Minimum vs. Maximum Bets: What’s Better?

The gambling world is full of superstitions and misconceptions, one of which has to do with betting the minimum or maximum bet at a game.

The theory is that you win more when you bet the maximum, which in essence, is true as the amount returned to you is larger. However, players confuse this with the frequency of winning, which is not affected by the amount you bet.

Still unsure if you should bet the minimum or maximum? Read on to learn which is better when gambling.

Does Betting the Minimum or Maximum Make a Difference?

First and foremost, we need to discuss how slot machines work. Believe it or not, most casinos are governed by laws, most of which state that their games have to be provably fair. If they’re not, the casino could be legally liable and even shut down.

So what does provably fair mean? Basically, every game you play at the casino has to be run by an algorithm that determines random outcomes that are unaffected by who the player is, or any inputs they may make. While a legal deck of cards fulfills this requirement in games like poker and blackjack, most slot machines have a random number generator that spits out numbers randomly with each spin on click. With craps and roulette, there is often other testing which comes into play—to ensure the dice used aren’t weighted, and that the roulette wheel isn’t rigged. Regardless, casinos must prove that the outcomes of all their games occur with randomness and are not rigged.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this means that casinos cannot rig their machines to “pay more” when you bet more because this would mean they were rigged, and this is illegal. Your chances of winning at a legal casino do not change based on your bet size.

Why Do People Think Betting the Maximum Pays More?

Honestly, we aren’t exactly sure where this superstition came from, but we suspect it has something to do with players not understanding gambling. For example, when you bet 50 cents and win 100% of it back, you win 50 cents. When you bet $10 on that same spin, and win that same 100%, you win $10 back. Basically, we suspect players only look at the amount they win, not realizing that the only reason it is bigger is that they bet more—the win rate/payout rate is still 100%, no matter how much you bet.

However, there is one exception to this, and this is that a few casino games have bonuses, which cannot be reached (simply because of the conditions required to implement the bonus) with regular minimum betting. That being said, these games are few and far between, and they certainly don’t require the maximum bet either, but if you bet a penny every time, you may never qualify.

Still, these bonuses are so rare that we don’t think you should base your betting patterns on them. But, if you do want to have the option to attain all bonuses in a game, we recommend researching them in advance and ensuring whatever you plan to bet will meet them.

How Do You Know How Much to Bet?

In general, when you are first starting out with a game, whether that be slots, blackjack, or roulette, we always recommend starting with the minimum bet while you learn to play. This strategy will allow you to minimize your losses until you know and understand the odds. Once you have played a few times, your betting strategy should change.

As we mentioned above, there isn’t really ever a need to automatically bet the maximum, and in card games, we recommend sticking to the minimum bet unless you are utilizing side bets in blackjack or playing poker and want to up the pot. In these cases, your increased bet will vary based on your hand and game play—all things you should get a feel for over time.

As for slots and other games that have the unique bonuses we mentioned above, we recommend betting somewhere between the minimum and the maximum, as this will allow you to play as efficiently as possible and still have access to bonuses. For example, if the minimum bet on a machine is 50 cents, and the max is $10, you should consider betting $4 or $5 per spin, as this will likely be enough to get you the bonuses, but not enough to instantly bankrupt you.

For craps, your betting strategy will depend heavily on gameplay. When played correctly, utilizing all available side bets  (varying them based on the round) craps can be highly rewarding for the skilled player. This is definitely a game you don’t want to do the max bet, though; instead, you want to bet high, spreading the risk by varying the numbers and squares you are betting on.

For roulette, there is no real benefit to betting anything higher than the minimum. With roulette, each spin is 100% independent of the one before it, and there are no “secret bonuses” that require a certain bet. So, in this case, just stick to the minimum bet no matter how long you’ve played!

Should You Double Your Bet After Losing?

Besides just the rumors that betting more helps you win more, there is also an old wives’ tale that has turned into a gambling tactic known as martin Galing. This strategy states that after a losing hand, you should double your bet because your chances of winning are higher, but this is sadly not the case.

Remember, each hand or spin is 100% independent of the one before it, and you are just as likely to lose your second hand as your third hand as your fourth hand. Therefore, you should never base your betting strategy on this outdated idea. Instead, base your bet size on your skill, bonus requirements, and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Good luck!