Basic Gambling Strategies for Beginners

4 minutes
In recent years the gambling industry has gone from strength to strength, largely down to the popularity of the online sector.
In decades gone by the thrill of the roulette wheel and the allure of the blackjack table where the sole domain of casino goers, but now, these great casino games can be enjoyed from anywhere at any time thanks to online casinos like 888casino Canada where a game of blackjack can easily be accessed.
This has led to a wave of new players trying out classic casino games for the first time on their mobile devices. If you’re one of the many beginners making their way onto the online gambling scene, read on for our top list of gambling strategies for new players.
Budget
The first strategy isn’t really a strategy, it’s more of a tip and its one tip that should definitely be heeded – make a budget.
The quickest way to financial trouble is by logging in to your online casino app of choice and gambling away with a care free attitude. Every time you log in for a session, work out how much money you would like to spend.
That doesn’t mean working out how much you can afford to spend, it means working out how much you can spend without adversely affecting your finances. A good tip is to equate your gambling spell to another leisure activity.
Playing roulette for an hour? Try to set your budget to the amount of money you might spend in the pub over an hour.
Having a long two-hour session at the roulette table? How about limiting your budget for that to the money you would spend on a meal out.
If you approach your gambling finances like this you’ll save yourself a lot of money and keep gambling fun.
If you struggle with self-control in that regard, pick a provider that allows you to impose limits on your spending and playing time.
With the most important point covered, let’s take a look at a range of strategies that can be used for the most popular casino games…
Roulette: The Martingale System
Before you start to get carried away and think that this system is going to guarantee you great riches, it’s important to note that the roulette table has one of the largest house edges in the casino.
That means that on average, you’ll end up losing more money on the spin of the roulette wheel than at any other gaming table.
It doesn’t mean though that you can’t reduce that house edge and give yourself a better chance of winning.
If you want to do that, try the Martingale System. It’s a relatively simple system that can, when used well, keep your bankroll looking nice and healthy.
The best way to use the system is to start with the smallest wager possible and place it on a bet that is roughly 50/50 like Red or Black or 1-18 or 19-36. If you win, keep your wager the same and if you lose increase your bet.
Follow this pattern until your luck turns with the theory being that increasing your bet when you lose leads to a bigger win to cancel out your losses. When you do win, return to your lowest bet and repeat.
Blackjack: Double Down on a Hard 11
If you want to reduce the house edge and increase your chances of winning at blackjack, you’re going to have to do a whole lot of reading, a whole lot of memorizing and a whole lot of practicing as there are tons and tons of methods and strategies out there.
If you’re looking for a simple beginners tip though, you can’t go wrong with doubling down on a hard 11.
If you do this you will always win more than you lose against any dealers up card instead of hitting in all games.
Slots: Play the Bonuses/Play the Jackpots
The most alluring and popular of all casino games is the shiny, spinning and whizzing slot machine but it is also the casino’s most profitable game for a reason – it’s set up for you to lose in the long-run.
There are a couple of ways however that you can wrestle back some of that control from the casino providers.
The first is by keeping your eyes peeled for slot machine bonus offers and taking advantage of any free spins that may be sent your way.
The second is by playing slots that have progressive jackpots. These are prizes which grow and grow in value before being randomly allocated to one lucky player spinning the reels.
If you play one of these slots you’re increasing your chances of winning and if you’re doing so with bonus free spins you’re doubly winning!
(The jackpots on slot machines are notoriously difficult to hit, so minimize your risk by looking out for free spin bonuses and offers.)
In Summary
There are basic and complex strategies for almost every game at the casino. If you are serious about winning money then make sure you do some further reading and find the strategy that suits your playing style and personal budgets.
If you’re more intent on gambling casually then take more notice of the first tip than any other – set a personal budget!