Sucker Bets, Sucker Games, & Other Money-Melting Gambling Strategies

Casino Floor on Right and a Closeup of a Roulette Wheel on Left

There are thousands of ways to watch your money quickly begin to vanish from your gambling bankroll in a casino. The casino meticulously designs everything from the games to the carpet to help separate you from your cash.

Even when players walk into the casino and play the games perfectly, they could still lose because of the house’s advantage. So, players engaging in reckless or poor gambling tactics have almost no hope of holding onto their money.

Most recreational gamblers will eventually get tired of losing and begin looking for new and more productive gambling habits. However, the effort can be for nothing if they don’t simultaneously discard the destructive patterns.

Toss these gambling habits that melt your money away and watch your gambling results improve overnight.

Constantly Chasing One Big Score

The games that offer the most significant jackpots are usually laden with troubles lurking around every corner. These games offer huge scores that pay out huge sums in a lump win.

What they don’t provide are the smaller incremental wins that help you float your bankroll and extend your gambling session. Making the play for one big score only pays off if you’re the lucky one that actually wins the jackpot.

Everyone else is merely donating to the prize for the eventual winner.

The goal for every recreational gambler should be to keep gambling for as long as possible. The more entertainment you can get for the money, the better you’re doing.

Instead of playing games with high volatility, focus on wagers that pay out smaller increments over time. You may not ever win the $1 million prize, but you could take home small wins that prove helpful for vacationing with family.

I wouldn’t trade any sum of cash for the memories I’ve made with friends and family traveling through the years.

All Risk, No Reward

Piggybacking on the players chasing the mammoth jackpots are players that go all risk during their casino session and typically see no reward. I’m talking about the extreme of pot chasing or aggressive betting.

These players engage in a vast array of gambling activities but tend to gravitate towards skill-based games, ironically. You may often encounter the players in online poker tournaments where they push all-in on every hand.

The tactic usually catches up to them quickly. But if they can get lucky at the beginning against other aggressive players, it may float them all the way to the money.

Crowd at Poker Tournament, Pile of Cash

Sometimes, players will use their entire bankroll to buy-in for a giant poker tournament. This all-or-nothing approach will leave you empty-handed far more often than it provides anything of substance.

You’ll also find these reckless gamblers in the casino sportsbook, where they lay all of their gambling funds on a single event. If they double up, it can be a massive payday.

However, a loss can be downright crippling for the gambler as they scramble to rebuild their bankroll. You can get so much more out of gambling as a hobby by exercising better money management and being a bit less greedy.

Slot Machine RTP Kills Bankrolls

Many of you aren’t going to like this, but playing slot machines is draining your money at a rapid pace. Part of the incredible drain on your funds is due to the breakneck speed that the reels spin.

That’s not the biggest draw, though, that gets credited to the games’ RTP. Return to player represents the percentage of money a slot machine pays back to players.

So, a game with 100% RTP would basically give everyone their money back—at least someone would get your money back.

Unfortunately, most games come in with an RTP much lower than 100%. On the Las Vegas Strip, the most popular slot machines payout only 88%.

That translates to a house edge of a frightful 12%. Compare that to games like blackjack or baccarat, and you’ll find the house edge is over 10 times higher on slot machines.

You can’t help but lose money with those kinds of odds. Start playing the games with a better house edge, and you’ll keep more of your money in your gambling bankroll.

Embracing Betting Systems That Defy Simple Math

If you think you’ve cracked the code by implementing a varied bet size wagering system, I have more bad news for you.

Systems like the Martingale may sound good in theory, but when you put them under a microscope, they crumble. If you’re doubling your bet after each loss, one of two scenarios will occur.

You either simply exchange blows with the casino until you bankrupt yourself or you hit the table limit and can’t continue. I’ve watched both of these play out hundreds of times in casinos around the world.

Chips Stacks on Top and a Roulette Table on Bottom

If these players had simply stuck with a flat bet amount, they could stretch their bankroll into hours and even days of casino action.

Stop embracing flawed betting systems and bad casino strategies, and you’ll get much more from your casino bankroll.

Trying to “Look the Part”

Many casino gamblers would do well to stop trying to look the part of the high roller. The only people that really care if you’re a high roller is the casino.

The players trying to appear like hotshots can’t touch the stakes of the true whales. So, you’re basically blowing money for no reason other than to impress a group of strangers.

Suppose your fragile ego can’t take the normalcy that comes from being part of the casino experience. In that case, you should probably read some self-help literature.

Sometimes, players feel pressured into playing higher stakes because their friends have more disposable income. The most straightforward piece of casino advice I can give you regarding that is to have an honest conversation about what your gambling bankroll looks like.

I’m sure your friends will be understanding and happy to play at a table with a lower minimum if they understand your plight. Stay within your means in the casino, and your money will last you longer than you’re accustomed to.

Chasing Casino Freebies Is a Poor Investment

Gamblers, from the newbie to the veteran, love having casinos bathe them in sweet comps. Casino comps range from the meal voucher on the low end to free vacations and even cashback on the high side.

The full spectrum of gifts in between capture the attention of some gamblers. These gamblers ignore bankroll management rules and become obsessed with comps.

Players Club Sign

Frequently extending gambling sessions or even hitting the casino ATM to supplement their cash on hand. The comps offered by the casino will never be worth the losses you’ll incur trying to obtain them.

Don’t get all consumed with earning casino comps. These freebies can help extend your bankroll and provide attractive perks, but they never live up to the price paid.

Forgetting the Value of a Buck

Casino gamblers have this habit of regularly forgetting the value of the casino chips they’re tossing around loosely. The casinos definitely do their part to separate the natural attachment we have to our money.

When you stop looking at casino chips like real money, you begin to lose sight of the money you’re losing. Don’t fall for the casino’s clever ploy.

Ask yourself if the casino chips were cash instead, would you still consider laying the money on the table? If the answer is “yes,” then you’re on the right track.

However, if the thought makes you cringe, you should seriously consider calling it quits or taking a break. Taking this step won’t only help protect you when things are going poorly. Knowing when to walk away when your winning is vitally important.

If you win $1,000 early in your trip and lose it all before you leave the casino, you really haven’t won anything. Set a win and loss limit before you get to the casino.

Stick to your strict limits, and you’ll have much more of your money for the ride home.

Betting Too Much Per Hand or Spin

One of the fastest ways gamblers blow through their money is not understanding how much they can afford to play per hand.

Before you can understand what you can afford to be playing for, you need to account for a few essential variables.

The first factor to consider in this is your bankroll. This is the money you have allocated explicitly to gambling.

Multiple Blackjack Hands on a Table

Next, you need to consider the house edge for the game you’re playing. A simple research session should provide the house edge for any game you want to play.

Following that, research how many hands or spins you can expect per hour. This will provide you with your expected hourly loss.

Finally, determine how many hours you plan to gamble for on your trip. Take all of that information, and you’ll be able to adjust your bet amount to match your means.

In Summary

Avoid these gambling habits that melt your money away, and you’ll open the door for all sorts of amazing things to happen in your gambling career. Casino gambling is incredible entertainment, but it can force the uninformed gambler to overpay dearly.

Becoming a better gambler starts with holding onto your money as long as possible.

Posted in: Online Casino GamesStrategy

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