How to Gamble With a Chance of Winning

Playing the Right Games

Play blackjack. Table games typically provide the best odds, and playing blackjack is your best shot at winning some money. The house edge (or mathematical advantage the casino has over you) is only 0.5%. To know when to hit, split, or double down, print off a strategy table and take it with you to play. Dealers won’t mind as long as you don’t slow down the game. If you’re a novice to the game, sit down at the table during a slow period, like the afternoon, and ask the dealer to walk you through the game.

Place a pass line bet in a craps game. Craps is a dice game that also has a low house edge, but only if you make the right bets. Start a game by placing a bet on the “pass line," which is clearly marked on the table. This initial bet has a house edge of about 1.4%, and you're basically betting on the results of the shooter's first roll. If the shooter rolls a total of 7 or 11, you win even money. A total of 2, 3, or 12 means you lose. But a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 means you move on to more rounds.

Place an odds bet in craps. Odds bets are one of your best shots at winning because the house has no edge. It's a bet that the shooter's first roll (the “point”) will get rolled again before they roll a 7. You can also bet on the 7 coming first, but that’s a less popular choice since you’re winning when the other players are losing. You can also place a “come bet,” which establishes another “point” in the game, and also has a low house edge. Avoid sucker bets (placing a bet that a specific number, like 6 or 8, will pop up before the point) as these have a significant house edge.

Play video poker. If you want a game that’s as solitary as slot machines, but has better odds, play video poker. Look for a game with a good pay table, which will show a full house and a flush paying out 9 and 6, respectively, rather than 8 and 5. Games where the full house and flush pay out 8 and 5 have lower return percentages. You want a game where the return is as close to 100% as possible to reduce the cut that the house is taking.

Pick a style of video poker and learn the strategies. Jacks or Better is the original video poker game, and has a fairly basic strategy. Deuces Wild is another style and is a little more complicated. Choose your favorite, study the strategies, and stick to machines with that style.

Opt for the 50/50 bets in roulette. It might be fun to play a bet on your lucky number in roulette, but the odds significantly favor the house. Instead, place a bet on red, black, even, or odd, since these 50/50 bets even the playing field between you and the house.

Put the maximum bet into slot machines. Playing the slot machines gives you the worst odds of all casino games, so you should avoid them altogether. The house has an edge of around 5 to 13%. But if you still can’t resist the slots, place the maximum bet that the machine allows to increase your chances of winning. For example, if it’s a penny slot with a 50-cent maximum, play 50 cents a few times rather than 2 cents over and over again.

Practice table games at home. You’ll learn the techniques of table games faster if you play them more often, so invite friends over for a game night to work on your blackjack or poker skills. Or visit an online site, like Bovada, that lets you practice games for free. Just resist playing with real money until you’re comfortable with the games.

Using Betting Strategies

Start with a small bet. Play the table minimum when you’re new at a game. This amount will typically be about $5 and is a good place to start while you’re getting comfortable learning the rules. Once you understand a game better, you can start increasing your bets to $10 and $20.

Play table games at a relaxed pace. The reason you lose so much money playing slots is because you can play them so quickly. Table games take more time, thus any money you lose will be lost more slowly. Even a nickel slot machine loses you about twice as much per hour as a $5 table game. So take a seat at a blackjack table, order a drink, and enjoy the slower pace. You can opt to sit out every other round to draw out your money as long as possible.

Use a betting system. Try using a system in which you change your next bet depending on how your previous bet worked out. For instance, increase your bet by 50% every time you win. Betting systems are meant to increase your chances of winning in the short term, but can not improve your odds long term. Another strategy is to double your bet each time you lose. Also, you can try betting a quarter or one half of your remaining chips each time you place a bet.

Use betting systems only for a few rounds. Since no betting system can eliminate the house edge, temporary gains will always be balanced out with big losses eventually. Limit your usage of betting systems to a few rounds and walk away while you're ahead.

Playing Responsibly

Set your limit ahead of time. Before you leave home, decide how much money you’re comfortable losing. It can be $100 or $1000, but be sure you won’t need this amount for any upcoming expenses. While you may not lose all of it, it’s possible that you will, so prepare yourself for that outcome.

Leave debit and credit cards at home. Withdraw all of the money you plan to spend in cash. Take your debit and credit cards out of your wallet and either leave them at home or in your car. You’ll be less tempted to exceed the limit you set for yourself if you don’t have an easy way to keep spending money.

Gamble with friends. If you make gambling a social activity, you’re more likely to stop when you reach your limit. Tell your friends to cut you off when you run out of cash. Having someone to talk to while you play will also slow you down, which helps you hold on to some of your money.

Schedule an activity for after the gambling. If you have plans scheduled for a couple hours after you start gambling, you’ll have a natural stopping point. Buy tickets to a show on the Strip if you’re in Vegas, make plans to go shopping, or leave the casino to have a nice dinner with friends.