Basic strategy and advantage gambling are two commonly used approaches when gambling in a casino. Both have been proven useful all throughout the time when they were invented. Many casino gamblers have been successful going for either of them, while there have also been gamblers that’s had to suffer their fair share of losses using either.
Using a strategy when playing casino games is necessary, especially if you came to win. But there are factors that come into play such as what type of casino game are you playing? Is it a chance-based game or a game that requires skill?
Of course, nobody would want to lose when they’re gambling in a casino hence, the use of a strategy that you can use to be one step ahead of other players. Between the two that are going to be discussed here, you can’t go wrong as long as you know what you’re doing and you’re using the best one for you. To know which approach will be effective for you, this article will discuss the differences between basic strategy and advantage gambling.
Basic Strategy
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Best for casual gamblers
In case you’re someone who only gambles casually, then learning basic strategy will be great for you. Since you’re only gambling for fun, then you should go for the simple skill games. Basic strategy can win you games with simple strategies such as baccarat and craps.
As long as you bet on the banker’s hand out of the three bets in baccarat, you’re lowering the house edge to 1.06%. When playing craps, you can lower the house edge to as low as 1.36% by wagering don’t pass line and pass line bets, with a chance to reduce it even further by adding odds bets. These games are suitable when you want to use a little strategy without getting too involved in the action.
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Requires luck
By using basic strategy, you can lower the house’s advantage over you when you know which decisions to make each game. But, you’ll still be needing some luck to be able to win.
If you play a slightly more complex skill game such as blackjack that has a 0.5% house edge, your chances of winning are undoubtedly big. But in theory, you’re still going to find yourself in a bit of a rough patch. That’s when you’ll need to have some luck on your side while employing a basic strategy.
There’s still a possibility that you could lose many times, even with the house edge lowered significantly. Basic strategy will help, but a little luck is still required to win. That’s the case regardless if you’re playing online on https://www.pnxbet.com/ or at a brick and mortar casino.
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Simple
By now you may have probably noticed the simplicity of using basic strategy. In some games, you’ll only need to learn which bets offer the lower house edge. As mentioned before, games like craps, baccarat, and the European version of roulette all feature low house edges.
Depending on the game and with the right knowledge, you can quickly lower the house edge to around 1%. Just as simple as that, you already have one-upped the casino.
Advantage Gambling
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Requires more involvement
Advantage gambling techniques comes with numerous challenges. Using it means you have to more attentive and involved with what’s happening in the game you’re playing.
Something as simple as card counting can be challenging to practice. Hi-Lo’s counting system is a technique that you can learn in a matter of minutes. After you master a system, the next steps will be practicing and knowing the right time of when to raise your bets.
You’ll also need to be stealthy about card counting because the casino where you’re playing might throw you out. Many of them are keen on players who use this strategy because they don’t like the advantage play very much.
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The only way to guaranteed profits
Advantage play is necessary if you want guaranteed winnings. You may not have a significant edge in some instances, but at least you know that you’ll get to win something after playing. You’ll be able to see bigger differences as you play frequently doing advantage gambling.
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Some forms are difficult to learn
Other advantage gambling techniques like shuffle tracking and hole carding are difficult to master and execute. Both require focus and a ton of patience.
For example, shuffle tracking. It’s an additional step that you add to card counting to gain more advantage. You start by counting the deck like normal and then you need to track the positive section of the shoe of it after the dealer shuffles. Locating it by counting is easy, but the tough part lies with tracking the positive section because they’re separated into different clumps.
Conclusion
Whichever gambling strategy you use depends on what you want to get of gambling. If you’re a casual gambler who’s just looking to have fun and win some money, then the basic strategy is best for you. If you really want to win money, then advantage gambling techniques are the ones that you should learn.

Luther Abrams is an online game and sports enthusiast who spent his younger years playing and watching basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, and badminton games, among the many others. Today, as an early retiree, he continues to write about his love and passion for sports. On most days, he also loves to play ball with his two kids.