Beginner's Guide to Beating the House - Essential Casino Game Strategies

We spend so much time spinning reels to no joy or disappointment by falling just short of blackjack, only for the dealer to go one better so that the wins become that bit sweeter. It's part and parcel of playing at a casino, whether that be online or offline.

Beating the house is never an easy feat, after all games are stacked in a casinos favour with each game having a house edge. But there are a few tips and tricks of the trade that can get you that little bit closer to beating the house on more frequent occasions. 

So, if you're looking for a few tips, then look no further than right here, with some interesting insights from experts in the know…

Play the games you know

First and foremost, if you're going to beat the house and pick up some winnings, you're much more likely to do so with a game you know how to play. While you can win a game of blackjack or on the roulette wheel with no real knowledge of how to play, that will be purely down to luck and not going to work over a longer session.

Understanding of games is essential. You'll be more aware of what's going on and be able to calculate your next move or bet in a much more efficient manner, immediately lessening the chance you're going to lose, compared to a game you have no idea about. 

Identify the games with the lowest house edge

Once you know the rules of a game and how to play, a good place to start is by finding the games with the lowest house edge. By law, casinos will be required to provide the house edge of a game. For example, with the UK Gambling Commission it's stated in legislation, as it is with every other gaming authority.

Casinos have a mathematical advantage over you in any particular game, usually expressed as a percentage. The lowest house edge can vary from game to game, but typically the following games have the lowest house edge:

Set profit and loss limits

CasinoAlpha experts report that a simple strategy any beginner can use in live casinos is setting a loss limit. Decide the maximum amount you are willing to lose before entering the casino and stick to it no matter what. For example, set a firm limit of losing $100. Once you lose that amount, walk away rather than trying to win it back. Having the discipline to follow predetermined loss limits is crucial to money management and mitigating losses against the house in live casinos.

Utilise free bets and promotions

As you probably know, every casino will offer welcome bonuses for new promotions, free bets, and weekly offers for existing ones. Make the most of them.

If you're able to increase your bankroll with free money, then you're essentially reducing the amount of your own money you're likely to lose as you try and beat the house. It gives you more bankroll to manage and use effectively, increasing your chances of winning purely on the basis of being able to spin a reel more times or play more hands of a particular game.

Consider a strategy

As you get to grips with playing, you may also want to strategize a little more. There are several casino strategies players use regularly that can limit losses and, over time, give you a much better chance of profit.

Two of the most common are the Fibonacci Sequence, which is also popular in investment, and the Martingale System, both of which involve increasing bets after losses. They're not for everyone, though, and you do need to consider your bankroll and budget prior to taking them on, as you could lose a lot before you win. That said, they offer the chance of winning and claiming all your losses back at some point.

Finally, use a concoction of the above

To conclude, what you want to do is use a combination of the above. They're all valuable strategies and systems for improving your chance of beating the house, however small that improvement might be.

Combined, though, they provide you with a much larger chance than not using them at all, and when it's a chance to beat the house, who wouldn't want that?

So, remember, if you want to beat the house, make sure you understand the game in question, select games with lower house edges if you can, make the most of offers, and, vitally, ensure you know your limits before you consider any betting strategies. Do that, and you'll be just fine when you take on the casino.