So, you want to play offline or online Roulette but not sure what system to try. You’re reading the right article because I’m going to explain how anyone of the following three Roulette systems will help you engage with the game better while having fun watching as you try to win.

The 3 Roulette Systems are: 

1. The red or black percentage chaser
2. Single column or dozen power betting
3. Even chances best of three

These Roulette systems are my own and designed so that you stand a good chance of winning whilst minimising the risk of losing your bankroll.

Before I refer to the systems proper it’s important to set aside an amount of money you’re prepared to lose just in case you happen upon a set of outcomes to don’t match to your betting selections. This set amount will act as your Bankroll for the day or session of play. Professional Roulette gamblers use bankrolls to regulate their profit and loss ratio. 

It’s no fun losing so when the fun stops and moreover you’re bankroll wiped out, it’s time to call it a day. There will be better days so allow your bankroll to guide you on how well you’re doing; when you should stop gambling when you’re in a winning situation.  

Managing your Bankroll

What do I mean by this? Well…playing a Roulette system is one thing and managing your bankroll is something else. Combine the two things together and you’re in a stronger position because you’d be betting along with a plan. 

You see, a bet selection and money management are two separate aspects of any Roulette system. For example, some Roulette systems refer to how much you should wager when you’re winning or losing, as well as when to stop betting, but will fail to inform you about what to bet on. Whereas other Roulette systems will explain a betting selection but will leave out the wagering information. 

One without the other equates to an incomplete system. For a system to be sound it should refer to both aspects, and the author of the system should know its strengths and weaknesses and include such information when explaining how the system works in practice.

SYSTEM #1: THE RED OR BLACK PERCENTAGE CHASER

Strapped for time and don’t really believe pattern betting works? Then this even chance percentage chaser system is an all-in win, lose or draw method that you can replicate daily. 

Here’s how it works. First decide how much your willing to risk. Let’s say you allocate $100. Now choose one of the colours, Red or Black or if you prefer one of the other even chance options; the High/Low or Odd/Even. 

I prefer to use one of the colours because the result will stand out right away and the coloured pockets on a Roulette wheel are evenly spaced out which means that, theoretically the chances of one colour occurring over the other is nearer to a true 50:50 possibility. Let me explain what I mean. 

Look at a European Roulette wheel. The #10 and #5, are two Low numbers that are together as pairs on the wheel. Numbers #26 and #32 as High numbers would be together except that Green Zero separates them. This constitutes a bias. Though how it might alter betting results at any given set number of outcomes no one can know. But it’s clear this unfair layout isn’t as evenly distributed as are the coloured pockets on the wheel. 

And now look at the sets of Roulette Odd numbers that are spaced out into pairs on the wheel: 

#15 and #19, #25 and #17, #27 and #13, #33 and #1, #31 and #9, #29 and #7, #35 and #3 Total sets = Seven

And the sets of Even numbers in pairs:  

#34 and #6, #30 and #8, #24 and #16, #20 and #14, #22 and #18, #28 and #12 Total sets = Six plus #26 and #32 though these two numbers are separated by Zero so can’t technically be regarded as a pair set.  

Of the above sets, if you look at the wheel with the Zero at the top, there’re four Odd and four Even sets to the left side of Zero AND three Odd and two Even sets to the right side of Zero. #26 an Even number on its own to the left of Zero and #32 even number on its own to the right of Zero.

While there’re four Odd and four Even sets to the left side, = eight sets, this means there’re only five sets to the right side, three Odd sets and two Even sets. Aside from the #26 and #32 numbers split it’s clear that the left side of the wheel contains more, Odd and Even pairs. Fascinating isn’t it! 

While you might argue that there is no left or right side of a wheel if you ignore the Zero, the fact remains there’re seven Odd pairs and only six Even pairs when considering the Zero that divides #26 and #32.

This reinforces my reason for opting for one of the colours. On the other hand, you might think such biases will help you in some way. But for even chance systems I prefer knowing that whether I win, lose or draw it wasn’t anything to do with the bias nature of a wheels numbered layout.  

Having allocated your bankroll amount and chosen a colour, Red or Black. You’re now going to decide how many games you want to play. Either x10 or x20. If you decide to play x10 games, then divide your $100 bankroll into x10 $10 wagers. If you decide to play over x20 games, then divide your bankroll into x20 $5 wagers.

There’re two methods you can employ within this system. 

1. You could play every game and settle for whatever profit/loss results at the end. You might come out level, or a few units up in profit or a few units down in loss. The maximum you can expect to win is double of your total bankroll. And of course, it’s possible you could lose all your bankroll. Though the more the set number of spins, the more unlikely it is that you’ll see a very long streak of the same colour. Thus, it might be worth selecting x10 games rather than x20. 
2. Before playing Roulette you could decide how much you’d be happy winning. I’d be happy with say 30%. Then basically as soon as you’re up +3 units, stop playing. I prefer this option because you could be up early on, lose what you’ve won and end up losing more. Setting a target is wise and +3 units with a x10 unit bankroll is reasonable.

Ignore the single Zero if it pays half back when Zero occurs. If it doesn’t you could, as a side bet, place 25c on zero to protect your bets. If you’re playing on a double Zero Roulette wheel, then consider covering both Zeros just enough so that if any Zero occurs you’ll cover your wagers.

TIPS:

• Don’t start when the opposing colour is on a run of a streak of 3 or more in a row. Start playing when your colour is on a streak or when you see zigzagged or double and single sets.
• When you start don’t miss out games.  

You don’t really need to over analyse this Roulette betting system. Either you’ll win or lose some games (+1 or more) or will win or lose all games or come out level. 

SYSTEM #2: SINGLE COLUMN OR DOZEN POWER BETTING

Choose whether you want to play Columns or Dozens. You can combine both but, so it doesn’t get too complex start off with one or the other. Let’s say you’re going to play a Column. 

Pick one Column only; a Column you’re going to stick with. (There’re three Columns to choose from) Decide how many wagering units you want to win. I recommend +6 units. Column and Dozen betting pays 2:1. 

Bet on your selected Column. When you win continue to bet on it again until you reach your target. 

TIPS: 

• When you lose twice in a row stop betting. 
• Start betting again the game after your Column is a resulting outcome. 
• Set yourself an overall stop loss just in case you come across a bad set of results. If you’re aiming for +6 unit wins then a unit bankroll of 12 to 15 is fair. 

If you want to cover the Zero by just enough to protect your wager, then do so but only if you’re betting on a limited number of games because covering Zero over many spins will eat into your bankroll.

SYSTEM #3: EVEN CHANCES BEST OF THREE

The final Roulette system I’m recommending works well on the outside even chance options Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low. 

You choose one of the outside sets and check the last three outcomes and bet on the outside chance that dominates the best of the last three results.

Let’s say you choose Red/Black. Look at the last three outcomes, if two or more of the last three are Black your next bet would be Black. Or if two or more Reds are in the last three results then you bet Red.

This is a basic Roulette system, but it can be very profitable when lots of zigzagged and streaks of the same colour outcomes occur.  

TIPS:

• Avoid betting when you see doubles RR BB RR
• A 10, unit bankroll is needed if you’re aiming for a +3, unit win. 

Don’t double down on any of the above Roulette systems. 

“Dollies! Do your dealing!” In my early days as a Roulette croupier, a pit boss would declare this at the start of every day shift, before we let the punters in the door. It was always said with humour, but outside the gaming industry, the perception of croupiers as “dolly dealers” means the challenges of the job – and the skills needed to do it – go largely unrecognised. 

There seems to be a bit of a myth that all we do is stand about looking glamorous (or suave, in the case of the male dealers). And while this is part of it, the job also requires mental agility, ambidextrous dexterity, and indestructible interpersonal skills.

In other words, you have to do Einstein style maths in your head, while being just as nimble-fingered with your left hand as your right. (or vice versa)

 

You’ll be taught the basics at your training school. Courses usually last six weeks, and the majority of the time will be spent on the game of live roulette, with up to a week of blackjack at the end (other games are usually learnt on the job). You can opt for a private training school – ideally one with links to a casino – or you may be able to enrol on a casino run training school, allowing you to earn while you learn. 

Either way, the course is likely to follow the same format – and to come out as ready as you can be to hit the ground running, the best thing you can do is to put extra work in at home. Here’s where it can help:

TIMES TABLES

One of the first things you’ll be asked to do on the course is to learn your times tables – but you’ll be going beyond the ones you learnt in primary school! These ones relate to the odds on roulette, and they’ll vary from 5-1 for a six-line covering six numbers, to 35-1 for a straight-up, covering one number. In between, you’ll have corners at 8-1 covering four numbers, streets at 11-1 covering three numbers and splits at 17-1 covering two numbers. Learn all your tables off by heart from 1 to 20, so if you see 16 chips on a split, you’ll know instantly that pays 272 pieces, and if you see 14 chips on a straight-up, you know immediately that this pays 490 pieces. The more work you put in at home, the easier your time will be on the table.

PICTURE BETS

There are certain Roulette bets you’ll see a lot, and we call these “picture bets.” An example of this would be one chip on the straight-up (35 pieces) plus two chips on the splits (2 x 17 pieces, i.e. 34 pieces), which pays 69 pieces. In the training school, you’ll be given print-outs of all the picture bets and asked to memorise them – do it! This will improve your confidence and you’ll look more professional on the table. 

 

 

 

CHIP HANDLING

You’ll be taught to “cut” chips, e.g. to separate a stack of 20 chips into four sections of five, just from the feel of it. You’ll also be taught to “chip up” which means very quickly picking up the losing chips that have been swept in from the layout, and sorting them into stacks of 20, according to colour. You’ll be timed as you do this, to get your speed up – and you’ll need to learn what 20 chips feels like in your hand. You’ll probably be given a stack of chips to take home and practise with – if you are, DO it! And if you’re not given a stack to take home, see if you can buy some online. The better you grasp the basics, the easier it will be to deal with anything else that comes at you.

So soak up everything you can at the training school, and to really excel, here are some insider tips from those of us who’ve been there, done that.

TIPS FOR ROULETTE DEALERS

1. TAKE CHARGE

“The dealer should stand in the middle of the table and command their area - take charge of the table. If you look like you’re in control then everybody will be calm because you have their trust. There’s nothing worse than a dealer who appears nervous,” says Nick, a former casino manager. This is echoed by Lexi, an experienced dealer who says, “confidence is key. If you’re nervous, never show it!”

2. WATCH THE TABLE

“Watch your layout when the ball is dropping,” says Richard, a former casino inspector. Richard makes this point because some dealers look at the Roulette wheel while the ball’s spinning – but you should keep your eyes on the layout at all times, only looking at the wheel when you’ve heard the ball drop. The reason for this is that players will be watching the wheel for last-second clues about where the ball will drop – and if you’re not watching the layout, they could be slipping late bets onto the winning number!

3. TAKE YOUR TIME

“When you’re starting out as a trainee, accuracy is more important than speed. I was a very precise dealer myself and everything I did was designed to be clear, precise and technically correct.” Nick hits the nail on the head when he points out that if you focus on getting it right, speed will come with experience.

4. FOCUS ON YOUR GAME

“One of my biggest gripes was the dealer looking for the next dealer that might give them a break, rather than watching the game,” says Richard. In many casinos, you’ll do about an hour and 20 minutes on the table – although this depends on the club and how busy it is that day. Generally though, you’ll know when it’s your break coming up, and it can be tempting to look out for the dealer coming to take you off. Don’t though. It looks unprofessional, and if your mind isn’t on the table, you’ll miss things and make mistakes.

5. WORK WITH YOUR INSPECTOR

“The main thing about roulette is the ability of both the dealer and inspector to communicate and work well together,” says Mark, a former inspector himself. Unlike the career path in some industries, everyone who works in a casino starts out as a dealer, with the potential to progress to inspector, pit boss and manager. Every inspector has been in your shoes, “so don’t be afraid to ask them for help,” says Lexi, adding, “that’s what they’re there for. And be mindful that they might be watching two or three tables, so try and sync your spins with other dealers so they can watch you properly!”

But however well you get on, “never question what your inspector says,” advises Aga. The reason for this is that it looks unprofessional to disagree in front of players, and it undermines their confidence in both of you. So whatever your inspector tells you to do, do it - even if you think they’re wrong. If you believe a mistake has been made, speak to them privately when you’re both off the table – but never contradict them in front of customers.

6. SPEAK UP

“We used to announce bets loudly enough for the guy on the next table to know what we were doing – because if he could hear us, then our inspector definitely could!” recalls Nick. Announcing everything, from call bets to payouts, loudly and clearly is incredibly important. Your inspector needs to hear you over all the noise in the casino – and they need to hear you first time, because there won’t be time to repeat yourself during the spin. It’s also so the microphone on the table can pick up what you’re saying. Everything in the casino is filmed, and the audio is recorded. If you’re loud and clear enough for both the inspector and the audio to pick up what you’re saying, then you’ll always be covered in case of a dispute with a customer.

7. MAKE FRIENDS

“Make eye contact with the players and interact with them. Remember it’s a game and they’re there to have fun. Be their friend - be happy when they win, and sympathetic when they lose,” says former casino manager Fintan. Keeley, who’s currently a casino manager, also advises making the players your friends, explaining, “then it’s harder for them to shout at you when they lose or if you make a mistake!”

However, while it’s great to develop a rapport with the players, it can be best not to get too close. Anna, a casino inspector explains, “if a customer’s nice and I like him, I'll usually take all his money, but if someone’s annoying and I wish they’d leave, they’ll usually win - so it’s best not to have feelings!”

Lexi is all too familiar with this scenario, and her advice is this: “grow a mighty thick skin and practice your “faces”. In particularly the, “I’m so sad you lost” face, when the customer’s horrible, and the “well done I’m so happy” face for when a horrible customer wins!”

Many video poker articles that explore specific games will include a strategy chart showing the reader the best way to play the game. However, only an extremely small percentage of video poker players tend to use strategy charts while playing their favorite video poker game. There are several reasons for this.

• They are not aware video poker strategy charts exist.
• They think video poker strategy charts – sometimes called cheat sheets – are illegal.
• They don’t know how to use them.
• They are uncomfortable using them as it may take a while before the correct play is determined.
• It might bruise their ego to have to show they don’t have the strategy totally mastered.

Video Poker strategy charts are designed to help the player play optimal strategy. This allows them to extract every penny possible from their favorite video poker game. This article will:

• Point out that strategy charts do, indeed, exist. 
• Explain exactly how they should be used.
• Show several charts for the most popular games. 

 

 

 

First, let us dispel the misconception that video poker strategy charts are illegal. Electronic devices that determine proper plays are virtually uniformly banned. But, referring to a printed sheet for help is usually not. They are treated much like blackjack strategy cards which are not only allowed at the table, they are sold in casino gift shops. In fact, I have also seen video poker strategy cards for sale in a few of them. While some casinos may frown upon their use, this is rare, and the worst that will likely happen is a warning.

While some call them “cheat sheets,” they are no different than blackjack strategy cards. The term cheat sheet may be used by casinos to shame people into not using them. Don’t fall for this. Using a “cheat sheet” will maximize your return allowing you to be a winner in more sessions and give you the maximum playing time possible from your bankroll.

HOW TO USE A STRATEGY CHART

Listed below are several lines from a full-pay (9/6) Jacks or Better video poker strategy chart. The proper way to use this chart is described immediately following it.

The colors indicate the type of hand for which o\you are saving:

Red – Royal Flush
Blue – Straight Flush
Green – Pairs, Three of a Kinds, Full House, Four of a Kind
Purple – Flush
Brown – Straight

To use this strategy chart, proceed as follows:

1. Compare the hand that is dealt to the first line of the chart.
2. If the line defines the hand, save the stated cards. 
   1. For example, you are dealt the 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of spades (straight flush).
   2. This is a straight flush which is four of a kind or better.
   3. Save all five cards of the straight flush and hit the draw button.
3. If the hand is not described in the line, move down to the next line of the strategy chart and then go to step 2 above.
   1. For example, you are dealt the 5, J, Q, K, and A of spades. 
   2. The hand contains four cards of a royal flush as shown in the second line of the strategy chart.
   3. Save the J, Q, K, and A of spades and hit the draw button.  
4. Continue moving down the chart one line at a time and returning to step 2 until you reach the end of the chart.
5. When you reach the end of the chart, do not save any cards, simply hit the draw button.

As you can see, the process is straight forward. Compare the hand to each line of the chart starting from the top. When the line of the chart defines the hand, save those cards. Otherwise, at the end, draw five new cards. Complete strategy charts for several of the more popular video poker games are at the end of this article. 

A WORD ABOUT PRACTICE

Even though you could simply take a strategy chart and play the game in a casino without any practice, it pays to practice at home. Until you become very familiar with the strategy chart, play will be very slow. The more familiar the player is with the strategy chart, the more quickly and accurately the game will be played. Fast play is particularly important if the game’s return (either from the game itself or from the game and comps received) is more than 100 percent. Faster (accurate) play means more money in the player’s pocket.

While the player can simply memorize the strategy chart of the desired game, it is better to actually practice the strategy before going to a casino in order to minimize any uncertainty. There are several computer programs and smartphone apps that mimic actual video poker play along with alerts when the wrong cards are held. I strongly recommend obtaining one of these and using it to hone your video poker skills.

As an added bonus, many of these programs and apps allow the user to generate and print strategies for almost any variation of several game types. This is very helpful if the casino does not have any of the games which are covered by the strategy charts at the end of this article.

SUMMARY

Video poker strategy charts help players maximize returns from their favorite video poker games by eliminating mistakes that can cost real money. While most players are hesitant to use strategy charts in a casino, they are legal and the player should not be concerned about using them. Many players do not want to take the time and effort to practice and use strategy charts in a casino. By not doing so, they are likely giving the casino more of their hard-earned money than is necessary. Video poker strategy cards for the many popular games are available for sale on the internet. Strategy charts for many more games are also available to view and print on the internet. If a strategy chart for your favorite game is not available at the end of this article, or on the internet, you can purchase a computer program or smartphone app that allows for generating strategy charts for user-customized games. These programs and apps are also excellent methods of practicing the strategy until it is perfected.

It is your money that is risked when playing video poker. Make sure you get the best return possible.

If you are a casino aficionado then most of what I am about to share with you may be common knowledge. Still many players know this “knowledge” but for some reason when the going gets going they violate many or most of the correct rules of play.

Don’t let that be you. Play wise; play correctly and you will have a better chance of beating the casinos at their own games. The better you play, the better your prospects. The worse you play…well, that is self-explanatory.

COMMANDMENT #1: DON’T GO ON TILT!

Going on tilt has a simple definition: You emotionally lose control and start betting more and more money over more and more time. You keep thinking that you must win eventually but very few players have the bankroll to sustain a truly prolonged bad streak.

The thought that shoveling out more money will help you make the inevitable comeback is totally wrong thinking. The casino has, with few exceptions, an edge on every bet a player makes. The more money you bet over time the better chance you will be behind the curve, not in front of it.

Tilting can actually be caused by both good and bad previous results. We rarely hear of tilting in a positive situation but it certainly does happen. I interviewed a woman named Sandra about her slot playing strategies and she told me that what caused her to lose more often than not was her propensity to try to really “increase my wins dramatically when things were going good for me.”

If she had a good session or day or trip she would up the denomination of the machine she played to try to “cash in big time.” More often than not, the casino cashed in, not Sandra.

Tilting is dangerous. One’s emotions must always be kept in check.

COMMANDMENT #2: KEEP YOUR DRINKING TO A MANAGEABLE LEVEL

There is no doubt about it; drinking relaxes us and will sometimes (and oftentimes for some players) cause us to violate our conservative playing strategies. Most adults know at what level the drinking can interfere with their thought processes. We don’t want that to happen. As it is presented in movies, being roaring drunk in a casino might sound like fun, but it rarely turns out that way for one’s bankroll.

There is a reason why drinking is considered dangerous on the roads for drivers; those same reasons also relate to driving into the maw of Lady Luck in the casinos. 

COMMANDMENT #3: THE ATM MACHINES ARE YOUR ENEMY

If you have exhausted the amount of money you’ve given yourself for playing do not – DO NOT – go to the ATM. The original name of those machines was “At the Moment” and the worse thing to do when you are feeling blue from losses is to hit one of those “at the moment” machines to get more cash. 

Aside from paying interest on the money you are taking out, the heat of battle is the worse time to think you are getting more ammunition for your side of the fight. If you have lost, take that loss with dignity and stop playing.

This same advice applies even more so to credit card advances. The credit card companies have their own house edges against the players too!

COMMANDMENT #4: DO NOT USE EVERYDAY MONEY FOR GAMBLING

Everyone has money he or she uses for daily living expenses such as food, shelter, medical bills, school tuitions, care and feeding of one’s pets, cable movies. This is necessary money and should only be spent on such necessities, not on casino gambling. Your heart operation can’t wait until you have won your next turn with the dice. (“Baby needs a new coronary bypass!”)

Put money aside in a separate account that is used strictly for gambling. This should be a small fraction of the money you make at your job, investments or business. I call this a 401G – the “G” stands for gambling. That is the wise way to proceed; losses do not hurt when they come from money that is strictly for gambling. Make regular deposits into your gambling account and you’ll never have to worry about facing the tough challenges from the casinos.

COMMANDMENT #5: RESPECT THE DEALERS AND TIP THEM WHEN THEY GIVE GOOD SERVICE

First, dealers have nothing to do with your winning or losing. They are merely the messengers of Dame Fortune and have no say in terms of “yeah” or “nay” when it comes to good luck. They just relate the information to you; nothing more, nothing less. The cards say this; the roulette ball landed here; the dice showed this number. They then pay you or take your money or announce a push (tie). That’s the be-all and end-all of their impact on a game.

Just like waiters at a fine restaurant who are not responsible for what the chef puts on your plate; dealers do not cook the meal.

Getting angry at dealers because you are having a bad streak is silly and sometimes it is embarrassing – for you! Keep your emotions in check and realize that the dealers have to handle an assortment of ploppies at their tables, so don’t let one of these ploppies be you.

Much like other service industry workers dealers in the United States and some other venues do not make huge amounts of money. They rely on tips. If a dealer is friendly, competent and professional in his or her approach to the game and the players at their tables, then tipping them should be a part of one’s plan for the game. 

I would not recommend over-tipping as some players do when they are having good fortune. But keep your tips reasonable whether you are having good luck or bad luck. This approach will be much appreciated by the dealers.

COMMANDMENT #6: DO NOT GIVE PLAYING ADVICE TO OTHER PLAYERS EVEN IF ASKED TO

Pandora’s Box let out all the evils in the world and I am quite certain that one of those evils was that of giving advice at a gambling game – even if such advice is asked for. You can’t win in such situations. If the player who receives the advice loses then it is your fault; if he wins then that is the way it was supposed to be; you had nothing to do with it.

It doesn’t matter if the game is blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps or any of the carnival games, be pleasant but keep your ideas and opinions to yourself.

What should you do if someone asks you how to handle your next bet or playing decision? Point to the dealer and say, “The dealer is the expert. I’d ask the dealer for advice, not me.” 

COMMANDMENT #7: DO NOT MOAN ABOUT LOSSES OR EXPLODE IN JOY WHEN YOU ARE TRIUMPHANT

This is something many gamblers don’t seem to understand. When things are going right or wrong for them, they are under the mistaken assumption that other people care about them as opposed to caring about themselves and their own fortune or misfortune.

Do not complain to other players about your fate on a given day. They don’t want to hear it. Do not brag about how much you have won or moan about how much you have lost. Do not blame the dealers or the other players for your losses.

At blackjack many players think the decisions you make on a hand will severely impact them when, in fact, the decisions of the other players are irrelevant. If someone complains about how you play and how you are changing the order of the cards, ask them to tell you what card is about to come up next and after that one and after that one and so on. If they can do that mental feat then everyone at the table will benefit by that psychic’s insights into the future. Of course, it won’t happen.

COMMANDMENT #8: PLAY PROPERLY BASED ON THE RULES OF THE GAME YOU ARE PLAYING

All games have their methods of play and the player must follow them. At roulette the dealer will tell you when to place your chips on the layout and when to collect your wins. In craps players must make their bets when the dice are in the middle of the table and not when a player is about to shoot them. In face-up blackjack games no one other than the dealer is to touch the cards. 

If you are a new player perhaps reading a book on the games you wish to play would be very helpful for you. New players are not in and of themselves annoying except if they upset the orderly flow of a game.

COMMANDMENT #9: DON’T FORGET THE PROPER STRATEGIES FOR THE GAMES THAT YOU ARE PLAYING

There are better and worse ways to play just about every game in the casino. Not all strategies can give the players an edge over the house; in fact, almost none do. However, a player can reduce the hit on his or her bankroll by betting low house-edge bets. There are plenty of ways to save your money at the games you wish to play. Even if you are losing playing conservative techniques if you suddenly switch to terrible bets to get their big payouts is a major mistake. Usually the bigger the payout for a wager means the house edge is greater than average

COMMANDMENT #10: DO NOT ALLOW THE CASINO TO DICTATE WHEN AND HOW YOU WILL PLAY

At home before you go on a gambling trip give some serious thought about what game(s) you should play; how much you should bet at the game(s), the proper strategies and how long you will play at any given session. It is important and worth repeating: Decide the proper strategies you will use based on the lowest possible house edges at the preferred game(s). 

Do not wait until you hit the casino to make playing and bankroll decisions. It may be too late for you then. The casino has a fierce 24/7 rhythm and no player can compete with that; but that rhythm can throw even experienced players for a loop if they aren’t careful.

It is not so easy to formulate a strategy at home with worries about work or family or whatever movie or sporting event is about to be shown on television. The tendency is to allow all the other aspects of life to stop you from planning your casino playing strategy. If you have to lock yourself away to have the discipline to work out how it should all go down, then do so.  

Trust your playing instincts when you are sober and at home, not when you are in the whirl of the casino. 

Bet in haste, repent at leisure.  

Okay there you have it, 10 basic commandments that should help you avoid disaster and allow you to enjoy a pleasant pastime. Casino gambling does have its pitfalls but these can be avoided or at least reduced. There is no reason for the games of the casino to hurt you in the game of life. 

All the best in and out of the casinos!

 

*Credits for main photo in this article belongs to Eran Alergant

On October 23rd 2018 a Lotto drawing in the US yielded a series of numbers that would cause those that match the numbers to gain the largest single win in the history of the Lottery. There was a single winner for the drawing that won a staggering $1.53 Billion dollars. A lottery is a form of gambling; and, in fact, it is merely a variation and scaled up version of the casino staple game Keno. If we adhere to the axiom of advantage gaming that states any game is beatable given the right circumstances, then we conclude that the Lottery and Keno is mathematically exploitable, in certain circumstances.

The underlying mathematics for each game is the same but the approaches were taken to attack each game varies. After a brief discussion of the foundational mathematics, I will discuss a few ways to approach each game that minimize risk and maximize the chance for success.

COMBINATIONAL MATHEMATICS

The Lottery and Keno are governed by a branch of mathematics called Combinational Mathematics. This means that there is a set of numbers; like 1-100, from which a subset; for example of 9 numbers are chosen. In Combinational Mathematics the order of the numbers does not matter.

The following formula is used to determine the total number of combinations that exist for any given set of numbers and the subset of numbers.

This formula can be applied to both the lottery and keno for analysis. The more complex of the two is the lottery application because in addition to the combinational computation the result must be multiplied by the number of Mega Ball number whereas the keno application only applies to the combinational computation. Applying the equation to the Mega Millions Jackpot and multiplying by the Mega Ball variation the odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. The odds are definitely not in your favor.

The Keno odds are not as bad but they are still pretty awful. Now that a firm understanding of the probabilities have been established we can begin to analyze how to increase the chances of winning at these lottery based games. The approaches for Keno and the Mega Millions games are different so we will attack them one at a time.

KENO

Keno is a game that has long been found in offline and online casino games. It is a tremendous earner for the casino. And depending on the variation you play the house advantage can range from just under 4% to over 35%. At the highest house edge, the casino keeps 35 cents for every dollar wagered.

Keno can be attacked in only one way and only on very specific games with high payouts. As one can guess when a player bets every combination they are guaranteed to win the jackpot. The problem is that the cost per ticket multiplied by the number of combination exceeds the amount of the win, making attacking the game in this way a negative expectation game.

There has been only one instance of a player who has ever beaten Keno in a methodical manner. The Australian native and blackjack hall of famer, Zjelko Ranogajec completed this task. In 1994 Ranogajec reportedly won a $7.5 million Keno jackpot at the leisure and entertainment complex North Ryder RSL Club, of New South Wales, after reportedly betting "significantly more than $7.5 million" to win it but coming out ahead on account of the additional, smaller prizes awarded along the way to the jackpot. The smaller prizes are made up of tickets where only partial number sets were matched. This approach is very costly and most players don’t have the financial resources.

LOTTERY

The lottery and specifically the Mega Millions jackpot where so many combinations are possible there are several ways to approach the game that would give the player a higher expected value (EV) or reduce the overall financial risk to the player.

To increase the EV of the ticket the first step is to only play the game when the jackpot is exceptionally large. The jackpot on October 23, 2018, exceeded $1.5 billion. However, this amount is not the true amount that the winner can expect. The $1.5 billion is the amount of the payout over a 30 year period. The one-time lump sum would be approximately $1 billion dollars. The one-time lump sum is then subject to taxes, this would further reduce the net amount to somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 million. As we stated before the number of stated combinations is just over $302 million.

The price of each ticket is $2. For each ticket to have a positive EV the jackpot would have to exceed $1.billion dollars. Evaluating the jackpot correctly to ensure positive EV ticket is step one. Step two is to choose less common combinations so that if the combination of numbers that you do choose hits the jackpot, then the winning ticket has a low probability of sharing the winnings with other players.

Some players apply the quick pick method which applies a random number generator to pick the combination of numbers. The likely hood of two sets of random numbers coming up back to back is very low. But choosing your own numbers has its benefits; particularly if the set of numbers consisting of high numbers (numbers over 31). This is because the players that select their own numbers use numbers that they are familiar with; Mostly birthdays. These numbers fall below the number 31 thresh hold. So using high numbers gives the player distinct advantage of not sharing the top prize when it wins.

Another common approach is risk sharing. The probability of a single person winning the top prize is for all practical purposes zero. Pulling funds is a common practice among groups. The risk goes down. It is still is very close to zero but the number of chances to hit goes up by several factors. The reason we play only when jackpots are exceptionally high is that when we employ risk-sharing approaches a winning ticket is still 10s of thousand times the price of the initial investment. Using the risk sharing approach a lower risk is still associated with a life-changing event.

Winning the Lottery or Keno are low probability events. Understanding mathematics and using the approaches discussed here can lower the house edge and give the player a better chance to maximize their chances of winning.

In order to choose the best online casino in the United Kingdom, you need to explore the following: 

1. World class software providers
2. Top slots games
3. Top online roulette games
4. Top online blackjack games
5. Option to play from your mobile device
6. Bonuses and promotional offers
7. The responsiveness of customer support and service

Online casinos pepper the gaming landscape in the United Kingdom. Thanks to liberal regulations, many top-tier operators have set up shop in the UK. The UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission), in conjunction with leading European regulators in the form of the Government of Malta, the Government of Gibraltar, EEA and EU authorities have fashioned comprehensive online gambling legislation to make it easy for legal age players across Europe to enjoy online casino games. 

UK players have carte blanche to select from a wide range of fully licensed and regulated online casinos. The best UK online casinos all bear the UKGC stamp of approval, indicating that they operate within a strict legal framework. Players are encouraged to cross-reference licensing and regulation with the UKGC to validate authenticity. Licensed operators abide by a strict set of rules and regulations; a framework determined by the UK authorities. This ensures that players have peace of mind with games, random number generators (RNGs), external auditing and compliance, payouts, and the security of personal information on site.

Regulation is the #1 feature of the most reputable online casinos. It provides the necessary safeguards for players vis-a-vis KYC (know your customer), AML (anti-money-laundering), payouts, privacy considerations, identity protection, and security of personal information. Players will find details of regulatory approval on the footer of an online casino, in the ‘about us’ section. The absence of licensing and regulation is typically regarded as a ‘red flag’ for players.

1. WORLD CLASS SOFTWARE PROVIDERS PLAY A KEY ROLE AT ONLINE CASINOS

The best online casinos in UK are also powered by world-class software providers. The world's premier software providers are fully licensed and regulated to provide real money online casino games to players. They typically avail their services to regulated online casinos. The list of reputable software providers includes an ever-growing selection of brands such as: Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt, Play’N GO, Cryptologic, IGT, Merkur Gaming, Evolution Gaming, Dragonfish, and a host of others. 

The benefit of selecting an online casino with highly regarded casino software is immediately evident. HD quality online casino games, Flash or HTML 5 functionality, practice-play mode and real-money mode, established reputation, large player networks, generous jackpots, and regularly released new games. These are but a few of the benefits available to players who select regulated online casinos with renowned software providers.

For the most part, online casinos will limit practice-play mode (demo mode) games to online slots, online blackjack, online baccarat, online video poker, and instant games. The live casino games are typically available in real-money mode only. As for gaming options, the old adage holds true: variety is the spice of life. Players tend to prefer a greater number of games than a limited selection of online casino games. More games mean more choices, and this is important with online casino players. The most popular category of games at an online casino is slots. 

Slot machine games are available in many different forms, including 3-reel slots, 5-reel slots, and multi-reel slot games. Classic slots are true to the original slot games – the one-armed bandits – available at the turn-of-the-century. These 3-reel slot games feature limited symbols such as bars, bells, and cherries. They are crafted off the old school appeal of the Liberty Bell slot machine, and feature prominently at online casinos. Fruit slots, Pub fruities, pokies, and classic slots all refer to the same games.

2. TOP SLOTS GAMES ARE A PRIORITY AT UK ONLINE CASINOS

The most popular slot online slots games are the video slots. These contain a wealth of features such as wild symbols, scatter symbols, expanding wilds, free spins, in-game multimedia, video overlays, bonus rounds, autoplay functionality, and more. Typically, online slots are available in multiple themes, with action-packed adventures, romance-themed slots, superhero slots, Hollywood-style slots and more. 

Players can pick their preferred minimum and maximum wagers, with coin values beginning from as low as £0.01. Bet sizes cater to players of all bankrolls – casual players and high rollers alike. Slots games typically make up around 70% of all games at online casinos, and no specific skills or strategies are required to play these games. These instant win attractions are the focal point of players at the top UK online casinos. Typically, the greater the number of online slots the better the online casino.

 

3. THE BEST ONLINE ROULETTE GAMES

Online roulette games feature prominently at the top UK casinos. There are scores of roulette variants available, including French Roulette, European Roulette, and American Roulette. Roulette is French for ‘Little Wheel’, and it is a chance-based game which rose to popularity thanks to Blaise Pascal – a French mathematician in the 16th Century. The best online casinos feature a blend of roulette games, with single-zero European Roulette and French Roulette as well as double-zero American Roulette. 

There are multiple variations of each roulette game, with bets available on inside numbers and outside numbers. Standard variants of the game feature numbers 0–36, with American Roulette featuring 0, 00, 1-36. The odds of single-zero roulette games are 2.70%, while the odds of double-zero roulette games are 5.26%. The best UK online casinos present players with a mix of options, for greater choice and betting variety.

4. SHARPENING SKILLS WITH ONLINE BLACKJACK GAMES

Online blackjack is the #1 game for card players at casinos. Blackjack fuses skill and strategy with good fortune, as players go head-to-head against the dealer for the ranking hand. The number to beat is 21, but any hand total that bests the dealer's hand without exceeding 21 wins. Online blackjack games include Classic Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack, Vegas Strip Blackjack, Multi-Hand Blackjack and other variants. 

When played with perfect strategy, players can significantly reduce the house edge, making this the preferred game of skilled card players. Blackjack players should seek out online casinos allowing ‘demo play’ options with no real money deposit needed. This makes it much easier to practice and perfect online blackjack play without depleting a real money bankroll in the process. Many of the leading UK online casinos avail these services to players. In all versions of online blackjack, players are not required to beat other players at the table – it's player versus dealer in pursuit of the highest value hand. 

Like other skill-based casino games, the right blackjack strategy needs to be adopted. This includes a combination of bankroll management techniques, use of blackjack strategy charts, blackjack guides, blackjack statistics, and blackjack odds calculators. Combined, these resources can serve players well. The best UK online casinos feature in-depth blackjack guides, articles, and expert commentary to assist players. These are typically available through the online casino blog, or under the ‘Blackjack Tips, Tricks & Strategies’ section. It's a good idea to review the educational sections of online casinos to evaluate the quality of their player resources.

Believe it or not, there are also effective online slots strategy guides, roulette strategy guides, and blackjack strategy guides that can assist players. The purpose of playing online casino games is multifold. Players tend to enjoy the experience of an online casino session, which includes maximising a bankroll, enhancing the quality of gameplay, learning the ins and outs of specific games, playing responsibly, and enjoying as much variety as possible.

 

 

 

5. THE SHIFT TO MOBILE CASINO GAMING IN THE UK

In recent years, there has been a shift towards mobile gaming as well. Players are seeking out mobile friendly online casinos with highly responsive Android and iOS interfaces. Today, the best UK online casinos are associated with free mobile apps direct from the Google Play Store, or App Store. Mobile gameplay is an increasingly important component of picking the right online casino. Mobile casino games require 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi functionality. Games have been optimised for the smaller screen sizes, with fewer features and maximum functionality. Mobile games now include slots, card games, table games, video poker, and live casino attractions.

Live casino games rank alongside mobile casino as one of the most coveted features of UK online casinos. The concept of live casino is appealing on many levels. For starters, live dealer casino games mimic the best of Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos with real dealers, in real time. The games stream from secure studios to players in real time. Players can interact with professional croupiers via SMS, and players can see dealers taking bets, dealing cards, or spinning the roulette wheel. Luckily, dealers cannot see players – so it's possible to play live casino games from the comforts of home, in your pajamas, at work, or during a coffee break. 

Live casino games are only available in real-money mode, much like table games at bricks and mortar casinos. When it comes to live casino games, players are spoilt for choice. Live Roulette, Live Blackjack, Live Baccarat, Live Texas Hold'em, Live Three Card Poker, and Live Caribbean Stud Poker games are available. The beauty of live dealer games is evident in the authenticity of the action. Players do not need to rely on RNGs for the outcomes of these casino games. Lady Luck alone is responsible for the cards dealt, or the roulette outcomes of these games.

6. BONUSES AND PROMOTIONAL OFFERS ONLINE 

Bonuses and promotional offers are saved for last, but they are certainly an important consideration when picking the best online casino in UK. Bonuses and promotional offers are enticements to get players involved in the action. There are many different types of bonuses players can apply for, notably deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, re-deposit bonuses, free spins offers, high roller bonuses, and more. Many bonuses are exclusive, meaning that players must carefully select the right options, or risk foregoing certain deals. 

The wagering requirements with each online casino bonus or promotional offer are clearly laid out under the T&C section. Players are encouraged to carefully read these requirements to understand how many times the bonus + deposit needs to be wagered before any winnings can be cashed out. Improperly wagered bonuses and promotional offers may disqualify players for the benefits involved. Promotional offers cover a full spectrum of player-friendly deals. These include Live Casino Promos, Roulette Promos, Slots Promos, Blackjack Promos, and Daily Deals. 

7. THE RESPONSIVENESS OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND SERVICE 

It is important for players to fully understand the terms and conditions of each offer before registering, depositing, and claiming a specific bonus. It's best to get in touch with customer support to have the bonuses and promotional offers explained before making a deposit. The responsiveness of customer support is a great indicator of the quality of the online casino. Players can learn a lot about an online casino and its customer-centric approach to players through customer support. 

The most responsive online casinos feature live chat functionality, email assistance, telephone, fax, snail mail, online contact form, and the like. Support agents are typically available in multiple languages, and online casino deposits/withdrawals are available in multiple currencies. Players get to enjoy real interactions, responsible gaming conduct, and credible online casino gaming with the finest UK online casinos. It's important to evaluate each online casino on its merits, with a focus on the features and elements listed in this comprehensive guide.

 

*Credits for main photo in this article belongs to Eran Alergant

Learning the techniques of card counting (meaning, accurately keeping track of the cards as they are played out) can be mastered by most serious players. Yet, most counters often fail to become successful because of one (or more) of the following blunders:

1. OVERBETTING THEIR BANKROLL

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve observed this happen to fledging (and even experienced) card counters. They sit down at a $25 minimum blackjack table with a $250 session bankroll and expect to win hundreds of dollars every time. If you don’t know how many sessions and long-term bankroll you should have for your betting level, to minimize the risk of going broke, you are making a big mistake. I’ve yet to meet a successful card counter who doesn’t know about risk-of-ruin and doesn’t have an adequate bankroll. (An experienced card counter told me nearly 50 years ago that to be successful at card counting your needed “B&B.” When I asked what that meant, he wryly responded, “Brains and a Bankroll.”)

 

2. PLAYING GAMES THAT ARE UNBEATABLE

I’ve seen counters play six- and eight-deck games with only a 1 to 4 unit bet spread. I’ve seen others play casino games with a terrible mix of playing rules, such as no doubling after pair splitting, no soft doubling, and dealer hitting soft 17. Likewise, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed counters playing a multi-deck game where the cut-card penetration was, at best, 50%. You must have a good mix of playing rules and acceptable penetration to gain a respectable edge on the game.

3. WON’T PUSH OUT THE BIG BETS

Many counters can’t come to grips with pushing out a big bet when they have their maximum edge. The reason: a player’s emotional bankroll has been exceeded. I’ve seen players break out into a sweat with hands shaking when making a max bet. You must make those big bets regardless of whether you are having a losing session or any other excuse you can think of.  You can never be successful at card counting if you don’t adhere to the bet spread designed for your card counting system. You will have losing sessions (plenty of them) when you card count but successful counters understand that today’s score means nothing because card counting is a lifetime journey.

4. PLAYING LONG SESSIONS

Two issues here doom counters. The first is that card counting requires concentration, and the longer you play, the more likely you are to make mistakes that can wipe out the small edge you have. The second issue is the preservation of your longevity. When a counter sits at the same table for a long period of time it gives the casino ample time to evaluate his or her skill level. This is something that you, as a card counter, want to avoid, so adhere to the principle of playing short sessions to keep under the casinos’ radar.

5. LACK OF COVER

Most card counters will look intently at the cards being dealt, never show any emotion when they lose a hand, and never talk to the casino dealer or a fellow player. Your best cover is to look and play like a typical gambler. Learn to talk to your fellow players and the dealer while keeping the count, whoop it up when you win a hand, congratulate the brilliant play made by the third base player that resulted in the dealer’s busting, talk about how unlucky you were to lose a hand with a big bet, and while you’re playing, go ahead and make a modest tip bet for the dealer on your hand once or twice each hour. Emulating the play of the majority of (losing) blackjack players is the best cover for a counter.

6. BEING AFRAID OF A BIG LOSS

Casinos want and like losers. If you are having a rough session and losing, don’t try to bet more or play longer to get “even.”  Go ahead and book the loss, making sure you let the casino bosses within earshot know that you were just unlucky, again (booking a loss will give the perception to them that you are a loser).  (Remember what I wrote earlier: blackjack is a lifetime endeavor so you’ll have plenty of opportunity going forward to recoup your losses.)

7. NOT PLAYING THEIR BEST GAME

This may seem corny, but trust me, it isn’t. Ever see a professional baseball player (or any professional sport) play his best if he parties all night the day before a big game? Keeping track of the cards as they are dealt in a live casino environment requires concentration. You need to be well rested to be able to maintain your concentration during a session, period; otherwise, I guarantee you will be making costly mistakes in either your count, how much you bet, the play of your hand, or all of the above.

You can find more tips on card counting, how to disguise your skills, and what countermeasures the casino may take when they suspect someone is card counting by reading Chapters 10.11 and 10.12 in my Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide.

My late mentor, the Atlantic City legend known as the Captain of Craps, taught me many valuable concepts when it came to gambling in general and casino gambling in particular. One of the most important was his idea that risking one’s money in a casino had to be a “manageable thrill.” 

“You can’t bet too little because there is no thrill in that. An under-bet is really no bet,” he said. “An under-bet could be considered dull and not worth the time to make the bet. 

“A person worth hundreds of thousands would not find it fun just betting pennies at roulette or craps or blackjack or any other casino game. But that same person might have a heart attack if he had to bet, let us say, half his wealth on one bet where the house had an edge over him. That would be way too much money for anyone who wasn’t insane to wager on a bet where that person was an underdog.

“Even if a player with a slight edge over the casino makes a wager that was too big would, of course, be too big to make.”

So how much a person bets must have some kind of “kick to it” or there isn’t that delicious feeling of anticipation that comes with putting one’s money on the line. Still the kick shouldn’t be a devastating one if that bet is lost. That is not fun. That is not a mere disappointment. That is a severe kick in the one area no one wants to be kicked.

 

[Please note: There are three general categories of casino players; 1. advantage players who actually have an edge on the games they play and manage their money appropriately, 2. good players who do not over-bet though some do not always make the best bets vis a vis the house edges they play against, and 3. extremely poor players when it comes to money management and such players will get themselves into trouble time and time again.] 

About Those Player Categories, let me first discuss the “advantage players.”

ADVANTAGE PLAYERS

With an edge over the casino these players must have a casino bankroll that can take the ups and downs of advantage-play. That’s right; their bankrolls must be quite large in relation to the bets they make since they are looking to turn the casino games on their heads and to do so they must be well-financed. 

These players are looking to make money from the casinos, not through luck as are most players, but through skill. They cannot blanche when things go wrong and they can’t get too excited when things go right. They are in the long run, day in and day out and their emotions have to be totally in check. Most casino gamblers have no interest in joining the advantage-player company – it’s too much work and something of a major hassle.

REGULAR PLAYERS

The second category of player – maybe I should call this category “regular players” – contains the overwhelming majority of casino players. These players have a decided understanding of how much they can bet without becoming bored or nearing the heart-attack stage. 

A five-dollar bet by a certain player might make such a player feel bored by it because he needs at least twice this much to get that thrill. Still, the total amount wagered in a given session, day or trip is controlled by a full understanding that “thus and such” is the maximum that he will allow himself to lose. In short, regular players do manage their money quite well regardless of whether they are having good luck or bad luck or something in between. 

THE POOR PLOPPY PLAYERS

Now our third class of player contains the ploppies, or sad sacks or, worse, casino gamblers that should consider taking a break and thinking about the best way for them to play with the money they can actually afford to lose. These players are not in the problem category; they are merely uninformed and in fact silly as they take risks that are ridiculous with more money than they should wager.

If a player wakes up the next morning and thinks, “I bet how much last night?” or “I can’t believe I lost so much,” then that player has lost more than just money; that player has lost whatever modicum of discipline might exist in other aspects of this player’s life. Even a player who is rejoicing loudly the next day about an epic win has to reflect on the fact that betting what this player bet might not be a good idea next time the casino calls for him or her to play.

 

[Please note: The problem or degenerate gambler is a whole other category of player and such an individual is far better handled in a medical article and not a general gambling piece geared to recreational casino playing. Some people can destroy recreational activities and compulsiveness is an illness and not a playing prescription.]

Judging what a manageable thrill can be is not all that hard. Here is a look at two ways to know whether you are betting more or the amounts you should:

COMING HOME DEVASTATED

You are in the car, cab, train or airplane coming home from a bad day or extended trip to the casino. You lost a lot. Now you are thinking to yourself, “I wish I never decided to go to the casino. I feel awful. What the heck got into me?”

In such a case it is probable that you bet way over your head and with a bad streak or a few bad streaks in a row, Lady Luck seriously frowned on you during your whole time in her house of hope. Her house became your horror.

I am guessing that someone who wishes he never went to a casino probably pegged his betting limits way too high and was not emotionally ready to accept the possibility of a major loss.

HANDLING RISK

Let me take this by way of an analogy. I remember a friend of mine who decided to start investing his money in the stock market. His investment advisor asked him what kind of risk he was willing to take and able to handle. My friend thought he could go for the bigger deals with more risk, “I can handle risk. No problem, buddy, no problem. I can handle it!”

In his mind he had (I’m guessing here) a dream that his high-risk investments would pay a tremendous amount and although his lips said he could handle risk, in reality, he couldn’t. Reality can strike hard on all of us.

Well, as most investors know the American stock market can go ka-bloop on occasion and those individuals who have high-risk investments will find themselves shaking their heads and hoping their hearts hold out when their investments plummet. My friend actually couldn’t take the risk he thought he could take (“I can handle it!”) because when the market headed for a swift and significant decline – well, you just had to look at his ashen face to understand that he never really thought he would lose such an enormous amount of money. He over-estimated his self-estimation.

You see, he thought he could take the risks but when the bad times actually happened – and these were not just a theory of bad times over which he mused but a brutal fact – he just wasn’t emotionally prepared to handle it. 

I think it is a truism that most people think they can take more risk than they really can. That applies to casino gamblers too – it applies big time to them.

So memorize this precept: You probably can’t take the level of risk you believe you can take. Make that your mantra. If you think you can handle a bet of $50 per roulette spin, you might consider lowering that to $25 or $10. 

[Please note: The manageable thrill must also be looked at as handling a total amount wagered over a given period of time. It is not just your minimum individual bet but the total you can handle losing. This must be factored in as well. You might be able to handle a $25 wager but those can add up when good luck disappears. So what level of total losses can you handle must be considered – and remember, don’t overrate your heart because it might not be able to handle your fantasies!]

COMING HOME JUST SOMEWHAT SAD

Let me take the exact same scenario as I used above: You are heading home from the casino after a losing trip. You feel a little sad that you didn’t win. Oh, well, you’ll get them next time. Other than losing, you had a good time. Your stomach is not churning in anguish. You are fine.

Okay, unlike our player in the first scenario, instead of losing an arm or a leg or a shirt or a purse, you just had a single fingernail clipped. It wasn’t fun but it will have no impact on your life or on your emotions in any big way. You will not curl up into a fetal position when you get home moaning your loss. Are you sad? Yes. Are you devastated? Not at all.

If this is your reaction to a bad streak, no big deal; you can handle yourself, you can handle your betting levels and you can handle your emotions. That is the manageable thrill that the Captain talked about.

GAMBLING SYSTEMS

Gambling systems can be fun to play as long as the player doesn’t actually think such systems will lead to an advantage over the casino. (I’ve covered many systems in other articles and guides for our website and I’ll cover more in the future.) Systems do give players a schematic way to approach essentially random games or games where the casino has stacked the edge in their favor by shorting payoffs. 

But can gambling systems actually give the player an edge over the house? No. With the exception of true advantage-play which so few of the casino players can accomplish, systems merely structure how one plays the games. They give you a way to think about what to do next as opposed to “Uh, ahm, I’ll do this, ah, ahm.”

So let us say you have found a system you like to play. It makes decision-making so much easier than just taking what you think is a random shot at a possible win. The result is “thus and such” then you bet “this and that” and onward you go.

Is this good for the casino player? Not really but it does feel better for most players. They have a place to go after something happens. “If that happens, I do this.”

There is a very deep problem that can occur with most systems as many call for increasing one’s bet in situations where you have lost some or several bets in a row (think of the deadly Martingale in this regard) so this way of playing is courting disaster. You might be betting a manageable amount at the beginning but suddenly your system is saying to you, “Bet this large amount now!” But this “large” amount is much too high for you; and now you start to sweat.

Here is another simple precept to also make a prescription: If you start to sweat, you are betting too much. Sweat is not good. Stop what you are doing and take a break and think about what you can afford to bet and what it really means for you.

[Please note: Only you can really decide what to bet. Yet, if you read this article carefully you will hopefully understand there are many pitfalls for casino players. What should you do? Avoid them!]

All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

*Credits for main photo in this article belongs to Eran Alergant

“Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel,
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel,
As the images unwind; like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind”
From “The Windmills of Your Mind”
By Legrand, Bergman & Bergman

The roulette wheel is a seductive and alluring way to test fate and ply your trade as a professional gambler. Some of the most fascinating tales of gambling surround this form of gambling, and some of the most fascinating – and high-rolling – players have tested their luck, tempted their fate, and made their fortunes, playing it.

What is a High Roller?

It could be someone with more money than sense or a true pro, old or young, a man or a woman. The only requirement is that he bets big, and can do so again and again.

Though the specific dollar values are different for various locations, even among specific casinos, generally speaking a ‘high-roller’ is a gambler who wagers large amounts of money on any specific gambling game, sports event or spin of a roulette wheel.

Individual casinos compete in terms of bet limits to entice the high stakes players to their establishments. The high-end gamblers often negotiate benefits, specific awards (called “comps”) and even discounts and cash-backs (reduction of losses based on the volume of the loss) if they lose!

From a gambling site’s standpoint, these “whales’ are themselves something of a risk to woo; should the gambler win, the level of the losses, plus the cost of the aforementioned benefits and perks can be considerable; But with the odds usually still in the favor of the house, a whale’s losses will more than likely well exceed the costs involved, an net the casino a big win!

The casinos know their prey, too. From the same source quoted above, the average ‘whale’ has these characteristics:

• 80% are Asian
• All have an instant credit line of a $1,000,000 or more
• Prefer to gamble with bet minimums above $10,000
• Usually has their own entourage
• Extremely generous. They play big and tip big
• Generally, their net worth is near or above $1,000,000,000.

The ‘little wheel’

Nearly everyone is familiar with the live roulette table (named, simply, from its compact size, the French word for its size and shape), its 37 pie-shaped sections (38 on American wheels) and their associated ‘pockets’, the shiny ball that counter-rotates until gravity, and the little ‘canoes’ that randomize its fall into the pockets.

Originally, the wheel only had 36 sections; when the nation of Monaco got into financial difficulty, the king, Charles III, commissioned the creation of wheels with the zero, which increased the house odds. Then, when he opened a casino, he offered roulette to the masses. It did help that the same year, France outlawed gambling. So, between those two events, Monaco was saved as a nation, and Monte Carlo, where the casino was built, became the staple of European gambling it remains to this day.

The Wheel and the Whales

What may surprise you is that it has been at the center of some great stories dealing with High Rollers. Here are some examples.

• Joseph Jagger, an Englishmen, determined by sheer observation that a given roulette wheel at a casino in Monte Carlo had a predisposition to hit a certain collection of numbers more often than should be statistically consistent. (Taking advantage of a biased wheel is one of only two known ‘exploits’ to the game of roulette). Mr. Jagger won more than $120,000 in value, which would approximate today to SIX MILLION DOLLARS!
  • The Casino caught on, made some procedural changes, and sufficiently disguised the particular wheel, and thus ended the exploit.
• In 1891,Charles Coborn, a noted English swindler, took a tiny bankroll of roughly 400 British pounds Sterling, and more on a run of luck than any form of strategy worked that up in one night to a staggering million francs ($500,000), and ‘broke the bank’ –meaning that paying him his winnings closed their operation for the day.
• In a repeat of the biased wheel exploit much more recently (1990’s), Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo discovered a biased Roulette table, in the self-same city, and successfully extracted over a million Euros (in that case, the casino attempted legal action against him, but the courts determined he had done nothing wrong, and ruled against the Casino).
• In 2004, a gambler decided to make a single-spin all –or – nothing bet. Ashley Revell, another Englishman, sold his home and all his possessions and walked in with a bankroll of 135,500. As the wheel began spinning, he put all his money on Red. When the spinning stopped, it was on Red 7, and leaving a tip of $600, Ashley walked out with a whopping $270,000!
• The Sultan of Brunei, at one time the richest man in the world, once played roulette placing $250,000 all over the board (no claim to total wins or losses from that particular tale, though).
• So-called “Fat Man” Fouad al-Zayat, a renowned whale, is said to have lost, over a fifteen-year period a whopping $19 million dollars. Ironically, in 1996, he had won approximately that same amount from a casino in Mayfair (The Guardian)
• Jimmy Chagra, notorious drug dealer and whale in his own right was said to have tipped a croupier a massive $600,000 after a successful session with the wheel.

What it takes to become a whale?

With the perks and benefits that define the life of a ‘Whale’, what does one have to have, to be in order to enter this lifestyle? What defines them? What drives them?

From the outset, it would seem that life for a whale is part ecstasy, part agony. The paradigm one must have, stems from an economic anomaly, an obscenely large financial base from which to operate. Whether you be a business creator or facilitator, with access to nearly limitless resources,  a family treasure chest of immense proportion, or you control and dominate a whole nation whose gross national product is your personal piggybank, you can back, at least initially, all your plays with measurable worth.

As wealthy as you are, you must also have extensive, if not limitless, time to pursue the passion. You must be able to follow the streak (when it is hot) or remove yourself from the premises (when it’s not). The appeal of the big win is so great, you aren’t able to control your losses, any more than you can drive your wins. The clock, the calendar, simply must fall to your desires.

Your appreciation and respect for the dangers of risk have to be dimmed. You must be able to put your all at risk. In the vernacular, you need nerves of steel and brass cajones, because big wins take big risks to achieve. There cannot be any hesitation or fear of the loss, for the sharks that swim with the whale are in it for the big kill. Taking a whale down has big rewards, but the level at which they are playing is dizzying, the risks immeasurable, the rewards immense.

Next, to be a whale you have to have a plan. Individuals who are operating at this level are sharp negotiators. They know the odds of roulette, but they also know how to mitigate them, to manipulate them, and on occasion, how to mine them.

To be a successful high stakes player, aside from a huge betting bankroll and sound money management, you need to calculate the risk, reduce the losses when possible, and go for the kill without the hesitation of a fly.

Two more characteristics that seem incongruent, but that define perhaps better than the rest, are generosity and honor.

On the one hand, as the money flows through the system, the workers that provide the support for a whale rise and fall on the same wave of success. If you perform well in the pressure of that world, the high roller offers a significant reward, through seemingly excessive tips and perks alike. When a whale goes down, therefore, often he still has hidden resources, even among his own entourage. Never count the whale as out; they know the odds, they depend on them, and despite the great and terrible losses and dangers they face, they take care of their friends.

On the other, it takes a strong constitution to face the hard reality of what is euphemistically called “adverse results’. Imagine all the money you would ever need in the world, for the rest of your life, as your bankroll. Now, imagine playing a hand wherein the possibility exists to double it or more… few might be willing to make that wager, but a Whale would. Up or down, ahead or behind, the big players of the world would, if the odds were acceptable. They accept their lumps, but they negotiate for the best possible outcome, the greatest mitigation of their losses. They own a lot; they have a lot to lose, but the world to gain. It isn’t about the money, for money has lost its meaning. They do not think about the values for which they compete. For them, it is about the win. Pure. But never simple.

Where did the famous casino game of roulette originate? Perhaps in several places and from some or many people and cultures. What follows are some examples of roulette’s possible origins and how players have played the wheel in an attempt to beat it

His name was Blaise Pascal and he was one of the most famous and astute mathematicians and scientific geniuses of the 1600s. He was also quite religious, often driven by science and theology to discover the ultimate truths of existence, and he created what has become known as Pascal’s Wager, a notion that to this very day contains persuasive power, if not overall theocratic authority, being thus: 

You bet your life and soul (if you have one) that either God exists or doesn’t exist. If He doesn’t exist and you believe in Him then you have given up some worldly pleasures to discover nothing as death ceases your full existence. However, if you do not believe in God and He does exist then death is going to be a horrid experience as you find out that not only were you wrong but…well, you can guess the rest. Thus it is best to believe in God than not to believe in God.

Thanks to Pascal, this is – short and sweet – a coin flip, a gamble: Yes or no? God or no God. It is the ultimate gamble with your life and with your soul. To Pascal the best bet was to believe in God as that gave you the greatest chance for perpetual happiness.

THE PERPETUAL WHEEL

However, Pascal wanted even more than this. He wanted to discover something that was eternal right here, right now in this world and that something is what we call a perpetual motion machine.

A perpetual motion machine is one that runs on no outside energy. Read that correctly – it is an amazing concept. Perpetual motion violates the laws of motion that prove some outside force must be used to move objects, as objects cannot move themselves. Energy must be pushed into the system to get it to move. When that energy stops then that movement stops.

The attempt to discover and/or invent such a perpetual motion device has been a vision of many scientific visionaries – all of them wrong in their assumption that such a thing is possible.

[Please note: Some of the greatest frauds in the “pseudo-scientific” world have lied and said that perpetual motion is possible and that they have invented such a machine. That would great, wouldn’t it, as we’d have cars that ran on nothing and would not cost us any energy costs, such as fuel. Sadly that’s not to be.]

Pascal worked a long time in the privacy of his mind to come up with such a machine, indeed a perpetual roulette wheel, but he couldn’t succeed. Instead, what he did accomplish was his version of the first wheel, actually a probability machine, which we credit as the first one in human history. It became known as roulette, which means the little wheel. It might not have been a perpetual motion machine but it certainly has been in almost perpetual motion in the casinos around the world for centuries.

SOME OTHER POSSIBILITIES

It is also believed that two aristocrats helped create the single-zero little wheel as a gambling device in order to make money from the game of roulette for King Charles III of Monaco in the mid-1800s. This allowed the “house” to extract quite a lot of money from the players, most of whom had no idea of what kind of house edge they were facing (2.7 percent) with that zero. King Charles was a happy monarch when this device was used against his own citizens! 

[Please note: At some point along came the Americans who decided to use a double-zero wheel (0, 00) in order to almost double the house edge over the players. Strangely enough this double-zero wheel also came from Europe but the Americans fully adopted it!]

OR WAY DEEP INTO THE PAST!

Let me take this history back even more in time. In the ancient world, definitely, Rome and even pre-Rome, perhaps Greek and pre-Greek, and in ancient Africa, in China, even among the American Indians, playing games or using “little wheels” as precognitive devices was something of a norm. 

Here is an example: “Og, my heavenly king, let me spin my shield and where my symbol points is the land I shall ravage!”

Or, 

“Come my comrades, let us amuse ourselves by sitting on our little, round shields and spinning ourselves ferociously. Whoever does not get sick wins the contest!”

[Please note: Perhaps the two greatest discoveries of human beings are fire and the wheel. People often talked and then wrote about the circle of life and many wrote about the cyclical nature of nature. The fiery sun was often worshipped as a god. Once we had the wheel, the world became shorter and distances shrunk quite a lot.]

THE WHEEL OF ALL WHEELS

The key to roulette is, of course, the very wheel itself; after all the game is actually the little wheel. In my over 30 years of casino play, I have noticed that not all that many players have much interest in the wheel itself as in knowing its components, its structure, or how it works. Many players also have no idea of how the casino actually gets its edge at the game.

Most players will look at the ball spinning on the rotor and watch as the ball descends but how and why the wheel looks and acts as it does actually has little interest for them. For them, the ball spins and then drops into the pockets and finally settles into one and the losing bets are removed from the layout and the winning bets are paid off.

The process is then repeated over and over again – a perpetual game!

THE COMPOSITION OF THE WHEEL

The wheel, like ancient Rome’s government, is divided into three main parts:

1. The ball track where the ball is spun and goes round and round until it loses energy and plummets to the base track
2. The base track that sees the ball actually descending towards its ultimate goal, the pockets
3. The wheel head contains the pockets where the ball will bounce and bounce some more before settling into a single pocket

When the ball spins on the bottom track, there are elements that interfere with its descent. These are variously called “bumpers” or “pins” or “diamonds” or “those darn things that screw up the landings.” The casino does not want a clean line of descent for the ball into the pockets. These interference elements are intended to make the game random because no one can really tell how a ball will deflect – that is, bounce – off these bumpers.

[Please Note: Modern casino games of roulette will often have two balls being used, a large one and a small one. These spin and land somewhat differently – making it almost impossible to figure how and in which pocket a ball will come to rest.]

NUMBERS ON THE WHEEL VS. NUMBERS ON THE LAYOUT

The arrangement of the numbers on the wheel and how they are laid out on the betting layout are completely different. Take a look at the American double-zero wheel and you’ll see that the number “1” does not have number “2” next to it but instead number “2” is across the wheel. On the layout numbers “1” and “2” are next to each other (as they would be in counting). 

The same is basically true of the European single-zero wheels. 

Casinos do not want the betting layout to reflect the wheel’s positioning of the numbers because those players who wish to bet groups of numbers will not be able to do so. If you wish to bet numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the layout these numbers will have nothing to do with the wheel. Since most players have no idea of how the numbers are laid out on the wheel, they usually think betting 1, 2 and 3 means these numbers are near each other on the wheel when they are not.

This is an attempt to keep the betting methods random – and when a game is random it benefits land-based and also the online casino.

HOW THE CASINO GETS ITS EDGE

The casino does not pay off the bets based on their real value. The American double-zero wheels has 38 pockets. If players were to put $1 on each pocket, 37 pockets would lose and one would win. In a fair game the winner would receive $37 while the casino would win – you guessed it – $37 and the game would be an even contest between player and casino. 

But casinos cannot make money this way so they short the players $2 by paying back $35 for a $1 bet instead of $37, keeping the other $2 for themselves. That means the house edge is 5.26 percent. The same is true of the European wheel’s payout of $35 for a $1 bet. Since there are only 37 numbers on that wheel, the house edge is reduced to 2.7 percent.

A HOST OF BETTING OPTIONS

Roulette has a multitude of betting options for the players. They can bet on inside numbers or combinations of these; they can bet on outside proposition bets of various kinds. Like craps strategies, players have plenty of choices to make. Some of the greatest gambling systems have been developed in order to beat the game.

Read other roulette articles on this site to learn about these

PROBLEMS WITH THE WHEELS

The betting layouts of roulette do not reflect the position of the actual numbers on either the European single-zero or the American double-zero wheel. This is to prevent players from betting groups of numbers that are physically adjacent on the wheel without actually looking at the wheel. You want five numbers that bump against each other on the wheel? Then you have to actually look at the wheel’s pockets, something most players won’t bother to do. Therefore betting 1, 2 and 3 will not see those numbers next to each other on the actual wheel although they are continuous on the layout.

Casinos know that some players – some very, very few players over the centuries – have worked on trying to beat the wheel in various ways and some have actually accomplished this. We call such players “advantage players.”

• Players have studied various wheels to see if they had certain pockets that would trap the ball more often than other pockets because they were (usually) somewhat deeper or (rarely) somewhat wider or shorter than the adjacent pockets. This was often called “big number” play as the players followed the numbers that were hitting.
• Some players wanted to see if the wheel was no longer aligned properly so that the ball would tend to fall into the biased part – the part that was fractionally tilted. This was often called “biased wheel” or “tilted wheel” play.
• Some players attempted to predict where the ball would land by using visual cues, they looked at the wheel and estimated how the ball would travel and land (generally in a particular section of the wheel). Yes, these players went up against wheels with bumpers on them. This was called “visual tracking.”
• Some players, convinced that some dealers could control the landing of the ball into certain sections of the wheel, would study such supposed dealers, clock their throws and bet the sections these dealer’s would hit. This was called “dealer signature” watching. 

The good news is that over the centuries some (okay, some few, some very, very few) players have actually beaten the wheels. Unless the casino owners were ferociously checking their wheels with regularity, bad things (for the casino) or good things (for the players) could happen that alerted advantage-players that the time had come to jump into the game and reap some rewards.

That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: Today’s wheels are almost perfectly balanced, the pockets are the same width, depth and thickness, and constant computer checking of these wheels prevents them from being anything less than almost perfectly working devices; perfect enough that as long as they are checked frequently no player can get an edge over them. 

The little wheel has been a big favorite of casino players, past, present and (I presume) future.

[Please note: Are there players still out there in the world of the casinos who are beating roulette? Maybe, but my guess is that “probably not” is the right answer. It is hard to beat the advanced wheels that exist today.]

All the best in and out of the casinos!