Page 6 - March 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
RFinding Your Comfort Zone at the Casino: Play What You Can Afford
egular readers of this column know that I always suggest that players keep a separate bank account for gambling when they go to the casino, if they go on a regular basis. I also know that the majority of people don’t do this, and just take money they have on hand
when they head to the casino for a day. ose planning a multi-day vacation, however, have to plan ahead to make sure their money will last for the entire trip. One way you can do this is by not over-betting your bankroll playing games at a higher limit than you can a ord.
a ten-dollar table and eventually a twenty- ve dollar one. Nickel slot players may move to the quarter or fty-cent machines and then on to the dollar slots. If you get to a point where the risk factor is bothering you, then go back down to the previous level.
Avoid Peer Pressure
ere is no shame in playing any casino game at a lower limit either because you can’t a ord it or it makes you feel uncomfortable. is is a very personal decision, and you should not be in uenced by other players. Some players go to the casino with friends and then feel embarrassed if they don’t join them when they sit down to play at the high limit tables.
Don’t be in uenced by other players. Only you can determine the amount of money you feel comfortable risking. Once you determine your comfort zone, make sure you play within those limits. It will make your casino playing experience an enjoyable one, and that is what you are looking for.
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 also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
I’m sure you have all heard stories about the big wins (and losses) that your friends and co-workers have had at the casino. Everyone loves to tell stories about their casino adventures. When I hear someone talk about the “big score” they made at the casino, my rst thought is “How much were they betting?”
Unless they got very lucky and hit one of the rare slot jackpots, chances are they did not win thousands of dollars by betting at the ve-dollar tables. is means that they were betting a sizeable amount to begin with. Players who do win the big amounts usually need two things. ey need a large amount of money to play with, and they have to be comfortable playing at the higher limits. Not everyone is comfortable playing at high limits even when they can nancially a ord it.
Determine Your Comfort Zone
e perfect betting limit is one that gets your adrenaline pumping a little but doesn’t make you sweat while waiting for the outcome. You need to make sure
the limits you are playing are within this range. I call this your emotional bankroll or comfort zone. If you start thinking about what you could have bought with the money you are betting, then you are playing out of your comfort zone.
Some players like to live on the edge. ey will take chances even when they can’t a ord them. ey are thrill-seekers and only get enjoyment when their bets are extremely high. To these types of players the money is only a way of keeping score. e real excitement is in the action.
Other players are more conservative. ey enjoy the games, but are also concerned about the price of their entertainment. ey want to play, but do not feel that they want to risk a large portion of their bankroll on any one outcome or playing session.
You will probably fall somewhere in the middle of these two types of players. e best way to determine your comfort zone is to try moving up in levels of play slowly. Five-dollar table game players may want to try
Sue Forbes
CA DRE #01308927
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Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
March 2007
About Gambling with Bill Burton