Three Ways to Gain a Player’s Advantage at the Casino

It really is possible to get an edge at casino games.

How many times have you heard that casino’s are in it to win it? That there’s no practical way to turn the tides in your favor? Or that you must have at least a little luck to walk away a winner? This is said so often because, for the majority of gamblers, it’s true. That’s only because the majority of gamblers are playing the wrong casino games.

Walk onto the gaming floor, and you’re immediately bombarded by the reverberating sounds and flashing lights of reel slots and video slots. Isle after aisle, they line the walls and gaudy carpets as far as the eye can see. The casinos would love for you to stop here – as so many players do – and start dropping your money into these machines. Those who aren’t fooled by these may still find themselves attracted to video poker, baccarat, roulette, the craps table, pai gow poker or the big money wheel.

There are so many games just waiting to take your money. And the casinos know they’re going to win, because these games cannot be beaten. A few players may get lucky and beat them, but many more players will lose, earning the casino its dues. That is, unless you know which games to play, and how to exact the ever-illusive player’s advantage at the casino.

Three Ways to Get an Edge at Casino Games

There are exactly three ways to gamble your money, and slide the advantage into your favor while doing it. Only one is found directly on the casino floor, and you can probably guess which one it is. I’m talking, of course, about blackjack.

The other two you’ll have to do a little extra walking to get too; one being the poker room, and the other the sportsbook. Unfortunately, for Canadians like myself, sportsbooks aren’t legal. You will either need to visit a foreign casino or take your wagering to international gambling websites to gain an edge with sports betting.

Blackjack Player’s Edge

The criteria for surpassing a 100% RTP in blackjack sounds simple enough. It only takes two things – a basic strategy and a good card counting technique. The strategy part is easy. You can print out a situational decision-making chart for the game and keep practicing until you get it down. Counting cards will be a bit tougher.

Being able to keep up with the count is only the beginning. You must be a able to do it flawlessly, size your bets appropriately, and be so perfectly nonchalant about it that the dealer, pit bosses and security surveillance team don’t suspect you’re doing it. Most casinos will kick you out for it, not because it’s illegal, but because they have ‘the right to refuse service to anyone‘.

Profitable Poker Pros

Casinos love to host poker games, because it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. The casino wins a small percentage of each pot (i.e. poker rake) regardless of the action on the table. Poker pits player versus player, and therefore the player who is most skilled is going to win more often. Like house edge casino games, luck can swing one players way over another regardless of skill, but in the long term, skill will prevail in any legitimate poker game.

Being the bet poker player at the table is no easy task, though, especially since the big live/online poker boom of 2003 (aka the Chris Moneymaker Effect). Its takes a special set of skills to truly excel in poker, calculating math quickly in your head, making smart value bets and accurately observing poker tells.

Sports Betting Advantage

If you’re a terrible actor and supreme mathematics isn’t your thing, how about trying your hand at sports betting? Pick a sport you follow, or want to follow, and learn everything you can about it. Get to know the athletes and/or teams. Understand outside influences that might impact a game, like weather, turf conditions, injuries or suspensions.

Having a good head for the games is just one aspect of being a good sports bettor. You have to understand the odds and different types of bets, like straight-up wagers, points spreads and over/unders, and live betting features. The more you know, the more you can slide the scales of profitability into your favor.

The average gambler relies on luck. The smart gambler doesn’t need luck. Choosing the right games and playing them with ultimate skill will produce a positive expectation for long-term profitable results.