Losing trips and Discipline

[FAA]

Let's quantify this a bit. What were the amounts of your recent losing trips? -$100? -$250? The latter amount would certainly rattle me, especially repeatedly.

[FloridaPhil]

i know card counters can go months of losing, and im freaking out over several trips but again those trips were not small potatoes to me, and my comps aren't kicking in as fast as they used be, i know its not me since im a creature of habbit and my style of play is consisted of anything i do, how does one keep positive mind while the game itself is negative? my gambling log has both wins and lose trips but again this new log i created last month is not pretty and first time i seen this type of losing behavior

Steve, you should take some time off to think. The games we play are negative or will soon be. Comps are being reduced. Losing is inevitable. So why are we playing a game when we know the result before it happens?

I play video poker because I enjoy the challenge of playing against the casino. I know I can't beat them all the time. When I do, I feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile. I don't need to win a million dollars to have this feeling. Truth be known, if I walk out even I'm satisfied. You will have times when you can't win no matter what you do. You will have times when everything goes right. Those are the times when you will believe you have this game figured out. Don't be fooled. It is entirely possible to play positive games perfectly and still lose for very long periods of time.

You didn't say if you are playing out of a dedicated bankroll or your wallet. I don't know what denomination you are playing. If it's max coin quarters, draw $5,000 out of your bank account, put it in a box and forget it. Play out of that box and leave your wallet at home. It won't make you a winner, but it will soften those hard times. If you can't afford to lose $5,000, you shouldn't be gambling at that level.

When I hit losing periods like you are in now, I take a vacation from the casino. The Coronavirus is as good an excuse as any. Get video poker out of your system and come back later. The casino will still be open and the fools who think they can beat it will still be there.

[stevel96a1]

i know card counters can go months of losing, and im freaking out over several trips but again those trips were not small potatoes to me, and my comps aren't kicking in as fast as they used be, i know its not me since im a creature of habbit and my style of play is consisted of anything i do, how does one keep positive mind while the game itself is negative? my gambling log has both wins and lose trips but again this new log i created last month is not pretty and first time i seen this type of losing behavior

Steve, you should take some time off to think. The games we play are negative or will soon be. Comps are being reduced. Losing is inevitable. So why are we playing a game when we know the result before it happens?

I play video poker because I enjoy the challenge of playing against the casino. I know I can't beat them all the time. When I do, I feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile. I don't need to win a million dollars to have this feeling. Truth be known, if I walk out even I'm satisfied. You will have times when you can't win no matter what you do. You will have times when everything goes right. Those are the times when you will believe you have this game figured out. Don't be fooled. It is entirely possible to play positive games perfectly and still lose for very long periods of time.

You didn't say if you are playing out of a dedicated bankroll or your wallet. I don't know what denomination you are playing. If it's max coin quarters, draw $5,000 out of your bank account, put it in a box and forget it. Play out of that box and leave your wallet at home. It won't make you a winner, but it will soften those hard times. If you can't afford to lose $5,000, you shouldn't be gambling at that level.

When I hit losing periods like you are in now, I take a vacation from the casino. The Coronavirus is as good an excuse as any. Get video poker out of your system and come back later. The casino will still be open and the fools who think they can beat it will still be there.

don't take it the wrong way but it does not matter the amount im losing let it be 250$ or 2500$
in other words bill gates always plays 5$ blackjack yet hes one of the riches people alive, and 25$ to someone else maybe 250$ to another, income is all relative to your yearly income but as im looking at it now a loss is a loss and a win is a win regardless of the amount totaled, i dont believe anyone would be playing video poker without the comps i never thought id say that but its true unless its a 100+% return off the bat, im a little mad at VP RNG right now

[stevel96a1]

playing to win is the goal but changing my goal from royal flush to play longer for comps might be a better belief, i know every casino games has its goods and bads but video poker maybe the best w/ 1.25 per bet

[FloridaPhil]

Nobody likes losing. Back when I was playing at the dollar level, I lost a lot of sleep over my losses. I regularly lost up to $3,000 in a few days playing 9/6 Jacks or Better. The casino showered me with comps. Eventually video poker became more of a burden than an enjoyment.

The casino uses human emotions against us. They depend on us believing we will recover our losses in time. We continue with this fantasy until we either run out of money or something else stops us. Hopefully, it doesn't cost us more than money.

If you play at a level where losing is only a nuisance, it hurts less. I can play single coin quarter VP all day for the cost of a decent dinner at Out Back. When I get down, that's what I do. If you are playing to have fun, a $62.50 royal will make you a winner for a day. I know I am never going to recover my losses, what's gone is gone. Learn to live with small wins and you will be a much happier player.

[Jstark]

When all else fails, degen on some lousy game

[Vman96]

I don't "believe" I can win. I "know" I will. And preferably, I don't want other players doing what I do.

Interesting comment. From the very beginning, I have always wondered why anyone who discovered a million dollar video poker strategy would sell paper back books to tell the world about it? I am sure there are some people who aren't too happy about this information being released to the public.

Few people have everything it takes to profit from video poker. Even if you live down the street from Red Rock, play only full pay games and have the bankroll of Mike Blumenthal, you probably couldn't or wouldn't do what it is required. What happens is players read about the handful of players who do and assume they can duplicate their results. In return, this creates big profits for casinos.

Like Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations".

You should know by now which games I'm making my money at. There are also a handful of slot games as well. Some are well known and others not so well known.

Yeah another guy beat me to the punch on a lot of things tonight I think. But only for the 2nd time in my life i found one on single line.

Couldn't hit much all night. Down $43. Bah. And probably will stop going pretty soon because of the virus. Bah.

[verylowroller]

how do you guys handle losing and discipline?
going in believing im going to win maybe the wrong approach especially at the games i play
and positive attitude maybe the wrong approach? setting myself up for failure yet the comps over power that horrid pay table
[/quote]

Here's my two cents. Unless you are an AP, the only good reason to gamble is because it provides enough enjoyment to justify its cost. For us, gambling money is in exactly the same category as what we would spend on going out to eat. We only take cash that we are comfortable losing, and my ATM daily limit is so low even if I go full degenerate I can't hurt myself much.

My girlfriend and I also remind each other when we are in a casino that if we are not having fun, we should be doing something else.

As far as comps go, they contribute to making our gambling affordable entertainment but (except for rare promotions) they are not worth chasing for us.

[Carcounter]

When the 99.5 % games are gone, so am I. Period.

[FloridaPhil]

Here's my two cents. Unless you are an AP, the only good reason to gamble is because it provides enough enjoyment to justify its cost. For us, gambling money is in exactly the same category as what we would spend on going out to eat. We only take cash that we are comfortable losing, and my ATM daily limit is so low even if I go full degenerate I can't hurt myself much.

My girlfriend and I also remind each other when we are in a casino that if we are not having fun, we should be doing something else.

As far as comps go, they contribute to making our gambling affordable entertainment but (except for rare promotions) they are not worth chasing for us.

Ditto. The best way to gain discipline is to realize the casino wants you to play to win. They know most people can't and are quite comfortable with your feeble attempts. Video poker as entertainment is only justifiable if you feel satisfied with what you receive in return for the money you pay. Everyone is different. One person may believe losing $50,000 a year playing video poker is worth the cost. Another may be happy if their cost is less than $1,000. Whatever your feelings, if you are not getting your money's worth you are paying too much.

Believing you can beat a multi billion dollar industry is foolish. The casino is betting on fools being fools. Once you realize that, you can play the game with discipline. Until then, you will be a victim of the casino's marketing plan.