Waking up one Monday morning and deciding: OK! This week, I am going to grab that bag. You’ve got some cash in your pocket, maybe not a lot, and probably “your last cash,” but you’re feeling lucky. You’re thinking, “This is my week. I’m going to double this money by Friday.” So off you go to the casino.
Day one, you’re all in. But luck isn’t on your side. No biggie, you’ve got the rest of the week. On day two, things are looking up. You win some, you lose some, but overall, you’re feeling good. Day three was not so great. But you’re not giving up. You’ve got a few more days to turn things around.
But then, the doubts start creeping in. “What’s going wrong? Have I lost my touch? Is the casino controlling who wins?”
You are not alone. It’s a common question. Well, let’s find out. Maybe you will reach it by Friday at this time.
Alright, let’s open up The Curtains gently. Gambling is kind of a big puzzle, right? There are tons of different outcomes, and no two games or machines are exactly alike. But here’s the thing: in a casino, you’re either playing games based on skill (poker) or games based on chance.
Take slot machines for example. They’re all soaked in chance. They use this thing called a random number generator (RNG) that’s 24/7 shuffling a bunch of numbers around. When you hit that spin button, it throws out some numbers that decide your fate. It’s all random, no patterns or anything.
Then there’s physical roulette. This one’s all real-world’ey. The speed of the wheel, the weight and size of the ball, and how you throw the ball all determine the outcome. Just pure physics. Or do you want to say the casino remote controls your hand?
So, to answer your question, nope, casinos don’t control who wins. That’s a big misconception. I get it though, casinos have this mysterious vibe that makes it seem as if they’re commanding everything. But really, they’re not.
Casinos do a lot to create a certain atmosphere. They use science-backed tricks in their layout, gameplay, and even the smell to keep you playing. They’ve got the design and ambiance down to a T, with the colors, lights, music, and free stuff, including drinks and food. All this is meant to keep you immersed.
And yeah, casinos don’t give out all the info. These things aren’t meant to mess with individual outcomes, but to create an environment that encourages you to play longer. The thrill of the unknown, the chance of a big win, and the challenge of outsmarting the casino. They are what makes gambling fun.
Remember those maths classes you might’ve snoozed through? The ones with all the probability and stats stuff? Yeah, those could actually give you a leg up in gambling. If you perhaps want to catch up. There’s a bunch of YouTube videos and other resources out there, just got to look for them.
Back to business. Just as the Big Mac has its secret sauce that makes it so tasty, probability and statistics are the secret sauce in casino games. They’re the unseen puppet masters behind the scenes, pulling all the strings and adding that special something to the game.
Probability is sort of your gut feeling of how likely something is to happen. Maybe whether it’ll rain tomorrow, or guessing the chances of catching the bus when you’re running late. In gambling, we’ve got this a bit different cool thing called “odds.” A combination of probability and statistics. Or should I say a love child of probability and statistics? Haha, odds tell you how likely something is to happen compared to it not happening.
For instance, in roulette, a four-number or square bet will pay 8:1. That means if you win, you get back your original bet plus eight times that amount. Once you wrap your head around the odds, you can bet the smart way. A killer decision-maker.
And those casinos? They’re using the same probability and statistics to set up their games and decide how much you win if you hit the jackpot.
That is why you got to know them and the house edge (that’s the casino’s cut), and you can avoid blowing your budget or chasing losses. Thus, don’t go trying to hit that slippery 100% RTP (return to player) or dodge that dice roll. Don’t be a wet blanket.
It’s not today that you and other players began to feel as if the casino has superiority in controlling game outcomes. Know that reputable casinos operate games of chance. But you know not everyone wants to be “reputable”, no wonder some players must have been convinced that the casino is controlling the outcomes.
Of course, getting real-life stories of folks apart from you who felt this way is kinda tricky. But there’s this one guy, Edward O. Thorp who thought casinos were contr... No he did not think that, you might want to hear what he did instead. His story’s pretty wild. Instead of just kicking back and enjoying the game, he decided to maybe not enjoy it. And boy, did he stir up some trouble; he landed in some serious hot water.
He developed a card counting strategy based on the idea that the odds of winning a hand at blackjack aren’t just random. By keeping track of the cards that had been dealt, he could estimate the chances of certain cards showing up and adjust his bets accordingly.
Thorp wrote the first book on blackjack card counting, “Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One”. It was a hit. But this book also ruffled some feathers. Casinos and other haters started coming after him. He got drugged and someone even messed with his car. But Thorp? He’s a survivor.
Basically, Thorp used probability and statistics, which we talked about before, to his advantage. He saw a chance to apply these mathematical principles to up his game. And that, my friend, is how you play to win.
Now, we know that casinos don’t, can’t, and won’t control who wins. But how about some handy tips to boost your chances of walking away with the loot? Here you go:
Gambling should not be a full-time job or a way to earn a living. Winning in a casino is a long shot and these tips won’t guarantee success. Prioritize responsible gambling. If you find yourself losing control of your spending or betting more than you can afford, don’t hesitate to seek help from responsible gambling organizations.
You see, it was even Thorp that tried to play with the wins. But casinos? Nah, they don’t do that. Not unless they’re tired of their license or they don’t have one at all. That’s why you got to stick with the legit ones.
Sure, technically, a casino could maybe tweak a slot machine’s RTP so you’d only see small wins. But almost every place where gambling is legal has a gaming commission that keeps an eye on things. So, chances are, that’s not going to happen.
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