Page 8 - Jackpot Magazine South ~ January, 2024

PLAY TO WIN
Tips to bring your best to casinos this year
“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the
new year.”
— Vern McLellan, British author
Why do we start the new year with resolutions? Because the new year offers a blank slate, a chance to do things better than before and maybe get things on a different course. Resolutions are a way of setting goals, both big and small, and taking control of things we hope to manage. Setting resolutions for our casino play is important, too.
Many times, we make mistakes when playing. It could be a strategy error or just a lapse in judgement. Setting goals for the new year will help with these mistakes and get players on the right track. I’ve mentioned my father
many times as he was an avid blackjack and video poker player. His biggest piece of advice was to always play video poker with a loaded machine (max coins in). That was one resolution he kept every year and he encouraged us to keep that resolution, as well.
Gaming expert Henry Tamburin, author of many best-selling books on gambling, including Blackjack: Take the Money and Run, shared some of his resolutions by telling readers to be honest when thinking about if they lost more than expected or won more over the past year. He said there is hope for the New Year, but only for those who resolve to spend time understanding basic rules and playing strategies (like playing with max coins in). The more skillful you play, Tamburin said, the greater chance you have to end the year a winner.
Here are some of Tamburin’s Gamblers New Year’s Resolutions.
• I won’t play any casino table game
or slot machine until I understand what the casino’sedgeisandwhat, if anything, I can do to lower to it.
• I will only gamble with money that I can afford to lose should the worst happen. Even professional players can experience long periods of losing sessions so it could happen to me.
• I will never risk my entire playing bankroll at one session. I will always set a loss limit and if I reach it, I will not dig into my pocket for more money, but rather leave the table or machine and stop playing.
•Iwillnotbegreedy.IfI am winning money, I will be content to quit with some profit rather than continue playing and risk losing it all back to
the casino.
• When playing a new game for the first time, I will do so for low stakes. Only when I feel confident about the game, will I
consider increasing my betting level.
• I will set a goal to never give the casino more than a 1.5 percent edge on any bet I make. This may mean I will have to learn a different casino game — like blackjack, craps, baccarat or video poker — so that I can achieve this goal.
• If I haven’t already, I will join every casino’s players club and use their card every time I play.
• I will always keep in mind that a casino is a place of business run by business people. It is their job is to create an environment to make it easy for players to lose their money
and feel good about it. I will not let my emotions get away from me in the casino-engineered excitement.
• If I find myself spending too much time and losing too much money in the casinos, I will seek professional help.
Here are a few extra resolutions:
• Remember to tip your dealers, cocktail
servers, slot attendants and even the cashiers. And, if you can’t always tip, be kind. Say thank you, be patient and show a smile.
• Stop bragging on how much you win all the time, especially when you know that it is not true.
• Don’t try to “help” someone play, which means no tips on slot machines, which numbers to bet on roulette or when to hit or stand. It’s bad manners and when it doesn’t go as planned, it is a bad mess.
• Know the rules to giveaways and promotions. If it takes 100 tier credits to get a free blanket, don’t try to get one with 90 tier credits. Pay attention to your offers and take advantage of your free play.
• Keep track of your wins and losses so you know how you did at the end of the year. You may learn something about the way you play and where you could do better.
Casino gambling is fun, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Let the other players pay for the glitz and the glamour. You resolve that you will play to win.
Do you have a question on the best way to play to win? Email us at jackpotmagazine@ gmail.com.
Play To Win Again
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8 JACKPOT! MAGAZINE • January 2024
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