Mastering Basic Casino Strategies
Casino strategy is a broad term that can be used to describe a long list of different techniques that you can use while playing casino games to get the most favourable odds and make your bankroll last longer.
In this guide, you’ll find all of the best casino betting strategies to help you get the most from your gaming sessions. We’ve included a combination of top tips for individual games like blackjack and baccarat, as well as more general techniques that you can use for all types of betting.
How to win at the casino
It’s important to always keep in mind that there is no sure-fire way to win at casino games. Having a flutter on a game of roulette or blackjack is enhanced by the different possible outcomes from each turn.
Instead, using a casino strategy allows you to manage your casino bankroll better so you don’t blow it all in just a couple of wagers and lets you make the bets that offer the most favourable odds.
Bet A Small Percentage Of Your Bankroll Per Wager
A universally good casino strategy is good bankroll management. Your bankroll is the pot of ring-fenced money you use for betting and casino games that helps you keep your wagering affordable.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so making smaller bets allows you to keep playing for longer. The exact amount will depend on the size of your bankroll, how long you need it to last (eg. a week or a month), and how often you intend to play in that time period. However, a general consensus is to stick to a small percentage of around 1-2% for each individual wager.
Play Games With The Lowest House Edge
The house edge is the statistical advantage that the casino has over players on each game. This edge is what the casino uses to pay its staff and keep the lights on, but it isn’t uniform across every game.
Blackjack generally has the lowest house edge amongst table games, though it isn’t fixed as how you play can increase or decrease the casino’s profit margin. Baccarat and roulette also have low house edges with slots generally returning more to the house than table games.
Play At Tables or Machines With The Best Rules
The house edge also crosses variants of the same game. The difference can be quite significant, for example, American roulette has an edge of 5.26%, while the French Roulette version drops as low as 1.35% when making even-money bets.
This means that for every £100 you wager on an American roulette table, the house will return to you an average of £94.74 while a French table would yield an average of £98.65.
Similarly, in blackjack, a smaller number of decks in the shoe can make game-specific “basic” and “perfect” strategies more effective and, therefore, reduce the house edge even further.
For baccarat, the house edge for each bet type varies depending on two factors: the number of decks in the shoe and the odds of a tie payout. As a general rule, fewer decks in the shoe will yield a lower house edge compared to tables that use more sets of cards in their games.
Every slot game has its own return to player (RTP) rate. This figure is a representation of the average amount of your stakes you can expect to have paid out to them when playing over a very large number of games.
Each slot advertises its RTP to make it easy for you to compare options. Choosing a slot with the highest possible rate will give you the best odds.
Use A Basic Blackjack Strategy Cheat Card
In blackjack, your decisions alter the house edge. Over time, smart blackjack players have calculated the optimum choices you can make for each combination of hands in your hand and the dealer’s. This is known as basic blackjack strategy and it’s popular amongst many blackjack players who want to add structure to their games and reduce the size of the casino’s cut.
You won’t be able to learn and memorise basic blackjack strategy overnight, though it is possible to do it in time. Instead, it’s a good idea to keep a reference card or chart to hand whenever you’re playing so you can quickly check the best choice with the cards you see on the table.
Never Take Insurance Or Side Bets In Blackjack
Side bets in blackjack may seem like an intriguing option, particularly the insurance option since it offers you the chance to hedge against a loss when the dealer looks like they may have blackjack.
However, the odds of this insurance actually increase the house edge, eating further into your bankroll.
Both basic and perfect blackjack strategies dictate that you should avoid making side bets or taking insurance but, even if you aren’t specifically following these approaches, avoiding them is still a wise choice.
Bet On The Banker In Baccarat
In baccarat, you are given three main betting options: you to win, the banker to win, and the game to end in a draw. This unique opportunity to bet on the banker winning instead of you is also the best choice to maximise your odds.
A bet on the banker yields a slightly lower payout of 0.95:1 compared to the 1:1 payout for a wager on yourself. However, you also have a 45.73% chance of winning a banker bet vs 44.63% for a player bet. When you crunch the numbers, this means banker bets offer a reduced house edge of a little over 1% while player bets are around 1.25%.
It’s also a good idea to avoid a tie bet, even though the payout is much larger at 8:1 or 9:1 because the odds are much lower at 9.53%. The house edge on these bets are around 15% for 8:1 games and about 6% on 9:1 payouts.
Stick To The Pass Line and Don’t Pass Bets In Craps
In craps, there are several different betting options you can make, each with its own house edge. The range is one of the largest of any table game, going as low as 1.36% and as high as 16.9%.
The bets with the lowest house edge are the pass line and don’t pass wagers, both of which have payouts of 2:1 and edges of 1.41% and 1.36% respectively.
