If you’re a fan of live casino games, and you regularly play at live dealer non-GamStop casinos, then you’’ no doubt have wondered if it’s possible to utilise strategies to land wins on these games. Obviously, there is no such thing as a strategy that guarantees wins – if there was, we’d know about it, and casinos would change the rules of their table games. However, might there be a way to improve your odds of success when playing live casino games?
In this blog, I’m going to explore the ins and outs of using strategies on live table games. I’ll touch on if it’s possible and, if so, how you can do it. Let’s get stuck by explaining what strategies are out there.
What Are Strategies?
There are typically three different types of strategies you can use when betting online – however, some are suitable for a selected range of table games, and some are not. Allow me to touch on these three strategies and explain how they work below.
- Betting Systems: Betting systems aren’t “strategies” as such. Instead, these systems, such as the famous Martingale, merely tell you how to set up your bets to ensure that you break even with a small profit. Unfortunately, those strategies that involve doubling on each loss can soon see you bankrupt if a big win doesn’t come along quickly. Therefore, I don’t recommend betting systems for wagering on games.
- Basic Strategies: Basic strategies are amongst the most straightforward ways to play. For instance, Blackjack Basic Strategy tells you which way to go based on the cards on the table. Similarly, “Covering the Wheel” in roulette shows you how to bet optimally to take advantage of multiple numbers on the wheel. These can’t guarantee success, but they do improve your odds of success.
- Card Counting: Card counting is a proven way of improving your chances of landing a win. Unfortunately, auto shufflers or playing with multiple decks can make that challenging. However, there are some games where this strategy may be useful, and if you can keep a count of the cards that are available and those that have been discarded, you may be able to “predict” the next few hands of a game.
When Can You Use Strategies Online?
You can virtually forget about using most strategies in games of chance, such as roulette. Because each outcome is essentially random, and there is no input or skill required on your end, strategies aren’t very effective. However, games of skill, such as blackjack and poker do see you able to alter the game based on your decisions, and it is only in games of skill where you can use strategies.
That said, there are still only a handful of games where strategies can be used to bump up your odds of success, and I’ve covered those below.
No Automatic Shufflers
Ultimately, if you’re going to count cards, you’ll need to ensure that the deck doesn’t get shuffled after every hand. In many table games, an auto shuffler will be deployed to mix up the deck – and this makes card counting impossible. Try to find a game where the live dealer doesn’t shuffle the deck every two cards to stand a chance of making this work.
Single Deck Games
If you want to make use of card counting or basic strategies, then try to find live casino games from Pragmatic Play, Evolution Gaming and other giants that feature single decks. The fewer decks there are in a game, the more accurate the predictions in a Basic Strategy Chart will be, and the easier it will be for you to count cards – again, assuming they aren’t shuffled every two seconds.
When Not to Use Table Game Strategies
While some roulette strategies, such as covering the wheel, can be ideal when playing at roulette casinos not on GamStop, most of the time, you should give a wide-berth to games of chance. Because the randomness element is the one which wins out, there aren’t many opportunities for you to make use of table game strategies. Always avoid pure games of chances, and you should also cross off games that feature regular shuffling of the deck, as mentioned.
Common Betting Strategies Found Online
You may have heard of betting strategies, such as the Martingale System, the Labouchere, and others. The basic idea of these is that by doubling your bet (either following a loss or a win), you will eventually land a win that allows you to recoup your losses and pocket a profit. The trouble with systems where you double the bet following a loss is that you will likely end up going bankrupt before you land a big win to recoup your losses. This is a very real risk and one that you should definitely consider before you decide to use these strategies. Betting strategies such as these certainly don’t guarantee wins, so don’t be fooled into thinking that they do.
Tips for Betting on Live Table Games with Strategies
Let me leave you with a few top tips. Again, I can’t guarantee a win for you, and no strategies can. However, I can rehash a few of the key takeaways from this blog, and if you make a note of them, you’re likely to be more successful when gambling on your favourite live casino table games. Here we go:
- Avoid all betting systems where your bet is doubled following a loss. The risk of bankruptcy is just too high.
- Always play single-deck baccarat, blackjack and poker games when given the opportunity to do so.
- Be wary of betting windows in live casino games. These are often short, ensuring that you don’t get much time to set up your bets before playing.
- Always check each game from a live game developer. There may be variants that allow you to play with modified rules, and some strategies will work better under those conditions.
- Avoid playing online casino games that feature auto shufflers or where the dealer is shuffled after each hand.
- Don’t try to use betting strategies on games of chance. The element of randomness is just too high in these games for it to be of use.
- If you do use betting systems, then stick to the rules. Don’t adjust your bet or place side-bets as this ruins the streak.
- Always practise any strategy you come across in free-to-play demo games (RNG table games) first. This should give you a good idea if they work before you decide to risk your cash on them.
Find Top Online Casino Offering Live Casino Games
Now that you’re clued in, you may fancy playing top live casino games at online casinos and poker sites that are not on GamStop. While you can theoretically play anywhere, there are plenty of top and recommended options to be found right here on this page. I’d recommend exploring those, especially as they support some of the single deck and less frequently shuffled live dealer titles mentioned above.