Every gambler looks for an edge; they are constantly thinking about unusual strategies that can help them get ahead. But gambling strategies are nothing new. They are centuries old, and every successive generation of casino and gaming enthusiasts has tried to use them to make money.

While odds are usually stacked in favor of the house – that’s how casinos make their money – they still have winners every day. It is the only way to keep patrons coming back. If clients always lost, they would abandon the pursuit altogether. 

Additionally, some people seem to have better casino luck than others. They know how to place great wagers and then play well enough to multiply bets into wins. They appear to have secret strategies that help them come out ahead, and they seem to be more fortunate than most. 

Do they have special systems that other gamblers aren’t aware of? Not quite. People who enjoy regular and sizeable wins at the casino have some things in common. 

The first is that they understand the games and the rules that govern them. They know the ins and outs of their favorite casino games and are open to learning even more if it helps them become better players.

The next thing that winners have in common is that they know how to place wagers well. Anyone can place a wager, but winners understand wagering requirements for different games, they understand how to calculate the best wagers, and they know the potential payout of each bet they place.

Good gamblers are also aware of what is happening around them. They are experts at reading tells, and much of their success comes from observing other players around the table and determining who has a winning and a losing hand. 

Lastly, these players have learned different casino betting strategies and use them as they see fit. There is no betting strategy that is a sure winner. As most gamblers are aware, it is all a game of luck. 

That said, some strategies can give players an edge, and anyone who wants to improve their game should learn how they work and when to use them. This article explores five such strategies.

Betting just a small percentage of the bankroll

Bankroll management is the first and most important lesson every gambler must learn about betting strategies. A bankroll is the amount of money that the player sets aside to use for a game or a session, and how they manage it determines whether they win or not. 

Why does anyone need a bankroll in the first place? Why not walk into the casino and place bets with what they have in their pockets? 

Bankrolls are all about management and self-control. By setting aside money that they can afford to part with, gamblers ensure that they do not overspend. Thus, their gambling doesn’t harm their financial wellbeing. 

The size of a bankroll depends on the wealth of the player. Some big spenders can afford to go in with several thousand dollars for each session, while others can only afford to spend in the double-digits or a few hundred dollars. 

As players determine the size of their bankroll, they are encouraged to think about how much they can comfortably lose. They should always assume that they will lose the money, and any wins are a stroke of luck. A bankroll shouldn’t eat into money that is needed for day-to-day expenditures. It is extra money the player can afford to lose.

After determining the size of their bankroll, the gambler chooses a game. They must think about how they will spend their money. The size of the bet is important because placing big bets means they run through their roll quickly and must leave the game sooner.

It seems counter-intuitive; after all, placing bigger wagers makes for potentially big windfalls. This is a temptation that good players avoid unless they know they have an excellent chance of recouping their investment. There is every chance that they could place a big bankroll and lose, and they will have nothing left to wager with. 

The best strategy is for players to place small bets, allowing them to bet for longer. The longer they are at the table, the higher their odds of winning. 

How much is a small bet? It is recommended that gamblers do not place any wager bigger than 3% of their bankroll. This means, for example, that if a player wants to place $5 bets on a game, they should have a bankroll of $170. 3% allows gamblers to weather the volatility of the game. Every session has ups and downs, so placing small bets allows them to stay and ride the waves. 

The Martingale system

This is one of the most popular casino strategies and experienced players use it because they know that it gives them a good chance at windfalls. 

The premise behind it is simple; the player doubles their bet amount for each round until they win. This is a good betting system to use in games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, and it relies on the player being at the table long enough to eventually become a winner. 

Via this strategy, they double their bet amount every time they lose so that by the time they win the amount is significant enough to cover their losses. If, for example, a player bets $1 and loses, they should place a $2 bet in the next round, and if they lose their next bet should be $4. 

As gambling is all about probability, they will eventually win, and their ever-increasing bet amounts will help them recoup the money they spent and make a little profit. 

This is a great system because it is easy for anyone to understand and helps players recoup losses. It is aggressive and can make newbies feel a little unsettled, however, but once they understand how it works, they can adjust their bet sizes so that doubling after losses isn’t so troubling. 

It is important to note that this system only works for players with a sizeable bankroll, and it can only be used in certain games. It typically applies only at tables that have broad wagering limits. It’s a good idea to check whether the establishment allows such broad wagers before getting started.

d’Alembert system

This is like the Martingale system but with a small difference – rather than doubling the bet amount, the player increases it by one unit after each loss. Gamblers decide what a unit is, which means that it can be anything they want. A player can decide that a unit for a certain game is $10, so after each loss, they increase their bet amount by $10. 

Again, like the Martingale system, it means that if they stay at the table long enough, they will win, and they will win an amount large enough to cover their losses and make a small profit. However, it is important to remember that it requires a sizeable bankroll to use a system that requires players to double bets after losses. It can also be psychologically troubling for some, especially when they encounter long -losing streaks. 

The Paroli system

This system relies on positive progression, which means that players only increase their bet amounts when they win. The idea is to get three wins in a row while doubling the bet after each win. 

The player starts by placing a bet on an even-money outcome. If they lose, they place the same bet again, and the player keeps placing the same wager so long as they are losing. 

However, when they win, their next bet will be double their wager, and if they win a second time, they double their wager again. The player must do this for three successive wins. If they win the third one, they take home a tidy profit. After the three bets, they shouldn’t continue; if they want to keep playing, they ought to place a fresh bet. 

The logic is that a player can maximize their bets during winning streaks and minimize their risk when they are losing. Losses tend to be gradual and unspectacular, and most players can weather them quite well.

The great thing about the Paroli system is that gamblers don’t need to have a large bankroll to use it and most table limits can accommodate whatever wagers the player places. 

Fibonacci system

This is another popular betting strategy in casinos, mainly used in roulette, though some players also use it for slot games. The Fibonacci system is like the Paroli, but it is a negative progression. The player increases their wager after they lose, only a little at a time. 

If a player loses, their next bet is the sum of the two previous wagers. A basic progression could look something like this: zero, one, one, two, three, five, eight, 13, 21, and 34. If a player begins by betting a dollar and loses, their next bet will be another dollar, and if they lose that they should bet $2. If they lose that, their next bet will be the sum of their two previous bets, so they place a wager of $3. 

There are two main advantages to using the Fibonacci system. The first is that it lowers the risk during losing streaks – players increase their bets by minimal amounts. The other advantage of this system is that, by placing small bets, they can stay within table limits and have a better chance of winning.

Most players who understand how to use this system can end just about every session with a profit. It is a great way to recoup losses, and it certainly makes gambling more exciting. 

However, it is important to remember that it is a little bit complicated and may take a while to understand, and it also requires a sizeable bankroll. Furthermore, it can also accelerate losses, so it all depends on how much risk the player is willing to take. 

These five strategies aren’t the only recommendations for newbies at the casino. There are many other things they can do to increase their odds of winning, and the more frequently they play, the faster they learn.

It is a good idea, for example, to always choose games that have a low house edge. The house edge is the amount of money that the casino keeps from each wager, and it varies from game to game. 

Some games are easy to win but have a high house edge, which means that any significant winnings are eroded by the house cut. Before playing any game, it is important to check what the house edge is and think about how much the take-home will be in the event of a win. 

Understanding different strategies for different games is also important. In roulette, for example, gamblers are advised to play outside bets as much as possible because although they pay less, they have a higher chance of coming in. For craps, they should stick with pass or don’t pass and avoid complicated bets unless they understand exactly how they work. Lastly, all the betting strategies in the world will not mean a thing if a player doesn’t choose a reputable casino. Renowned casinos take care of their patrons, make sure that tables are properly calibrated, and pay players immediately. For example, Resorts Casino is one of the most reputable establishments in New Jersey. It is one of the oldest in the city and has a large variety of table games and slot games that players can choose from.