Gambling Habits That You Should Avoid
4 minutes
Posted by: Ivan
Gambling is an extremely fun but also very addicting activity. Most gamblers tend to develop specific gambling-related habits without even being aware of them.
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Some of these habits are harmless. Others can cause you great financial stress or potentially lead to personal problems.
With that said, we’ve summed up the most common gambling habits that you should avoid at all costs.
Betting Without a Plan
Most gambling games are simple and easy to understand. This approachability makes casinos attractive for all types of people, as you can just walk in, pick a game that you like, and start playing right away.
That said, this is not a good gambling habit to have when gambling long-term. It may be fun to have sporadic blind gambling sessions, but gambling without a plan and good bankroll management is generally a very poor and expensive habit.
As an alternative, you should devise a gambling plan that will serve as a basis for developing good gambling habits. For example, always make sure you fully understand the games you’re gambling on.
Moreover, plan out your sessions, how much you’ll spend, and when you’ll stop. These little things will quickly get instilled in your mind, and you’ll instinctively develop healthier gambling habits without even realizing it.
Superstitious Gambling
The casino world is filled with many superstitions, and it’s impossible not to learn some if you hang around gamblers. However, developing a superstition can be a poor habit that won’t do you any good.
You can be superstitious to a degree but should never create a habit of it influencing how you play.
Casino games are all about math and probability. And, while it may be comforting to know that the lucky rabbit’s foot or special coin in your pocket has brought you a good session, it’s not based on reality.
When you look at your long-term results, whether you play online blackjack or roulette in a land-based casino, you’ll see that you’ll always have good and bad gambling sessions.
So, focus on improving with time, record your results, and don’t let superstitions affect your overall gambling experience.
Setting Unrealistic Goals
A great way to keep gambling both fun and profitable is to set realistic goals and try to clear them while still maintaining entertainment as a significant priority. Obviously, everyone wants to quadruple their money or hit a progressive jackpot, but this simply isn’t realistic.
It’s good to have high goals, but the higher they are, the less likely you’ll ever meet them. This is why it’s best to set both short-term and long-term goals. When it comes to the latter, they shouldn’t be profit-oriented but instead emphasize your overall progress.
As for short-term goals, it’s best to set a number you want to reach during the next hour or for the particular session. Once you hit your goal, you stop immediately.
Moreover, if you have a bad session and lose a certain amount of money, you should also stop. The casino isn’t going anywhere, so you can always come back a few days later.
Wagering Impatiently
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous poor gambling habit and is undoubtedly something you should work on if you’ve recognized you have it.
From the gambler’s perspective, patience is a virtue. If there’s one thing you shouldn’t do in a casino, it’s to bet impatiently and emotionally.
When you’re chasing wins on roulette or betting on slots only expecting the win to come and not enjoying the process, you’re doing it wrong. Not only this, but you’ll also lose your entire gambling bankroll at a much faster rate. Develop a habit of betting at a normal pace, strategically, and with utmost patience.
Borrowing Money to Gamble
If you’ve ever borrowed money to play your favorite gambling games, it could be a big sign that you’re addicted to gambling. There’s no shame in developing this habit, but it is something you should act on as soon as possible.
This is because borrowing money to gamble can quickly get out of hand. Many people have experienced financial downfalls due to their habit of borrowing money to play casino games.
Gambling With Impaired Judgment
Casinos are extremely fun to play at. They’re mesmerizing and enticing and promise you a unique environment you can’t experience anywhere else.
Plus, you often get free drinks so you can fully relax when gambling.
That said, gambling while drunk or otherwise impaired may be fun for a short time. But, it guarantees an unpleasant awakening the following day when you get up and take a look at your bank balance.
If you’re not at a hundred percent, don’t put yourself in a place to make costly decisions with money on the line. When playing casino games, be it craps, baccarat, or video poker, with impaired judgment, you’ll most likely make poor bets, wager more than you can afford, and not know when you should stop and quit.
