An Edge in Table Games
While most casino games are based on luck, casino some table games involve an element of skill or strategy that can improve your chances of winning. The goal of any strategy is to minimize the casino's inherent advantage by playing in a statistically sound way. This guide will cover some basic strategies for two of the most popular table games: Blackjack and Roulette.
Improving Your Blackjack Game
It's a game of skill where good decisions are rewarded. The best way to play is by using "basic strategy." This is a mathematically proven set of rules that tells you the best action to take (Hit, Stand, Double Down, or Split) for every possible hand you can have against every possible dealer upcard.
Key Principles of Basic Strategy:
Always Split Aces and 8s: Splitting two Aces gives you two chances to hit 21. Splitting two 8s turns a very weak hand (16) into two much better starting hands (8). Never Split 10s or 5s: Don't risk a strong hand of 20, and always use a pair of 5s as a starting point for a double down. The Best Doubling Opportunity: An 11 is the strongest possible starting hand for doubling down. Stand on Hard 17 or Higher: If you have a "hard" total (a hand without an Ace) of 17 or more, you should always stand, as the risk of busting is too high.
You can find basic strategy charts online. Printing one out and casino (goldfish.it) referring to it while you play (especially online) is a fantastic way to learn and dramatically reduce the house edge to less than 1%.
How to Bet in Roulette
It's important to understand that you cannot beat the math of Roulette in the long run. The purpose of a Roulette strategy is to manage your money, not to guarantee a win.
Focus on Outside, Even-Money Bets:
For the best odds of winning on any single spin, stick to the even-money outside bets.
Red or Black Odd or Even High (19-36) or Low (1-18)
They are low-risk, low-reward bets perfect for extending your playtime.
Pro Tip: Play European Roulette: Always choose European (or French) Roulette over American Roulette if you have the choice. European Roulette has only one zero (0), giving it a house edge of 2.7%. American Roulette has two zeros (0 and 00), which nearly doubles the house edge to 5.26%.