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How to Win at the Casino: Tips and Tactics for Beginners

Casinos are rarely as lavish or exciting as the movies make them out to be.

Movies like Ocean's 11, Casino, Rounders, and James Bond make it seem like an exhilarating experience. Growing up on such movies tainted my first experience gambling in a casino. I walked in thinking I was about to have hours of fun on my $100 budget.

Instead, I lost it all on the slots in about 10 minutes. Ouch!

We've put together some best practices and tips to give you a better understanding and increased chances to win while making the most of your first casino experience. Whether you're in Vegas, playing video poker in a bar, or online gambling via an online casino, we've got you covered.

Before you go

Budget

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Set your budget for the amount of money you can spend before you go, and stick to it. If you cannot afford to lose the money you bring, then you shouldn't be gambling. We recommend you leave your credit and debit cards at home, if possible, so as not to be tempted to play more money.

Research

The most important thing to understand before you even set foot inside the casino is this: The house always has the advantage.

Your chances of walking out richer are very low. But, by playing smart and doing your homework beforehand, you can raise your chances of getting ahead.

While it's best you learn how to play the games at home before going to the casino, it's possible to walk in and play any game without having any prior knowledge of how it works. You can approach tables and let the dealer know you want to play but don't know how, and they will instruct you on the basics to play.

However, as proper etiquette, it is best to try this at the least crowded table so as not to disrupt current players.

Rules

It's no fun getting yelled at by a pit boss or dealer for doing something wrong. And because of cheating, the rules in casinos can be strict.

Never take your phone out when playing a table.

Never sit at a table unless you are playing.

When it comes to your chips, never touch them once they are on the tablet; and likewise, don't touch your chip earnings until the dealer is done handing them all to you.

When tipping, always do so in chips, never cash.

It's customary to tip on each win and then again when you leave the table.

Rewards Programs

Many casinos have incentive/rewards programs you can join and are often free. They offer things such as bonus chips, free plays, vouchers for dining or hotels, and so on. It's always best practice to check out the website of the casino you plan to visit beforehand to see if they offer any incentives.

Slots Tips

Simpsons gambling at slot machines Giphy

Although the slot machines are the easiest and most popular games to play at casinos, they have the highest house edge (the casino's advantage to each game).

Slot machines usually have a typical house edge of anywhere as low as 2% and as high as 15%.

The good news for beginners: everyone has the same chance of winning, so there's zero skill required to play. However, having a better understanding of the types of slots and strategies used may help you walk away happy.

It can be overwhelming walking into a casino and seeing hundreds of different brightly lit flashing slot machines all around you. Which one do you choose? Is one better than the other?

To start, it's good to know the different types of slot machines found in a casino. They are the classic three-line slots, five real slots with multiple pay lines, and progressive slots. With progressive slots, the jackpot continuously grows until someone hits it, similar to the lottery. An important takeaway from progressive slots is to make sure you are betting enough to hit the jackpot, as some of them may have minimum bets that can never win the jackpot.

Each slot type has its advantages. If you are simply looking for the highest payout chance, progressive slots are best; however, they have a higher house edge. You're more likely to lose your bankroll (budgeted gambling money) quickly on a progressive slot. If you're looking to sit and enjoy your time at the slots, a three-line or five-line is best.

If you're short on cash or want to play without risking high loses, try out the penny slots (meaning you only need to spend $0.01 to spin each time) at casinos. Some casinos even offer free spins.

Tables Games

Table games are the livelihood of any casino. Although many table game options can be found within casinos, roulette, blackjack, craps, and baccarat are considered the best starter games because of their low house edge. This is where experienced gamblers hunt for big winnings.

Roulette

roulette tips, gif from "South Park" Giphy

Roulette is one of the oldest and most popular casino games that is quick to learn and requires no skill. Understanding odds and probabilities are vital to playing well at the roulette wheel. There are two types of bets to place in roulette: inside bets and outside bets.

Inside bets are wagers on specific numbers on the table. The odds of winning on an inside bet single number are only 2.7%. To increase your chances, you can split your bet anywhere up to six corresponding numbers on the board.

Outside bets include betting on even/odd numbers, red/black, high/low, dozens, and columns. The lowest risk comes with betting either even/odd or red/black, but this type of bet comes with a lower payout.

Other than understanding odds and probabilities, casino experts always advise playing at a European roulette table over an American roulette table, if possible.

Your chances of winning on a European table are higher than at its American counterpart, because American roulette has an extra slot number.

Blackjack

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Blackjack is widely considered a good starting point for beginners at card games. It's important to understand when you should hit, stand, split, or double down to get the most out of the game. To start, you should always play tables that have 3:2 payouts over the 6:5 payout tables. It's never wise to take the insurance side bet, split tens, or hit on or after 17. Doubling down, which is doubling your bet in the middle of the hand, can be a wise move if your cards total 11 and the dealer has a 6 or less when you have a soft (card plus an ace) 16,17, or 18, or a hard (no ace) 9 or 10. It's not recommended to double down, however, if the dealer is holding an ace.

Craps

Snoop Dogg playing Craps Giphy

Craps is a popular dice game played at the casino that is also easy to learn. The best strategies for beginners are the pass/don't pass and come/don't come strategy. The pass or come will give you the lowest risk.

Baccarat

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Baccarat is mainly a game of luck with a little strategy, but it has a fairly low house edge. One aspect that makes this game a good starting point for beginners is that you only have three betting options.

You can bet on the banker winning, the player winning, or a tie.

The house edge is highest on tie bets, so it's recommended never to bet this way.

Statistics show that the banker has the higher odds of winning, so even though a bet on the banker takes a small commission of your winnings, it's still best to bet on the banker.

Poker Games

poker game tips and strategies Giphy

Poker games can often intimidate first-timers at the casino, but in all probability, you're not going to be playing against poker stars like you would see on ESPN. You are more likely to be playing against beginners just like yourself. With some understanding of the different poker games and basic tips, you can better your chances of winning at poker games.

Look for tables with stakes/buy-ins that correspond to your bankroll. It wouldn't make much sense to enter a table with high stakes and buy-ins if you don't have a high budget.

A great betting strategy is to start conservative and not to bluff. That way you play it safe at first, and if you make it far, you can start being riskier and have better chances at bluffing. It's also important to study your opponents and learn their betting tendencies.

The Bottom Line

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It's most important to understand one key aspect to gamble at any casino: The house always has the advantage. If you can manage your budget and understand your odds of winning at each game, then you have a better chance of walking away with cash. But more importantly, it's vital to know that hot streaks don't last.

In the words of Kenny Rogers, "You've got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to talk away, know when to run."

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6 Easy Ways to Save Money

Mattermark.com

Everyone wants to save money, but life on a strict budget can start to feel like an exercise in misery.

But living paycheck to paycheck is also exhausting, so how can you save money without making life boring? To help you with this balance, we've gathered the easiest tips and tricks for saving money with relatively little hassle.

Buy Generic

Most people think that buying the store brand cereal means a decrease in quality, but in reality most generic products come from the same factory as the name brand, meaning you get the same product for serious savings.

Buy Bulk

If you know your family is going to go through X number of toothpaste tubes in coming months, why not stock up all at once? Buying bulk is usually cheaper than buying individually, especially as big box stores like Costco, so look for deals when it comes to the non-perishable goods you know your family will use.

Consolidate Debt

Take advantage of historically low interest rates to pay off high-interest debt, and save you and your family a bundle.

Only Eat Out on Special Occasions

Make a dinner out with your significant other an intimate date night saved for special events. Chances are you won't really mind giving up your $11 salad that you rush to eat on your lunch break. Start brown-bagging your lunches as often as you can, and watch the savings grow.

Maintain Your Car

A well maintained car is an inexpensive car. If you ensure your tires are properly inflated to increase gas mileage and that you're regularly checking all of your cars systems, you can avoid preventable (and expensive) problems from occurring and keep your car on the road as long as possible.

Get a Cashback Reward Card

If you have a credit card already, why not get one with benefits? For the best savings options, choose a rewards card that offers a percentage of cash back for every dollar you spend.

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How to Budget for Long and Short Term Goals

Blinq Blog

Unless you're Mackenzie Bezos or ex-husband Jeff, chances are you budget your money. You know how much of your monthly income you want to spend on groceries, rent, and leisure, and maybe you even put a portion of each paycheck in savings. But what about budgeting for a specific goal? Is it a short term or long term goal? What are the best tools for both?

Identify Your Financial Goals

Your first step should be identifying the kind of financial goal you're trying to reach. Some examples of short term goals are things like: payments toward rent, insurance or student loans, expensive personal items (new car, new fur coat etc.), travel, a wedding or other event, and home repairs/remodels. These goals are more immediate expenses that you will pay in a matter of months and often require a set amount of money up front. In contrast, long term goals are less likely to have a set amount and more likely to be things that you'd like to continue to expand indefinitely, such as retirement funds or college funds. (Of course, things like paying off a loan or a house are a combination of long and short term goals, since a single loan payment falls under short term goals, while paying off the entirety of a loan is more likely to be a long term goal).

Prioritize Your Financial Goals

The next step is prioritizing your goals. As Nerd Wallet puts it, "Work your goals around your usual expenses, focusing on needs like food and shelter first. Emergency and retirement funds are also high priority; contribute to these funds and pay off debt next. Then you can decide how to allocate the rest of your money toward your wants and other savings goals." Essentially, if you only have a small amount of leftover money each month, you shouldn't put it all towards buying a boat if you have student loans to pay off.

How to Create Your Budget

First, if you don't already have one, budget your necessary monthly expenses as precisely as possible. These necessary expenses include paying for food, living expenses, transportation, and recreation. Try to work out how much you spend on these things in an average month, and then consider if there are any areas you could cut down without great personal cost, such as eating out one less time a week. Once you have this basic budget established, create a timeline for your short and long term goals. To do this, you can use this 50/30/20 budget calculator to determine where exactly your money should go.

After you have a plan laid out, all that's left is actually sticking to the budget you created for yourself, and then you can watch your goals get closer and closer to fruition!

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The 3 Best Apps to Help You Manage Your Money

From saving for a big purchase to paying off a loan, money management apps can help you take control of your finances. However, selecting one can be more difficult than figuring out the interest, fees, or charges on your latest credit card statement. We rounded up the top three apps to help you manage money.

1. Mint

Since 2006, Mint has helped people stay on a budget and track their finances. This free app is a good choice if you are trying to cut expenses but don't want to resort to an Excel spreadsheet for finance management. Mint doesn't require any software installation, and you can use the mobile app or access the site on a browser.

Mint combines all the different aspects of your financial life into one place. It handles budgets, bills, credit scores, and investments. You can add an unlimited number of accounts, such as bank accounts or credit cards, and automatically track them. Mint provides tips to help you manage money based on the goals you set. In addition, it sends alerts for upcoming bills, organizes all the bills in one place, and alerts you to unusual account changes.

2. Acorns

The Acorns app helps you save money with little effort. Although it is not free, Acorns is very affordable with $1, $2, and $3 per month plans. College students can get the $1 per month plan for free. The app lets you automatically save and invest money on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Acorns invests your spare change by rounding up to the nearest dollar every time you make a purchase with a debit or credit card. Then, it takes the spare change from your checking account and moves it into your Acorns investment account. Next, the app automatically invests it in your portfolio. You can also move a lump sum for investing or set up recurring contributions to a retirement account.

3. Credit Karma

Your credit is an important part of your financial life and affects your insurance rates, ability to take out a new loan, or get a lease on a rental property. Credit Karma lets you check your credits scores with an easy app for free. The app provides credit scores from TransUnion and Equifax, along with the reports, so you can track progress. Checking them with this free service doesn't affect your scores.

Credit Karma also gives you personalized recommendations to improve your credit and save money. The insights help you analyze the scores in a simple way. If anything changes, its credit-monitoring feature sends you alerts. It can also track your email address to search for breached accounts and notify you.

Ignoring your finances won't help you get out of debt or manage a budget, but you don't have to do it alone. Try one of these three money management apps to stay on track. We promise that there are no complicated spreadsheets or calculus involved in using them.

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