What’s the biggest myth you constantly see or hear about on the casino floor?

[monkeytilter]

I’m convinced most regular casino players don’t actually understand where they’re losing money, I'm not talking about the house always wins, that’s obvious, I mean specific things like:

Players avoid Craps because it looks complicated, but then dump money into side bets with far worse odds;
Slot players talk about “machines about to pay” without really understanding RTP (return to player) or volatility.

What belief did you have early on that you later realised was completely wrong?

 

[Rost]

I’m convinced most regular casino players don’t actually understand where they’re losing money, I'm not talking about the house always wins, that’s obvious, I mean specific things like:

Players avoid Craps because it looks complicated, but then dump money into side bets with far worse odds;
Slot players talk about “machines about to pay” without really understanding RTP (return to player) or volatility.

What belief did you have early on that you later realised was completely wrong?

I was convinced that in order to make money playing casino games, you had to be the owner of the casino. I haven't lost this conviction with experience or over the years

 

[Newzooozooo]

I’m convinced most regular casino players don’t actually understand where they’re losing money, I'm not talking about the house always wins, that’s obvious, I mean specific things like:

Players avoid Craps because it looks complicated, but then dump money into side bets with far worse odds;
Slot players talk about “machines about to pay” without really understanding RTP (return to player) or volatility.

What belief did you have early on that you later realised was completely wrong?

At first, I was convinced that casino games were games in which everything, absolutely everything, depended on luck. But now I can say that I was wrong. I was wrong because I didn't understand the importance of patience, bankroll management, and player experience. I always thought that at the casino, I should just spend everything I had and then go home to sleep or, if I was lucky, go on vacation with my friends. As you can imagine, I went to sleep much more often than I went on vacation.

 

[YLAN]

The biggest myth for me regarding gambling is "beginner's luck". Have seen many novice players winning big whilst just learning or starting on the game & referred to as "beginner's luck". Believed in it for awhile because when I was just starting to play poker, already won several tourneys in just first few months.

But just be reminded that In casino games, tho the odds are always in favor of the house, regardless of a player's experience level in the long term; in the short term, there would always be some bastards that can get lucky. Such is RNG after all. Anything is possible.

 

[harshu]

Great topic. The biggest myth I constantly hear on the casino floor is:

“This machine is due.”

It’s amazing how many otherwise rational people believe in timing cycles on slots. Modern slot machines use RNGs — every spin is independent. The machine doesn’t know it hasn’t paid in an hour, and it doesn’t “owe” anyone anything. What people are usually experiencing is variance combined with selective memory.

A close second myth:

“Side bets are where the real money is.”

In games like blackjack or baccarat, the base game often has relatively low house edge if played correctly. But players will avoid learning basic strategy, then happily put money into side bets with 10–25% house edge because the payout looks attractive. The casino floor is basically built on exploiting that psychological bias toward big multipliers.

Another one I used to believe early on:

“Playing longer increases your chances of winning.”

In reality, more time = more exposure to negative EV. Even in games with low house edge, the longer you play, the closer you trend toward the expected loss. The idea that endurance beats math is a comforting illusion.

And maybe the most dangerous myth:

“I’m only down because I ran bad.”

Sometimes that’s true — short term variance is real. But most consistent losses come from:

• Playing negative EV games
• Ignoring bankroll management
• Overestimating skill edge
• Emotional decision-making

The hardest lesson for me was realizing that casinos don’t need to beat you dramatically — they just need you to misunderstand small edges over time.