Whenever you make a decision to go to a casino, you are entering a world of chance. Things can go well quickly, things can go poorly quickly, things can be frustrating or exciting. And real money is on the line, which can affect any of us.
But these 8 things each player should do on every casino trip can help the emotional ride, as well as just allow for more practical considerations and outcomes.
1. Set a Budget for the Trip
Start things off by deciding how much you’re willing to spend. Make sure it’s money that’s coming from your entertainment budget and not money you need.
No player should ever be going to the casino with the goal of making rent or walking out ahead – casino games are built with an advantage for the casino, so you’re not going to be able to consistently overcome that. If you can’t afford a casino trip right now, you shouldn’t be going.
2. Set a Time Limit
In a casino, time works against you. The longer you’re there, the more wagers you’ll make. The more wagers you make, the more likely a casino is going to come out ahead.
With that in mind, setting a time limit is helpful to avoid getting carried away. If you hit your time limit and you’ve still got money, that’s money you can walk out of the casino with.
Sometimes as players we can just keep pressing on until we spend our money, and while all players should go to the casino with the mindset that their money will be spent, it doesn’t mean you have to spend it all every trip either.
3. Use Your Players Card
Make sure all of your play is recorded. This will ensure you get the maximum casino offers available. The way to accomplish this is through using your players card.
As we’ve shared here in the past, casinos will generally offer you 20 to 40 percent of your expected losses on a visit in the form of your offer. If you don’t record all your play, they can’t have your offer reflect all your play either. Don’t leave money on the table!
4. Your Bankroll Should Decide Your Bet
If you go to the casino with $100, betting $5 a spin is an easy way to flame out long before anything exciting happens.
Slots are getting more volatile, so it’s helpful to leave room for a potential drought so you can make it to the other side when the bonuses are more plentiful.
One rule of thumb we’ve shared in recent years is your budget being 500x your bet amount for the best chances of lasting 3-4 hours at a casino. That may not be always realistic, but can help as a starting point for figuring out what you’re comfortable with betting.
5. Don’t Put Too Much Money in At Once
It can be easy to put $100 in a machine, or put a big ticket in from the last machine when you were on a roll. But having more money in a machine can make it easy to just keep playing instead of deciding to move on.
Some players break a big ticket down into smaller bills, making it easier to feed the machine slowly and use each refuel as a chance to think about whether it’s time to move on.
6. Decide a Stopping Point
To go along with the previous point, set a goal for each slot. If you’re putting in $20, is the goal to double it? Get to at least $25? Bonus or bust?
Setting a goal before starting encourages you to either lock in a profit or make a fresh decision when you achieve your goal. This can be another helpful way to improve your chances of leaving with money.
7. Getting Emotional? Take a Break
When you’re having a frustrating run, it can be easy to go on tilt and attempt to chase losses. This is one of the worst things we can do as players.
Instead, get up and take a walk. Grab a coffee or a bite to eat. Go outside for some fresh air. Give yourself a chance to calm down and make more rational decisions. As we said upfront, real money’s on the line, so you don’t want to make a mistake because it’s been a tough day.
8. Doing Really Well? Recalibrate
Conversely, it can be easy when you’re doing really well to want to up your bets and try to swing for even bigger wins. But it can be quite easy to burn away all the additional money you’ve accumulated by being aggressive as well.
When you’re well ahead, it can be a good time to review. Do you want to put the winnings aside, and reset with just the original budget you had? Do you want to put some money in a winners bank and guarantee it’s going home?
Being ahead can make it enticing to play that game that’s always tough on you or bet a bit higher than your norm – that’s OK too, but consider the options, just like you did before going to the casino, so you can feel comfortable in your decisions.
Brian I love the way you break it down to people that don’t have much money to gamble with. I love seeing you on utube. Would love to meet you some day. Your very inspiring.
Thanks Corina! We appreciate hearing from those who find our content helpful!
Time limits to casino time and the old saying quit while your ahead . I agree with slow pace and walk around . When I’m not winning I slow down and get a bite to eat , scroll my phone and sometimes I just leave . Casino will always be there.
We love this perspective Christine – sometimes it’s great to leave ahead or take a break when behind – the machines will be there when you want them!
I set a budget for the casino and a time limit. I bring my gamblers box. Most of the time it comes home with air in it, sometimes with $$$. I’m a low roller. If I get a bonus or some type of payout I give 3-5 spins and cash out(well not always) I put a twenty in the machine. If I don’t get a bonus or a nice win I cash out at a small amount 3-10 $. I combine all those little tickets and play off the combined ticket. I always use my players card. Free play and the gifts are nice, plus I get free rooms!
That’s a fun system, Mary – those small tickets sort of build up to one final try at the end! But the gamblers box is also savvy, and improves the chances of leaving with some money!