Sunday, July 1, 2007

Gambling Tips

Before starting or better saying continuing with war online casino I had a request to publish some online casino and gambling tips so here is it:

The next tips will help you have a more enjoyable and rewarding experience when gaming at web-based casinos.

Know your casino
Choose the casino you are going to play in carefully. Always play at casinos with quality customer service in case problems arise. Try asking a question before making a deposit to estimate response time. For more information about choosing a casino, click here.

Know your game
Not all games are created equally. There is almost endless information both on the web and in print to help you know and understand the odds you face in any given game and the strategies that will help reduce the house edge to a minimum.

By researching the games you like to play, you can give yourself a significant advantage when playing the casinos. For example, if Blackjack is your preferred game, find online blackjack strategies and learn the best ways to beat the dealer. All casinos make their profits from players making the wrong decisions. Although you cannot guarantee your win, you can give yourself a much better chance. There are even strategy guides for games such as Roulette so have a look around before you bet on big money.

Most reputable casinos have a link to an audit of their games odds. These third party audits list the average player return on the various games, and are a great way to see what pays out the most and what games to avoid.

Take advantage of special offers.
Special offers are there to attract new players to the casinos. You might as well take advantage of these until you find your perfect casino. Some are as high as £200 free. This will help you to place larger bets and win BIG! If redeeming a bonus, be sure to check the terms on cashing out beforehand. Certain bonuses at online casinos require you wager certain amounts before cashing out.

For more information about online casino bonuses, click here. Another advantage of gambling online is the free games. Try playing for free at new casinos before playing with real money. This will allow you to try all their games out risk-free.

Play to a budget
What exactly does that mean? Let's say you've got $500 and you expect to gamble twice a week for the next couple weeks. That's $125 per session and that's your budget for any given session. Put the rest away, forget about it and enjoy the money you've got in front of you. DO NOT under any circumstances touch another day's bankroll. If you lose all your money, walk away and come back another day. This is how you remain a happy and successful gambler and not an ongoing loser. You can find more information in our money management article.

Play only with money you can afford to lose
Gambling on The Internet is much the same as gambling in a land based casino and the same rules apply. Upon entering the casino you should only deposit money, (ideally from a credit card) which you can afford to lose. This way you guarantee you are not going to gamble away your car or your clothes.

We've all heard and said it before: only gamble with money that you can afford to lose. Anything you can't afford to lose - like the rent money - is called "scared money" because that's what you'll be if you even get close to betting with it. And scared gamblers are losers-in-training. If you play this way you may well need professional counseling. Gamblers Anonymous and The Internet Gaming Council's Helping Hands are ready, willing and able to assist troubled gamblers.

Don't play while under influence
The casinos know way it goes: you booze - you lose.

A stoned/drunk/coked-up gambler is, and this is a big under statement, a lesser player than they would be straight. Why do you think the brick-and-mortar casinos give the drinks away?

Remember that nothing beats a game of chance
If you want to find out how useless the fancy betting systems are, try them out on a "Free" game for a while and you'll see how far they get you. Guaranteed way to beat Roulette, or Craps, or the Lottery, or Keno? Martingale, Fibonacci, whatever grand name they have, they all spell "lose faster" not "win more". The only possible way to guarantee that you'll walk away a winner from these chance games is if they are fixed.

Play by the numbers not by hunches and gimmicks
If you're playing to win, know the odds of your game and play accordingly. The numbers may be less thrilling, but they are your roadmap to avoiding the losing plays. Hunches, ESP, clairvoyance, tealeaves, remote viewing and divination are all sorry secondary choices to the mathematics of your game.

That "insurance" bet in Blackjack: house edge around 6%. The so-called "crapless craps": again, about 6%. The side bet in Caribbean Stud: over 25% house edge. What's the moral of this story? Aside from knowing your game and being highly familiar with the odds you face, the moral is "forget the gimmicks". Sure there's the occasional exception but in general the "add-ons" to the basic games are sucker bets, remember, the casino knows its business.

Start out small and work up.
If you start with a $25 deposit, gamble small $2 stakes to begin with. This will give you the ability to get a good feel for the game and the casino. This will also allow you to double your bet when there is the opportunity without risking too much. If you win a couple of hands in a row and you are comfortable with the casino, you should increase the bet, preferably after putting some of it aside. There's only one way to win big money and that is risk big money, but again only what you can afford.

Take the winnings and run
Before you start playing have a plan for when to stop. This certain time varies between players. Some decide to quit when they're up by 50%. Others bail when the tide turns and they lose 20% of their winnings. Some when they've doubled their session bankroll. Whatever your decision is, it's important to have one (only one) and stick to it. Otherwise you'll just keep playing until you can't and by then you'll have lost all the money you won. Forget getting even, forget the big cash, enjoy what you have won. Greedy players make big losers.

Expect to lose
On practically every bet you make in whatever game you play, the house's win is designed right into the rules of the game. Casinos do not depend on luck to stay in business. That edge generally means they'll be the winner a lot more often than you will be. You can find and play games where the house edge is 1.5% or less but you'll have to do your homework to find them. Sites like ours are a good place to start your education, but never forget that the casinos know their work and are in business to take your money.

Have fun
After reading all these tips there is one important thing to remember. Unless you're a professional player with a proven track record, you're playing for the pleasure of it. For 98% of players casino gambling is fun pastime - you're spending money to be entertained. If the fun stops, so should you.