Card Playing Secrets

When having fun at a casino, most people just want to spend money and have a good time – win or lose. However, the smart casino visitor prepares ahead of time to maximize his or her fun and profits. Certain casino games are more profitable than others. Here are the games to play and the games to avoid in order to pump up your wallet – or simply just to avoid going broke!

POKER

A game that has become very popular of late, especially the Texas Hold’em variation, poker is actually the best way to make money in a casino, as long as you have the skills to compete. Poker players only play against each other, with the house making its money from the ‘rake,’ a small cut taken out of each pot. Poker is the premiere game of skill in the casino. Therefore, the skilled player can expect, over time, to make a profit at any variation of table poker. The buy-ins can be steep, though – most casinos offer only a minimum buy-in of $100, and a few bad hands could equal a bad night. However, play consistently and carefully, and you’ll be sure to go home a winner.

BACKGAMMON

Backgammon is an intriguing game of both skill and luck, which has attracted millions of players around the globe, since it was launched as backgammon online. Backgammon is simple to learn but pretty complicated to play, when competed against skilled players. It is particularly exciting when played in money backgammon mode.

BLACKJACK

Blackjack, or 21, is the most profitable game you can play against the house. If played perfectly, you only offer a slight edge to the house (48/52). However, over time, you will lose money, no matter how good you are. In the short term, if you play well and get lucky, you can increase your money quickly. The same is also true if you play poorly and hit a bad streak of cards: you can lose your whole bankroll in an instant. Some casinos have modified rules of blackjack to lower your winning chances even further, so always review the house rules before putting down your money. In general, this is the best table game to play after poker, though the minimum bets can eat you alive if you’re not careful or skillful.

If you are able to count cards, you can even gain a positive edge on the house. Be careful, though: if a casino suspects you of counting cards, it can throw you out. Many casinos also have built in safeguards into their game to make card counting less effective, so your mileage may vary.

ROULETTE and CRAPS

Two more popular table games, these can also earn you big money if you play your chips right. Some of the bets on these table are near even money, like blackjack when played perfectly, so you could quickly double up or lose your money. The advantage of these games compared to blackjack is that they are a bit slower moving. Thus, you can spend more time at these tables without losing as much money, while playing blackjack could, if you are unlucky, empty your wallet within a short time of sitting at the table.

VIDEO POKER

Unlike regular table poker, you are playing against the house in this one. Many bets are close to even money; occasionally, depending on the pay structure, perfectly played bets can even be profitable (positive edge against the house). Most of the time, though, the house will have a slight edge, even if you play perfectly.

SLOTS

Unfortunately for the visitor and fortunately for the casino, these are the most popular games in the casino. The house enjoys the largest edge over the gambler on every machine, and there is little to no place for skill in these games to mitigate this edge. One advantage of slot machines is that the stakes are much lower, with some machines offering a minimum bet of one cent. If you just want to have a good time at the casino without worrying about money, spending most of your time at these machines may be a good bet. You most likely won’t win anything, but you probably won’t lose much of importance either.

Some games should be avoided at all costs, as they offer pathetic odds slanted heavily in favor of the house. Avoid games like keno, big 6 wheel, and Caribbean stud poker. In addition, some poorly played bets and hands in the above games can offer terrible odds, so play carefully!