Casino Discipline Question

[felix]

Hello, I am wondering if any VP players have found a good method for casino discipline. I need to get better at getting up and leaving when I am ahead instead of giving it all back. Once I am in the car and driving away my mind is very clear as to what I should have done, but in the heat of the moment in the casino I give it all back. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[DaBurglar]

Hello, I am wondering if any VP players have found a good method for casino discipline. I need to get better at getting up and leaving when I am ahead instead of giving it all back. Once I am in the car and driving away my mind is very clear as to what I should have done, but in the heat of the moment in the casino I give it all back. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Try self loathing and push-ups when you get back to your home or room after losing all your money.

Either that or just exercise self-control, works for me.... Good luck and God bless.

[FAA]

With a car I cannot sympathize. Just up and leave! On your own schedule! Splurge on a great meal many miles away from the danger zone. Problem solved.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=felix]Hello, I am wondering if any VP players have found a good method for
casino discipline. I need to get better at getting up and leaving when I
am ahead instead of giving it all back. Once I am in the car and
driving away my mind is very clear as to what I should have done, but in
the heat of the moment in the casino I give it all back. Any
suggestions? Thanks![/quote]This is a great question for this forum.   Discipline (money management) is in my opinion more important than play strategy.  It's very hard to be a "happy gambler" without it.  When you actually walk out of the casino has no long term effect on your results.  Having discipline won't keep you from losing on a bad day.  What it does is keep you from self inflicted actions that hurt your return.   When gambling, it's much better to be the tortoise than the hare.  Without discipline, the wheels fall off and a financial wreck is soon behind.  There are as many money management schemes as there are gamblers.  What's important is find one that works for you.  Here's what I do.  Others will have their own ideas.When I go to the casino, I already know in advance what game and denomination I am going to play that day.  I have already scouted the casino and know exactly where the best odds are for the game I choose to play.   Currently, I always play max coins and I always take no more than 1,000 coins with me.  The reason I limit my play to 1,000 coins is that I'm a deuces wild player and 1,000 coins is the amount of a quad deuce mini jackpot.  If I hit one, I know I can come home at least even.  If I'm going to play quarters or 50 cents, I break down all my money into $20 bills.  I never play more than $20 at a time.  I put in my first 20 and start to play.  As soon as the counter reaches $50 or more, I immediately cash out and put in another $20.  I go through all 1,000 coins converting my money into white tickets.  When I have gone through all my cash, I stop, count up all my tickets and evaluate where I am.  At that point I can leave, stay a little longer or go for another 1,000 coin session.  The majority of the time I walk out with some money left in my pocket.The whole idea of this exercise is to stay informed of where you are and give yourself plenty of time to contemplate your next action.   Playing until you are either rich or broke is not a viable plan.  Jumping from game to game trying DDB one minute, bonus poker the next, a little deuces wild, then a trip to the high limit room for a pot shot is guaranteed to cause a financial train wreck.  If you're playing at a denomination that doesn't excite and you find you are always yearning for bigger jackpots, increase you bankroll and move up to one that does.  Playing max coins at the same denomination is much better than jumping around.  I learned this the hard way.  Keep in mind that your lifetime VP play is all one continuous game.  This may help you to call it quits for the day and come back next time.  Believe me the casino  will still be there. Whatever, you do, make a plan and stick to it.  Everyone's different, so give yourself time to work this out.   Once you get it right, you'll be surprised to find VP costs you less and you'll enjoy it more.

[ukaserex]

My experience in this area is to identify the amount that I’ll be “happy” with. So, if you’re up $100 or $10 – whatever that value is – just leave.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=ukaserex]My experience in this area is to identify the amount that I’ll be
“happy” with. So, if you’re up $100 or $10 – whatever that value is –
just leave.[/quote]Sounds good, but in actual practice most players desire the experience of playing video poker more than profit.  What if your "happy" threshold is $100, you drove two hours to get to the casino and you hit a royal in the first 10 minutes of play.   Do you leave no matter what?   Conversely, what if you never hit anything good, do you contribute your entire bankroll? Your lifetime play is all one continuous game.  When you stop or start has no bearing on your long term profit or loss.What is required is a predetermined fixed money management strategy that works in all situations and the discipline to stick to it.   Long term profit comes from playing the right games with the right strategy and skill, having a little luck on your side and keeping your human tendencies under control.  In reality, no one ever made a long term profit by walking out of the casino at the right time unless they never walk back in.

[Chicagoan]

I am not sure what amounts you are "giving back" to the casinos, but if it is a jackpot, then follow my proven "check program". I take cash for any jackpot $1999 or under. I take a check for jackpots $2000 and larger. If I am planning to stay at the casino for a while, after CAREFULLY analyzing my cash position, I might take part of a larger jackpot in cash and the rest in a check. However, I never do this impulsively --- only after careful consideration of my position and plans.

But regardless of the size of your win, whether it is $10 or $1 million dollars, I totally agree with Florida Phil that you MUST have a pre-planned money management system. It is too late to start planning when the lights start flashing and the jackpot music begins.

If there are any former Marines on this forum, you will know what I mean by the term "fire discipline." I repeatedly and forcefully whisper this phrase to myself whenever my stupid impulsive right-side brain starts to do something foolish with a jackpot.

[ukaserex]

Sounds good, but in actual practice most players desire the experience of playing video poker more than profit.  What if your "happy" threshold is $100, you drove two hours to get to the casino and you hit a royal in the first 10 minutes of play.   Do you leave no matter what?   Conversely, what if you never hit anything good, do you contribute your entire bankroll? Your lifetime play is all one continuous game.  When you stop or start has no bearing on your long term profit or loss.What is required is a predetermined fixed money management strategy that works in all situations and the discipline to stick to it.   Long term profit comes from playing the right games with the right strategy and skill, having a little luck on your side and keeping your human tendencies under control.  In reality, no one ever made a long term profit by walking out of the casino at the right time unless they never walk back in.



There was a time when I went to Tunica, en route to visit my brother in Memphis. I hit my first Royal Flush ever, on a $1 vp machine. I honestly thought the machine broke, because it wouldn't play the next hand. I didn't realize they had to hand pay a jackpot back then. I had been in the casino all of 15 minutes. Back then, they had actual coins; I gave my cup with about $50 to the smokin' hot cocktail waitress and left with the $3600 and a champagne bottle of Jelly Beans that very moment, concerned I might give it all back, or they might find a malfunction and take it back.

I drive 45 minutes to an hour to get to Biloxi casinos, depending on traffic. I could say, "Okay self, you're playing for one hour" or I could say, "I'm leaving as soon as the gas it took me to get here is paid for, plus my hourly rate. ($100/hr).

Whatever metric you choose should suffice. For me, it's a certain amount of money. I can play the game here, on this site with less smoke, more convenience, and zero risk, and an infinitely smaller chance of reward via contest winnings.

People in casinos might tell you it's about the games - it's about the money. The way the pulse of the heart increases as you risk more and more money is what is really desired. The short moment of elation when a winning hand exceeds your available cash for the day, week, month or year.

So, yeah, if I win over X dollars, I'm gone.