Ever since the first casino was opened in the 17th century, people have been trying to find a strategy, a scheme, a combination of skills and tips, to be able to win as much money as possible. Depending on the game type, in some cases it was possible, in others it wasn’t. One thing is sure: you will need a different approach to how you play poker, compared with, for example, playing slots.
While in the first, the majority of factors depend solely on you, in the second, you’re competing against the computer or in other words – against the house and the only thing you can rely on is your luck. The biggest difference between a newbie and a professional gambler is the experience they have. The more experienced you are, chances are that the more successful you’ll be.
Not only do you need to learn how to win money, but you also need to learn how to lose it. Gamblers who have good bankroll management are the most successful ones. Research shows that knowing exactly how much money you have and how much you’re willing to invest in a couple more hands, not allowing your emotions to overwhelm you is one of the best tips for success. But is it enough to simply be good at your finances?
This depends on your goals. For some people, gambling is simply a therapeutic thing: a bit of fun after a long day at work, or a hobby they love to indulge in, from time to time. For others, gambling is a lifestyle. Some of the professional gamblers are famous influencers whose net worth is estimated to millions, even billions of dollars, making them into role models for everyone who loves to wager.
Either way if you want to be successful in this activity and if you want to earn money there are some things you will most certainly need. First of all, apart from the above mentioned bankroll management, you need to be extremely observative and you need to have good attention to detail if you want to win the games you’re a part of.
This isn’t the case with poker only, but with almost all the games that are available (except from slots). Being able to predict your competitor’s next step is crucial if you want to be better than them. A bit of psychological knowledge is also very welcome because by having the ability to read people, you will be able to predict their next step and turn the game in your favor.
At the same time, you will also be able to confuse your opponents and not give away any information from your actions and reactions. Patience is also something you should have if you wanna get the best results possible. People usually lose the biggest amount of money when they try to cover their losses by investing more and playing more.
It’s so normal to have both wins and losses. It’s not normal, however, to expect that you always win every game you play. That being said, you shouldn’t beat yourself up about your losses because a bad streak can never last forever. Being patient and carefully planning your next steps is one of the essentials for winning big money.
But among all the other characteristics of gamblers who are successful, such as being able to take a risk when needed, being positive about all the possible outcomes, being disciplined and being able to control your emotions; there are two things you need to have if you expect to be successful in gambling. These are being good at mathematics and having a good memory.
If you ever wanna gamble, you need to keep in mind that some basic math is definitely a necessity. First of all, you should focus on probability and calculating risks and odds. For this you’ll have to master combinatorial calculus: combinations, calculations; standard deviation etc. Poker, sportsbooks, blackjack – you need to be good at math to indulge in all these games.
This is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that mathematicians are extremely good at gambling compared to other people. In fact, there was a story about a Harvard student who managed to earn millions by being able to code casino computers, count cards and do a series of things to win all the games he’s ever been a part of.
Although these actions are forbidden in all the casinos around the world, no one can stop you from thinking logically and analytically while doing math in your head and analysing the game you’re playing. Being able to memorise the whole game or or several games in a row, being able to make your own statistics about the very game and predict future outcomes while calculating other participants’ moves while they’re happening, is exactly why mathematicians win so much money gambling.
However, keep in mind that among all the other games blackjack is the game that requires the highest demand of skills. Logically, you cannot expect from slot machines or roulette to have anything to do with math. At the same time, if you’re an experienced mathematician, it doesn’t mean you’re not competing against powerful opponents. Only this time, we don’t talk about other gamblers, but we’re rather talking about casino analytic tools and their own mathematicians who are also employed to make sure the games are not easily beatable.
Why do we mention this? With the expansion of online casinos, it seems like brick and mortar casinos have become tourist attractions rather than the first place you’d go to if you wanna play a bit of poker or blackjack. This means that you can indulge in any game of your choice in the comfort of your home, and it also means that you will have no one above your head to supervise what you’re doing. Click here to find out how.
That said, if you’re good at math, it will be extremely helpful because you will be able to fight the computer rather than the house itself along with all the employees. This is where mathematics can help you be able to find the patterns as well as use your logic, count the expectations and so on. Finally, it will help you win money. But if you’re not a pro in math, don’t worry. There are softwares, apps and platforms that can help you on your gambling journey, and revising a bit of Mathematics you’ve worked on during High School is also a good idea. Good luck!
