People who develop a gambling problem often have false beliefs about their powers to control the games' outcomes, or that they have some system that can "beat the House". The reality is that most gambling outcomes are purely random.
So if you choose to gamble, consider the following odds:
Card Games:
- The odds of being dealt pocket aces in Texas Hold 'em are 220 to 1
- The most common two-card blackjack hand is one that totals between 1 and 16, which has a 38.7% payout.
- The odds of being dealt a natural blackjack are 1 in 20.
Lottery:
- The odds of being killed by falling airplane parts are 1 in 10 million. The odds of winning the grand prize in Lotto 6/49 are 1 in 14 million. It doesn't matter how many people have purchased tickets or what numbers you play—the odds are the same, regardless.
- If you buy 50 Lotto 6/49 tickets a week, you are likely to win the jackpot at least once – in 5,000 years.
- The likelihood of consecutive numbers (1-2-3-4) appearing are just as likely as non-consecutive numbers (32-5-12-9). Any number is just as likely to be drawn as any other number.
- For "Instant" tickets, odds vary by game. Odds of winning a top prize, though, typically range from about 1 in 1 million to 1 in 2.6 million.
Casino Games and Slots:
- Depending on the slot machine, the odds of winning the top prize can be as high as 1 in 16,000,000 spins.
- While a slot machine must pay back a minimum of 85% of the money it takes in, this is calculated over the entire life cycle of the computer chip that randomly generates the winning numbers. As such, it can take millions of spins for this payout to be achieved.
- In roulette, the odds of hitting any single number are 1 in 37.
General:
- If you toss a coin and get heads 5 times in a row, there is still no way to know what you'll flip next. It's completely random.
Remember, the odds aren't in your favour. Ever.
