How to Beat the House?
Today, we'll discuss the best ways to beat the casino at their own game.
Now, you're probably aware of the phrase: the house never loses. And to a large extent, that's very true. But there are a few things you can do to beat casinos – at least some of the time. Of course, a lot of it comes down to luck. But there are gambling strategies that increase your chances of winning big when the opportunity presents itself. Now, you might not become the next millionaire overnight but you'll be in with a shot at winning big money every now and then. Let's begin…
1️⃣ Choose online casino games with a low house edge
Now this one might seem obvious, but even more experienced players forget about it in the heat of the moment. After all, the lower the house edge, the better your chances of winning. Coupled with this is the fact that the lower the house edge, however, the lower the potential prize money will be. For example, look at how the most likely bets in roulette only payout 1 to 1. Whereas, the least likely wagers on a single number (straight-up bets) payout at 35 to 1.
And when it comes to online roulette, be sure to play the French or European versions of the game. These have a house edge of 2.70%, which is significantly better than the 5.26% of American Roulette. In baccarat, to give another example, avoid the Tie bets with a whopping house edge of 14%. Stick to Player or Banker bets instead. Blackjack has the best house, of course. And when it comes to online slots, you're much worse off than sticking to table games.
So, the lesson here is to take your time when playing online casino games. Try to gradually build up your winnings. There's no need to rush or overextend in the wrong moments – you'll only lose it all. Also, try to balance out any larger wagers with smaller ones. Playing this way also has the benefit of not risking too much with bigger wagers! Plus, it also ties in rather nicely with some of our other tips for winning against UK online casinos. Speaking of which…
2️⃣ Manage your bankroll and set yourself some limits
It's very easy to lose everything you have in a single session at an online casino. Therefore, it's important to give yourself some limits. Here, we're not only talking about money but also the amount of time playing games and a whole other bunch of things. After all, you don't want to give an online gambling site any extra advantages over what it already has. So, give yourself a certain time period for taking on real money casino games and avoid playing longer than that.
You should absolutely set yourself some strict monetary limits. From the micro considerations like how much you are willing to bet each time to how much you are prepared to lose in any given session. So, keep your individual bets reasonable to give yourself more time to play in the future. And if you hit your loss limit, be sure to call it a day right then and there.
Another extremely useful limit to place upon yourself is what's called a win limit. It might seem counterintuitive to finish a session just as you start a hot streak. But remember that all online casino games have an element of luck in them. And the statistics and odds care little about what happened in the last round. It also means the tables can turn at any given moment. So, why risk it? Just thank your lucky stars and don't try to push things further.
3️⃣ Take advantage of online casino bonus offers
There are plenty of fantastic no deposit bonuses available at top UK casinos. As the name suggests, no deposit bonuses do not require you to add more money to your casino account. Instead, you might be able to get a small amount of bonus funds or free spins for online slots simply for signing up or registering a debit card. These free bonuses are an excellent way to see if it's worth going through the wagering requirements. And if you don't win, you can walk away.
While sign-up bonus offers are great at the very beginning, they don't offer much long-term value. For that, you'll need to look at deposit bonuses. These can net you a far higher number of free spins and much more bonus money. However, be sure to carefully read the bonus terms in advance each time. Deposit bonus offers usually have wagering requirements. These must be satisfied before you can withdraw your bonus winnings. So, always check the bonus requirements.
Other than the caveats laid out above, however, casino bonuses for new players give you additional funds on top of the real money you deposit. So, if you are going to make a casino deposit anyway, why not have some extra bankroll courtesy of the casino? After all, professional players use this kind of strategy all the time. Plus, it's largely risk-free.
4️⃣ Avoid unlicensed online casinos and shady sites
While this tip won't help you win money, it will certainly stop you from losing it for nothing. The internet is awash with rogue casinos looking to rip off players. To avoid this happening to you, you should only play online casino games at licensed sites. If you're in the UK, then only choose online casinos licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). The UKGC protects players at every turn and ensures that legitimate casinos do things by the book.
On the flip side of this, if you play at an offshore site based on some far-flung island, you run the risk of losing everything you deposit. And in a few cases, you might even compromise your payment method if your details are sold on the dark web. So, it's just never worth it, even if the welcome bonus offers seem very attractive. This is why we only recommend UKGC sites.
5️⃣ Know when to quit (while you're still ahead)
Last but not least, you should know when to stop playing. This can be when you've ridden your luck too long and already reached your win limit for the day. Other times, things just don't seem to go our way. In the case of the former, it's better to leave with money in the bank and try again another day. Or perfect your strategy by playing free games for a while instead.
Coupled with the above, never ever chase losses. This can lead to a downward spiral where you end up losing significantly more money than if you'd quit earlier. We want to be in it for the long run, not try to win every single time we play. It's all about trying to win over time. And keeping a record of your wins and losses can help you to gain perspective on these things.
Finally, we want to remind you of two important responsible gambling messages: "When the fun stops, stop" and "Take time to think". Both are super important for having a good time at online casinos. One places the onus on the player and the other promotes slowing down and considering your next move. This all ties into never betting more than you can afford to lose!
How to Beat the House – Conclusion
Well, there you have it. We hope you got plenty out of our article on tips for playing at UK online casinos. Each of them is designed to increase your fun and help you avoid the pitfalls that all too many fall into each year. So, be sure to shop around when you're choosing an online casino and have fun with our winning strategies. We have our fingers crossed for you!
With more than 300 player accounts at various online casinos under her sleeve, there is no other person than Samantha who knows more about the different online casinos in the United Kingdom. She is our expert casino reviewer and works as a Senior Editor.
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