Top 6 Gambling Activities that Rely Purely on Skill

For a long time, live casino gambling has been considered luck-based. That’s because you can’t just wake up one morning and decide to win the long-running video poker jackpot. If that were the case, then most live online casinos would run out of town.

The reality is that you need a combination of skill and luck to win at any form of gambling. So, which are these gambling activities that need a strategic approach? Below are some notable names:

Blackjack

If you have two aces and two eights, what’s your next move? This is just one of the high-stake decisions you’ll need to make on a blackjack table. In short, blackjack players who know how to split, double down, count cards, and generally use strategy win more often.

Strategy matters aside, blackjack is arguably the simplest casino game to play. Just ensure your hand is higher than the dealer’s or be the first to hit 21. Also, play live blackjack to enjoy a more authentic experience. This variant allows you to see your opponents’ hands and count cards. However, the dealer shuffles the shoe quite often here.

Texas Hold’em Video Poker

Given the sheer number of tournaments, Texas Hold’em is rightly considered the most popular video poker game. This card game is played using a standard 52-card deck with two to ten players.

Having said that, it’s simpler to predict your opponent’s hand because you’ll only be dealing with 52 cards. This is unlike in blackjack, where you may have more than 400 cards. After being dealt two face-down cards, you need to know when to call, raise, double down, etc.

Jacks or Better Video Poker

Jacks or Better might not necessarily be the best online poker game out there, but it’s one of those with the most straightforward strategies. With this game, you can find a 9/6 paytable and enjoy a 99.5% RTP.

In addition, you may get a reward that allows you to play with a 100% return overall after joining the players’ club. And just like blackjack, other players on the table have already done the math for you.

Caribbean Stud Poker

In Caribbean Stud Poker, you will be up against the dealer. They deal up to five cards (one face-up and four face-down) to themselves and five open cards to you. Of course, the objective is to create a stronger hand and carry the pot.

Sadly, there is no known strategy to win this game. That’s because there is only a single deck, replaced after each game round. But still, you can study the dealer’s open cards and predict whether they have a stronger hand or not.

Video Slots

If you think that all video slots are all about spinning the reels and waiting for the result, you’re mistaken. Instead, some video slots allow you to influence the game outcome directly.

After spinning the reels, you’ll wait for the RNG-generated result, just like on traditional slot machines. But here is the catch; these games let players trigger a bonus round by landing a scatter symbol. However, the RTP can be higher.

Sports Betting

Sports betting is undoubtedly the most prominent online gambling market globally. This gambling activity allows players to merely choose a sporting event and predict whether their favorite team loses or wins.

But that’s just a smokescreen. Punters need to be extra-careful to win. For example, you must analyze the team’s current form, the lineup (injuries), head-to-head stats, and so on. In a nutshell, build a system of evaluating games to cut it in sports betting.

Conclusion

All in all, always play blackjack if you want a slim chance of beating the house. Although the strategies might seem intimidating on paper, they are straightforward with practice. You may end up increasing the RTP to more than 99.5%.

Poker variants like Jacks or Better and Caribbean Stud are also excellent options, although you must first find the right machine. Simply put, play with a strategy to be a pro gambler.