For the most part, gambling is down to luck, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely at the mercy of the hand of fate whenever you play a game of chance.

In fact, with a few tactics and a bit of insider knowledge up your sleeve, you can hone your skills and improve your chances of winning.

Let’s go over the options you’ve got available, and the sticking points that every gambler should keep in mind.

Game choice matters most

Simply put, there are only a handful of casino games that involve any skill. So avoiding experiences that are purely based on luck is half the battle.

For example, poker is skill-based, while slot machines are entirely down to random chance. Blackjack is also a table game that you can learn to master, while roulette is another luck-reliant creation which is generally the best way for casino operators to rake in the cash from punters.

Practice makes perfect

If you decide to get into the skill-focused forms of gambling, then your skills will only improve if you put in the hours.

Obviously you might not want to risk your hard-earned money while you’re still a novice, so sticking to casino sites that offer free-play poker or blackjack is sensible. Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, you can dip your toe into low-stakes, real-money games.

Expert advice is invaluable

Learning from the pros is useful in any field, and this goes double for gambling, because you’ll want to hear about any common beginner’s mistakes that others have made so you can avoid them yourself.

There are lots of ways to go about this, from books written by professional poker players, to a gambling podcast you don’t want to miss.

Watching others play is informative

Another risk-free way to expand your skill set as a gambler is to just observe the way that others play, and extrapolate lessons from the ebb and flow of games that you are not directly invested in.

You can obviously do this in a land-based casino, although this isn’t always convenient depending on where you’re based. Better still, you could watch poker tournaments that are broadcast on TV, or head to streaming sites like Twitch where many players have their own channels.

Passively absorbing the play styles and strategies of others will let you grow your own arsenal of abilities. And even if you don’t learn anything, it’s still thrilling to see the highs and lows of gambling played out in real time.

Learn from mistakes you make

You can read all the literature, listen to all the podcasts and watch all the broadcasts in the world, and you’ll still have to accept that making mistakes when you gamble yourself is unavoidable.

Knowing this is not enough; you also have to be willing to take stock when something goes wrong, and try to work out where you made your misstep, so that you don’t repeat the same folly in the future.

Know when to take a step back

Last of all, you can’t afford to get caught up in the hype of a gambling session if you’ve burned through your bank roll and you’re trying to chase a win that’s eluding you.

The thing with all types of gambling is that, even if you can put your skills into play, the luck and randomness of each outcome can still conspire against you and prevent you from triumphing. Having a budget for gambling and not betting over an amount you are happy with losing is the only way to wager responsibly.