. However, emotions (like stress, excitement and anger) can also affect one’s game or desire to stop when appropriate and it’s vital you are able to exercise self-control in these situations. “Playing on tilt” (or when you are highly emotional) should definitely be avoided.
Not setting a spend or loss limit
Gambling both at land-based and online establishments is incredibly fun—and that should be the main reason to play. If you focus on the enjoyment of gambling and set yourself a budget (or loss limit, which is the maximum amount you are willing to lose) and stick to it, then you can mitigate against some potentially serious losses, especially on days where luck is just not on your side.
One of the best tips is to save half of all of your wins (unless you lose big on your first play) regardless of wherever you choose to play. That way, you ensure that you always ‘leave’ with something, because your good luck might just run out.
Alternatively, you could set a “walk away” limit for both loses and wins, decrease your bets whenever you lose, only play with actual cash, or set yourself a loss and time limit (you either play for an hour or until you have spent your full loss limit of say, £30, whichever comes first). For those who enjoy online casinos, the time limit “walk away” strategy might be best — thanks to the ease of access of online games, it can be hard to stop playing.
If you’re interested in trying your luck at gambling why not start at an online casino? At Grosvenor Casinos, you’ll have the opportunity to try a range of games from slots and table games to live roulette, poker and jackpots, among many others. You’ll find everything from incredible offers and playing tips to games you can try for free and of course, you’ll have instant access from anywhere at any time—it’s the perfect place to put some of these tips to use.
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