We here at Slots Play Casinos focus our attention primarily on casino bets. This is certainly a huge subject in itself. Amazingly, sports betting has become so popular in just the last few years as many states have legalized sports betting that now most articles on the internet about “betting” are about betting sports!
Sports betting and casino betting are vey different. So, we will start with a quick review on the subject of casino bets and then we will delve into the very complicated world of sports betting.
There are a Multitude of Casino Bets
Even in slots, which continue to be the most popular game at online and land-based casinos alike, there are different kinds of bets.
We can start with a bet on a progressive jackpot. In order to qualify to win the progressive jackpot, a gamer has to bet the maximum on the winning pay line. That often makes betting on a progressive jackpot quite expensive.
Volatility Applies Only to Slots
Volatility refers to the distribution and size of winning spins in a slot game. High volatility means that there will be fewer winning spins and they will pay out a relatively higher amount of money. Low volatility means that there will be relatively many winning spins and they will pay out relatively less per winning spin.
The return to player rate might be the same in both of these slots but the winnings from the slot with high volatility will be distributed among fewer winners while the winnings from a slot with low volatility will be distributed among relatively many gamers.
Gamers should use good judgement in setting up a time and money budget if they want to play for a progressive jackpot.
Blackjack is a Game with Many Bets
Every hand starts out with a bet. Gamers can bet low, high, or in between. But gamers have to be cognizant of the possibility that they will want to make an additional bet if they split pairs or want to double down.
Insurance is another side bet in blackjack that we suggest gamers never make since it has been shown statistically to be a very poor bet!
When you split or double down, you have to match your original bet. So, take that into account when you bet in blackjack. Opportunities to split or double down are very common.
Video Poker Has a Maximum Bet that We Recommend
This is the maximum bet to qualify to win the bonus payout for a Royal Flush. Video poker has a return to player rate of about 99.5% assuming that the gamer made the maximum bet and is following the strategy that accompanies that bet and also uses the best strategy on every hand.
Craps and Roulette Have Confusing Bets
The only advice we would like to give here to craps and roulette players is to be careful not to make bets that contradict each other.
Caribbean Poker Has a Fascinating Strategy
In Caribbean Poker, the gamer starts with a bet. Keep in mind that the gamer is playing only against the dealer who represents the house. At a point in the hand, the player has to decide whether to continue or to forfeit the original bet.
If the player continues, he or she has to make a second bet that is double the first bet.
The kicker is that the player can win the original bet even if his or her hand is worse than the dealer’s hand if the dealer does not qualify to win the hand. The dealer needs a minimum hand to qualify.
If the dealer does qualify, either the dealer will win both bets or the player will win both bets. If the dealer does not qualify, the player wins their original bet and the second bet is a push.
Sports Betting Requires a Very Different Perspective
In sports betting, luck is vastly reduced. Of course, luck always plays a role in all betting scenarios but sports betting is all about athletes repeating their performances based on their records.
Here is where sports betting can get complicated. An athlete might be the best player in the league going back a few years. That does not guarantee that the athlete will perform up to his or her standard set over time in one game coming up tonight or over the weekend.
Pele didn’t score a goal in every game he played; Wayne Gretzky didn’t score a point in every game he played; Martina Navratilova didn’t win every match she played; and the best pitcher in baseball loses about 25% of his starts.
In the 1960’s, the best pitcher in baseball was a young man named Catfish Hunter. He was from North Carolina and the Catfish part was a nickname. (LOL). He won a lot more often than he lost but one day he was hit hard. He was asked how that happened and he responded; (we have cleaned up his answer a bit) “The sun don’t shine on the same dog every day.”
Anyone who bet for Catfish Hunter to win that day lost money even though Catfish Hunter won so much more often than he lost over ten or so years.
Sports Bettors Should Heed a Few Words of Wisdom
- Read everything you can on the teams you plan on betting for or against.
- Pay attention to the weather expected during the game.
- Never bet for your favorite team out of emotion. The team might not be all that good!
- Try to keep your sports bets to a sport you know very well.
Read Everything
You might come across rumors about a player. If that player is a prominent player on the team, he might play at less than full strength. Injuries are a major element in determining a sports bet.
There are many factors that can affect a team. Controversy in the clubhouse is often kept quiet so a sports bettor might have to look deep to get wind of such a problem on the team.
The Weather Has a Lot More Affect than People Think
Rain makes the field wet and traction becomes a problem. A great soccer team going up against a mediocre team may be affected more by rain than the other team.
Wind is a major factor in American football as passing teams may be reduced to running the ball even though passing is the team’s strong suit and running not so much.
Emotions Should Play No Part in a Sports Bet
Emotion should play no part in the coach’s decisions before and during a game. Sports bettors should see the game as if they were the coach or manager of the team.
Fans of Da Bears are known to wear their emotions on their sleeves. This is not the way to win money in the long term as a sports bettor.
How Well Do You Know the Game?
Betting on basketball, American football, and hockey is a lot different than betting on baseball. In basketball, the best player on the team “touches” the ball on almost every play.
In football, the quarterback touches the ball on every play and gives it to a running back or throws it to a receiver. These are called the skill players and their production usually determines the outcome of the game.
In hockey, the best players will spend up to 30 minutes on the ice in a 60 minute game.
In baseball, the best hitter might cone to the plate four times in the game. He might not have a chance to create any runs unless he hits a home run. The best defensive player may not get any opportunities to demonstrate his defensive prowess.
How Well Do You Know Betting?
The best advice Slots Play Casinos can give to sports bettors is: Be careful. There are a lot of factors that can trip up an uninformed or overly-emotional sports bettor.
The same advice is good for casino gamers as well. Play within your means; set money and time limits on gaming; develop other interests; consider casino gaming online to be a form of entertainment.
Slots Play Casinos strives to give gamers and all bettors the best advice possible.
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