Discipline
Every successful gambler needs discipline. For our purposes here, successful isn't necessarily the same as winning. A successful gambler is one who takes the time to gain the knowledge he or she needs to play the games, who understands the house edge and how it works, who can create a gambling budget and stick with it, and who enjoys the gambling session. All of these things take a great deal of discipline, whether you're winning or losing.
Know Your Game
The first element of discipline is understanding the game or games you want to play. If your game is blackjack, that means learning and applying basic strategy. If you prefer craps, it means understanding your betting options and knowing how to hedge your bets. If you'd rather play the slots, it means knowing the payout rates for specific machines and the pros and cons of playing maximum coins.
Recent research on the physiological effects of gambling indicates a moderate amount can be beneficial for both the heart and the brain. Low excitement levels are healthy stimulants for the cardiovascular system, and playing games — especially problem-solving games — helps keep the brain healthy and active in older adults.
Anybody can walk onto a gaming floor, toss a chip on the table, and trust to chance that it will come up a winner. You can play your hunches at blackjack. You can stay at a cold slot machine because you have a feeling it's due to hit big. You can buy only bingo cards with the “lucky” number 7 and hope that tonight's your night. But if you don't know the rules, procedures, and best betting options, the odds are stacked against you from the start.
Fortunately, there are several avenues for learning about the games you want to play, aside from the book you're reading now. Some casinos offer free classes in blackjack, poker, craps, and other table games to help the novice get started. The Internet also is a good source of information; there are scores of sites that not only explain the various games but allow you to play, usually for free. Likewise, home computer programs can be excellent learning devices, especially for more complicated games like poker and craps. Learning the ins and outs of your game can be daunting, especially in the beginning. But experience really is the best teacher, and in the long run your discipline will pay off in greater knowledge and fewer losses.
Stop, Look, Listen
Simply watching for a few hands or rounds before joining in is a good way to get a feel for the pace and flow of the game, and no one minds if you watch, as long as it doesn't interfere with play. This also is a good way to test your knowledge. When you're watching blackjack, for example, you can compare what the players do with your knowledge of basic strategy, identify players' mistakes, and figure out what you would do with that particular hand. The same applies to virtually any table game. You can pick up a lot just as a spectator.
Don't discount the dealer as an educational resource. Part of his job is to make you feel welcome and comfortable, and he should be happy to answer any questions you might have. However, remember to be courteous to the dealer and to other players. Choose an empty or nearly empty table if you anticipate needing a lot of help from the dealer, and try to find one where the pace of the game is on the slow side.
Understand the House Edge
The house edge is what keeps the casino in business, and it is not an easy thing to overcome. The wise and disciplined gambler knows what the house edge is on the games she plays and avoids the higher-risk bets. She also looks for opportunities that trim the house edge to 2 percent or less: playing basic strategy at blackjack, taking even-money bets on craps or a single-zero roulette wheel, and so on.
This is not to say that you shouldn't play keno or the money wheel — two games with some of the highest house edges in the casino — if you like. These games may appeal to you more than some of the other offerings; you might find them a relaxing respite from the frenetic pace of the craps pit or the blackjack table. By understanding how the house edge works and what the edge is on your game of choice, you can make informed gambling decisions that suit your style, your bankroll, and your tolerance for risk.
Because of the mathematics of the house edge, you're more likely to lose the longer you play. Giving yourself regular breaks from the action is not only a good mental strategy, it helps shave a little off that infamous house edge.
Creating and Sticking to a Budget
Once you really understand the house edge and how it works, it becomes obvious that you're more likely to lose than you are to win. If you do win, chances are your profit will be small. Disciplined gamblers learn to be content with small wins, because a bit of a profit is better than none, and it's much better than a loss. Establishing a budget before you set foot in the casino, with limits set both for losses and for how much of your winnings you're willing to risk, prevents you from chasing your losses when you lose and from being blinded by greed when you win.
Train yourself to think of your bankroll as investment money. In a savings account, your bankroll might earn you 2 or 3 percent interest. At the blackjack table, if you start with $100 and end up an hour later with $120, you've just earned 20 percent interest on your investment. Thinking in these terms can help you appreciate even the smallest wins.
Enjoying Yourself
Experts disagree over what motivates people who gamble. Psychologists and other professionals argue that players are driven by the profit motive, a chance to get big returns instantly on an investment. Other people who have spent their lives observing casino players, on the other hand, note that many, if not most, players continually make mistakes that put any potential profits out of reach. These observers argue that the true motivation must be something other than the smell of easy money. The real thrill must come from the action itself, the excitement of the surroundings, and the rush of adrenalin in a fast-paced game.
Any form of gambling is essentially a mental game. If you're tired, you won't enjoy it as much, and you're more likely to make mistakes. Disciplined gamblers get up from the table or slot machine when they feel fatigued; they take a break, get something to eat or drink, or just go outside for a breath or two of fresh air to recharge themselves.
Finally, your own emotions can overwhelm you in the midst of a hot or cold streak. It's tempting, after losing most of your bankroll in a session, to try to win it all back in one or two wagers. But it isn't an enjoyable sensation. If you've set your budget and stuck with it, the occasional losing streaks that all gamblers experience won't break your heart or your bank. You've still had the enjoyment of playing the game.
It's easy to lose track of your alcohol consumption when beverage servers are always at your elbow, but overindulgence dulls the mind and blurs judgment. If you're drinking too much, it will interfere with your enjoyment of the experience of gambling.
On the other hand, if you're on a roll, winning hand after hand or throw after throw, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and forget all those well-laid plans you made earlier. If you're winning, by all means, keep playing and enjoy the ride; but when you begin to lose, as you inevitably will, stop. You've added the thrill of a winning streak to your experience, and that thrill will linger much longer when your wallet is fat with cash.
