Skills you can learn in the casino and use in life
I guess each and every one of us ran into at least one situation where someone else was prejudiced against them because of being a gambler. Fighting against prejudice is hard and we can’t easily change the reputation gambling has. But, luckily, today one can enjoy a game or two without going to smelly gambling dens full of slot machines. For instance, we can play casino games online, without anyone ever seeing you enter the casino.
All in all, it's not as black and white as many people would make it seem. Not every player is a gambler without a semblance of control, and not all of us are living with a gambling debt. Both in casino and in life, it holds that you need to think about how to succeed. It’s not always just about luck, even though luck does have an important role in many cases. Still, there are many moments where it's just about the player and nothing else... his/her experience and ability to respond to a certain situation.
Simply put, you’ll find both good and bad players in casinos, and that holds even after factoring out luck. Winning regularly is not just about luck. We selected 6 traits that every good player makes use of in the casino and which are also useful in the real world.
Mathematics and logic
Did you also think that you never want to see math again after completing your school education? Well, bad luck – casinos are full of math. Logics, math and statistics will be useful in the vast majority of casino games. In roulette, blackjack and poker, these will allow you to get a fairly sizeable advantage against your opponents or the casino.
Computing the odds, value of bets and probabilities... these will be your daily bread. Well, at least if you really want to win. After all, it’s always good to be able to calculate whether a given bet would be a good one to make right now and what’s the probability of getting precisely the outcome you need. If you can make correct and quick calculations, then this can quickly make a positive impact on your win rate.
It’s also a good idea to calculate when you’re best off using the offered casino bonuses. Sometimes, getting the bonus might be just a single game of slot machines away.
In life it's the same – probabilities and statistics also help in your everyday decision making. And it’s always best to be prepared in advance.
Financial management
One of the most important things is to set a budget that you plan on using for gambling. Indeed, if you want to avoid falling into a deadly spiral that drains all your money, you need to prepare right from the get go. Set aside a separate sum of money that you can and want to spend on gambling, and split that up into months, weeks or specific days.
Over time you’ll find out that good planning will prevent you from going under even in case of a really long series of losses – which, we note, is bound to come at some point. A well prepared budget means that you’ll never be left penniless. Having a solid financial management system will be of significant help also outside of casinos. After all, it's always good to keep track of your finances. Monitor how you’re doing and make operative changes when required.
Make use of opportunities when they arise
All good players will agree that the core of every good win is the ability to identify opportunities in places others don’t. One shouldn’t be afraid of taking calculated risks, when they’re worth it. Every evening, in each game, there will be numerous hidden opportunities that really good players can correctly evaluate and make use of, allowing them to get ahead of their opponents.
It might not always work out, but that brings us back to probabilities and statistics. One big win can easily compensate for numerous (even five or more) previous losses. Over time, every regular players will learn to read the game and identify moments of opportunity which remain hidden to those with less experience. And then it’s just about seizing the opportunity.
Once you master this ability, you’ll see that there’s a strong parallel to real life here. Opportunities are everywhere, transforming these into successes can lead to generous pay-offs.
Set up a procedure and follow it
Casino games are not just about luck. As we mentioned above, luck does have a role but there are many ways to influence (and reduce) how strongly luck determines the outcome of a game. One of the most effective ways of doing so is to have a gaming procedure. Here, by procedure we do not mean roulette strategies or other similar gaming strategies.
Instead, a procedure is a sequence of events, analyses and decisions which a player will make before playing as well as when playing. For instance, you can set aside a sum to use for gambling, setup limits for winning and losing, and once these are exceeded then you should either quit for the day or change the game. At the same time, the procedure can also include decisions on whether to make risks in a specific game or rather to stick in less risky bets. When gambling, you need to minimize the impact on luck as much as possible.
And the same also applies to the real world. Prevent risky situation by making sure that you’re prepared for these in advance and they don’t surprise you.
Self-discipline
This trait is closely related to the previous point. Once you decide to play by the rules you set for yourself, never break them. Statistics clearly show that violating rules will lead to collapse, and I guess that everyone who let the game get the better of them and stopped playing by the rules they set for themselves can attest to the truth of that.
It’s not easy to leave just when you’re winning or to give up on an attempt to immediately make up for a significant loss. But that’s the point – keeping a cool head, clear mind, and overcoming your first reaction even if that means leaving when you're doing great. If you can do that in a casino, then you can also handle similar situations at home or at work. And having strong self-discipline has a lot of advantages in life. Very few people can do that, and emotions often say a lot about people. Don’t let that happen.
Keep improving
Don’t start stagnating when playing in casinos; keep in mind that winning several times in a row could still be just a stroke of luck. Furthermore, the casinos themselves are always continuously improving and expanding on their games. That is why it's important to always keep track of the latest trends, new strategies or procedures in games. A wise man once said that roulette can touch you about life itself, and after thousands of hours spent playing the game we must agree with his words.
Learning, reading the tips and tricks of other players and watching videos on how to play will help you overcome many problems that you might encounter while playing. You might also find solutions that you wouldn’t come up with yourselves.
The best online casinos
1. Betsafe
Betsafe was created in 2006 and today is part of the well-respected Betsson Group, based in Sweden. Its focus is to target rather more experienced players. And it has plenty of things to capture your attention – but perhaps the greatest eye-catchers include a gigantic range of games (e.g., over 1000 online slot machines) and an emphasis on security and high-quality support.
2. Mr Green
The wide range of exciting casino games includes various versions of roulette and blackjack, including games with live croupiers, video poker, bingo and of course, an infinite number of slot machines.
3. CasinoEuro
European-licensed casino with a long history. One of the best-known and well-trusted casino portals in Europe.
