Success in Online Gambling

S. Stoynova (editor)

Gone are the days when enthusiastic players were forced to leave their homes with a pocket full of coins and drive for hours in order to finally find a landbased gambling establishment to play the one-arm bandits. The rapid pace technologies are progressing at has brought about the emergence of hundreds of licensed and trusted web-based casinos where players get to enjoy not only a wealth of online slots but a comprehensive range of traditional table staples the likes of blackjack, baccarat, craps, and poker. What is more, there is the option to play against flesh and blood croupiers in the Live Dealer sections of online casinos where games are streamed in real time.

The casino games offered by renowned online gambling operators stand out with unprecedented quality when it comes to visual presentation, sound effects, and gameplay. Their interface is typically quite intuitive so it practically does not matter whether you have years of experience behind your back or are a first-timer. Online casinos allow for unparalleled flexibility since most of them are mobile-compatible and allow for gaming on the go.

While playing online should be predominantly for fun, turning a profit would please any type of player. However, there are several factors that play an important role when it comes to ending one’s betting session on profit. Being a successful online casino player requires a good amount of commitment, discipline, and know-how. If success at online gambling is your goal, we urge you to take a peek at the following article.

Test the Games in Practice Mode

This is an excellent idea, especially for players who are new to online gambling. Most highly-regarded online casinos in the industry provide their players with the option to test the titles in their gaming libraries in what is called “Fun” or “Practice” mode where one is not required to make a deposit and put their own funds at risk.

Playing in Practice mode resembles playing in Real-Money mode for the most part and would enable you to get a proper feel of the games, see which ones cater to your individual needs, and fit your own budget and preferences the most. This will increase your chances of success when you process a deposit and place your first real-money bet. Although some of the available games are based entirely on chance, being well prepared would allow you to make informed decisions when wagering. The thing to do is try as many games as possible. Above all, make sure you have mastered the rules of the game prior to committing with your own money.

Check the Games Return Percentage and House Edge

When selecting which online casino games to bet on, it is an absolute must for any player, seasoned or not, to check what the average return to player percentages (RTP) of their preferred titles are. The acronym RTP represents how much of all the money wagered on a given online casino game will be paid back to players over prolonged periods of time.

The higher the RTP of your games of choice is, the better. Slots are among the casino games boasting the highest RTPs that often reach up to 99%. That is to say for every $100 wagered on such games, the casino gets to keep only $1 while the remaining $99 are paid back to players over the long run.

However, players should keep in mind that it would be unrealistic to expect to win $99 each time they bet $100. The RTP of the games is calculated over the long run and it takes thousands of hands or spins of the reels for it to even out to the said percentage.

Another reason why the RTP of the games is important stems from the fact it is directly related to the house edge, which is the built-in advantage in favor of the online (or landbased) casino operator. This is the amount of money the house collects per slot spin or per each blackjack hand played, for example.

Players are advised to always opt for titles with lower house edge and higher RTPs as this might enable them to generate greater profits in the long terms. Do keep in mind that in some games like roulette and craps, for instance, the house edge might fluctuate dramatically depending on the type of bet so be smart and make bets with lower built-in advantage for the casino.

Play the Progressives

Participating in progressive online casino games every once in a while is a great idea for players looking to bag mammoth sums of money. What further adds to the excitement of such games is the fact one never knows when the jackpot will hit as it is awarded completely at random. While one’s chances of collecting the pot are relatively small, many lucky players have been rewarded for their patience and have ended their gaming sessions as millionaires.

Some jackpots have boiling points and tend to hit whenever the prize reaches a certain amount. It would be wise to keep track of the current jackpot amount in the game’s jackpot meter and join the action whenever the pot is close to reaching its boiling point.

Participate in Online Promotional Offers

One of the greatest benefits of playing your favorite casino games online is the wealth of promotional offers one gets to participate in. As a matter of fact, enthusiastic fans of casino games are rewarded generously from the very moment they open their accounts with trusted online casino operators as they are given generous welcome bonuses. Slot fans are often treated to free spins on selected games from the casinos’ slot libraries.

Additionally, players are usually granted membership to the online operators’ loyalty programs where each real-money wager they make rewards them with a specific number of loyalty points. These points can be converted into more bonus credits to play the games for free but players at higher tiers of the programs are sometimes given cash in exchange for their points. Make sure you register an account at an online casino is that is well-known for its generosity to players and offers the most lucrative promotions.

Also, a number of tournaments are hosted on a regular basis. Some of these are freerolls, meaning that players are not expected to contribute to the prize pools by paying a buy-in. Such tournaments are an option for blackjack, poker and slot fans and pose as a fantastic way to pocket a nice monetary prize (provided that you are among the top finishers, of course) without chancing your own money.

Recognize the Importance of Bankroll Management

Money management is the number-one rule any successful online casino player is sticking to. If you do not manage your bankroll adequately, how good or experienced you are at a given game is practically irrelevant – you will still fail to generate a good enough profit.

The first step towards becoming a successful online casino player is to setting aside a bankroll, which should consist of money you can live without and can potentially lose. The gambling funds should be kept separately from the money you need for utility bills, food, rent and so on. Above all, make sure you set win goals and loss limits for yourself and stick to them. Knowing your limits and when to quit is essential when it comes to gambling for real money.

Accept the Outcomes of Online Casino Games are Random

Some online casino players become victims of what is known as the Gambler’s Fallacy, especially when they enter a longer losing streak. Such people mistakenly believe that previous outcomes in a given game of chance, like roulette or craps, affect the outcomes to follow. For example, one such player notices red has hit four times in a row in a game of roulette and this alone would cause them to bet on black on the next toss of the ball.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee black would win on the next spin since roulette is based solely on chance, which is to say the odds for each number coming up are calculated independently from what has happened previously. Unlike human beings, probability does not see any meaning in patterns. The same applies in full force to most online casino games, like video poker, blackjack, slots, and craps.

More importantly, the outcomes of each single online casino game (except for the Live Dealer options) are determined by programs, called Random Number Generators (RNG) which ensure total randomness of results in the interest of fair gaming. This alone renders looking for patterns ridiculous.

Another thing players should refrain themselves from is becoming too unnerved whenever they experience consecutive losses. Emotions, anger in particular, have nothing but a negative effect on one’s judgment, which on its own would cause a player to incur even greater losses.

In poker, this is known as “going on tilt” but of course, it can happen to you while playing other casino games as well. If you feel you are becoming way too frustrated to play, it would be best to stop for the day or at least, take a short break to clear your mind and calm down. After all, one cannot expect to win when their judgement is clouded.

Register at Licensed and Trusted Online Casinos

Above all, players should make sure the casino they intend to open an account at is fully licensed, regulated and trustworthy. There are hundreds of online casinos but unfortunately, some of them are not entirely dependable. A good way to tell is to check which regulatory body has issued the casino’s license.

Online casinos which bear the stamp of approval of regulators like the UK and the Gibraltar Gambling Commissions or the Malta Gaming Authority are well known in the industry for their integrity, transparency, fairness to customers and more importantly, their quick and hassle-free payouts of winnings. The games on such gambling websites are frequently tested by independent auditors like eCOGRA, for instance, and the results are published for all players to see. Do your homework before you register at an online casino and you will not regret it.