Mervyn Davids

Mervyn Davids

Posted on 11 March 2020

General Gambling Guide

So, you’re feeling lucky and want to throw some dice, spin a few reels and make a buck, take advantage of our free spins no deposit casino offers, play free slots with no deposit? Not so fast. If you are a beginner and have little or no experience with online casinos and gambling in general, you are at the right place. This general gambling guide will give you all the information you need in a brief and concise way so that you don’t become just another victim to an online casino.

If you want to give yourself the best chance of winning money and ensure that you don’t develop a crippling gambling addiction, we strongly suggest that you give this guide a read.

Without any further ado, let’s get started.

Problem Gambling

Before we get into all the various topics that you are itching to learn about and take advantage of in a casino setting, we first need to address one of the biggest issues with gambling – problem gambling.

You may think you are never the kind of person to get addicted to gambling, but you should know that any one from any walk of life can get hooked to gambling without even knowing they are getting addicted. It creeps up on you insidiously. Problem gambling is essentially an impulse control disorder.

If your answer to any of the below questions is yes, you may have a gambling problem (there are various degrees to it) and we recommend you get professional help for the same:

  • Do you feel the need to be secretive about your gambling?
  • Do you have trouble controlling your gambling
  • Do you gamble even when you don’t have the money?
  • Are your family and friends worried about your gambling?

Since the advent of online casinos, gambling has become much more accessible and people can play from anywhere and at any time, even from their mobile phones. Therefore, access to help, information about problem gambling is now necessary more than ever.

Some self help measures for problem gamblers include, learn to relieve unpleasant feelings in healthier ways, seek help from your support system, join a peer support group, if you are suffering from issues like depression, substance abuse or anxiety – that may be the root cause of your gambling problems and you should get help for the underlying issues first.

Some of the good online casinos these days even have their own responsible gambling features such as deposit limits, time limits, self – exclusion and more, if you want better control of your gambling, ensure that you utilize these features fully and effectively.

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Money Management

Money management is key to ensuring that you don’t lose too much money gambling. If you have a good money management strategy, it will help you stay composed and safe no matter how your luck is on any given day.

Online casinos are especially designed to encourage you to keep gambling, they use loyalty points, attractive promotions, jackpots and tournaments to lure you back in and keep you playing even after you have exhausted the money you planned to gamble with.

This is why it is important that you understand and are aware of some of the basic money management tips:

It is your money – when people gamble with casino credits or chips, they tend to disassociate this from real money. However, the fact of the matter is that it is real money and every penny is your hard – earned money. Remember, that if you play casino games long enough, you will lose all your money simply virtue of the fact that the house has a slight mathematical edge over you. Therefore, cash out when you are up and always play for fun, not in pursuit of money. The rule of thumb that is so often overlooked – if you are not having fun anymore, stop playing and don’t chase your losses.

Never played with money allocated for other things – set aside a gambling budget if you have to. Having some money aside for gambling might sound bad, but it is actually much better than gambling with no plan at all. When you don’t know what your gambling budget is, it is very easy to dig into your savings and other sources of money that is meant for other things like maybe rent, child support, etc. This can get you in a real sticky situation. Therefore, set aside a gambling budget and stop playing when the budget is exhausted, not a penny more.

Never drink and gamble – drinking inhibits your judgement and rationale. You could take risks that you would never take sober and make all kinds of other mistakes which can cost you a small fortune. In fact, land – based casinos are aware of this, this why they ensure there is a bar and maybe even a welcome drink when you enter the casino. At online casinos, you may be at the comfort of your own home but drinking while gambling online also has the same risks.

Never borrow money to gamble – this should ideally not need to be mentioned, but it is far too common and lands people in double trouble.

Don’t play games you don’t understand – a lot of novice players look at a casino like a kid looks at a candy store, lots of things to try and taste, however, this is an almost sure shot way to lose your money quickly. Either you learn the games and play them or stick to the games you are well versed with. If you really do want to try new games, try them in the demo mode or free mode where you are not risking real money.

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Good Game Types vs. Bad Game Types

Online casinos offer you a variety of games that are accessible with just a click of the mouse. If you prefer certain types of games and have more fun playing them then you should play them by all means. Having said that, you should know that different types of games have different odds. Therefore, if you are looking to play and win money, it would help to play games with better odds and better return to player percentages.

Remember that irrespective of the game category, the house always has the edge. It is just that the house edge on some games are minimal while the house edge on certain category of games are pretty considerable. Therefore, you would do well to avoid the latter types of games where the house has an unfair advantage.

What games you can play at online casinos (The Good)

Jacks or Better video poker – The 9/6 version of this game is one of the few games where the payout percentage is the highest of any type of casino game. This game is actually worth playing, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Make sure you play the 9/6 version, play the maximum coins to get the best odds, never keep a high card along with a pair and discard any low value pair.

Blackjack – We all know blackjack; it is a casino game where the casino edge is pretty small and sometimes the player can actually emerge on top. Here are some tips for playing blackjack at an online casino – play the table with the least number of decks, avoid variants of blackjack such as 6 -5 blackjack and Spanish 21, Avoid taking insurance.

Craps –The basics of Craps is to roll two dice. Depending on the sum of the numbers that result from the double dice roll, bettors on the pass line may win or bettors on the don’t pass line may win. The odds of the player vs the house in Craps is pretty balanced and ever so slightly tipped in favor of the house. Some tips that may help you win more while playing Craps are –Pass line bet with odds bet, come bet with odds, don’t pass bet with odds and don’t come bet with odds.

Baccarat – Baccarat looks a little overwhelming with all of its shine and luster, however, this is actually a decent game that offers higher than average odds for the player and actually gives you a chance at winning money. There are only three possible outcomes in Baccarat, and this game does not include any skill whatsoever unlike poker or blackjack. You could use these two tips to enhance your odds of winning when you play Baccarat at an online casino – always bet on the banker and you can also bet on the player’s hand.

What games you should avoid at online casinos (The Bad)

What you should know is that some types of games are better than others, however, even in the good category, some online casinos come up with variants or versions of these good games which are actually terrible for the player and gives the house a huge advantage.

Here are some games that you should avoid at an online casino if you don’t want to bite the dust:

  • Three card poker
  • Red Dog
  • Roulette
  • Keno
  • Big Six Wheel
  • Let it Ride
  • Caribbean Stud Poker

Software Providers

When it comes to online casinos games, you should know that choosing the right casino and the right casino games goes a long way in determining what kind of experience you are going to have. Most online casino operators source their casino games and the casino software from casino game developers.

Online casino software and games have changed tremendously from what it used to be. Technology has evolved exponentially since the advent of online casinos and it continues to get better every day. The way a casino looks, feels and even sounds is determined by the software used. Therefore, if you want to have a memorable online casino experience which is of the best quality, then you need to choose an online casino that works with only the best casino software providers.

Very few casinos actually develop their own software and games in house, there are now specialist companies that exclusively develop games and casino platforms. Some casinos get software from a single software provider while others source software from multiple providers.

When you are choosing an online casino or an online casino game to play, we recommend that you stick to only the top online casino software providers in the world.

Here are some recommendations when it comes to software developers:

Microgaming
MicrogamingMicrogaming is responsible for the first online real money casino game. They are pioneers of the industry and arguably the best at what they do. This company has been around since the first online casino and even before that. Even though Microgaming had their own casinos at the beginning, they are now into providing software to casino operator companies. They are known for some remarkable and iconic online casino games such as Mega Moolah and Major Millions.
NetEnt
NetEnt – Started in 1996, this company is known for their slot games. If you are someone that loves spinning the reels, then the NetEnt collection is surely one you must check out. Along with Microgaming, they are considered one of the forefathers of the online casino universe. A few of the best innovations from NetEnt include games like Divine Fortune, Mega Fortune and Gonzo’s Quest.
Realtime Gaming
Realtime GamingRealtime Gaming are also known as RTG was founded in 1998 and are also one of the early online game developers. They were originally based out of Georgia, USA, but have since moved their head quarters to Costa Rica. Renowned RTG games over the years include Cleopatra’s Gold, Lucha Libre and Cash Bandits 2.

Licensing

Staying on the topic of choosing the right online casino to play with, one of the most important things to check before you sign up and start playing at an online casino is the casino license. You want to ensure that the casino publishes their license # and are licensed and regulated by an authorized online gambling regulatory authority such as the UK Gambling Commission. Another measure you can take to verify you are making the right decision when you choose an online casino is to check on the casino operator company to ensure they are reputable and not blacklisted.

Published on: 2020/03/11