Eight Key Decisions Advantage Player by Jerry Patterson
Time management and money management are important keys to a potential winning casino gambling session. They can be expressed in terms of eight key decisions you should make during the course of your play.
1. To Play or Not to Play
The casinos will always be there so it’s best to go when your energy level is normal or high and you are mentally ready to exercise the discipline to win. Tired or emotionally upset gamblers risk losing the discipline necessary to stick with a plan of action. If this happens, you are usually beaten before you start.
2. Which Game to Play
Choose the game in which you feel most proficient or one with the best odds of winning, ideally a game you have practiced at home and prepared for. If you decide to play more than one game, allocate the time you plan to spend on each.
3. Which Casino to Play
If you have a choice of casinos, choose one with the greater number of tables and the less crowded conditions. If you live near a casino, or perhaps several and play often, assess the conditions at these local casinos and ascertain which times are best to play within your own playing constraints.
4. Which Table to Play
Develop a set of criteria for choosing a table. A card counter will gravitate to the table with fewer players and thus the pos-sibility of more favorable rounds of play. A rhythm roller at Craps will look for an uncrowded table where he can get to the dice quickly. A roulette player may scout the tote boards looking for clues of a dealer signature or power sector.
5. Betting Unit Size and Tactics for Increasing the Bet
Decide on the size of your bankroll and the number of units into which you break it. I recommend 100 – 200 if you are averse to risk. The fewer the units you break your bankroll into, the higher your risk of tapping out. Do this before the session and then stick to your plan!
6. When to Leave the Table
Establish a stop-loss that applies to each table you play. Decide beforehand how many betting units you are willing to lose before leaving this table. Consider also using a stop-win. Leave when you have reached a win goal for the session or after you have experienced a good gain, backed off, and triggered a “trailing” stop-loss.
7. When to Leave the Casino
If you have a choice of casinos in the area, leave when the tables are crowded and you have difficulty finding a playable table. If you’re locked in to a one-casino location, be careful. If playing conditions are bad, keep your bet sizes small and respect your stop-losses. Keep in mind that every unit you save, every unit you don’t lose, looks that much better if you do have a losing session because you’ve cut your losses short.
8. When to Terminate the Casino Session
Terminate when you have reached the limit of your optimal session time. Take a break to keep your perspective and your control. I suggest a session time of around ninety minutes. Terminate if you are tired and you notice this is affecting your judgment and play.
These eight decisions are a winning paradigm; taken together, they constitute a plan of action for your casino trip and/or session and give you the best chance of achieving an all-important short-term edge.
This story was first published in the October - November 2002 issue of Gambling Times Magazine.
