Page 25 - January 2012 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
PHlanning the New Year
appy New Year! It’s hard to believe we are at the start of another new year. Each year seems to go by quicker than the one before. Every decade or so, there are new predictions of doom and gloom that overshadow the start of the New Year. Remember y2k? at was 12 years ago,
when a crash of all computers and electronic devices was predicted. is year, we have the supposed Mayan prophecy that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. Actually, it depends on whom you listen to. Doomsayers are predicting the end of the world, while others interpret the prophecy as a spiritual enlightenment that will have a positive e ect on everyone on Earth.
I have to admit that I am very skeptical of the ancient prediction for 2012. Judging from past years, what I predict is that we will have our ups and or downs throughout the year, much like many of our casino sessions. And with a little luck by the end of next year, we will be winners. e best advice I ever heard is,“Live each day as if it were your last, but plan your future as if you will live forever.”
Have a Plan
Many people nd the rst part of that advice easy to do. Unfortunately many interpret the word “live” each day to mean “spend money” as if today were your last.
the upcoming year. is lets everyone plan far enough in advance for the upcoming sessions.
economy, travel is down, and many airlines are joining with the casinos to o er package deals that combine a hotel room and airfare to give you savings on both. ese packages sometimes include shows and other discounts that will save you more. In many cases you will be able to pick up a package for the price that you would pay for airfare alone.
If you only need lodging, you should plan on checking casino websites for any promotions or deals. While you are on the website be sure to sign up for the casino’s e-mail list. Many casinos are cutting mailing costs by
is is why there are so many people with large amounts of credit card debt. ey fail to plan ahead for the future, which basically means to save a little money for the future and budget the money you have to spend for day-to-day expenses. e beginning of a new year is an excellent time to sit down and make a realistic budget that you can live with for the year ahead. Since this monthly is about casino gambling, I want to o er some suggestions to help you plan your upcoming casino visits in the year ahead.
Plan Your Casino Visits
If you are planning a longer casino vacation this year, it would be a good idea to start shopping around early for bargains and promotions that can save you money. Because of the
you should also
make sure you set some
limits, so your fun time will not cause you
to go over your budget. If you like to visit the casino on a whim, then you should have some money budgeted to do this. ere is an easy way.
I have always advised anyone who visits a casino on a regular basis to maintain a separate bank account to use for your gambling activities. Money in that account should be earmarked for casino play only. By maintaining a separate gambling account, you will always have money on hand when you want to go to the casino.
Make a Daily Casino Plan
Planning your casino visits is not just about picking the days you want to gamble. Ideally, you should plan to take in some non-gambling activities along with your gambling, to get the full entertainment value from your casino visit. Most of the other casino activities have a xed expense, so you can add that into your daily budget that you should have made before you left for your casino visit. It will help to break up your day so you do not spend all your time gambling. And knowing that you have other activities planned can help you from overspending.
A little planning at the beginning of the year can keep you on track throughout the year ahead. It will also give you something to look forward to on those mundane days we all have from time to time.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at billburton.com. Burton is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: thecrapsclub.com.
If you take day trips to
the casino, it is still a good
idea to plan your visits in advance. Some of the fun and excitement of a vacation, holiday or big event is the anticipation leading up to the special day. By planning your casino visits in advance you will have something to look forward to hopefully enjoy the excitement as the day approaches. My friends and I get together once a month to play at the casino and have dinner. At the beginning of the year we set up a tentative schedule for
sending players exclusive o ers via e-mail. If you don’t want to use your personal e-mail account, you can set up a special e-mail account on one of the many free websites such as Yahoo or Google, and use that e-mail address just for casino o ers.
I’m not suggesting that you have to have your whole year planned out with a rigid schedule. Spontaneity and spur-of-the-moment activities add to the fun; however,
“I’m not suggesting that you have to have your whole
year planned out with a rigid schedule. Spontaneity and spur-of-the-moment activities add to the fun; however, you should also make sure you set some limits, so your fun time will not cause you to go over your budget. If you like to visit the casino on a whim, then you should have some money budgeted to do this.”
JANUARY 2012
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
PAGE 25