Science of casinos: how math can improve your chances to win at the tables

Movies and TV series have given people the impression that it is easy to employ methods where you can guarantee money in blackjack and poker. However, this is far from the reality of the situation. You can use maths to improve your understanding of a casino game. 

Nonetheless, there aren’t any methods that can improve your chances of winning at the tables. 

We will explore how you can use maths to play these casino games and see how it can help you as you move forward into your chosen casino game.

What Casino Games Use Math The Most?

You can find math across a whole host of casino games. It is used heavily in roulette, poker and blackjack and the main focus is probability. Let us take roulette, for example. If you play at a regular or Bitcoin casino roulette table the surface has numbers between 1 and 36: the European version has a singular zero, and the American version has a double zero. 

Throughout the spread of the table, probabilities are used to decipher the odds of each bet providing a return. The highest odds are for single numbers, and this works its way all the down the table to red/black, odd/even, or bottom half/top half bets, which all have the lowest odds.

When it comes to blackjack, calculating the probability of your opponent having a better hand than you can be simpler than you think. If you have a hand over 18, you will be at an advantage. You could still lose the hand, but 18 and over is an incredibly advantageous position to find yourself in.

If you can calculate the chances of winning based on the chances of the house having a better hand and the hands of the other players you are playing against, then you can improve your strategy. It is crucial to determine that being able to read the maths and probability involved will allow you to improve your strategy and not your chances to win at the table. 

Nothing you can implement will improve the chances, and this is something you will be able to understand properly once you fully grasp how probability works.

So Why Are There Professional Poker Players?

Professional poker players understand math and probability. However, they are also well-equipped to read an opponent’s body language and know when to go on the offensive and when to fold. 

In addition, they know how to maintain a good poker face when they have a good hand. Combining all of these factors and a bit of luck sets a professional poker player apart from a standard poker player.

Conclusion

Math can be implemented at all levels of everyday life, and having a good knowledge of math can help you as you go about your daily life. This knowledge can work to your advantage when participating in a casino game. 

Allowing yourself the opportunity to fully understand the math and probability that underwrites the theory behind these popular casino games will help you accomplish a strategy that provides you with shorter odds of winning. However, shorter odds don’t mean better odds, which is a crucial distinction. 

Attempting to find a strategy that means you make money from your venture and doesn’t keep the focus on the game remaining fun is the start of a slippery slope. You shouldn’t see gambling as a way of making an income

You should also set aside a set amount of money you can afford to lose. If you find yourself chasing your losses and spending too much time playing casino games, you should speak to somebody who can assist you and discuss your gambling problem in more detail.

Written by Rob Nelson

Rob is an ecologist from the University of Hawaii. He is the co-creator and director of Untamed Science. His goal is to create videos and content that are entertaining, accurate, and educational. When he's not making science content, he races whitewater kayaks and works on Stone Age Man.

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