The 10 Commandments of Smart Casino Gambling

Let’s be honest. Nobody goes to a casino wanting to lose. Even though it’s possible to win, for the majority of players it isn’t’ very probable. The reason is that most players do not really understand the games they play and have never prepared a strategy of where to play, how to play, and most importantly, when to quit.

To help you get started on the road towards being a knowledgeable player, I’ve prepared the following list of Ten Commandments for smart casino play. Follow these rules and you’ll be improving your chances of winning more and minimize the chances of losing your shirt.

1. Develop a Game Plan

You need to decide which games you are going to play before you head out. Then read up about that game so that you understand the basic rules and know beforehand which are the best bets. Don’t depend upon the dealer or fellow player for help. Often their advice is wrong.

2. The Odds Are Against You

The casinos do not depend on the luck of their dealers to stay in business. They have the odds in their favour on virtually every bet. But here is an important point. YOU control the margin of their edge by how well you play. Your goal is to make only bets where the casino’s edge is 1.5% or less. . The lower the better since this will improve your chances of winning.

3. Don’t Drink and Play

There is a reason why alcoholic drinks are free to players. You need to maintain your concentration when you play and alcoholic drinks will dull your thinking. Better to play sober and do your drinking afterwards.

4. Don’t play With Scared Monkeys

You’ve read this before, but it’s worth repeating. Gamble with money you can afford to lose, should the worst to happen. Using the rent money to gamble in a casino is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make. Any gambler who does this needs professional help.

5. Budget Your Money

Always divide your bankroll by the number of playing sessions. If you plan to spend two days gambling, figure on playing two sessions per day. If your total bankroll is $500, then allocate one quarter- or- $125 for each session. Do not, under any circumstances, lose more than your allocated $125 per playing session. This is smart management of your gaming bankroll.

6. Don’t Bet More When Losing

When you lose a bet, never increase the size of the next bet to get even. This type of betting can turn into financial nightmare.

7. Bet More When Winning

Smart players increase their bets gradually when they are winning to take advantage of consecutive wins. This doesn’t mean parlaying your winnings. It means adding a portion of your winning to your next bet and keeping the rest as profit. For example, if you bet $10 and win, set aside $5 as profit and bet $15 on the other hand. This method of betting won’t change the casino’s edge against you, but will give you the opportunity, if you get lucky, to win a fine amount of money over a short period of time.

8. Set a Loss Limit

Always set limit on the amount you are willing to lose and stick to it! If you can’t or won’t do this you will never become a successful casino player.

9. Take the Profits and run

One of the advantages players have is that we can quit playing anytime we want. When Lady Luck shines on you, and you’ve generated a nice profit, be prepared to quit if the tide turns. Never lose back your hard earned profits. It’s your money, not theirs.

10. Set Reasonable Expectations.

Sitting down at a blackjack table with a hundred dollar bankroll and expecting to parlay it into a thousand is unrealistic. You will more than likely lose the hundred long before you come close to winning a thousand. Set reasonable win goals. Winning 20 to 50% of your starting bankroll is a good rule of thumb to follow.

Follow these Ten Commandments and you will be smarter than 99% of the gamblers who play (and constantly lose). It’s a guarantee!

Bet You Didn’t Know….

You can calculate approximately how long your gambling money will last, depending on which games you play and which bets you make. If you multiply each bet you make by the house edge, then multiply that result by the number of bets you can make in each playing session, you can get a pretty good idea of how much playing will cost you. For example, if you’re playing $5 blackjack against a house edge of 2 percent , at the rate of 60 hands per hour, you can expect to lose about $6 per hour: ($5 × .02) × 60 = $6.

Of course, your actual results can vary substantially in either direction, based on your level of skill, the playing conditions, and any number of random factors. But, doing the math can help you figure out how long your bankroll should last, and where to set your minimum or maximum bet levels based on your bankroll.