There are many reasons why casinos have become so popular all over the world. The number of games both in brick-and-mortar casino establishments and online platforms keeps increasing, and as casinos are now more accessible than ever, people are finding new ways to have fun and make money at the same time.
The truth is, making money in casinos is not as easy as it seems; it takes skills, strategy, and a lot of luck. And while there are many strategies that promise guaranteed winnings, being an advantage player is the only solid way to beat casinos at their own game.
Advantage players, or APs, are players that use various strategies to put the odds in their favor, often using strategies that are barely within the rules. So, before you go reading a Wild Card City review or something similar to find a place to play, here are some of the most common methods that advantage players use to make money in casinos:
Counting Cards
If you’ve ever taken an introductory course in statistics or dove deeper into poker strategies, you’ve probably heard about counting cards. This technique is the most popular and most effective among regular casino players.
The idea is simple: you keep track of the high and low cards that have been revealed, which allows you to know when the deck is in your favor. This may sound like one of the basic rules of playing many casino card games, but there’s more to it.
Advantage players use a system to keep track of the cards, which makes it a lot easier to know when to make a higher or lower bet. It’s not easy to use this technique and get it right, but if you master it, your chances of winning get significantly higher.
Dice Control
While counting cards is a technique that can be used on almost any card-based casino game, dice control is less common. Dice control is a strategy used by some craps players. It requires the player to throw dice with a certain amount of force and release them in a way that makes it more likely to land on numbers such as five, six, or eight.
This technique also requires a lot more practice, and even then, it’s not a guaranteed success. But if you’re skilled enough, it can give you a significant advantage. This is why some casinos have even banned players that use this technique. And unfortunately, there’s little you can do when playing online.
Roulette Observation
No roulette wheel is perfect. Even the highest-quality ones have imperfections, and with some observation and math, APs can use this to win big. In other words, advantage players observe roulette wheels and use the information they gather to estimate where the ball will land and bet accordingly.
Just as with dice control, there is some luck element attached to it, and it may prove time-consuming, but again, if you’re skilled enough, it can give you a significant advantage.
Strategy Cards
Video poker is one of the most popular casino games, and it is also one of the most popular games among advantage players. This is because it’s one of the few casino games where you can actually use a specific card that increases your chances of winning.
These strategy cards are based on the probability of each hand and give you a pretty clear idea of what you should do in every situation. While some casinos have banned the use of strategy cards, others don’t mind them, as they don’t necessarily guarantee that you will win.
Hole-Carding
Hole-carding is a technique used in blackjack and is banned almost everywhere unless you don’t use any devices. Hole-carding involves observing the dealer’s cards without them knowing and using that information to make better bets.
This is a very difficult technique to master and requires a lot of skill. Rubbernecking on the dealer’s cards may result in getting thrown out of the casino, but if you manage to pull it off, it will give you a significant advantage. Just remember not to make it obvious!
Exploiting Compensated Errors
Compensated errors are somewhat related to hole-carding. Some casinos have this unwritten rule that if you somehow manage to outplay the house (such as by hole-carding), you won’t get punished – and maybe only asked to leave.
This can refer to human errors, such as the dealer showing you a glimpse of their cards or mis-shuffling the deck, but also to technical errors, such as a machine malfunctioning or faulty RNG. If you manage to notice them and capitalize on them, you can win big without anyone getting suspicious.
Comps
Casinos think of comps as a marketing tool. They offer freebies to good players in the hopes of them returning for more. But good advantage players know how to work the system and beat the house out of comps.
APs usually gamble in high stakes and bet large sums. This allows them to get a lot of complimentary things, such as free meals, drinks, and even rooms. But how to know exactly how to ask for what you want? The answer is to have good interpersonal skills and be able to talk yourself out of a situation.
To Sum Up
Being an advantage player means knowing how to beat the house at their own game. This is not easy to do, but if you master it, it can be a very profitable way to make money in casinos.
Using strategy cards, exploiting compensated errors and complimentary bonuses, or hole-carding are some of the best ways to gain the slight unfair advantage you need to make money in casinos. But remember that being an advantage player is not easy and requires a lot of skill, strategy, and luck.
So, good luck and remember to have fun!
