HOW TO BEAT ANY CASINO AND GET AWAY WITH THE LOOT

Casino survival strategies for all games

$1 AND $2 BETS
Supposing you were playing roulette and made even-money bets on Red. Your starting bankroll is 40 dollars. You can't hope to get ahead if you wager $1 each time and collect after every win. As a smart gambler you bet bigger using your winnings, not the money you brought to the table.

This is what would happen if you're on a winning streak and you bet-back your winnings plus one dollar from your original stake in each consecutive round:

1. round: Bet $1, win $1, collect $2 / 2. round: Bet $2 plus $1, win $3, collect $6 / 3. round: Bet $6 plus $1, win $7, collect $14 / 4. round: Bet $14 plus $1, win $15, collect $30 / 5. round: Bet $30 plus $1, win $31, collect $62 / 6. round: Bet $62 plus $1, win $63, collect $126

Five- or six-round streaks are not uncommon, As long as you bet only one unit of your own money each round, you won't get into much trouble.

$5 AND HIGHER BETS
For table minimums of $5 and up I suggest you:

1. Plunk down $40 and get eight $5 chips.

2. Make four consecutive $5 bets, win or lose. If you haven't won at least two of the four rounds, collect your remaining chips and try another table.

3. Quit and leave the table if you lose three bets in a row.

4. As long as you have more than four chips left, continue betting one unit at a time. Leave the table if you lose $20.

Once you're ahead by $10 and as long as you keep winning, increase the amount of your bet by $5 each time. As soon as you have a losing round, start back at the table minimum. Quit and take a break if you lose three times in a row.

WINNING AT SLOTS
Here's a sensible way to chase that big jackpot:

1) Divide your bankroll into a number of segments. If your slot budget for the day is $100, you have $20 for each of five separate sessions.

2) Set a loss limit and a win goal for each session. If you started with $20, promise yourself that you'll quit the session as soon as you've lost the $20 or you've won $20 or more.

3) If you get five losing spins in a row, move to another machine. Chances are the one you're on is in a cold cycle, or it's set for low payback to begin with.

WINNING AT VIDEO POKER
All machines go through hot and cold cycles. Don't waste your precious bankroll on "cold" machines. If, after 5 or 6 hands you haven't hit payouts that come even close to the total you've put into the machine, move on.

Supposing you started out with 80 coins, you've found a machine that's in a "paying mood"; continue playing as long as the credits keep building. Watch the meter. Once the count grinds down and is 40 coins below your highest total, cash out.

GET AWAY WITH THE LOOT
You're a true winner if you leave the casino with more money than you came with. The secret lies in quitting when you're ahead! It's greed that keeps people at a table or a machine too long. Fight it and you'll get away with the loot more often! Have fun and good luck!