In my quest for extra cash (decades ago), I believe the first thing I tried was casinos. Yes! I thought I had found the mathematical trick of the century: the famous martingale system. And the way it was presented, I really felt in possession of the ultimate secret to wealth.
Except it’s not that simple. I even lost a few feathers there (after reaching peaks). Finally … at one point I had reached 250 euros in earnings … to fall back to 0 in a few games.
In short, if I rarely talk to you about online casinos, it is because I sincerely believe that you will not win money playing at the casino .
Do not dream!
It’s fun, you’re having a good time, but from there to making a recurring income, skip your turn.
That said, I know you little rascal , and even if I do not recommend it, you will still try it. So rather than giving you a big tirade about how much you’re going to lose and the profits of the casinos themselves, I’m going to explain how you can play at the casino… without losing everything .
Here we go !
Tip #1: learn to manage your money well
Whenever I talk to bet or invest your money, the first advice I give is always the following: t u have to invest what you can afford to lose .
If you win a minimum wage and decide to invest 1000 euros in a casino, bitcoin or sports betting, you are taking a big risk . Because 1000 euros is huge for you. This is what allows you to eat something other than boiled pasta throughout the month. So if you stupidly lose your 1000 euros, I can tell you that you’re going to feel good stupid when you start sucking ice cubes.
Even if it’s good, ice cubes (and super healthy too… have you ever seen someone allergic to ice cubes?)
So, really, take my advice. Only bet what you can lose. That way, if you lose, it won’t prevent you from continuing to live behind!
Tip #2: learn to manage your time well
You should only play with the money you can afford to lose …
… And you should only use the time you can afford to waste.
On the one hand, you have to choose the right time. What’s a good time? It’s a time when you have nothing else more exciting to do. So if it was to watch you 54th time Breaking Bad Season 5, I think so, you can go play online.
On the other hand, if you’ve just canceled an outing with friends, or made yourself look pale at your job, then it starts to smell bad. You’ve lost control of your time.
On the other hand, it is essential to limit yourself in time, in addition to trying to limit the loss of money. If you play 3 hours in a row, it won’t be really a leisure activity for you anymore, but a certain stress. You risk going to sleep just thinking about that, thinking about how you can make up for your losses in the next session, dreaming of slot machines or blackjack tables… STOP!
Tip #3: choose your casino well
There are hundreds of online casinos. They all look different, but when you look in detail they all seem to offer the same thing, with a few details.
Precisely, these details are important :
- The type of bonus available (we will come back to this).
- The ability to control your own actions : A good online casino will allow you to set deposit limits, or wagering limits. History of not tilting and slamming your 500 euros in an hour.
- The customer service . Do not hesitate to test it, especially on their live chat. You’ll quickly see if they speak French, if they answer quickly, if they help you. Because you will probably have doubts about deposits, withdrawals, bonus conditions … and they should help you solve them.
- The language of the casino . It’s still easier if the casino is available in French.
Tip # 4: take advantage of bonuses and their conditions, but in a smart way
Ah, the famous bonuses of online gaming sites. Whether it’s playing the lotto, betting on sports or starting roulette, online gaming sites offer you some tempting bonuses to get you signed up.
And there you say to yourself ” cool, free money!” “Carried away by the illusion, you tell yourself that you are going to register, deposit 100 euros, receive the 100 euros bonus and withdraw 200 euros.
Ah the idiots they hadn’t thought about it, I’m going to have them so much !!!
OF COURSE IF, THEY HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT!
Nothing is free in this world, my poor sir.
In the long run, it’s always better to be on this side of roulette!
I will take all the “types” of bonuses one by one , a story that you understand well where you are going to set foot.
- The no deposit bonus . They are really free. In the case of casino sites, it’s often sign-up bonuses. We offer you 5 euros here, 10 euros there, just to thank you for signing up.
- The bonus with deposit . To receive the bonus, you must first deposit money. The casino will pay you a percentage of your deposit. Depending on the casino, it can range from 50 to 200%. Not bad anyway!
- The “free spins” bonuses. The casino offers you free reel spins on slot machines.
But above all, what you have to understand is that these bonuses most of the time come with withdrawal conditions .
To be able to withdraw your winnings, you are required to play a certain number of times the amount of the deposit and the bonus . This number of times is called the playthrough . For example at some casinos, you will be asked to play 20 times the total deposit and bonus. Yes, that is a lot and it is likely that you will lose some of your earnings.
And finally, finally, some bonuses are withdrawable, and others are not . Just to keep it simple. If the bonus is not withdrawable, you will therefore not be able to… withdraw the bonus amount. On the other hand you will be able to withdraw all your earnings . Example: you deposit 100 euros, the casino offers you a non-withdrawable bonus of 100%, so 100 euros. With all this, you end up with a balance of 540 euros after having validated the playthrough. In this case you will only be able to withdraw only 440 euros.
It’s complicated, isn’t it? That’s why I recommended you in the previous lesson to “test” customer service because they are the ones who will help you resolve your doubts, like: How much can I withdraw? How much do I still need to bet to validate my playthough? Why was my bonus not credited?
Tip #5: watch out for pseudo “maths tips”
If you’ve never heard of martingale , then great! You haven’t been indoctrinated yet.
The martingale is what launched me more than 10 years ago in the world of online casinos. I thought that was the answer to all questions. It’s a mathematical trick that, in theory , allows you to never lose money at roulette.
It’s very simple: you bet € 1 on a color. Red for example. If you win, you leave with € 2… so you won € 1 more. If you lose, you bet € 2 on the same color. If you win, you walk away with € 4, which makes a gain of € 1 (€ 4 – € 1 lost on the first bet – € 2 bet the second time). If you lose, you bet € 4 on the same color.
And so on, the goal being to win € 1.
The idea behind it is that mathematically you can’t have a straight of more than 10 or 11 times the same suit. If you want to try it yourself, it’s simple. Flip a coin, and try to get heads 10 times in a row. You will see that this almost never happens.
Except that there is a small problem .
Online casinos know this. And if they detect that you are doing a martingale, they can void your winnings (like land-based casinos for that matter)
And to be sure, they will also limit your bets. You tell yourself it’s okay but look a little, if you lose each time, what you have to put behind to recover your loss and win 1 euro.
- 1st stake: € 1
- 2nd stake: € 2
- 3rd stake: € 4
- 4th stake: 8 €
- 5th stake: 16 €
- 6th stake: 32 €
- 7th stake: 64 €
- 8th stake: 128 €
- 9th stake: 256 €
- 10th stake: 512 €
Some casinos will for example limit to 100 euros. And therefore, you will not be able to continue your martingale. You got played.
On the Internet, you will find other “methods”, “secrets” and “tips”. The martingale is just one of those “tips”… but don’t try to be smarter than the casino . He’s the smartest. They’ve already planned everything. Really. So come play for fun and test your luck a bit, but that’s it.
You will not leave with bundles of 500 euros.
Tip #6: if you know how a casino works, you will be able to respect the 5 previous tips
When you walk into a casino or go to an online casino, your goal is surely to come away with more money than you brought.
It’s normal.
Well imagine that for a casino, it is the opposite. They would like to earn money off your back. But since charging you an entrance fee would be too obvious, they prefer to play on the statistics.
And this is where the payout rate comes into account . You see, a casino is ultimately a business. They are there to increase their capital every day.
And so, they decided that on average, out of 100 euros wagered, players will walk away with less than 100 euros. The difference is often minimal, but it is the casino that pockets it. Multiply that by tens of thousands of players every day and the math is quick.
For example, in the case of roulette, it is very simple. The long-term casino is always a winner , because for one of the roulette numbers (the 0), the casino comes away with all the bets.
Obviously, you can have a lucky streak and be positive … But if you play long enough, the “random” effect takes over and little by little you will find yourself losing money.
Tell yourself that in the long run, online casinos are winners (and therefore you are the loser). This is why I insist on the fact that it must remain a hobby for you.
Conclusion
There you go, you know everything not to burn your wings and your wallet while playing at the casino. It’s up to you to take advantage of the bonuses, to play smart and above all to have fun! Also, did you know that you can even win money with casinos without betting anything?
And you, have you already played? You won ? Do you prefer real casinos or online casinos? I await your feedback!
