We recently threw some players off when we addressed a question in a video about whether music can help or hurt your gambling session. Of course, we started with the point that music can’t impact the outcome of a spin, but then we shifted into the topic of moods.
Your mood won’t change the outcome of the next spin, but your mood can impact the decisions you make while gambling. And like other elements like drinking while gambling or playing when overtired, decision making can be an important element of your ability to walk away after a bad run vs. chasing losses that can lead you to lose even more.
Here’s a comment that we thought was great from this video:
Mood and gambling is huge. You have to be lucid and thinking straight and in the right frame of mind to not make bad decisions. I can’t tell you how many times a bad environment or a bad mood has made me hit the button more than I wanted or made me up my bet to make something positive happen to get me out of the bad mood.
It has no effect on the outcome, but a bad mood sure does make it easy to lose more money faster for me.
Mark B.
Those who follow poker will probably know the term “tilt,” which is the scenario when a player has a bad beat or an unlucky run, starts getting frustrated or angry, and becomes more haphazard with their play because of their emotions. They might take more risks, betting bigger or playing hands that aren’t worth playing.
The same can certainly hold true for slots or other forms of gambling. Players might up their bet after a lengthy run without a bonus, hoping to finally get one on the higher bet and turn things around.
Or they might put more money into a machine despite not having won anything. And so on. So with that in mind, here’s a few tips on how to shake things off when your mood isn’t lining up with what an entertainment option should provide.
Set Limits, and Stick to Them
As we previously discussed here on the site, limits are a great tool to ensure you stay within your entertainment budget. But limits can be more than just a trip budget – it can be a daily budget, or a per machine budget, or “I can spend $50 before lunch.”
One of our favorite tricks for multi-day trips is to set a per day budget. This avoids us blowing through our money on particularly unlucky trips, only to have days to go before we head home. That forces you to marinate in things in a way that can be avoided if you simply pace yourself.
Limits can also include how long you’re in the casino. For a day trip, setting a time you’re going to go home ensures that, regardless of scenario, you leave and don’t keep playing, which just increases the chances you’ll lose, because every bet comes with an edge for the house.
Keep it Positive
One of the things Brian Christopher aims to do in his videos, even when things aren’t going his way, is to find the positive. Playing slots is supposed to be fun, but when real money is on the line, naturally things can get emotional.
But going into it with a positive mindset, and staying in that zone while playing, can help you avoid making risky decisions. And of course, since emotions can get in the way, there’s one last tip…
Take a Break
Sometimes you just need to step away from the slots. Whether it’s a walk around the casino, a stop for a meal, or even a pause on trips to the casino, if you’re not having fun, you should probably put things down. You can’t break the bad mood if you keep leaning into the activities that are triggering it.
Takeaway
While you can’t make the slots pay better or worse with your mood, you can make your casino trips less risky by not making emotional decisions around your losses. And so if there’s things that can help keep you in a good mood,
This is so true. I have learned that going to the casino when I feel down is a really big mistake. 😳😳.i now know not to do that
It’s always good to learn these things, Hurdie! Best to know what will make a casino trip worth it, as well as what will make it not worth it!
It’s always best to make sure you had enough sleep the night before you go out to play at your casino . It’s amazing how your attitude , mood and energy level plays such an important part of how much fun you’re going to have .
This is a great point Larry – sleep is so helpful for getting off on the right foot! Don’t sleep on sleep ;)