11 Gambling Lessons Learned from 20 Years of Casino Experience

You can't go back in time and rectify past mistakes or replicate past solitary accomplishments. All you can do is think about what life has attempted to teach you and make an effort to learn those lessons.

I was both amazed and unimpressed the first time I walked into a casino. The sounds of the slot machines astonished me, but the architecture disappointed me. It was a makeshift casino on a Native American reservation in the scorching, dusty west. With the cigarette smoke, the dark ceiling, and the swarms of cowboys and their women (or guys who wanted to be cowboys and their wives) lounging around pushing levers on slot machines, it had the feel of a saloon.

On other nights, the cigarette smoke was so thick that you had to go outdoors for a breath of fresh air. There were moments when, as you pulled gold tokens (we called them "coins") from slot machine coin trays, you noticed your fingers were unclean, grimy, black, and stank of unidentified scents. I cleansed my hands frequently back then, a habit I haven't entirely broken even in modern "clean" casinos.

In the casinos, I won and lost a lot of money. I had a good time and wondered why I would spend 12 hours on a Saturday playing games that only wanted my money. I learnt a few of the lessons that life wanted to teach me along the way. Here is what I can tell you.

1. Never gamble by yourself

You could believe it's for safety or to trade places at a table or a slot machine, but that's not the objective of constantly gambling with someone you know. You have no one to share your good mood with while you are alone, so you turn to the stranger next to you and awkwardly try to share his or her good mood. They sometimes respond well to the intrusion. Perhaps they were just waiting for an opportunity to engage you in conversation. Some people are very friendly in casinos, yet others look at you as though they would rather shoot you.

When you have a friend or family member present, you can relax and be yourself, saying anything that comes to mind, knowing that they will not contact security and whisper fearfully in their ears.

After six hours on the floor, you'll understand the need to talk to someone, to get up and be social, and to remember that you have a life outside of those walls that you'll return to. When you gamble alone and the walls begin to close in, it makes no difference how much money you have won or lost. You simply begin to feel disconnected and even a little empty. We are social creatures that require assurance that we are part of a group that accepts us for who we are.

Apart from that, if you lose all your money, your brother-in-law can generally be persuaded to buy everyone dinner if you don't have enough credits on your member's club card to get a free meal.

2. Leave as much money as possible at home

I made the mistake of taking all of my spare cash to the casino a couple of times. I've gotten lucky and won a few times, but there's something about having all your money with you that makes you a dumb as doorknobs gambler. You throw caution to the breeze and begin betting faster and with higher stakes. Is that an updated slot machine? What the hell happened? Let's put $50 in before we figure out how the bonus game works!

It's even harder if your buddies know you're wealthy. You'll be sitting at the blackjack table, possibly getting a little ahead, when someone taps you on the shoulder. "Do you have any cash?" "Not really," I wanted to remark several times. I'm only borrowing $300 from the casino before returning it to the dealer." Instead, I would normally say, "Here is $50. Don't squander it all on one game."

Intentionally inflicting poverty on yourself makes you a better gambler because you are more aware of how little money you have. When you get carried away, you make poor choices. I once saved $1,000 for three months, thinking I'd use it for a vacation or something. My wife and I went to a casino one night and squandered the $200 I had brought with us. She wasn't ready to go home, and she was depressed since we'd lost all of our money. "Oh, darling, we're not broke," I assured her. "There's still $1000 in the savings account." And I produced my ATM card as proof.

There's something about knowing you have money nearby that helps you take bigger chances.

3. Never gamble if you are in debt

I've never been this desperate. When I didn't have any money, I stayed at home or went to a friend's place. I waited until my next pay check and then went to the casino if I had any money left over after I paid my bills.

However, some people allow hope to be their guiding light at their darkest hour. This is useful when the world appears to be falling apart but you still have a job to go to. Taking a hopeful person into a casino is never a good idea. They fantasize about winning fortunes.

I remember winning a thousand dollars at a casino in the far north one night. I was returning from the cashier's window to my wife, who was pleased with our evening's luck (and the fact that we had paid the bills a little early that month). As I was putting the money back into my wallet and immediately counting the crisp fresh $100 bills, I observed a young couple seated near a slot machine.

The young man was hunched over, a heartbroken, despondent expression on his face. The young lady appeared befuddled. She wished she could console him, but she couldn't. I'll never forget their troubled expressions. They were straining to deal with a personal tragedy. I've always believed they risked the rent money in the hopes of pulling off a last-minute triumph that would alleviate their immediate financial troubles.

To be honest, I have no idea what happened. They could have gotten into a big argument with a friend. They could have just found out that their parents were killed in a vehicle accident. But, based on their expressions and body language, I've always assumed they made a catastrophic mistake and gambled the last of their money.

I told myself (and my wife) that I would never gamble with money I couldn't afford to lose. That is one pledge I have maintained, despite the fact that temptation has been tremendous at times. If you genuinely need money, gambling is too hazardous to be a viable option. Don't do that, no matter how many incredible stories you hear.

4. Do not believe that any betting system works as advertised

I've experimented with a couple different betting methods. None of them were ever successful. But, in all my years of talking to gamblers, not one of them has ever stated to me, "You know, I have this betting strategy that always comes through." I've never encountered someone who claimed to have a betting system that consistently worked.

So, who are these people offering betting system books? And why are those books being purchased? If you want to discover which betting systems work, go to a casino and ask the dealers whose betting methods beat them every time. The kind ones will simply grin at you. Some of them may burst out laughing. The younger generation may be mildly interested in the notion that there is some system that can beat the casino at its own game.

Betting systems are designed for losers. If it's a betting method that's supposed to help you win, it's designed for losers. If it's only a money management system that allows you to pass the time without going bankrupt, it's not truly a betting system.

When you've been gambling for a while, you'll want to know why the betting strategies fail. I recommend starting with some of those free internet games. For example, if you are unable to win any free online games three nights in a row using the same betting technique, it may satisfy your curiosity.

5. When you gamble, Mother Mary is not listening

When you're watching your favorite football team lose a game, you know that if they get possession in the final two minutes, the quarterback will throw the ball up in the air. The closer you go to winning a championship, the more likely it is that the Hail, Mary! If they get the touchdown, a pass and an onsides kick will be used.

All hail, Mary! My attempts at casino play have all failed. When you're down to your last $5 or quarter, you may bounce back up a few times before losing everything, but I've never won a jackpot or a significant table wager on my last round.

The big wins happen at random, and you could have just as easily sat at the blackjack table and split three hands before beating the dealer as you could have progressively accumulated a few solid wins at the roulette wheel throughout the night. When I'm ahead, I manage to keep it that way by going away. When I am behind, the last gamble is almost certainly a waste of money.

Your experience may differ, but no one has ever told me that they won a lot of money on their most recent wager. If you're so broke and fatigued, you've probably exhausted your options. It's time to return home.

6. At Least Once an Hour, Walk Around the Casino

For years, I struggled to get up and leave a table or a slot machine. I wanted to stay in a game once I started playing it. It took a heart attack at the table next to me to remind me that the human body is not designed to remain in the same position for hours on end.

After the paramedics wheeled the person out, I remember talking to individuals around me about the issue. However, the other gamers immediately lost interest in the topic and returned to their games. What on earth were they thinking? Was I being impolite, or were they avoiding thinking about the unavoidable repercussions of life?

Gambling is a type of escape for many of us, so I can understand why people who would spend days caring for their relatives following a heart attack would quickly move on if it happened to someone else in a casino. But something struck a chord with me that night. I vowed to myself that I would not be the next heart attack victim.

Fortunately, I discovered that when working at a sedentary job, all you really need to do is get up and move around for 5-10 minutes every hour. If I can do it at work, I can do it in a casino. And, while I had to tear myself away from the game I was playing the first time I did it, I quickly learnt an important lesson: it doesn't matter how well you are doing when you get up and leave a game. After a quick 10-minute stroll, you're ready to restart, and your chances of winning remain the same.

Walking around a major casino is excellent for more than just your heart. It clears the cobwebs from your mind, allows you to check in on your friends and family, and even allows you to consider taking a break from gaming for a bit. You may become aware of your hunger and proceed to the buffet. Or you may recall that you promised to contact your parents that night and check in on them.

7. Always tip the wait staff because they won't always be around

Consider yourself a server at a casino, bringing beverages to people who never tip you. How motivated do you believe you will be to continue serving them? They will remember you if you are a regular in a casino, so being one of the regular tippers is a lot smarter than being the arrogant man no one ever wants to serve.

And this is an important lesson that I have applied to various circumstances, such as restaurants where I frequently eat. Even if the service is awful, I always tip. If I am displeased with the service, I express my displeasure gently, but I always leave at least a little tip. The message is typically well received, and you have no idea what the server is up against. Everything could be going wrong for that individual, and you could be the only thing going right.

We owe no gratuities to anyone who serves us. Gratuities are tips, and the term "gratuity" comes from Medieval French Latin, which means "free gift." However, "gratuity" can also denote "graciousness" in specific contexts. Tipping the server is a gracious gesture. Nobody is deserving of grace. We give it freely in order to foster goodwill and to assist those who serve us. It's the correct thing to do unless the server is clearly acting badly and wants to be dismissed.

Servers recall those who recall them. If you want good service, you must first accept mediocre service. This helps you build a good reputation among the workers. They are attempting to make a living. They will be grateful for any assistance they receive in this regard.

8. Avoid Playing Boring Games

You've come to the casino to have fun. There were evenings when I found myself playing games that I didn't understand, couldn't love or appreciate, and wished I'd never play again. When the casino is at its busiest, such as during a holiday celebration, you may have to wait a long time to secure a seat at a desired table. I always end up at the slot machines.

Some slot machine games appear to have been created in the depths of hell. I convince myself that someone enjoys these games, but then I label myself a liar. Nobody can adore a slot game that looks like it was inspired by a child's bathtub toys. You'd have to be reliving your youth to enjoy the squeaky ducks and squirrels. I know if I can stand a slot machine game after roughly three spins.

However, the same is true with blackjack. If the cards just keep moving back and forth and your stake never increases or decreases, you'll get tired of going nowhere. To be sure, that is the essence of gambling, but you want either the satisfaction of beating the house or the difficulty of deciding when to cut your losses short. There is no challenge or satisfaction if the game merely happens.

I've learned not to play mindless games. If nothing happens, I stop playing the game. I'm not gambling just to be entertained for a few hours.

9. When there is oil in front of you, breathe fire

Consider yourself a dragon besieging a castle, and the defenders have thrown scorching oil over the walls to discourage you. This technique would be effective against human soldiers, but you are a fire-breathing dragon. All you need to do is light the oil, and the castle is yours.

There are evenings when you appear to do nothing wrong. This is absolutely unrelated. I know it's random because I usually wonder, "Why doesn't this happen more often?"

I'm there to be entertained, not to make money. But if the games keep coming your way, if you win all the best splits, if the slot bonus games keep rewarding you with payback after payoff, you can grow scared. I've seen folks walk away after winning a small sum of money. They remark, "It can't endure forever."

That is correct. That is absolutely correct. However, if you succumb to temptation and put a few dollars into the machine or sit down to play a hand and win, it signifies that the random numbers are jumbling your way.

Continue to play until you can no longer win. Don't allow some superstition about being too greedy to influence your decision. You're making progress as long as you're taking two steps forward and one step back. I never give up a game after the first defeat. I allowed myself some breathing room to see if the cards or the slots would fall in my favor.

10. Following a large win, deduct half of your stake from your bankroll

The "stake" for me is the money I put into the casino at the start of the evening. This could range from $50 to $500. If I play a bit more aggressively at the blackjack table or score a big jackpot on a slot machine, I come to a halt and assess where I am when the chips pile up and the credit count appears to be high.

If I can deduct double what I started with and still play with a decent new stake, I will. If I stick to my guns, I'll walk out of the casino a winner that night, even if I lose everything else.

I'm not saying that if you come in with $200 and win $5,000, you should gamble away $4600. That would be utterly ridiculous. However, if your stake is $200 and you play it up to $500, it is sensible to set aside $400 and continue playing with the $100.

In fact, on a couple of occasions, I've subtracted twice my stake. As I previously stated, if you're a dragon and the casino pours oil on you, light it ablaze. You have nothing to lose once you have invested twice as much.

11. If you continue to lose, you should leave the casino before you lose everything

As I have stated, when you pray to Mother Mary in the casino, she is not listening. Or, if she's paying attention, she's giving you some harsh love.

If you haven't gotten anything to shake loose after an hour and you're out of stake money, quit. This is not your night. You owe it to the casino not to lose all of your money. If you can get a free dinner, do it, but then leave.

You can return at a later time, and perhaps the cards will fall your way or the random number generator will be aligned with the right stars. Don't expect a decreasing stake to keep you in the game. It simply does not operate that way.

I'd rather go away with my dignity and a few bucks in my pocket than be the obstinate idiot who has to stay up all night trying to recoup what I've lost. Other evenings will come. If God wills and the river does not rise, I'll return with more money than I can afford to lose after another paycheck or two and try my luck again.

Conclusion

I've learnt other life and gambling lessons, but they seem quite decent to me. If I had to summarize these teachings in just a few words of wisdom, I would say: You're there to have fun, not to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Gambling will not solve any of your problems, and it will not fix anyone else's problems.

It is necessary to win every now and then in order to have enjoyment. Who wants to constantly lose? Apart from folks who play lotteries, who wants to always lose when they gamble? I'm sure I don't. Being there is half the fun, and being the guy everyone else congratulates is the other half.

If you are patient and prudent, your turn will come. You don't have to be the hero who fights for the oppressed masses. You just need to leave feeling like you had a great time. If you can honestly declare to yourself that you had a wonderful time, you weren't gambling; you were simply enjoying an evening out with friends.

Maintain a positive attitude, pay your bills on time, and give 'em hell at the tables when you're hot.