We all know that the golden rule of gambling is to have fun – to not worry about the outcome and to simply enjoy it for the thrilling entertainment it is. However, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your skills either. Learning more about your favourite games and about gambling itself can help to challenge you, improve your analytical and problem-solving abilities, and increase your enjoyment of playing overall. But what are the skills you need to focus on in order to improve your gambling performance? Let’s take a look.

1. Change your attitude. Did you come to play or did you come to PLAY? If you’re only gambling for fun, chances are you’ll start a session with a fairly breezy devil-may-care attitude. And that’s a good thing, because after all, gambling is all about having fun. If you’re looking to improve your skills however, here’s the first place you’ll need to start – with the way you approach your gambling from the outset. While you’re still looking to have fun, you’ll need to be focused as well – to have certain goals that you want to achieve, to have a plan of action to help you achieve them, and to be willing to learn from your mistakes and correct your play going forward. You’re still looking for entertainment, but in a more guided, level-headed way. Change your attitude, and you’ll have taken the first step towards changing your game play too.

2. Choose the right game. Sure slots are fun – but with a relatively high house edge, they can make a sizable dent in your bankroll in minutes if you’re not careful. If you’re looking to hone your gambling skills, the best place to start is at the tables – games that require a certain level of skill, and offer a far lower house edge as a result. Knowing how to play your cards right in games like Blackjack or Poker can help to significantly lower the house edge, giving you a far better chance of beating the house, while games that depend completely on luck can be far more difficult to master. Stick to the tried and tested favourites, spend your time learning the ropes, and those newly sharpened skills could soon start paying off.

3. Brush up on your maths. You don’t need to go all the way back to school, but knowing your numbers in the casino can help to give you a significant edge. Sure it can be daunting when faced with all manner of percentages, but knowing how to read the numbers and use them to your advantage can substantially improve your skill level as a player. For example, a game that has a low house edge (the casino’s advantage over you as a player) is better than one with a high house edge, as you’re more likely to end up with a win. Similarly, a game with a high RTP (Return to Player percentage) will return more back to you in winnings over the long run than a game with a lower RTP. Factor in these figures, as well as others like the odds of a particular game, and you’ll soon see those winnings mount up.

4. Develop a strategy. Or in other words, a plan. Any goal worth achieving in life first starts with a plan, and improving your gambling skills is no different. Most online casinos will help you out with game guides, and there are hundreds of available strategies on the internet, not to mention the thousands of gambling strategy books written too. Choose the game or games you want to focus on, read up on the best strategies to use when playing them (or develop your own) and watch as your critical thinking improves (and hopefully your payouts too) over time.

5. Keep a record of your results. It might sound like a complete waste of time, but in fact tracking your wins and losses can help you keep control of your bankroll, and assist you with your money management. Not only that, it can also help to highlight which games are offering you the best value for money, allowing you to avoid overspending during future play. Keeping a close record of all your game play may sound time-consuming, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks – and when you see just how consistently healthy your bankroll will be as a result, you’ll thank us!
6. Manage your bankroll. Yes, this goes hand-in-hand with the previous point, but we’re making this one separate as it’s so vital to your survival as a successful gambler. Along with tracking your wins and your losses, you’ll need to set yourself gambling limits too, in order to ensure you never gamble with more than you can afford to lose. Set aside a certain amount of gambling money, just as you would with any other expense, and make a concerted effort to stick to this limit at all times. You can even follow the advice of many gambling pros and keep your original wager amount in your bankroll while only playing with money that you win. However you choose to manage your money though, make sure that it’s a key focus at all times – because it’s difficult to improve your gambling skills when you don’t have any money to gamble with.

7. Practice, practice, practice. It might sound obvious but it’s worth repeating – and three times at that. The only way to improve any skill, from running to playing piano to gambling, is to keep practising. If your bankroll is looking a little lean, play for free until you have more funds to work with. Read strategy tips online, chat to other players on forums, then take those tips and use them in the casino to your benefit. The more you can learn, and the more you can apply it to regular, informed play, the more your gambling skills will soar – and hopefully your jackpot-winning abilities too. Good luck!

Happy Spinning 🙂