Online Gambling - How to Stay Safe and Increase Profits
Whether you are a seasoned pro or a first time gambler the main aim in playing is to hopefully win some money and have fun. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that this will happen but there are ways you can help yourself increase profits and also stay safe.
Set a strict bankroll for each session
You will hear gamblers talking about making a bankroll strategy. This is essential to keeping control of your finances. Set an amount for your bankroll and stick to it. Let’s say for example you are playing poker. Decide how much you want and can afford to play with and set this aside. This is for poker only and it is also all you will play with.
Don’t be tempted to add more into the bankroll if you lose it all. This will happen but setting your bankroll will limit your losses. If you are on a losing streak and your bankroll is decreasing rapidly then reduce your stakes. By doing this you will reduce losses and once you have added to your funds with a few wins you can increase the stakes again.
Don’t make rash decisions. If you are having a bad run stick to your normal play. Increasing stakes in a desperate move to win your money back is a surefire way to lose more money quickly. Stay calm and focused.
Set limits on your gambling
An online casino will have some great features for keeping track of the time and money you spend online. You can put controls on how much you can deposit in a week or a session plus you can see how many hours you are able to be online. Of course there is no way to stop you going to another website but these are still useful for keeping track and not warning you when you try to deposit more than you have allowed yourself. Remember, gambling is a form of entertainment and therefore supposed to be enjoyable. If you feel that you have a problem then there are many organisations that can help such as gamstop.
Sign on bonuses and freebies
When choosing casinos online look for sign up bonuses or other offers. Online bingo games will offer free cards. Slots give free spins and casinos that are competing for new players will offer cash incentives to sign up.
Not only are these obviously very welcome but they can help maximise your profits. The market is very competitive and it is worth taking your time to look for the best offers out there.
To make the most of any free cash you should use it on your favourite games in the same way you would normally. Don’t be tempted to use it on a wild, rash gamble that you wouldn’t normally touch. By using it sensibly you are basically increasing your bankroll and giving yourself more chances to increase your winnings.
Stay in control
You may like to play late at night or maybe you like to have a drink while you are playing poker. There is nothing wrong with doing either of these things as long as you don’t overdo them. People make bad decisions when they are tired or drunk. If you are tired, log out, put down the smartphone and get some rest. Likewise limit your drinking during cash games. You will be thanking yourself the next day when you still have your bankroll and didn’t make any losses through poor decision making.
Practise your gaming
Don’t just jump into cash games without first getting used to them. There are many free to play games out there and some online casinos will let you play their games for fun before you start adding deposits and gambling. Take advantage of these to get used to the game you have chosen and try out strategies. Once you feel comfortable you can use real cash or ideally that sign up bonus they gave you.
Learn the rules and strategies
It stands to reason that you should learn the rules but many people just start playing without really grasping all the rules of the game. If you are new to poker for instance it is essential you learn what all the hands are. If you are a total novice but really want to learn you might want to print out the hands and their rankings. As mentioned above practise and refer to these printouts. Soon you will know them from memory.
But, it is not just the rules you need to master there are various strategies out there that can help to increase profits. Like anything in gambling there is no guarantee or surefire winning formula but learning some strategies for your chosen game could help. If you are playing blackjack for instance it is essential that you learn basic strategy. This is an absolute must for any blackjack player.
Play games with a low house edge
The house edge or vig is the expected profit that the casino expects from the player’s original bet. This is expressed as a percentage. For instance backgammon has a house edge of up to 6.4% but blackjack has a vig of only 1-1.5%.
By playing skill based games you should generally have a better chance of winning. Baccarat, three card poker and blackjack being three of the best games to try. Not all luck based games have a high edge though and craps can be as low as 1.5% so if you enjoy playing this exciting game then it may be worth trying.
When all is said and done
There is no way to promise you will make big wins but if you follow these tips you can minimise losses and hopefully increase your profits. Remember to research the best bonuses, practice and learn the rules, build a bankroll strategy and learn gaming strategies, choose the best game for you and play when sober & alert and you will be helping yourself to improve your chances.