How to Win at a Casino? Universal Cheat Sheet for Beginners

Every person stepping into the glitzy world of casinos dreams of striking it rich. While the house always has an edge, understanding the odds and playing strategically can increase your chances of walking away with more than you walked in with. In this cheat sheet, we’ll break down casino games into those requiring knowledge and skill, and those that don’t, and shed light on the odds.

Casino games that require knowledge and skill:

1. Poker: Unlike most casino games, poker is played against other players and not against the house. With a good grasp of strategies and by reading your opponents, you can turn the odds in your favor.
2. Blackjack: Learning basic strategy can substantially narrow the house edge. Card counting, although frowned upon by casinos, can give players an edge.
3. Sports Betting: While unpredictable, knowledge about teams, players, and conditions can increase your chances of placing a winning bet.

Casino games that do not require knowledge or skills:

1. Slot Machines: These are entirely luck-based. The outcome is determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG) and there’s no strategy that can change this.
2. Roulette: Bets on individual numbers are a game of pure chance. However, betting on colors or even/odd numbers gives you close to a 50% chance of winning.
3. Lotteries and Bingo: The numbers are drawn randomly, and no skill or strategy can influence the outcome.

Casino games with the best odds for customers:

1. Blackjack: With basic strategy, the house edge can be less than 1%.
2. Craps: Betting on the don’t pass/don’t come gives a house edge of about 1.36%.
3. Baccarat: Betting on the banker has a house edge just over 1%.

Casino games with the worst odds for customers:

1. Keno: The house edge can be 25% or more.
2. Big Six Wheel: The house has an edge of up to 24%.
3. Slots: Depending on the machine, the house edge can range from 2% to 15% or more.

Expected loss per hour

Your expected loss per hour is determined by the game’s odds, the amount you bet per round, and the number of rounds you play per hour. For instance, if you play blackjack using basic strategy at $10 per hand and 60 hands per hour, your expected loss would be less than $6 per hour (assuming a 1% house edge). But at a slot machine, betting $3 per spin with 600 spins an hour and a 5% house edge, you might lose $90 per hour.