Page 17 - August 2002 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Visiting a casino resort can be very exciting. Before your visit, you will have to make some decisions as to how much time and how much money you want to spend in the casino. If you went to the beach for a vacation you would not spend all your time in water. Therefore,
when you go to a casino resort, you are not going to spend all your time in the casino playing. You will want to plan other activities in addition to slots and table games. Some of these may include going to a show, sightseeing, swimming or shopping or just lounging around taking it easy. By planning other activities it will be less likely for you succumb to the temptation to bet more and play longer than you had planned to.
Before you leave, decide exactly how much money you will spend in the casino. This is going to be separate from your other spending money. This must be money that you can afford to lose. This is your gambling bankroll. Use only this money for playing in the casino. Now divide this money by the number of days you will be at the casino resort. This is your daily bankroll.
Here is an easy way to do this. It sounds simple and some of you will scoff at the idea as being almost juve- nile, but it works. I was given this advice the very rst time I visited Las Vegas. In all my trips there, I have never come home without some of my money. Here is an example of what you can do.
Let’s say you decide you have $225 that you will allo- cate for playing in the casino. Let’s say you’re going to be at the casino resort for three days. Divide the $225 by three and you will have a daily bankroll of $75. Now get three envelopes. Put each day’s bankroll in a separate envelope. At the beginning of each day, take the money out of that day’s envelope. Keep this separate from your other money. Divide this $75 into the number of ses- sions you want to play for the day. Don’t use it all in one sitting. At the end of the day, take all the day’s bankroll (including any winnings) and put it in the envelope. Seal it and don’t touch it again. The next day, start with the envelope for that day.
If you can do this, you will more than likely bring money home. If you have a couple of winning days and a couple losing days, it’s possible that the wins will offset the losses. That is why you have to seal up the money in the envelopes. It takes discipline to do this and not open the envelopes, but you will be happy you did, once you return home.
Have fun and enjoy your casino resort vacation. I hope you come home a winner!
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge stays forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet Portal, About.com. He also writes for several national gambling publications. He is the author of Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold ’em, scheduled for release in October of 2002.
See his articles at www.casinogambling.about.com.
The casino is a place of glitz and glamour and a virtual fantasy world once you walk through the doors. The excitement of the sights and sounds and the general atmosphere helps to add to that feeling. Many people get caught up in the excitement. When this happens it is easy to get carried away and play more than you should. This is easy to do because of the following:
1) Casinos convert your cash into chips at the tables. You nd yourself looking at the chips and seeing red and
green tokens. You lose the sense that it is really money. This can lead to over betting.
2) Once you place your money into the slot machine, all you see are credits on the meter. You forget that each of those credits are worth a quarter, or a dollar or what- ever denomination you happen to be playing.
3) Some casinos supply you with free drinks while you are playing. A few cocktails loosen up your inhibitions and may get you to bet more. One gambling writer I know calls free drinks “Chip Removers!”
4) Finally, the pace of the casino is fast. Dealers often deal at lightning speed. The maximum bet buttons on slot machines are there so you can keep hitting the spin button as fast as you can.
“Remember that one thing that turns winners into losers is the notion that once you win, you are playing with the casino’s money. Once you win, it is YOUR mONEY. Don’t give it back.”
Remember: When You Win, it’s YOUR Money, Not the Casino’s
Keep these points in mind while you are in the casino.
Also remember that one thing that turns winners into losers is the notion that once you win, you are play- ing with the casino’s money. Once you win, it is your money. Don’t give it back. When you get ahead, take half of your winnings and put it in a different pocket to take home with you. It’s easy to leave the casino when all your money is gone. It takes discipline to walk away when you are ahead. Discipline and control is what separates winners from losers.
The most important rule to remember is never bring all of the money you allocated for the entire trip to the casino with you. The way you handle your
“Vacation Casino Bankroll” can make the difference between coming home a winner or a loser. If you are planning an overnight stay at a casino resort, there is a little plan you can follow to help you avoid losing control.
AUGUST 2002
Page 17
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE