Poker and casino gambling are fundamentally similar, but also very different. The main part being competing against other players and not the house, meaning it is possible to play the game so well you have long-term edge and don’t need luck to profit. Which is not true in casino gambling. That doesn’t mean you can’t have winning sessions, of course, especially if you make use of the skills learned from poker, but most card players understand that the house has the long-term advantage in casino play.
Having said that, what elements of poker do translate into casino games? What games are most suited to poker players? How much effect do they actually have? The answers to these questions are complex but interesting. While no strategy can guarantee beating the house long term, lessons learned from the poker tables can reduce volatility, increasing the chances of luck going your way and possibly maximize the benefits when the cards are in your favor.
Understanding Math, Chance and Variance Are Key to Both
The math behind chance in casino games is very similar to poker in many ways. A card shark who can calculate approximate pot odds on the fly in poker should be able to master basic blackjack strategy quickly. This brings house edge down to the very minimum at around 0.5%, increasing the chances of a winning session significantly compared to an unstructured player.
Things like variance or possible bet sizing systems in slots, choosing the right games in video poker or roulette can make a big difference in the long-term results. Regular poker players are used to looking deep into this kind of math, so they should be capable of even applying complex ideas like the financial Kelly Criterion to casino gambling games.
No matter what your bet sizing is though, understanding the math behind chance will stand you in good stead picking games. Some video poker variants (rules do change considerably between games) can have as much as 99% return to player if played correctly.
Games like roulette and blackjack also have variants with slightly different main rules, side bets and payouts. This is a deep topic, but the main point to remember is pick the games with the best odds – for European roulette that means games with only one zero and 3:2 blackjack instead of 6:5 blackjack. These have the lowest house edge of the all the variants, and serious poker players should know to only give themselves the best odds.
Expected Value Applies in Bonuses and Promotions
Regular card sharks should often be thinking of each play on the felt in terms of expected value. Adhering to this over simply following lucky results leads to a better long-term strategy.
Casino bonuses can increase the EV of a deposit considerably. However they are highly variable between different casinos. Players should not be drawn in entirely by headline deposit match numbers, but should instead look for bonuses with the best terms. When assessing bonuses, just some terms that are worth looking out for include:
- The type of bonus
- Wagering requirements
- Game limitations
- Time limits
- Maximum win (if any)
To really find the most potentially valuable bonuses, it’s more than helpful to have all the options in one place. To get that, players increasingly look to online comparative resources. Established review platforms such as Casino.us compile expert analysis and player feedback helping customers vet US casinos for reputation and safety, while ensuring they also have varied game selections – like video poker variants – and fair bonuses.
Emotional Control and Tilt Management Are Essential
All successful poker players should be carefully managing their bankroll. Online casino players should be doing the same. But for slightly different reasons.
Top poker players treat their bankroll – sometimes backed by other people – as working capital for calculated risks. Online casino players should really be looking at their bankroll as entertainment money. Which doesn’t mean you can’t use poker concepts to give yourself a better shot at winning. But, unlike poker, the house has the long-term edge in casino gambling.
Nevertheless, concepts such as session spend or loss caps, take win levels, bet sizing and bankroll segmentation help casino players get the most potential value out of their deposits. Online casinos usually offer responsible gambling tools that can automate some of these limits to levels of players’ choice.
Part of managing bankroll is not going on tilt. Although the term originated in poker, the concept of unlucky results leading to cognitive and emotional dysregulation which can spiral into worse decisions that effect future outcomes is now well studied by science.
This is especially true when it comes to loss streaks and variance in casino games. Upping your bet size after a streak of losses might win it back, but it could just as well deplete your bankroll faster. In a similar way, getting unlucky in a blackjack hand and the making a sub optimal play will definitely effect your long term results.
Poker regs who have played tens or hundreds of thousands of hands and have seen many one-outer losses on the river or other bad beats will be well equipped to deal with the variance without busting your entire bankroll on a losing session.
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