Gamble It Smart
Experienced, noncompulsive, recreational gamblers typically play in a very disciplined and structured manner. Here's what they recommend.
1. Never gamble when you are tired, depressed, or sick. Also, watch the drinking. Alcohol impairs judgment and lessens inhibitions.
2. Set a limit before you leave home on the total amount you are willing to lose gambling. Whatever happens, do not surpass this boundary.
3. Decide which type of game interests you and get the rules down before playing. If you are a first-timer at craps or baccarat, take lessons offered free at the casinos most days. If you are a virgin blackjack player, buy a good book and learn basic strategy. For all three games, spend an hour or two observing games in progress before buying in. Stay away from games like keno and wheel of fortune, in which the house advantage is overwhelming.
4. Decide how long you want to play and work out a gambling itinerary consistent with the funds you set aside for wagering. Let's say you plan to be in Las Vegas for two days and want to play about five hours each day. If you have $500 gambling money available for the trip, that's $250 a day. Dividing the $250 a day by five hours, you come up with $50 an hour.
Now, forget time. Think of your gambling in terms of playing individual sessions instead of hours. You are going to play five sessions a day with $50 available to wager at each session.
5. Observe a strategy for winning and losing. On buying in, place your session allocation by your left hand. Play your allotted session money only once during a given session. Any time you win, return your original bet to the session-allocation stack (left hand), and place your winnings in a stack by your right hand. Never play chips or coins you have won. When you have gone through your original allocation once, pick up the chips or coins in your winning stack (right hand) and quit. The difference between your original allocation and what you walk away with is your net win or loss for the session.
During the session, bet consistently. If you have been making $1 bets and have lost $10, do not chase your losses by upping your bets to $10 in an effort to get even in a hurry.
If you were fortunate and doubled your allocated stake during the session (in this case, walked away with $100 or more), take everything in excess of $100 and put it aside as winnings, not to be touched for the remainder of your trip. If you won, but did not double your money, or if you had a net loss (quit with less than $50 in your win stack), use this money in your next playing session.
6. Take a break between sessions. Relax for a while after each session. Grab a bite to eat, enjoy a nap, or go for a swim.
7. When you complete the number of sessions scheduled for the day, stop gambling. Period.
Play smart and go home a winner.
