Jan 22, 2016 04:04 AM
(This post was last modified: Jan 22, 2016 04:06 AM by glitchgxd.)
How to Maintain Gambling as a Hobby
A guide for those who want to gamble or already gamble, and how to enjoy it without losing everything.
Before I start this guide, please read the following message:
Gambling is not for everyone. It can turn into a serious mental addiction and drive some people to the point of self destruction.
If you have or know someone who might have a gambling addiction, please contact any of the following to get serious help.
There is hope.
GA Website: http://www.gamblersanonymous.org
NCP Website: http://www.ncpgambling.org
Alternative GA Website: http://www.gamblinghelp.org
GA National Hotline: 1 (800) 522-4700
GA Alternative Hotline: 1 (800) GAMBLER / 1 (800) 426-2537
Hello everyone!
Given my experience and success in gambling, I've decided to make a guide on how to maintain a gambling hobby without messing up your life. Gambling addictions run heavily in my family, and I've had my own downfalls already in the gambling world. I've been to the point where I called the gambling hotline and attended GA meetings with other problem gamblers and heard many stories of people losing houses, ending up millions in debt and declaring bankruptcy, the whole nine yards. The thing is, I didn't want to give up gambling because it is something I enjoy. I never got to the point those people were at, but I still went to those meetings to make sure I never did. There are a lot of people in that group that still gamble, but they don't do it like they used to. There are some very important lessons that were taught to me, and I thought I'd take some time out to spread those lessons with other people so that they can enjoy gambling without risking everything. There are many things to cover, so I'll only be going over the basics and then leaving a bunch of resources for those that wish to research further.
For starters, the first and most important rule of gambling is to know what you can afford to lose. What I mean by this is, what amount of money can you take away and still be content if you spent it on a night out or something similar. This may seem like a stupid question to some, since they don't want to lose any money, but the point with gambling is to think of it like going to the movies or bowling--because that is what it should be. Gambling is an adrenaline rush, a form of excitement, and with all excitement comes quick decisions that we don't necessarily think about (since we're in the heat of the moment). So, the first rule should always be to set aside an amount that you know you might lose, and be okay with that amount. What I started out doing was to take a certain amount and put it aside for a week. If I find myself looking for that extra money within that week, then I knew I took out too much. If I was able to hold onto that money and not sacrifice parts of my lifestyle that I enjoyed, then I knew that was a comfortable amount for me to gamble with. When you have an amount set aside before you go into the casino or buy lottery tickets or gamble in any way, then you maintain control of your money instead of letting those places run you. They can only take what you bring with, so when you're caught up saying "this next spin has to be even", you don't spend more on that chance than you can afford. In addition to this, make sure you either leave the rest of your access to cash at home or you maintain your self control and don't go near the ATMs. If you can't control your money, then you should not be gambling at all, and you need to check those resources I provided in the beginning. Self control is CRITICAL to success in maintaining gambling as a hobby.
There are ways to keep yourself in check as well. A big thing that I learned is that you should never go in alone. A great way to have a good time gambling is to gamble with friends. This allows you and your friends to keep each other in check. They will stick with you to make sure you're not hitting up the ATMs or spending more than you gave yourself. When you're having bad luck at the table, they will be the ones to get you up and step outside with you to get your mind off of it and move on. I really enjoy going to casinos for this reason. We can all have a good dinner, hit up the tables, spend some money and maybe win or lose, and afterwards sit at the bar and have some drinks. It's a good time in the end, because even if we didn't win, we had a good time and we're all hanging out. It takes the pressure off of losses, too, because they'll help you move on from it (and hey, they might even win themselves and buy the drinks!). Either way, your friends are your best resources when trying to gamble for fun.
The next really important tip applies to winning and losing, and that is to know when to stop. Personally, when I win a good amount of money, I have a method of getting myself out when I need to. For example, back in November, a few of my friends got a room at a casino/hotel resort. I went in with $500. We started by having some dinner, then had some drinks, and from there it was the roulette table. We split off into groups of two, so I was sitting with my friend and we were playing, and I managed to get up to $2,000. When I'm at this amount of money, I figure out what I would like to keep. At the time, this was $1,500 (my winnings minus what I started with). So, I put a $500 bet on a set of three I believe, and the deal was that I would keep doing this $500 bet until I lost. I won twice with it, and lost the third time. I ended up walking out with $3,500. I decided at that moment that I was done gambling for roulette, and that if I wanted to, we would play cards later with a few hundred, but the point is I knew what I wanted to keep, and I kept that (double, actually). The problem a lot of people have is that they consider their winnings their "winning" money and don't place value on it. What you have to realize is that the moment that money enters your hand, it is your money that you are now spending. Think about it. If you got a couple thousand dollars from work as a bonus, would you go and spend all of that at a casino? If you would, check the numbers I listed at the top. I knew what I walked in with and what I was comfortable with spending. Just because I won a lot of money doesn't mean I was comfortable putting all of my winning money on chance, because that money was mine, and I wanted to make sure I walked out with it. I see too many people take that winning money and immediately spend it, and when they lose they say "oh well I didn't lose" and have a kind of distant, saddened, expression. Don't think like that. Keep the money you won and be happy with it. Buy a round of drinks for your friends and buy breakfast in the morning, or save it for something nice.
Last, but definitely not least, remember to have fun! Casinos are a great place to go for this because a lot will offer you free drinks as you're playing on the machines or tables. Take up all the freebies you can and have a great time. Gambling should only be treated as a recreational hobby and nothing more. Even if you're playing cards, where you can calculate odds, it is still a game of chance, and you should never walk into it certain that you'll win. The only people that really win in the end are the casinos, and that's something that should be remembered. I hear too many people say that they have a "method" and are serious about that. I've said it a couple times, but it's all in jokes. Anyone that I respond to seriously has always received the same answer--it's all luck. Unless you have some sort of time machine or fix in the game (which you might, you blackhats out there!), then there is no way for you to know with absolute certainty the outcome. So, as such, appreciate the game for the rush it provides and have a good time with it.
So to wrap up the points provided:
- Only gamble with what you can afford
- Gamble with friends
- Take all the free stuff you can
- Stay away from ATMs
- Have fun, and treat it as a hobby
Most of this is probably self explanatory to some of you out there, but I thought this might be a good guide for those that are new to the gambling world or that are already experienced and trying to stay in control of their hobby.
I hope you all enjoyed the read, and good luck gambling!
nameless
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