Gambling - The Scientific Approach vs. The Luck Approach Copyright © 2005 Matthew Rotterman Gambling Wisdom http://gamblingwisdom.com/x.pl/gwc/index.html
There are those who feel that mathematics is the only way to go
when gambling and that playing the best odds will help you to win
the most money. There are others who are in disagreement with
this and believe that all you need to do is to be lucky when
gambling. Both approaches have been show to work and both have
been shown to fail at different times. So who is right?
By the scientific approach I am referring to statisticians who
determine the best odds of winning a game, percentages of wins,
algorithms, etc. This method has a great deal of merit in regards
to gambling. The most agreed upon statistics state you have the
best odds of winning in a casino when playing blackjack, video
poker, and craps. The house advantage in theses games is lower
than in any of the other games. Now blackjack and video poker
require a certain amount of skill and knowledge that will help
improve your odds. If you learn these skills, such as when to hit
in blackjack, when to double down, when to split, and how to
count cards your odds will improve statistically. In video poker
you need to learn the odds of making the best hand given the
cards that you are dealt to statistically improve your odds of
winning. In craps the best way to improve you odds of winning is
to understand which bets have the best payout and which ones are
purely sucker bets.
Personally, I am a firm believer in the scientific approach to
gambling. The casinos will NEVER offer a game in which they do
not have an advantage; after all they are there to take your
money in the end. The games I mentioned still have a house
advantage, just less of an advantage. Learning the skills of how
to improve your odds in these games and sticking to them should
help you to win more money.
The luck factor has worked many times and this is how most people
approach gambling. Luck states that you will simply either win or
you won't. People who gamble solely on luck make outrageous bets
and often bet the long shots. As I said, sometimes this will
work. Statistics tell us though, that in the long run this will
not work and that we will eventually end up losing. The
interesting thing is that large numbers of hands, or pulls of a
lever determine these statistics. Most people do not play enough
to have these statistics impact them. Most people gamble
recreationally over a short period of time and may hit that big
jackpot or have a good run of cards. Since these recreational
gamblers will not bet as many hands or pull as many levers, they
have a chance to walk with some money on pure luck alone.
I mentioned earlier that I am a firm believer in the scientific
approach and paying attention to the odds. I also believe that
luck is a factor that comes into play when gambling. I think that
the very best approach is to try to combine both of these methods
in order to get the best possible results. Knowing how to play a
game, such as video poker and the odds of getting winning hands
will let you know when to "go for it" if you have a lucky
feeling. If I am playing blackjack and know that there have been
very few face cards in the last five hands and I feel lucky,
perhaps I will up my bet in hopes of a win.
Regardless of which method you use, always learn how to play a
game before actually playing it. This will help you make good
decisions when you are actually at the tables or the machines.
For example, if you want to play blackjack but have never played
before, be sure to learn the rules of the game and what it takes
to win before you ever walk into the casino. You will be glad
that you spent the time researching this information.
With a little luck and a lot of skill you could go into the
casino and do very well for yourself. Of course you may also lose
all of your gambling money, even if you know every statistic
there is to know. Knowing the odds and the skills of the games
simply improve your odds of winning, they do not guarantee that
you will win. In the long run of gambling, the casino always
wins. Providing entertainment and a fun atmosphere, all while
taking your money, is the reason the casinos are in business.
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Matthew Rotterman is a writer for the GamblingWisdom.com website.
Gambling Wisdom is dedicated to helping gamblers learn how to
gain more enjoyment from their gambling activities. GWC provides
articles, information and resources associated with a variety of
gambling topics. http://GamblingWisdom.com/x.pl/gwc/index.html