There’s no steadfast right or wrong way to approach the games when it comes to casino gambling. What works best for you might not bring me any of the successes I’m after, and my strategy may take all of the fun out of gambling that keeps you returning to the casino.
It takes different strokes, folks. That’s fine because there will be various means to get to the desired result when you have other goals.
However, regardless of your gambling ambitions, there are definitely ways to hamper yourself. I’ve had plenty of periods where I wasn’t doing everything right but enjoyed some decent success.
When I catch myself doing things the worst way, I’ve taken some blows. Here are 10 surefire signs that you’re doing it wrong.
1 – You Make Decisions Without a Reason
Even when playing games of chance, you’ll have decisions to make that affect your results. In skill-based games, these decisions often have a more direct impact on your success or failure.
You should always have a reason for your actions. If you’re playing blackjack and hit on a hand, you’d better have a good reason why.
You should take a proactive approach while gambling. Merely making choices with no reason will irritate your competition and drain your gambling bankroll.
2 – You Take a Broad Approach to Gambling
If you’re taking a buckshot approach to your gambling habits, you’re doing it wrong. Successful players will focus on one or two primary games and become as proficient as possible at those games.
When I began my gambling career, I would jump from table to table, testing my luck and seeing what games I got the luckiest while playing. I had little skill as it pertained to casino gambling and merely played on a whim.
I basically went broke every time I walked into a casino. Ironically, my only refuge was the occasional slot machine win that would put me in the black.
As I began to become a better gambler, I narrowed my focus considerably. That took me to a point where my primary gambling habits revolve around areas in the casino that give me a shot at winning.
Still, I’ll never jump from the poker room to the blackjack table or the blackjack table to the sportsbook. When I go to the casino, I’m focused on one discipline, and I ride that horse until I leave.
Bouncing around the casino from game to game like whack-a-mole is undoubtedly costing you extra money. I was doing it entirely wrong for years before I discovered my error.
3 – You Blame Your Losses on Outside Forces
Do you ever feel like the casino has it out for you?
Well, they don’t. At least not any more than they have it out for the rest of us.
The games are designed to make us lose; that’s how the casino makes money. They don’t need to sit a class of newbies at your table to break your concentration.
Casinos have thousands of players coming through the doors daily, and most of them are flush with cash. The casino knows some players are going to win. It’s in the math.
So, they don’t waste any time ensuring specific players lose. Blaming your casino losses on anything other than the house edge is simply wrong.
4 – You’re Burning Through Your Bankroll Too Fast
One of the most evident signs that you’re gambling all wrong is burning through your bankroll too fast. Casino games are designed to slowly draw on your money to keep you entertained for as long as possible.
The longer you gamble, the more you eventually lose. Casinos wouldn’t enjoy such booming success if everyone walked into the casino and lost all their money in the first hour.
Yet, this is precisely what happens to novice casino gamblers regularly. Some of this is a lack of knowledge, but it also comes down to greed.
Regardless of what’s leading to your crippling losses, bankroll management can right the ship. Even players who lose every casino trip can sustain a long-term hobby when using proper bankroll management.
Start developing a solid money management strategy for the casino, and you’ll become a much better gambler. Nothing has had as significant of an impact on my success as a gambler as bankroll management.
5 – The Term Strategy Confuses You
If you’re relying on luck to win in the casino, you’re definitely doing it wrong. Playing games that involve the best strategy can reduce the house edge and make you profitable in some cases.
If you’re hearing about strategy for the first time or completely ignore the importance of process in the casino, there’s a 100% chance that you’re doing it wrong.
Video poker even gives players a chance to make a long-term profit by using the best strategy. So, there are zero excuses for not implementing strategy in your casino sessions.
6 – You’re Neglecting Your Body’s Basic Needs
Nothing gets more universally ignored by casino gamblers than their bodies. It amazes me how regularly I see players around the tables when I head for the room to call it a night and return to the tables the next day to see the same players.
They neglect themselves food and sleep to spend the maximum amount of time at the tables. This behavior is fundamentally wrong on several levels.
When you don’t allow your casino weary body to rest or give it the proper fuel (Jack and Coke doesn’t constitute a meal), you’re selling the entire experience short. You can’t expect to perform your best when you sit at the tables mentally or physically exhausted.
If you’re neglecting your body’s basic needs, you’re doing several things wrong. Take better care of yourself in the casino, and you’ll start seeing better results.
7 – You’re Losing Your Cool in the Casino
When players go completely on tilt in a poker game, at the sportsbook, or on the casino floor, they’ve completely missed the mark.
Gambling is primarily designed to be a form of entertainment. Have you ever gotten so angry at the movies that you stood up and began shouting at the screen, then pulled money out of your pocket and began tossing it on the floor?
Keep your emotions in check, and the casino experience will be more enjoyable for everyone.
8 – You Aren’t Taking Steps to Improve
Whatever your passions or hobbies are, you should always be striving to improve. When you remain complacent, the opportunity for growth withers away, and you may begin to regress.
Whatever your preferred gambling activities are, it’s vital that you are taking steps to become a better gambler. That will enable you to begin seeing better results as it relates to wins and losses.
Perhaps, more importantly, honing your skills will allow you to get more enjoyment out of your time in the casino.
You don’t have to gain pro status to enjoy gambling, but climbing out of the cellar will be beneficial.
9 – You Suffer from Paralysis by Analysis
Some people tend to overthink every move they make in life. That can also translate to the casino, where players get so involved in thinking every decision through that they become unable to act.
When you head to the casino with a solid system or strategy in place, you’re free to operate within the confines of that strategy. This approach will make the casino games more exciting as you make your plays and keep in time with the table.
10 – You’re Gambling Sessions Are Completely Void of Fun
When you do not have fun gambling, you’re unequivocally doing something wrong. Every game in the casino is designed to entertain and excite players.
Sometimes putting the fun back in your gambling is as easy as changing the game you’re playing. When you settle in on one game, it needs to be a game that you enjoy.
Try making a switch to see if the fun comes back.
You’ll have to change your attitude to get the fun back in your gambling sessions. Try something new or take things a little lighter to bring the joy back.
Conclusion
Keep an eye out for these 10 surefire signs that you’re doing it wrong. Becoming a better gambler is often a much more straightforward task than it seems.
Still, the work isn’t going to do itself. You’ll need to do a thorough and honest evaluation of your gambling habits and make the corrections based on that.
