New York Times – People have different reasons for making visits to a casino part of their entertainment regimen. The one incentive common among them is the hope of winning money. For some, winning money means hitting a jackpot. For others, it means just coming out ahead.
As a rule, the higher you set your expectations the less your chances of walking out the door happy. Jackpots are not easy to hit. Chasing them is a recipe for disaster.
Knowing that there is always next time is the one rule of thumb casino goers should always remember. It’s a far cry from the days before state regulated gambling debuted in the Midwest in the early 90’s.
Getting a chance to gamble used to mean making a trip to Las Vegas once or twice a year. The slots beckoned day and night. Hitting a jackpot on the first day you were there meant you were going to go home a winner only if you didn’t play anymore.
The availability of gambling in a casino is now a short drive from home for a majority of residents of Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area.
Frequent trips demand a mindset that will make you happy if you only win a little or simply break even. Let the jackpots come when they may.
Going for broke every time you visit a casino will result in just that. Recreational casino gambling is a world apart from that once-a-year trip to Vegas.
The human frailty of thinking it’s “your lucky day” can also be a one-way ticket on the road to ruin. Good fortune is arbitrary. When it strikes, it always means that for that one instant you happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The determination to preserve profits from a gambling session requires discipline. There are several ways to approach this successfully.
One strategy is to establish a goal. This could mean being a specific amount of money ahead, or perhaps even doubling your money. Once you have attained the goal you set for yourself, the next hurdle to overcome is sticking to it.
