How Good are Your Betting Skills? 

Online casino gambling is fun, exhilarating, and a little intimidating. If you know which games have the best odds, play them. Knowing which ones to avoid is going to help you keep your sanity and a lot of your money. Make smart casino bets to make your money last and get more playtime. Fun for you. Good for us.

In the interest of protecting you and your money, we have a few tips you would be wise to follow. We like seeing you win. And it’s not because we are some sort of benevolent charity, we like to win, too. We want to help you win because it means you will come back to Ignition and play again. You win some money, we gain some revenue, and the entire business hums along like a well-oiled champion mud wrestler. 

These tips are not deep secrets we share only with friends and family. For the most part, they are common sense. But you know what they say, “common sense is not all that common these days.” 

Gambling can get emotional too easily, and when it does, take a break. Go for a good meal, a restful sleep, maybe a massage. It’s a game and you can’t win every time. But you can improve your chances by adhering to some good advice.

1. Be a Better Slot Player

Knowing how to beat a slot game means first understanding how it works. Slots are some the most popular online casino games and they are all based on chance. There’s no strategy required, you have the same odds of winning as anyone. Spin the reels and hope for matches along the various paylines.

However, there are some key tips the veterans stick to and they’re worth a share.

Choose small jackpots

Yeah, everyone wants to win the big jackpots. Visions of great wealth dancing in their heads. Smaller jackpot games often pay out more frequently. Stop chasing the big bucks. Your chances there are not that favorable. Smaller jackpots are not only the perfect size with better odds, they can quickly add up to some pretty big paydays. 

Analyze the paytable

Every online slot game has its own pay table that shows the value of every symbol on the reels and highlights the most profitable. The pay table will also tell you if the game has wild symbols and scatters, which can increase your winnings substantially.

Look for the highest RTP

That’s Return To Player, which is like a business’s ROI (Return On Investment). Different games, different themes, added features and symbols entice us because they look like a good time, but the RTP tells you about your chance of a win. Go high. Like 95% and up. That’s when you know that the odds are more in your favor. 

Have a budget and stick to it

This is important advice. Establish your budget before you start. What’s the maximum you are prepared to spend, a.k.a. lose. Once you reach that amount, stop. Betting money you can’t afford to lose is a fast trip to bankruptcy.

Manage your bets

 Instead of risking all your money on a single spin, apply what the veterans call bankroll management. Keeping bets aligned with your budget will keep the fun going longer even if you aren’t winning large sums of money. Calculate your bet amount by knowing how much you’re willing to bet and the amount you’re not willing to lose. That’s good bankroll management.

Practice, practice, practice

Start by playing for free. It’s fun and helps you learn about the game and its idiosyncrasies. Even though slots are based purely on luck, the skill comes in your betting. Knowing when to bet high or low is key. Sharpen your skills by playing slot games with bonus rounds.

In addition to some common-sense slots gaming, be sure to watch for welcome bonuses. They can be quite lucrative but require some costly playing requirements. Next, look for free spins that can come up during regular games or bonus play. It’s quite common to win several free spins at one time. Take advantage of them whenever you can.

2. Table games will test your skills

Table games at online casinos are really fun and a great way to put your strategic skills to the test. People have played games like poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette for years. That’s why they advanced and changed so much. They continue to adapt for online play as more and more people get in on the action.

Let’s explore some of the most popular online casino table games available at Ignition. We’ll give you an explanation of each and offer some solid advice if you are just starting or a longtime veteran. Knowledge is gaming power.

BLACKJACK BETTING

Blackjack demands more strategy than roulette, baccarat, or craps. But it offers the lowest house edge, meaning your odds of winning are higher. 

We will assume that you already know that your goal is to beat the dealer by getting a hand that’s as close to 21 as possible without going over.

A big recommendation is to only play blackjack with a 3 to 2 payout ratio. Any other ratio, like the all-too-common 6 to 5 payout is going to quickly cost you money. There are some basic strategies you should apply, based on the statistical odds of winning with certain hands.

One example is to always double down, or double your bet, if your cards total 11. Other recommendations tell you to be comfortable standing on 12 or 13, because there are sixteen cards in the deck that will put you over. The pros don’t split tens. You shouldn’t either.

Insurance is separate from your original wager. In some online casinos, insurance is offered if the dealer has an ace upcard. It’s supposed to work as your safety net against the dealer’s potential blackjack. If successful, your insurance bet pays 2 to 1 on half your original wager. It’s a pretty good bet, but it drives the house edge up and lowers your chances. Don’t bother.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BLACKJACK STRATEGY

LIVE DEALER BACK AND SIDE BETTING

At Ignition, our live dealers take bets and run games in real-time from a studio. It’s streamed from the live dealer section on our website.

Not only can you play from the comfort of your own home, you can interact with the dealer and other players at the table through text chat. It’s certainly a fun experience, but there’s more to it with the extra back and side bets that are exclusive to these games.

There are two side bets included with live dealer blackjack. The pairs side bet offers an 11 to 1 payout if you receive a pair in your opening two-card deal. The rummy side bet is a 9 to 1 payout if your first three cards are three-of-a-kind, a three-card straight, or a three-card flush.

Back betting in live dealer blackjack lets anyone bet on the active players. Your back bet says you agree with your selected player’s decisions, even if it means putting extra money on the table to double and split. Your payoff comes if the player you’re back betting wins, so look for someone having a hot streak.

Join the live dealer action anytime!

PROGRESSIVE BETTING IN CARIBBEAN STUD POKER 

Caribbean Stud poker is basically 5-card stud with a few key differences like no bluffing, no draws, and you pay against the house, not other players.

In a bricks-and-mortar casino, your lowest ante is usually $3 to $5. Online Caribbean Stud has much lower limits, frequently capped at $2.50.

Often, there’s an optional bet you can add in order to qualify for a progressive jackpot. This bet must be placed before the dealer declares that all bets are closed.

If your 5 cards make a royal flush, straight flush, 4-of-a-kind, full house, or a flush, you win – whether you beat the dealer or not. You are then paid out on a sliding scale, except a royal flush, which claims 100% of the progressive jackpot and the flush paying out at about 10%.

The progressive jackpot total is based on when it was last paid out and the amount contributed since then. The progressive jackpot total is usually clearly indicated for each Caribbean Stud game.

ODDS BETTING FOR CRAPS 

Craps is an exciting online game because there are so many opportunities to bet and win, even if it’s not your turn with the dice. This is simply about betting on various sections on the craps table, depending on whether you think someone – maybe you – is going to roll and land certain numbers.

The pass line is the most common bet in craps. If you’re rolling the dice, you’ll win by rolling a 7 or 11. But you lose with a 2, 3 or 12, known as craps. Rolling any other number makes it the point, and you need to keep rolling until that number comes up again. If you roll a 7, you lose.

Once you understand the basics, craps is a very easy game, particularly online, where your bets are placed with one easy click.

For more information and to use all this valuable information for your next session at the casino, check out Ignition Casino. We’ve got the games, the advice, and the strategies you need to make your online gaming truly fun and very often profitable.