Understanding math while gambling is important for successful gambling. Every aspect of a casino game gives the house an edge over players so they must use math skills to prevent them from setting unrealistic chances of winning.
Basic math can also prevent players to overcome incorrect beliefs about the game they play or any underlying superstitions that hold them back. For example, a lot of players associate periods of winning or losing down to luck alone but this can be avoided.
Here are 5 ways you can successfully use your math skills while gambling to help you make better decisions.
1. Independence And The Gambler’s Fallacy
The gambler’s fallacy refers to the belief that if an event continues to happen over a long period of time, the chances of it happening again increase. Likewise, if they fail to happen to occur over a long period of time, the chances of it occurring again decrease.
Lucian Marinescu, partner at OnlineCasinoGems, describes a practical example of the gambler’s fallacy:
“One common theory in basketball is the “hot hand”, where it’s believed that if a player makes a few shots in a row, they are more likely to make their next shot. This simply isn’t true. In reality, each shot is independent of each other.”
Gamblers fall into this trap because they are trying too hard to find patterns that give them an edge. Such players then have the false impression that their chances of winning are better than average.
Since each event is independent, it has no bearing on the previous event. Players must understand this math skill while gambling to prevent them from making bets that don’t actually affect the outcome of future independent events.
2. Card Games Math
Casino card games require lots of different math skills while gambling.
Firstly, players need to use their skills to work out the best way to play. Calculating the likelihood of a random event helps players to determine the best strategy.
Basic arithmetic is also required for casino games with a lot of cards.
On occasion, card games require players to add or subtract points to win the hand. In these games, players must know how much they can afford to play based on the card combination.
But more often than not, casino card games use a form of point scoring to rank hand strength. Simple arithmetic is needed in these cases but other math skills can help, such as keeping track of cards. This is essential to being successful.
3. Blackjack Math
Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in the world and has been hugely profitable for casinos.
Card counting is a very common blackjack strategy according to Gamblers Daily Digest, where aces, face cards and 10s are considered high cards, cards from 2 to 6 are considered small cards and 7 to 9 are considered neutral.
The problem with card counting is that it’s impossible to predict the exact sequence of cards that are yet to be dealt. This means that the chances of getting a high card are the same for the player and the dealer.
A point value system is a better way to win at blackjack. Points are assigned to cards based on how it determines the strength of the hand.
Point value systems are betting because they are proportional to the effects of removing the small quantity of a particular card.
The bottom line is that blackjack systems should be simple but accurate. Point value systems can help you successfully use maths skills while gambling and profit from this game.
4. Baccarat Math
There are several bets to make in baccarat, making it seem far more complicated than it really is.
Most baccarat players make two bets: the Player bet or the Banker bet. There is a third bet, the Tie bet, but this is not as common.
The house has a 1.24% edge over the Player bet, which has a 1 to 1 payout, while it is 1.06% on the Banker bet, which also has a 1 to 1 payout but a 5% commission.
However, despite the commission, the Banker bet is more popular than the Player bet as players presume it will be the closest or equal to 9.
In terms of the Tie bet, it presumes that both the Banker and Player bets have the same total. If the bet wins, the payoff is 8 to 1. However, the chances of this happening are under 10%, making it unfavorable to players.
The math skill for gambling baccarat is based on understanding each bet has a certain spot on the table. It’s important to consider the odds of winning and the associated payoffs too. The Banker bet may be popular but players must use their math skills to ensure they have enough money left to pay the commission before leaving the table.
5. Roulette Math
Like blackjack, roulette is another hugely popular casino game. It is very difficult to predict where the ball will land.
There are two main variants of roulette: European roulette and American roulette.
In European roulette, there are 37 numbers on the wheel; red and black ranging from 1 to 36 and green 0. Successfully predicting the winning number pays out 35 to 1.
The payouts then decrease depending on how many numbers are covered. For example, betting red or black has a 1 to 1 payout as each color covers almost half the wheel, therefore dramatically increasing the chances of winning.
Most roulette betting strategies bet red or black as this has the biggest chance of winning. There is 48.65% chance of winning each red or black bet on a European wheel.
In American roulette, there are 38 numbers on the wheel; red and black ranging from 1 to 36, green 0 and green 00. The extra number in American roulette decreases the chance of winning to 47.37%.
Now for the important bit:
The results of a roulette spin are independent ie the previous spin does not affect the result of the next spin. This means that, unfortunately, there is no mathematical sequence to create that can determine the outcome of the next spin.
The way to successfully use your math skills while gambling roulette is bankroll management. You must keep an eye on how much money you place on each wager.
