Page 29 - September 2006 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
VPlan to Have Fun
ery few successes in life happen by accident. Success with anything starts with a goal and then a plan. Your goal could simply be to have an enjoyable time during your next casino visit. But as simple as that seems, you should still have a plan.
Many players go to the casino with a pocketful of money and jump from game to game until all their money is gone. But you can have a much better time if you spend a few minutes making a plan for your next casino visit. Here are some suggestions.
bankroll, of course. 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
Be positive. is won’t guarantee you’ll win, but it will make your visit more enjoyable. Many times I’ve heard players say they have $100 to blow at the casino, and it turns into a self-ful lling prophecy. If you go to the casino expecting to lose, you will.
Plan to Have Fun
You visit the casino for entertainment and to have a good time. If for any reason you nd that you’re not having fun, then leave. e casino will always be there and you can go 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, located at http://casinogambling.about. com He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
Plan Your Time
First decide how long you want to spend at the casino. If you’re there for just a day, decide how many hours you will stay and specify a time to leave. If you’ll be going for several days, you will have to decide how much time you want to spend playing.
Plan Other Activities
Plan to spend some time doing something else besides gambling. If you are there for the day, set aside time to have lunch or dinner. When I visit the casino for a day with friends or family, we always make a time to meet for lunch and a time to meet and take a break in between gambling sessions.
When my wife Sandy and I visit a vacation destination for several days, we plan ahead of time what shows we want to see, the time we may want to go to the spa, or the time just lounging around. We make sure we have a balance between the time we spend gambling and
time we spend relaxing—doing other things. If you went to the beach for the day, you wouldn’t spend all of your time in the water. Your visit to the casino can include more than gambling.
Plan Your Bankroll
Before visiting the casino, determine how much money you want to play on the games. en decide how much time you want to play. Divide your money by the number of sessions you intend to play, and have a bankroll for each session. Plan a stop-loss. If you lose 50% of your bankroll for that session, take a break. If you are winning, make sure to lock up a pro t and don’t play your winnings back.
Plan Your Play
Decide the games you want to play before entering the casino—slots, the tables, bingo? Also decide the limits of your play. e limits will be determined by your
September 2006
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 29
About Gambling with Bill Burton