I've already had one gambling trip in 2019 to start the year, a weekend run to Lake Charles where I managed to grind and claw and only wind up losing around $40 for the weekend. I was brought back on the last night by a very nice $1,000 win on Top Dollar, the first time I've gotten the top offer on that machine.
I write a LOT on this blog about gambling, on sports, horses, and in the casino, I write an awful lot about picks and bets and very little about being responsible, and I want to change that. Because gambling addiction is a real thing, given lip-service by the casino but something that affects, by estimate, fully 2% of the population with numbers that are growing.
If you've ever been to a casino you can see why. The entire environment is designed to stroke the pleasure centers in your brain and get you to lose your inhibitions and gamble more than you are comfortable risking. From the lights on the slots to skimpily clad dealers (who will smile at you, and flirt with you despite the fact that they wouldn't give you the time of day off the clock) music and HVAC systems designed to ensure that you're alert and awake, and utterly clueless about the time of day.
You won't find clocks in a casino and there's a reason for that.
I like to promote, and practice, responsible gaming. In that vein I want to go over a few key points for you to keep in mind in 2019, things that might help you keep these impulses under control.
1. The odds on every game favor the house.
This is important because most people hit the casino floor thinking they're going to "strike it rich" when the reality is, without a plan of action, what they are really priming for is to "become poor". EVERY game you play, unless you're card counting in certain rules of Black Jack, is a negative expectation game. What I mean by that is over the course of time you are going to lose because the odds are stacked against you.
Penny slots are the worst action in the casino for the player, yet year over year they are the casinos biggest money maker. Why is that? Because slots, for most people, are fun, and an easy way to gamble because there's not element of skill involved. You press the button and miraculous things happen, you get a little win, the counter goes crazy, lights and sounds (and now, chair vibrations) all act to kick in your brain's dopamine centers to provide a rush.
But, and this is important, as a gambler you do have one big advantage over the house you control and they cannot. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK AWAY WHEN YOU ARE AHEAD.
Don't discount this, because it's important. I'm not saying to quit gambling after a win, I'm saying to take a break, enjoy the win. Maybe go back to your room if the win is big enough and put your winnings in the house safe. If you're lucky enough to get a hand-pay jackpot (a win $1,200 or more) you should always do this. Get your money, tip the attendant, and go to your room and put your winnings in the safe. Continue gambling with your original daily budget and, again important, resist the temptation to go grab those winnings and churn them back into the machine.
2. Once you win something it's YOUR money.
The biggest lie problem gamblers convince themselves of is that they're playing with "house money" after a big win. Most often what happens is that they 'donk' away all of those winnings right back to the casino. This is known as churn, and it happens to everyone. Even the most disciplined gambler has a degenerate's tale or three to share where they got a win and gave it all back chasing the great white whale of a multi-progressive jackpot. It happens, don't beat yourself up over it but LEARN from it.
On more than one occasion, early in my gambling career, I've won $500 and tried to turn it into $5000 and walked away with nothing. I've seen people up $10,000 blow it all on one hand of Black Jack because they wanted to feel the sensation of making a huge bet. I've been approached in casinos by people trying to scam me by selling me a "diamond ring" for $200 just so they can get "back in the game". In most cases these people are thieves, but in some they truly believe that the next shoe is the one that will turn their lives around.
They're wrong, and so are you.
Instead of "striking it rich" your goal on EVERY gambling trip should be to "lose a little" with anything better than that being a bonus. You accomplish this by locking away your money, not churning it back to the casino. My method for doing so is simple.
Whether playing slots or video poker my "bullets" are $40 each. That's what I put into a machine and am ready to lose each gambling 'round'. If I get a win that pushes my money count over $60 I cash out, go to the TITO exchange machine, convert it to money, pocket the winnings and continue playing with my original bullet. My winnings go to a segregated place, which then goes into the "take home" envelope at the end of the night (or, if on the unlikely event I win big, directly into the room safe. You can also get winnings in the form of a check to deposit when you get home). By following this method we have cut our losses on each gambling trip 75%, we have also come home a winner on occasion, which is probably the best feeling in the world. It has been a long time since I had a trip that was a disaster, although bad trips still happen.
Does this method take discipline? You bet it does. I'm not saying that it's easy and I'm not saying that we were initially successful at it. But over time it has become routine and we have a lot more fun now that we're pocketing wins than we were when we were churning them. We also make a game of it. My wife gets to keep all of the coins that are on the TITO when she runs it for me. Over time she's gathered over $100 in coins that she takes home and rolls, and cashes them in at the bank which provides her a bankroll on future trips.
3. If you need help, get help.
There is no shame in counselling, and there is no shame in admitting you have a problem. There are gambling hotlines advertised at every casino and a host of options you can use to ensure that you won't gamble away your life savings.
Self exclusion seems extreme, but in many cases it might be the only way that you can prevent yourself from gambling too much. Use the resources available to you, TALK to your family about your gambling and if it's affecting their lives. Don't go down the rabbit hole. If you're unsure whether or not you have a problem ask an expert. If you need help finding one contact me and I'll give you a list of resources.
Gambling should be fun. If it's not, stop. Don't EVER gamble because you NEED to win. Gamble because it's entertainment and makes things more enjoyable. The MOMENT you stop enjoying it stop.
Over the course of the year I'm going to be sharing my gambling trips and experiences. I'll share the wins, the losses, the bad beats and the miracle results. I'll share the mundane and the exciting, the grinds, the hot streaks and the cold runs. I'll do everything I can to provide the real truth of what a mid-level gambler really can expect over time. Be prepared though to see more losses than wins, more disappointment than joy. This is not a casino advert, it's real life.
I'm counting down to a trip to Las Vegas in the coming weeks, and I'll be sharing a report from that trip when I get back. In the interim, I'm going to share some more tips for responsible gaming including details about my bankroll method.
I truly hope this helps anyone who reads get more out of going to a casino. Or, at the least, you take away that it's an enjoyable read.
One final thought: Gambler's believe in luck, the casinos believe in math. Guess who's making more money?
No comments:
Post a Comment