Page 6 - April 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
ESurviving a Losing Streak
veryone knows the casino has the edge on most games and will win in the long run. However, in the short term luck will be a big factor in whether you win or lose. is is true of games that have positive expectations as well as games with a high house edge. I stick to games
where I have the edge, but like every player, I am at the mercy of ckle Lady Luck.
after three days of losing I decided to do something di erent. e next morning I went sight-seeing. Later that day I bought a book and read it by the pool. And I had a nice dinner and saw a show before turning in. As I got into bed I re ected that I had spent a whole day of my casino vacation without making a single bet. It did wonders for my mental health. I actually had had an enjoyable day and relaxed during a prolonged losing streak. e next day I awoke refreshed and was looking forward to playing one more session before ying home. And I lost again!
I remember hearing that winning is easy, but losing brings out your true character. How you handle adversity is a test of your inner strength. Sometimes you just need to know when to throw in the towel and quit. at’s what I chose to do. e casino will still be there on my next trip and maybe Lady Luck will even join me next time. However, this trip I learned that I could handle a prolonged losing streak and although I was beaten, I wasn’t defeated.
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.
On a recent ve-day Las Vegas vacation, Lady Luck abandoned me. I spent all ve days living every gamblers’ nightmare by losing every session I played. I tried blackjack, video poker, Texas Hold‘em, slots and even entered a couple of tournaments. Nothing went right, and by the third day I was literally talking to myself as I watch my bankroll dwindle. I felt on the verge of tilt.
Tilt
“Going on tilt” is the expression used when poker players become upset and lose control of their emotions. Consequently, they make poor decisions and play badly. Going on tilt is not con ned to poker players. Anyone who gambles on any casino game can go on tilt. Once a player starts losing money, he tries to make it back quickly by raising the size of his bets or playing higher denominations. is will usually just lead to more losses. Sometimes a player will get to the point where he just doesn’t care how much money he has lost. He may be down a few hundred dollars and then gure “what does another hundred matter?”
It will matter a lot the next day to most players, but at the time he will just throw good money after bad.
Time Matters
e length of time you stay at the casino matters. If you are on a day trip, you have the option of just going home and putting an end to your losing day. If you want to stick around, there are several things you can do when you feel you are on the verge of losing control.
Breathe, Walk Around, Change Your Focus
e rst thing to do is take a deep breath. Breathing gets more oxygen to the brain and will help clear up your thinking. If deep breathing does not help, get up and leave the table or machine. Walk around the casino. Get something to eat. Sit down to enjoy a cup of co ee or soft drink to help you relax. If that doesn’t work, then quit for the day or go home.
If you are visiting the casino for a few days as I was, you don’t have the option of just going home. I knew I had to get away from gambling for a while. Normally, when I am by myself in Vegas, I play in the casino, but
Barona’s Orange County shuttle service offers more pick-up locations and times to get you to your favorite gaming destination that much easier.
Please call for reservations Monday – Friday from 8:00am – 5:00pm. Reservations must be made at least 1 day prior to departure. Walk-ons will only be accommodated if seats are available.
1-800-827-7890
Visit barona.com for more information and complete schedules.
1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside, California 92040 • 1-888-7-BARONA (1-888-722-7662) • www.barona.com
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
April 2007
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About Gambling with Bill Burton