Gambling in any casino, whether online or a real walk in casino, it should be seen as a form of entertainment. Obviously, your aim is to win, however you do need to be prepared to lose. If you are on a losing streak, its best to just lose the amount of money you planned to risk on that day and nothing more. In other words, you need to accept the fact that you are never guaranteed to win and you need to be prepared for that.

Many gambling systems or methods are available to try and improve your odds and help you win, but don’t expect to continuously win off the casinos. Apart from card counting at blackjack, all forms of gambling are predominately conditioned by luck and as a gambler, you need to be prepared for that.

Casinos tend to have a mathematical advantage with most games and you do need to live with that. You as a player can need to make the correct calls and know when to quit. You need to make those decisions and that would determine how successful you will be. Discipline yourself and have a betting strategy you will stick with. Make sure you limit your losses and know how to control your winnings. You need to stick to your bankroll limit if you begin to lose and remember not to get greedy if you start to win.

Gambling does pose psychological traps. The irrational part of the mind can take over and tries to invoke the ‘winning’ sensation at all costs.  Non-logical thoughts such as, “my luck is due to change” or “it cannot be black again” are signs that this may actually be happening.

Smart gamblers will keep this irrational behaviour under control, which is easier said than done. Below you will find a list of things “To Do” and things “Not To Do” when gambling.

Things To Do When Gambling

Take breaks when gambling. The longer you spend on a table, the more you are likely to lose, unless you are a professional gambler. By taking breaks, you will not only cut your losses, you will also refresh your brain. Playing games that require you to think and use special skills such as Blackjack or Texas Hold’em, a break will actually give you the opportunity to get your emotions back under control even if you are having a winning or losing streak. Remember, playing with strong emotions is a very dangerous pastime.

Remember, play within a fixed budget.  Decide before you start how much you can afford to lose and do not try to recoup your losses once your limit has been reached. Family homes are lost due to the lack of such control. If you find it difficult to stop once you have reached your loss limit, then only carry this limit amount in cash and leave your cards at home.

By knowing your budget, find a table with a limit appropriate to the amount of entertainment time you expect and can afford. If you want to enjoy a long night of gambling and you can only afford to $200, then don’t play at the $50 minimum Blackjack or Texas Hold’em table. Find the lowest minimum bet table offered and wait for a seat to be freed up. If you are unsure which games offer the best returns, its best to research all this before playing. By doing so, you will not end up playing games that offer the lowest returns, such as playing Keno.

Keep track of your betting results by recording your returns from each session. It is worth writing it down and don’t be embarrassed to do so. By doing so, you can see whether the system you have adopted does actually work. Do not rely on your memory.

Losing is normal and expected from time to time. It should not and does not reflection on you as a person. Losing does not mean you will win next time you gamble. Let it go.

 Things Not To Do When Gambling

Do not consume a lot of alcohol when playing decision based games such as Blackjack. Many gambling pastimes do require skill. Excessive alcohol will however inevitably cause you to make mistakes and also become un-phased about losing money.

Learn how to play decision based games such as Blackjack and Texas Hold’em before attempting it at a casino. Your odds of winning will only improve if you know how to play the game correctly.

Zero skill games such as the roulette, where every bet has the same expected percentage return for the gambler, generally offer a worse proposition than playing decision based games well. Zero skill games do however offer much better odds of winning if you don’t know how to play decision based games correctly.