Page 7 - September 2004 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Make a Plan!
“Nobody Plans to Fail... ey Just Fail to Plan.”
by Bill Burton
I rst heard that quote many years ago in a business class I attended in college. It is one of the bits of information that has stuck with me, and over the years I have found out that there is much truth in this simple bit of wisdom.
Very few successes in life happen by accident. Success with anything starts with a goal and then a plan to determine the steps needed to achieve that goal. Successful people know how to make a plan and follow it instead of running about aimlessly and making decisions on the spur of the moment.
not spend all of your time in the water. Your visit to the casino should include more that just gambling.
Plan Your Bankroll
Before visiting the casino determine how much money you want to risk on the games. en decide how many sessions you want to play. Divide your money by the number of sessions and then you have your bankroll for each session you play. Plan a stop loss. If you lose 50 percent of your session bankroll, take a break. If you are winning, make sure to lock up a pro t.
Plan Your Play
Decide what games you want to play before entering the casino. You should also decide what limits you want to play. is will be determined by the bankroll you have already planned. Don’t over-bet your bankroll by playing higher limits than you can a ord. Finally, have a back-up game. If you nd you are losing at your rst game try a di erent one or just take a break.
Plan to Win
Have a positive attitude when you go to the casino. is won’t guarantee that you will win, but it will do wonders for your self-con dence and make your visit more enjoyable. Many times I have heard a player say that he has $100 to blow at the casino. is negative thinking turns into a self-ful lling prophecy. If you
go expecting to lose, you will.
Plan to Have Fun
We visit the casino for entertainment and to have a good time. If for any reason you nd that you are not having fun, then leave. e casino will always be there and you can come back another day.
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 available for $15 postage paid. Send checks to Bill Burton, PO Box 310299, Newington, CT 06131-0299 or online at www.billburton.com. Bill Burton’s website is located at: http://casinogambling.about.com
Sports coaches spend days before a game studying their opponents and mapping out a game plan they think will lead their team to victory. Business leaders have short and long-
term goals for their companies and a plan to reach those goals every step of the way.
Your goal doesn’t have to be as elaborate as creating the next multi- million dollar business empire or coaching the next sports dynasty. It simply could be to have an enjoyable time during your next casino visit. But as simple as it sounds, you should still have a plan.
Plan Your Time
“Before visiting the casino
determine how much
money you want to risk on
the games. Then decide
playing.
e rst thing you need to decide is how long you plan to spend at the casino. If you are there for just a day, decide how many hours you will stay and specify a time to leave. If you will be going for several days you will have to decide how much time you want to spend actually
how many sessions you
want to play. Divide your
money by the number of some time doing something
Plan Other Activities
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Column: About Gambling with Bill Burton
Many players go to
the casino with a pocket
full of money and jump
from game to game until
all their money is gone.
I have yet to nd anyone who can honestly admit that losing all their money at the casino was an enjoyable experience. But you can have a much better time if you just spend a few minutes to make a plan for your next casino visit. I o er some suggestions below for
“planning” your next visit.
sessions and then you have your bankroll for each session you play. Plan a stop loss. If you lose 50 percent of your session
bankroll, take a break.”
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September 2004
Page 7
You should plan to spend
else besides gambling. If you are there for the day, set aside a certain time to have lunch. When I visit the casino for a day with friends or family, we always have a time to meet for lunch, and a time to meet for a break in between gambling sessions.
When my wife Sandy and I visit a vacation destination for several days, we plan ahead of time which shows we want to see, as well as other attractions or sight-seeing we want to do away from the casino. We make sure that we have a balance between the time we spend playing and the time we spend relaxing doing other things. If you went to the beach for the day you would