One of the most important lessons those looking to improve their casino success rates will ever learn is that of doing as the professionals do. Take a leaf from the book of those who know what they’re doing, listening to the words of wisdom shared by casino connoisseurs on a global basis.
Unfortunately, the same most certainly does not apply to those who don’t know what they’re talking about.
Each and every time somebody – pretty much anybody – gives you advice regarding casino gaming, they probably have your best interests at heart. After all, they wouldn’t have a great deal to gain by deliberately leading you down the wrong path. Unfortunately, you are far more likely to hear misleading, misguided and completely fantastical advice than you are the kinds of solid-gold tips you could benefit from.
Hence another important lesson – always be extremely sceptical and scrutinise every word of wisdom that comes your way.
Keeping up with everything so far? Don’t worry if it’s all getting a little confusing – what follows is a quick rundown of eight examples of the kinds of ‘helpful’ snippets common on most casino floors that are in fact recipes for trouble:
- This slot machine is definitely going to pay out soon
Kicking things off with an old favourite, if ever you hear anyone informing anyone else that a slot machine is ‘due’ a generous payout, feel free to correct them on our behalf. To be frank, it’s no less than extraordinary that after such a long time, there are still so many people who do not understand the concept of odds. They seem to believe that if the odds of winning a generous prize are one in 10,000, this means that if a machine hasn’t paid out for 9,998 spins, it is 100% guaranteed to do so within the next two. Unfortunately, it simply doesn’t work like this. If the odds are one in 10,000, they remain the same one in 10,000 for every single spin across the board.
- It’s possible to pinpoint patterns with roulette
Again, exactly where the logic comes from this particular falsehood is a mystery to say the least. Nevertheless, there are plenty of people who will tell you quite convincingly that if you pay close enough attention, you will eventually notice a pattern in the way the roulette ball lands with each spin. Ultimately giving you the information you need to place winning bets. Logic, none. Truth, none. A sure-fire way of making terrible decisions with your wagers, very much so!
- Poker and blackjack don’t require any strategy to play
This particular falsehood stems from the fact that there will always be a certain amount of luck involved in both poker and blackjack alike. Nevertheless, it is also critically important to ensure that said luck is paired with a solid grasp of basic strategy. Not the kind of strategy that guarantees you will win, but rather the kind of strategy that ensures you won’t make any ridiculous decisions and lose everything in a heartbeat. While it’s definitely possible to play blackjack or poker with no strategy whatsoever, you’re neither going to enjoy yourself nor take away anything worth winning.
- I know a roulette system that works
No…you don’t. And nobody does. Which is interesting, given the fact that there are so many online guides, video tutorials and even published books that claim to contain the ‘secret’ to making a fortune at the roulette table. The only problem being that each and every one of these materials – not to mention those responsible for them – are lying to you. Again, it all comes down to the way in which roulette and most casino games in general are completely random and cannot be predicted. And if you cannot predict the outcome, you cannot guarantee your success. The same also goes for the kinds of betting strategies that are supposed to eventually guarantee some kind of profit – none of them work. They never have and they never will.
- Counting cards works with online blackjack
This is the kind of nonsensical statement that makes anyone with a modicum of common sense perform an immediate facepalm. The reason being that counting cards only works if you are playing with a physical deck that is right there in front of you at the time. When it comes to online blackjack, not only are you not working with a physical deck or shoe, but even if you were, you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. Meaning two conclusive and comprehensive reasons why you cannot and will not ever be able to count cards with online blackjack. Feel free to try, but you might as well throw your money down the toilet.
- You can predict prize payouts with online slots
Honestly – do you really think that the world’s most advanced, capable and successful software developers would be crazy enough to release online slots that were predictable? Given the fact that if they did, a simple piece of analytical software could be used to crack the code in a matter of seconds and bleed it dry – is this really how you think the world of online gaming works? Of course you don’t, which is why it’s important to never even think about reading into these kinds of ‘insights’. You can play any online slot habitually from now until the end of time and still never even come close to pinpointing any kind of meaningful pattern to work with. Meaning that you might not want to bother.
- 7. Gambling is all about luck
Last but not least, the thing more casino gamers could do with learning about luck is that to a certain extent, you make your own. For example, hitting 21 on the blackjack table having been dealt a terrible hand to begin with takes a fair amount of luck. But at the same time, it’s up to you to make the decisions regarding the moves required to reach 21 in the first place. Which in turn means that whatever the outcome – positive or negative – it is you and your decisions alone that have facilitated it. The extent to which luck has helped you out or handed your rear-end to you on a silver platter is inconsequential – it all comes down to your decisions and your decisions alone.