WINNING AND LOSING

Winning and losing is no secret. In fact, the four ingredients needed to win have been clearly established and agreed upon by successful gamblers. They are: 1) Bankroll 2) Knowledge 3) Money Management 4) Discipline. It is possible to win with three of the above ingredients as long as it includes discipline. Without discipline you will always lose in the long run. In addition, the winning and losing scenarios have been clearly established for all gamblers. That is, all gamblers are faced with the same four scenarios whenever they play. That is, they can: 1) Win a little. 2) Win a lot. 3) Lose a little. 4) Lose a lot.

Successful gamblers know they must eliminate number four (losing a lot). This occurs because of a lack of discipline. Numbers one and two do not require much discipline. You just need to follow your win goals. Number three requires substantial discipline because you are close to winning and it's difficult to shut down your play with a small loss.

The player who is always falling prey to number four is not paying attention to loss limits, win goals and departure rules. Compulsive gamblers make number four a constant part of their play. However, successful gamblers avoid number four like the plague because they have been through it many times and know how it hurts. That's why the successful gambler sets his loss limits so any one loss won't wipe him out.

With these important ingredients in mind, here are some personal tips that will keep you in the successful mode:

1. Set a reasonable bankroll. Don't use scared money or money that you can't afford to lose. Even if you don't lose, it will affect your play.
2. Learn everything possible about the game you play. I can actually deal craps, blackjack and baccarat as well as the dealer.
3. Play the games that have the least house advantage. Make the bets with the least house vig but know the appropriate bets required for hedging, although they may have a higher house vig.
4. Set logical and appropriate win goals and loss limits. Successful gamblers consider these two to be the most important.
5. You must have the discipline to walk away on days when everything is going against you.

I also believe in being an expert in more than one game and playing them against each other. I've had stretches where I've played nothing but baccarat for an entire month because it was working for me.

Finally, follow the patience and perseverance of the successful gambler. If you are going to play craps, for example, conquer it, perfect it. Follow all the discipline techniques and attack the game with confidence. This is how the successful gambler does it. This allows you to win more often. It also creates higher monetary wins when winning and lower monetary losses when losing. This is the path the successful gambler takes and you should too. Have a plan.