Look, the sheer volume of gambling advice out there is overwhelming. Players that are new to the game can get lost navigating the sea of misinformation mixed with sound gambling advice.
It would be an immense undertaking to compile the volumes of excellent poker strategy and casino gambling habits. Instead, I’ve decided to give you some of the worst gambling advice I’ve been given in casino bars, airplanes, hotel lobbies, and even on the casino floor.
So, here it is. Keep reading for the worst gambling advice you’ll ever read.
Don’t Play Slot Machines at Peak Times
There’s more misinformation surrounding slot machines than any other game in the casino. I feel that it likely stems from a fundamental lack of understanding.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone going on and on about how you mustn’t ever play the slot machines on nights and weekends.
These hapless casino experts are convinced that the casino programs the slot machines to have a lower return to player during peak hours. The truth is that the casino industry is incredibly well regulated.
This means that once a machine is installed on the casino floor, the casino has zero influence on the game’s RTP. It takes a team of programmers and casino personnel to make changes on one machine at a time.
This is the last thing the casino wants to do during peak hours. I actually get hopeful when I hear someone start with,
“Don’t play slot machines.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter when you play slot machines; the house edge is insurmountable. Still, if you love the slots, play them until your spinning hand falls off.
The most critical gambling advice I could give is to have fun responsibly.
Stop Playing During a Losing Streak
I’ve read plenty of advice that suggests you get out while the getting is good, i.e., ahead of the casino. Clearly, this won’t happen very often, and it’s tricky to know when to get out.
It’s not the winning streak that I want to talk about here. When you’re losing, there are a ton of pieces of terrible gambling advice.
One Particularly Painful Piece Would Have You Raising Your Bet Size During a Losing Streak
The premise here is that you’ll eventually pull out of a losing streak and win your money back. You won’t win your money back; you’ll merely burn through your bankroll twice as quickly.
Another terrible piece of casino advice suggests that you stop playing altogether when you’re losing. If you follow this advice, you’ll never spend much time on the casino floor. The games are designed to slowly siphon your money while mixing in a few wins and a ton of excitement.
Occasionally, you’re going to catch some mathematical anomaly and catch several losses in a row. In fact, depending on how you play the games, these may not be anomalies at all.
So, if you quit every time you lose a few hands in a row, you’re doomed to spend your days at the pool or in your room.
Losses happen; it’s part of life. The faster you can accept that, the more fun you’ll have in the casino.
Don’t Go to the Casino With Bad Players
I’ve read this in a ton of casino travel-related material online and in print. They all suggest that you should leave your friends with reckless gambling habits at home.
Sure, you don’t need reckless influences at the casino. The advice is centered on bad players, period. This, ironically, most likely includes over 95% of their readers.
Casinos Are Built for Entertainment
If you can’t distinguish a line between your cousin from Cleveland laying $200 on the number six and doing the same for yourself, you’re the problem.
Your cousin likely has different gambling goals and ambitions. Furthermore, they’ll probably get more entertainment from that single bet than you make the entire trip.
So, take the friends and family that you love the most to the casino. If you’re stuck with overly serious gamblers, you may not have as much fun.
Besides, it can be a ton of fun to live vicariously through your loose and free friends.
Bet the Banker on a Streak
Baccarat is rapidly becoming the most popular casino table game on the planet. Once reserved for high-rollers and Bond villains, baccarat is on the main stage.
In places like Macau, baccarat is ruling the casino floors. Because of the game’s surge in popularity, there are tons of terrible pieces of advice around the internet and casino bars.
My favorite piece of terrible advice suggests that you only bet the banker on a streak. Meaning once the banker loses, you begin betting the player in the same manner.
Like most terrible advice, this piece has a kernel of excellence to it. You should always bet the banker, period. Baccarat tables charge a 5% commission on winning banker bets. Still, that’s only to give the casino a slight edge.
You should bet the banker exclusively. That 5% commission provides you with a house advantage of only 1.06%. You’ll have a hard time beating that on a game that can provide as much excitement.
Always Bet on Black
Alright, this is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Wesley Snipes film Passenger 57 from my childhood.
However, the famous line, “Always bet on black,” has become somewhat of a staple for ridiculous gambling pundits out of their element.
The fact is that black is one of the better even money bets in the casino. Still, it’s not any better than “always bet on red,” “even,” or “odd.”
Any of these bets are going to produce the same long-term results. I will admit that betting on black sounds the coolest of the four.
Really, what I suggest is to always bet on a single zero wheel. When you play real money roulette on a double zero wheel, you’re doubling the house edge on even-money bets.
Many casino gamblers don’t know or never notice the subtle difference between the two types of roulette wheels.
You never want to place a single bet on a roulette wheel with double zeros. The odds are so bad that you’ll be better served by making a bet on a hand of blackjack or dropping $25 into a slot machine.
In summation, it’s okay to always bet on black, but do it on a single zero wheel. Sounds like a boring way to gamble to me.
Don’t Let Somebody Swoop in and Steal Your Jackpot
Let’s go back to the horrible advice that gets tossed around the slots banks. Some players believe that the games are set to play on a particular cycle.
This misguided view leads players to believe that they can time their jackpot wins. For example, a machine pays a jackpot on every 2.5 million spins. So, a machine would pay out a jackpot every 18 months or so.
Some players will poor bags of money into a machine, inching it closer and closer to a $25k jackpot. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing when a jackpot will hit for a specific machine.
The likelihood that you’ll be the recipient of the windfall definitely goes up the longer you play. Still, if you adopt a mentality that the jackpot belongs to you, you’re in for a massive disappointment.
Even worse will be the resentment you harbor when someone else hits the jackpot.
You can’t control the random number generators. I have zero doubts about what a fantastic person you are, but the RNG doesn’t care. It’ll pay when a particular combination is triggered and not a moment before.
Skip the Players Club and Head for the Tables
I’m constantly amazed by the groups of casino gamblers that march right past the player’s desk and avoid getting all of the free casino benefits they earn.
It’s as if they were selling timeshares without the free set of Callaway irons.
Don’t miss out on all of the benefits earned by signing up for the player’s card. You can earn everything from free meals and show tickets to complimentary rooms and cashback.
This seems like a no-brainer to me, and it probably does to you. Still, there is a population of skeptics that would have you believe it’s all a scam.
Trading a $20 meal for all of the money you put in play isn’t a scam. You’ll be playing the games regardless, and the casino wants to keep customers happy.
Sign up for the rewards before placing a single bet and use it every table or machine you play at for the entire trip.
Conclusion
I know there’s plenty more to be examined when it comes to gambling and misinformation. Everywhere you look, the online world is finding new and creative ways to make you a worse casino gambler.
Take the worst gambling advice you’ll ever read and commit it to your memory before you hit the casino floor. You can’t break even playing casino games long-term unless you’re an advantage gambler.
Armed with the proper information regarding the best ways to play the games, you’ll walk out of the casino a winner more than ever.
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
