7 tips to beat the odds at the casino

Every casino gambler expects to step onto the gambling floor and leave with a large sum of money in their back pocket. It’s all about beating the odds – sounds simple, right? Wrong.

Earning hard cash in the gambling industry is difficult because casinos are money-making businesses. 

The problem is that many flock to huge resorts with their life savings in the hope of winning back more as happens in the movies. Whether they just want to flaunt the cash or are secretly hoping for enough to put down a deposit on a house or buy a new car, it quite often ends in disappointment. 

Despite this, millions visit casinos every year for their shot at winning big. So if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it properly and know your stuff before attempting to play.

Here are 7 tips to help beat the odds at a casino and win more than the casino operators want you to.

Stick to the tables

Although slots are a popular choice for the casual gambler who isn’t so sure how to play the big games – if you want to win big, you need to play big. 

The average slot machine is roughly two to three times more costly to players than table games, so think before choosing a game; it could be the difference between winning big and losing a large sum of money.

However, if you are going for the slots, pick the more expensive ones. Slots that cost $5 or more have much better odds than the penny slots.

If you’d rather stay away from the big-money games, though, you can check out guides that will tell you exactly how penny slots work.

Skip the drinks

We realize that most people will tell you to go all out on the free drinks at casinos because it’s the only thing you won’t be spending money on all night. 

According to Adrian Sireca, partner at Online Casino Gems, if you really want to gamble, you should go light on the drinks. “Casino managers have been in the game a while and are really good at predicting how much money players will lose in the casinos – which is called a ‘player reinvestment fund’. So they give you a small portion of that money back in the form of watered-down alcoholic beverages. Basically, the worse your odds are, the better the chance of getting a free drink.”

The best thing to do is to buy yourself drinks from the bar when you want them and shock the operators. We always recommend not drinking too much, anyway – yes, one drink can settle your nerves, but any more than that and you could find yourself betting away all of your hard-earned cash. 

Find clumsy dealers

Former professional card counters are great at digging out any edge that they can find when playing table games. Taking advantage of careless dealers is the best way to enjoy a percentage advantage over the house.

Instead of counting cards, look for shoddy card dealers at the blackjack table. Some will accidentally flash the face-down card during games, which can give players as much as a 9% advantage over the house. This method, known as card holding, really is a great way to beat the odds of a casino.

There is a certain amount of table etiquette that comes with playing blackjack, but nobody mentions anything about letting the dealers know they’re not doing so well. 

Take advantage of old equipment

Mechanical instruments will naturally wear out over time; the roulette wheel is no different. An older roulette wheel will be more worn out, and thus prone to patterns.

It’s been proven, too – a man named Joseph Jagger became a casino legend in 1873 when he closely examined a wheel at the Beaux-Arts Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Jagger noticed that the wheel was biased and that some numbers were hit more often than others.

Just by noticing this, Jagger won thousands in winnings over three days of gambling. After a while, the casino discovered his trick and the wheels were quickly replaced, but not before Jagger gained his reputation for being the man who cashed in on the laws of nature.

Play video poker

Video poker is one of the few games on the gambling floor that actually offers players an advantage. Machines often display their pay tables which usually include fairly high pay-offs. Most video poker games will have a house advantage of less than 0.5%, but machines will often lean in the player’s favor.

To have the best chance of winning, check out a video poker crash course. This will tell you everything you need to know about the popular game to become the best of the best. 

Don’t get distracted

Many venues are covered with resident pole dancers and dealers in bikinis. Although this is likely entertaining, it’s important to not get distracted.

Casinos want you to take your eyes off the prize, which is exactly why these ladies are placed on the gambling floor.

Instead, keep yourself focused on the game and the payouts to make sure the casino isn’t sneakily doubling its house edge while you look away.

Don’t play Keno

Keno, a lottery-like gambling game is often a favorite at modern casinos. All the experts will advise players to stay away from Keno and go for the table games instead. 

The truth is, the chance of winning at Keno is very low; the house has a 35% edge. You may also be surprised to know that no player has ever matched all 20 numbers on a 20-spot ticket, and the odds of it ever actually happening is 3.5 quintillion!

The bottom line

Casinos constantly make money off players who are way too confident and go all-in thinking they’re going to win loads of cash every time.

Remember to gamble responsibly and set a budget- only gamble what you can afford to lose so you don’t end up leaving the gambling floor in a sticky situation.