Believe it or not, you don't need a lot of computational skills to play better at the casino. Sure, it's helpful to study the rules of the games and upgrade your understanding of the mathematics behind the odds. But what happens if you don't feel like attending a gambler's school? There's good news in store! If you are on the hunt for some sensible advice on how to enhance your fun at the casino, you've come to the right place. We've got excellent tips to make your gambling bankroll stretch a whole lot further. That way, you'll have a whole lot more fun at the casino. Throughout my three decades in the casino world, I've picked up a trick or two along the way. These techniques may well help to stretch your gambling budget, boosting your overall casino experience to the max!
Decrease the Amount You Bet Per Play
When you decrease the size of your bets, you can decelerate your losses and increase the number of spins or plays you enjoy. This invariably stretches your bankroll further. This rule of play holds even when you switch to a casino game with a higher house edge, such as from blackjack to roulette or from roulette to slots.
* Are you losing too much money too quickly on C$ slot machine games? No worries, you can extend the playing power of your bankroll by decreasing the size of your bets. Change from the C$1 slot machine game to a C$0.25 slot game. And if that gets a bit too much, switch to the C$0.05 or penny slots games! Fortunately, you can always drop it down a notch if you start high. If you play multi-line slots at high coin denominations per line, play less per line rather than playing fewer lines. Most slot machine games allow you to play just one coin per payline while still accessing all of the exciting bonus elements.
* Perhaps you are placing C$50 bets at the casino tables? If you're trying to stretch your bankroll further, and enhance your fun for longer, drop it down a gear to C$10 or C$5 chips. Pick the lowest-minimum bets you can afford per game you are interested in playing. Even with low-value chips at casino table games, you can still get raucous and have a blast with other players at the tables. This is true even when playing blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or craps. Plus, you still get to enjoy complimentary drinks being served to you by the casino hosts.
Reduce your Rate of Play
* As a slot player, moving around from one machine to the next is a good idea. You're not spending money when you are moving around and searching for slot machines to play. This reduces the amount of money you feed into these voracious slot machines. When you walk around searching for machines, you're not spending any money because you're not gambling! Trust me when I tell you that you get no brownie points for being a speed demon with slots – you only burn through your bankroll much quicker. If you prefer to play casino table games, choose heavily crowded tables because it reduces your play rate. When you place fewer bets per hour, you lose less per hour.
* Select a thinking game rather than a mindless 'spin to win' game. Any game that requires you to pause and pay attention to the actions you will take is a good option. Think of video poker as a case in point. You're dealt five cards face up, and then you have to decide which cards to hold and which to fold. When you are contemplating your options, you are not gambling. This reduces your rate of play. You may even make improved holding decisions and win more money over the long term.
* Take regular breaks. There's no reason you need to be stuck at the casino tables or slot machine games for an inordinate amount of time. You can just as easily get up from your seat and walk around the casino, get something to eat, have a drink, go place some bets on the ponies, or go on a walkabout. While you take regular breaks, you are reducing your rate of play.
* Team up with a playing partner. Consider this: you reduce your risk by 50% when you double up. I remember this couple playing at the casino. They had an ingenious technique – they reduced the rate of play with video poker when one person played for real money, and the other one observed. Then they would switch it around. This method reduced the rate at which they burned through their bankroll. When they hit four of a kind, they stopped playing, embraced and kissed to celebrate. What a way to play!
Sign up to Receive Benefits from the Players Club
* This complimentary technique is a great way to boost your benefits. A players club card can be used in any machine or shown to any casino table game host before you commence play. Once you use it, you immediately start earning benefits. It's possible to redeem players club points for cash or free play. This can then be added to your bankroll so that you can play for longer. From time to time, you can convert the players club points into comps. The casino may even give players additional comp benefits as an extra reward for their patronage. This enhances your overall casino experience.
* It's possible to earn points with many different gambling actions, not simply table games, slots, and video poker machines. For example, you can earn benefits with race books, sports betting, keno, bingo, live poker and the like. There are many casinos today where players club credits are awarded for any expenditure at the casino – not simply gambling activity. You could eat at a restaurant, drink at the bar, go to a show, or shop in a store and still receive benefits.
* Players club membership also confers another important benefit that goes over most players' heads – you get on the casino mailing list! This is a great way to get valuable products for many years to come. Expect many years of fun at the casino once you make it on the list.
Keep Your Eyes Open for Extra Casino Benefits
Like other competitive businesses, casinos are always looking for novel ways to attract and retain customers. This puts you into a favourable position – you have the player's choice. So keep a watchful eye over all these ways you can add value to your game. Thrifty gamblers have become immensely successful gamblers over the years by scouting out and locking in all these extras that casinos have to offer. Listed below are my level best extras that have provided lots of exciting and rewarding benefits to other players and me for the past 30 years:
* Special day promos – casinos are always rewarding players on special days—for example, seniors, veterans, or holiday-style bonuses. If you can find multiple-point days, those are very valuable. When the basic player club points shoot up in value, you'll have many more comp benefits and cash in your account.
* Coupons for gambling – gambling coupons come in the form of free play for slots machines and are often given to players as a signup bonus for the players club. And when it comes to table games, match-plays are another popular option. When you use a gambling coupon, this is one of the few times you have a competitive edge over the casino. Granted, making coupon runs can be time-consuming, but coupons have a great long-term benefit.
* Coupons for non-gambling – you can get significant discounts on entertainment, food and drink with non-gambling coupons. Check out all the freebie magazines, fun books, airline tickets, the bell desk at the hotel, or the back of Uber, Lyft or taxi seats. There's no point paying full price for a fancy show at the casino when you can get tickets for a discounted price. Think of it this way – the less you spend on non-gambling expenses, the more you have available for spending on gambling activity!
* Lucky drawings – while we certainly don't advise spending more money than you can afford to lose or exceeding your budget in any way, you can enter into drawings by collecting them from your regular play. Keep an eye out for the starter tickets offered by the casino for drawings. There is no risk to the player whatsoever!
* Freebies – No surprise that free is my favourite word at the casinos. But what may surprise you is the value of freebies at the casino. You're in luck if you don't have to risk any of your own money for free stuff at the casino. There are loads of freebies such as free spins, free pulls, free drawings, free drinks, free snacks, free trinkets (keychains, cupholders, hats, pens and pencils), and free logo merchandise, free photos, and so much more. While many of these are inexpensive souvenirs, they can always be enjoyed as keepsakes or gifts.
* Tournament play – many players love tournaments! Tournaments provide a pleasurable experience and the potential for a mega payout. Unfortunately, many tournaments have costly entry fees that can break your budget. But here's the kicker – many smaller tournaments are also available at casinos. Some of these are low-cost or free entry options to get you into the casino. And the best part is that you don't need much skill or experience to play tournaments because they're readily available with slots games. There is no additional risk to your bankroll (budget) even if they take several hours to play, such as a live poker tournament.
These are a few of the many ideas available to you. In addition, you can enhance your fun at the casino by reducing the amount of money you spend per unit of time. Put these measures to the test, and remember to look for inventive ways to boost the value of your overall casino experience.
