7 Tips To Limit Casino Losses

July 25th, 2012

 

We all know that the house has the advantage when playing at any casino, but there are ways some things you can do to reduce the advantages that they have. Here are some things you can think about when playing online next time that will help you limit the amount of money you can lose in a single session.

1) Set a Daily Deposit Limit – You might be surprised to know that the casino gamblers that lose the most money aren’t the ones that deposit huge amounts of money in one go. In fact, many of the biggest losers in casinos are the players that make many small deposits over time. The issue is when players lose their first deposit, their emotions come into play and they start chasing that money by doing things that they normally would not do. Many of the best casinos allow you to set a limit on your daily deposits which means that if you do not make money on the first deposit then you will not be able to continue to deposit. This will allow you a cool off time where you can come back focussed the next day with a much more clear mind. If your casino of choice does not have this option you could look for a deposit option where you can limit this kind of activity.

2) Set a Time Limit – One of the casinos’ greatest edges is TIME. The longer you stay and play, the more likely you are to lose everything. If you set a timer at the beginning of your session and tell yourself you will not play past it, you can help control your betting activity better. One of the reasons for this is the longer you play, the more tired and impatient you might get which could cause your betting patterns to change. It is better to play 10 very short sessions where you are most focussed and mentally ready than 1 very long one where you could lose focus and have much more erratic play.

3) Set a Win Goal – If you don’t set a realistic goal of how much money you want to win then chances are you never will win. Everytime you start a gambling session you should tell yourself at what point you will stop playing and cash out. You can always re-evaluate your goal when you reach it, but if you do you should at least cash out your original deposit and some to ensure that it is a positive session.

4) Set a Stop/Loss – Similar to setting a win goal, you need to go into every gambling session knowing exactly how much money you are willing to lose. This is one of the toughest parts about gambling, but you need great self discipline to hold yourself to your stop loss and walk away from the tables when you hit it.

5) Keep Track of Your Play – Every gambler should keep tabs on all their gambling activity. This will allow you to keep a running tally of whether or not you are in the positive or the negative (and by how much). Many gamblers don’t realize how much money they are actually using because they just keep depositing/withdrawing more from the ATM. Keeping these numbers in front of your mind might make you hesitate from making that extra withdrawal.

6) Play in a Positive Mind State – Playing in a sad or depressed state is one of the quickest ways to watch your money fly right into the pockets of the casino. The more alert and mentally focussed you are on winning, the better your odds are of actually doing so!

7) Don’t Chase Comps – Many players chase comps that they could have just purchased many times over with the money they lost gambling to try to get them. Unless you know specifically you are only a few points off a fantastic comp, you should always play to win, not to get a comp.

Good luck, have fun, and go win lots of money!

 

Banning Cell Phones in Casinos

November 9th, 2011

 

Several academics have recently put out a warning that the use of cell phones can cause some serious health problems. Some of the problems listed were a higher risk of brain tumors and an increased rate of infertility. While the academics confirm that these findings are yet to be scientifically proven, there is enough evidence that suggests people should take precautionary measures when using cell phones – especially children whose skull is thinner and do not block out the radiation as much as adults do.

There are many places that cell phones have been banned, for security and health reasons. Gas stations, hospitals and medical centers, elementary schools, they all have some sort of ban on the use of cell phones. Casinos, too.

Even the best online casinos will not allow you to enter with your cell phone turned on and will certainly not allow you to use the device near a blackjack table for example. There are several reasons for this:

  • Simply, there is often not very good reception in a casino, so cell phone use is just impractical
  • It is considered against casino etiquette to talk on a phone while gambling – it’s just rude
  • Cell phones, like other electronic devices, could be used for cheating purposes. The device could help you count cards, or you could confer with someone else at the table regarding placing bets or joining forces. Both of these are taboo in a casino!

Some casinos are beginning to realize that this generation is addicted to their cell phones, so some will allow you to make or take calls away from the actual gambling tables, while you are walking around the general area.

I can understand people’s desire to be close to the cell phone when playing at a casino. I mean it is obvious that we are just about to win that golden jackpot and as soon as we do this, then we need to be in touch with our entire phone contact list and share the good news. Then again, maybe it’s not such a good idea to have a cell phone at a casino..because if I do win big, I might want to be more selective of who I call my friends, because I am sure they will all ask for a hand out!

 

 

Paying for your Gambling Pleasures

November 5th, 2011

 

One of the first things I check out at a new online casino is its list of deposit methods.  This is the list of banking systems that are supported by the casino which allow you to transfer funds to your account so that you can start paying for real money. The sign of a good online casino is one that offers a good range of payment methods so that players from all over the world are able to find something that suits them.  You will want to find a banking method that is not only convenient to use, but also discreet and secure so that you can have peace of mind when it comes to paying for your gambling fund.

The best online casinos will offer traditional as well as alternative banking methods.  When I say traditional, I mean the more mainstream way of paying for things on the internet such as through credit cards like Visa and Mastercard.  The advantage of paying via credit card is that it is a very familiar method since practically everyone has made a purchase using their Visa online.

However, before you decide on paying by credit card, check out the other alternatives.  Many of the best ways to pay for your online gambling fun are through methods such as Moneybookers and Neteller.  Over the past few years, Moneybookers has become an extremely popular form of payment for online gamblers who are attracted to its great reputation and user friendly features.  There are over 3 million people who use Moneybookers today, and this number is growing all the time. You can use multiple currencies when funding your Moneybookers account, including US and Canadian Dollars, Pounds and Euros.  You’ll also be surprised by the many different online casinos that accept Moneybookers as a form of payment, with some even giving you an extra bonus for using them!

Another alternative payment system that is growing in popularity is Click2Pay, which allows for real time payments online and serve as a fine alternative to credit cards.

Check these out at top online casino sites today.

 

Musings of a Midnight Gambler

November 5th, 2011

 

I love this time of the night. The rest of the household is sound asleep and I have decided to unwind at my favorite online casino site before calling it a night.  I love the initial blink of the computer screen, bringing the quiet office space to life and love the way I am whisked off to the excitement of Vegas – some many thousands of miles away and yet so near.

I love the way I am welcomed to the casino like an old friend.  I’m offered news about the latest promotions, including a new casino bonus which I am definitely interested in taking advantage of after I fund my casino account again.  Within minutes, money has been transferred and I’m ready to go.  My first stop is the blackjack table and a couple of buddies are already playing there.  They greet me warmly through the casino chat features, and I’m soon playing happily with Toki from Japan and Juan from Argentina.  After hitting a good run at the blackjack tables (practicing free blackjack paid off, yeah!), I head to the slot machines to check out the new releases.  The best online casinos update their slots often and I’m pleased to see several new themed games with big payouts and lots of special features.

I do OK at the slots, and now it’s time to try out the video poker games. I stick to my favorite,  Jacks or Better and do so-so.  I know it’s ‘you-win-some-you-lose-some’ and I don’t try and chase my losses, being the responsible gambler that I am!

I decide to round off my midnight gambling session with a few rounds of keno. Nothing is as undemanding as Keno – all you need to do is select your numbers and wait for them to come up.  The more correct numbers picked, the better you do!  My gut instincts must be working well tonight because I land up winning a sizable amount on the keno games – enough to surprise my family with a weekend away, which I pay for immediately online.

After an hour of play, I’m sleepy but satisfied, and ready to  hit the sack. G’night all!

 

Strangest Tales of Luck

November 5th, 2011

 

We all hope that good fortune goes with us when we gamble – whether at online casinos, land slot parlors or home poker games.  Good luck is just as important as skill elements in many games you play – sometimes even more important when dealing with games based solely on luck.   There are many theories and superstitions based on bringing good fortune but nobody knows what – if anything – increases your fortunes.

Here are some of the strangest tales of luck which have come my way:

- A church in Nebraska exploded in 1950 and, amazingly, nobody was injured.  The explosion took place 5 minutes after the 15-man choir was due to start rehearsals but in an amazing twist of fortune, all of them were late for practice that evening. It wasn’t even one single reason that made them all late – some had car trouble, a couple wanted to finish their ironing and one woke up late from an afternoon nap. These random reasons can only be put down to good fortune – and definitely saved their lives!

- A waitress in Yonkers New York received the biggest tip ever – over $140,000 a year for a 20 year period.  The young lady offered such friendly service that a policeman who ordered from her promised her that if he hit the lottery, he’d give her half the winnings.  The waitress chose three numbers on the lottery ticket and the policeman the other three and, amazingly, they hit the jackpot! Each took home $3 million in prize money.  Moral of the story: Be nice – it could change your fortune :)

- In 1995, a couple from Texas used the numbers predicted in a fortune cookie to purchase lottery tickets – and won.  Amazingly, the husband went in to purchase a ticket, using the same numbers, and a little while later, his wife did the same, also using the fortune cookie numbers.  When the numbers came up, they both won and pocketed over $1.6 million.

- And, finally, a tale of misfortune.  A 73 year old who won $76,000 on a game show lottery was run down by a car less than four hours after his massive winning.  Incredibly, the man said that he was planning to buy a car with his new found fortune….

 

Making Contact: Live Online Casino Support

October 30th, 2011

 

Those of you who know me, realize by now how important I think customer support is at online casino.  I’ve advised before – and I’ll say it again – that before you start playing at online casino, test drive the site’s customer support lines.  Don’t simply take their word for it that they offer good support – give it a run by sending in a real question through the various channels and see what type of response you receive.  Ask yourself whether the answer is satisfactory, whether it reached you in reasonable time and whether you’d be happy with this answer if you really had a problem.

In recent years, online casinos have been offering live support.  This means that all you need to do is go to the live support field at the online casino and you could be chatting to a support worker within seconds.  I’ve always been a fan of instant messaging, and this type of support seems to be the perfect solution for players who need an answer here and now.

Say, for example, that it’s 2 am and you are set to join an online slots tournament at your favorite online casino.  For some reason, your credit card is being denied as you try to transfer funds into your casino account, and you want to know what types of alternative payment methods the casino will accept.  True, you could write an email and the chances are that you’d receive a response pretty quickly.  But you need an instant reply because your slots tournament is about to start and you don’t want to miss THAT.  This is where live customer support comes in.  The advantages are first and foremost that this type of service is instant and you are assured of an immediate answer.  You’ll be able to get your reply on the spot, credit your account and start playing within minutes.

Live chat is usually available around the clock at top online casinos, which means that there is no waiting for opening and closing hours of a casino to get your reply.

If you’re deliberating about joining a particular online casino, check to see if it offers live customer support – that’s definitely an advantage over other sites!

 

Snopes Dispels Playing Cards Superstitions

October 29th, 2011

 

I’m forever getting emails telling me about some famous person doing something or other, or some amazing feat by a three year kid.  When I’m particularly impressed, I’ll head off to the Snopes website to see if the tale is true or not.  This week, I found myself at Snopes.com again and decided to do a search about gambling rumors and speculations.  I found a fascinating article about playing cards superstitions and thought I’d share some of the juicier parts with you.

The Nine of Diamonds is known as the Curse of Scotland because it was the card used by John Darymple to pass on instructions for the 1608 Glen Coe Massacre.

Two pairs – Aces and Eights were held by Bill Hicock, the famous Wild West character, when he was shot dead in a saloon during a poker game. The hand came to be known as Dead Man’s hand.

Black Jacks are said to bring poverty and unhappiness and should be avoided by players…

If a player lands a pair of Red Jacks it is said that he or she has a hidden enemy and should beware.

I find this type of information fascinating, considering that card playing has been going on for centuries and that many of these legends are based on true events.

It reminds me of an incident that happened several years ago when I was playing poker with some friends in a park in Seattle. After a few rounds, a friend was dealt two cards and he went from friendly chatter to dead silence in half a second.  Nobody could get out of him what was wrong until he revealed his cards – two pairs of Aces and Eights.  The poor guy was so petrified that somebody would jump out of the bushes and shoot him for holding Dead Man’s Cards, that he couldn’t concentrate on the game and had to call it quits.  It’s amazing how some of these tales – true or not – manage to get under your skin and turn even the most un-superstitious people into quivering wrecks!

 

Making Sense out of a No Deposit Bonus

October 25th, 2011

 

I’m a great fan of online casino bonuses in general, but my favorites have got to be no deposit casino bonuses.  It’s not hard to guess what these bonuses are, just from their name.  They are special perks offered to online gamblers, usually new members, where the player is not required to make a deposit into their account in order to get free cash.  Of course, cynics out there may say that these are just marketing tools to get the player inside the door, but from my experience, they are worth the effort, especially since nothing is required of you!

No deposit bonuses are essentially like a trial run for you to figure out whether you like the casino or not, and whether you want to spend your own cash here eventually.  It’s a great way to test drive the site without risking your own cash.

There are two types of no deposit bonuses I’ve come across in my online gambling adventures.  The first is a cut and dry free cash bonus, which sees the online casino depositing a certain amount of cash – usually $5 – $100 into your account once you’ve opened it.  There are some restrictions, for example, which games you can play at the casino (usually those games with low house edges are excluded from the bonus), and also when you can withdraw the cash.

The other type of no deposit casino bonus found is a freeplay bonus, which sees you rewarded with a much larger sum of money – sometimes into the thousands.  You are then given a restricted time to play the games at this casino – usually an hour or two – and after that time has passed, you get to keep a portion, or sometimes all, of the money.  These casino bonuses are another example of a zero-risk perk which the casino wants you to have to discover the games and software, and make an educated decision for yourself based on your gaming experience at the site.

If you want to find out more about an online casino but don’t want to spend your own money, no deposit bonuses are a great place to start.

 

Why Alcohol and Gambling Just Don’t Go

October 23rd, 2011

 

If ever there was a more unlikely match, it’s alcohol and gambling. Sure, casinos want you to think that the two go hand in hand, blissfully into the sunset, giving you the ultimate gambling experience.  But the fact of the matter is that drinking alcohol while gambling affects your good judgement, and the chances are that you’ll make some very bad decisions because your wits are simply not 100% about you.

Casinos will always have a bar conveniently placed near its center, with waitresses on hand to take your orders before you can even stop to think what you want. Salted nuts are conveniently placed around the casino to make you want to drink up.

So let me jump down from my high and mighty soapbox for a moment and make a confession: I won’t argue with the fact that there is something really great about sports betting and a cold beer, or blackjack and a whiskey. Somehow, these things seem to go together and I’ll be the first to admit it.  Also, if you can handle your drink (I mean, REALLY handle it), then a drink or two won’t make you gamble away the family home.  But when push comes to shove, you really should be trying to avoid alcohol when gambling.

One trick I have found that really works is simply taking my gambling online. That way, I am never tempted by the free drinks offered by the land casino and I am sure that the only drink that passes my lips is water from my own fridge.  Obviously, that doesn’t mean that I will never drink alcohol when I play poker with my buddies or when I’m in the mood for something stronger than a soda.  I am far from being a gambling teetotaler.  However, I make a conscious effort to remember that when I’m after a few drinks, my inhibitions are down, my decisions are slightly more daring and I may not have made them had I not drank the second beer.

Cheers!

 

Keeping Up with the Online Gambling Joneses

October 21st, 2011

 

Once in a while, I share anecdotal incidents that relate to me and my online gambling entertainment, and this is what happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

A buddy of mine called me up to ask if I wanted to out for drink. Sitting nursing our beers, he mentioned that he was having a great time playing at online casinos, and that his gaming sessions were going fantastically.  Now I’m not sure whether it was the beer that had gone to my head or that male ego that my better half is always talking about, but I countered him, albeit in a buddy-like way, that mine was also going exceptionally well, and that I was discovering some amazing new games at my favorite online casino.  Buddy then tells me that not only has he also discovered some amazing new games, he had also won a fair bit of money playing them.

By then, I was feeling tingly and downright competitive, and so I brought out my trump card – not only were my gaming sessions going well, I was discovering amazing new games and I was winning well: I had also won the jackpot on a progressive slot game.  OK, now between you and me, I wasn’t going to be able to retire on the minor jackpot which I had won, but I wasn’t willing to tell him that.  Buddy just smiled and said, ‘hey, welcome to the club.’

By then I had nothing on him. All we could do was make some minor conversation and head our separate ways after a while.

But I couldn’t get our conversation out of my head.  How was it possible that he had gotten me so green with envy even though my gambling sessions at my favorite online casino were going so well? Even after they were fun, even after I was playing great games, and even after I was winning well.   I was dying to know where he was playing and how come he still managed to do better than me.  After a whole week of suspense, I could take it no longer.  I called my buddy up and practically blurted out: “What’s the name of the site you play at?”  His response: The exact same site I play at….

Moral of the story: Don’t try and keep up with the online gambling Joneses.  Enjoy your gaming entertainment, treasure your wins and  don’t start comparing yourself to anyone else.

 

 
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