Between the punter who leaves the casino with smiles more often than they do with frowns and the punter who mostly leaves the casino empty-handed. The question that comes into play here is, “what are they doing differently?” We could chalk the success of the former to basic luck, but more often than not, we would find that strategy has come into play numerous times. If you are a regular at one of the platforms for Ontario online gambling and other casinos, it’s time to stop winging it and employ a strategy that would, at the very least, reduce the house edge for you.
With certain games in a casino that rely entirely on chance, like free slot games, it is very easy to think or believe that it is unnecessary to employ a strategy when playing such games, but this is not so. For every game that you play in a casino in Canada, there are always ways to put the odds in your favour and in this article, we will review some of the best gambling strategies that really work.
What Is House Edge?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the article, the term ‘house edge’ needs to be fully explained. A house edge is an in-built advantage the casino has over every game that is played. It is the legal way in which casinos in Canada and all other real money casinos make a profit. The house edge in a casino is expressed as a percentage of the player’s bet. To put it simply, the house edge is a guaranteed loss for every bet you place. This is the reason why they say, “In a casino, you can win for a little while, but you can’t win in the long run.”
Understanding the house edge in a casino would help you decide which games to play. House edge might fluctuate from casino to casino, but the table below would give you the approximate house edge for some of the games played in the best online casino offering luxury amenities in Canada.
| Games | House Edge |
| Blackjack | 0.42% – 1.5% |
| Online slots | 1% – 12% |
| Roulette | 2.70% – 5.26% |
| Baccarat | 1.06% – 14.36% |
| Video poker | 0.76 – 5% |
Do Gambling Strategies Work All the Time?
As you play games in a real money casino, you would find that some of the time, certain strategies work and other times, said strategies do not work. No gaming strategy is 100% guaranteed to give you a win all the time, but the best strategies put the odds in your favour and increase your chances of winning.
Gambling Strategies That Really Work
Betting on the Banker
The baccarat game in a casino gives three options to bet on, namely, the banker hand, the player hand and the tie bet. The house edge for these hands differs:
- The player hand’s house edge is 1.24%;
- The tie hand has a house edge of 14.36%;
- The banker hand has a house edge of 1.06%.
As explained before, the higher the house edge, the greater the odds stacked against you, and so the strategy here is to always bet on the banker since it has the lowest house edge. There is no guaranteed strategy, but more often than not, a bet placed on the banker hand wins and an added bonus is that this strategy is easy to apply. There are some instances when this isn’t the right way to go.
Most casinos place a 5% commission on all winnings from a banker’s bet. This means that if a player bets $20 on the banker’s hand with a 5% commission and wins, they’ll get a $19 profit. At first glance, this might not seem like much, but if you play for longer periods in the casino and with higher bets, you will definitely lose along the way, even if you win all your bets. For example, a player who stakes $10,000 on the banker hand with a 5% commission loses $500, as this is the commission on every single win.
Martingale Roulette System
This betting system is basically centred on recovering your losses in the casino. In this strategy, players double their wager after a loss, and this goes on till they win. The most effective way to use this system is to make safe bets like red, black, odd, even and so on. Like the previous strategy, this is relatively easy to apply.
As always, no strategy is guaranteed, and if you do enter a losing streak when using this strategy, you’ll blow through your money in the blink of an eye seeing as you have to double your wager every time you lose. To put it simply, the martingale roulette system is great for short-term winnings only. If all goes well, players will be able to recover their losses and make a profit when they do win in the casino.
Taking Crap Odds
The best bets in craps include:
- Pass line
- Don’t pass
- Come
- Don’t come
To place an odds wager in Canada, players would need to choose from any of the bets above and then back it up with an odds bet, that’s all there is to this strategy. The fascinating thing about craps odds is that the greater the odds, the lower the house edge and the higher your chances of winning are in the casino.
However, most casinos are not willing to go above 5X odds because it is not profitable for them to do so, and while some casinos in Canada go beyond 5X, most players do not have sufficient bankroll to allow them to play with the highest odds available. For instance, if a player places $10 on a pass line and takes 20X odds, the player would need $200 for this bet, and not many players can afford to spend this much on a single bet, irrespective of how low the house edge may be.
Betting 2% of Your Bankroll
Part of the time, staying longer in the game can aid a player’s chances of winning and this strategy is mainly based on getting the player to stay long enough in the game. Look at it this way, if a player comes in with a bankroll of $200 and makes $50 bets, if they encounter a losing streak, it would only take four bets to have them running dry. Alternatively, betting as low as 2% of your bankroll can have you spread out your bets, and it even allows you to take risks you wouldn’t ordinarily make if you were betting a huge chunk of your bankroll at once.
However, only people with a large bankroll would be able to comfortably bet 2% of their bankroll and still have that 2% looking substantial, but a player who visits an online casino in Canada with a $100 bankroll would not be able to apply this strategy as they would end up betting only $2. Most dollar deposit casinos have a minimum deposit requirement, and this wouldn’t fly with them.
If you are in Canada and are ready to play with a strategy as successful gamblers do, you could try your hand at any best online casino. It comes with a review of the best payout online casino in Canada and every other information you would need regarding them, including the bonuses (no deposit bonus, cashback bonus loyalty programs and lots more.) they offer.
Tips for Beginners at Casino Games
Take Enough Time to Select a Casino
It is so easy to get sucked in with all the mouthwatering rewards online casinos use to entice potential players in Canada, but we find that a lot of the time, these offers are either bogus or tied to some ridiculous requirement. This does not mean that there aren’t casinos that do live up to expectations but when selecting a real money casino, try not to select based on the casino bonus. It is always a great idea to take out the time and select based on the following criteria:
- License
- Customer support quality
- Payment and withdrawal methods
- Reputation
- Security
- Games
Pick Games With Low House Edges
We have already explained what a house edge is and how advantageous it is to pick games with a low house edge. With this knowledge in mind, try to ascertain the house edge of each game in the best online casino of your choosing.
Take Advantage of Bonuses
One of the greatest perks of online casinos is the rewards they hand out from time to time. These bonuses usually include no deposit bonus, cashback bonus, free spins and lots more. These bonuses can be used to play a variety of games, including mobile slots, blackjack, roulette and so on. Bonuses are basically free money, and players can use them to get familiar with the workings of the casino. It also affords them the opportunity to play without the pressure or fear of losing their own money.
Start Small
Most beginners, in a bid to make it big, often jump the gun and place big bets on games they don’t even fully understand. This often turns out badly for them. Baby steps are key for beginners when it comes to playing at a casino. Try to make small bets, see how you manage your money and if it turns out well, you can always proceed to make larger bets.
What Is the Basic Blackjack Strategy?
The basic blackjack strategy is a guide that helps to predict possible combinations for the game as well as proffer certain decisions that help put the odds back in the player’s favour. In Canada, new players are often encouraged to learn the strategies by heart, as this also helps them understand the game further. The strategies include:
- Double down on a hard 11
- Don’t play insurance
- Always split aces
- Always split 8’s
- Never split 10’s
- Stand on 17 and upwards
- Stand on a soft 20
Is There a Best Strategy to Use While Gambling?
The best strategy when gambling at a casino is to know when to stop. Players often try to recoup their losses and end up spending more time and money than they can afford at casinos, and oftentimes this leads to gambling addiction. A player who knows when to call it quits for the day is a winner, even if they lost all bets.
Conclusion
It is not surprising that many punters play games at casinos without any form of strategy in mind. They leave it all up to sheer luck. Sometimes, it works out for them, and other times it doesn’t. We believe that if you have hopes of making money while playing these games, it’s high time you employ a strategy or two. Whether you play with your money or a bonus (no deposit bonus, cashback bonus, VIP bonus, etc.), always keep in mind that strategy is key.
