Posts Tagged ‘gambling’
More Gambling Tips
In order for a player to enjoy a more pleasant and memorable time at a casino, while taking precautions to minimise one’s losses, it is very important to follow a basic set of gambling tips or guidelines.
Understand the game: This may seem like a very obvious rule, but you would be surprised at how many people place bets on games they don’t fully understand. This rule may apply more to certain games (i.e. Roulette) than other games (i.e. Slots), but generally speaking, it is more advantageous for a player to fully understand the rules of a game before betting on it.
Budget your money: Place a limit on the money that you can afford to gamble with and lose. Never exceed that amount or gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose. Leaving your ATM cards and credit cards at home may be a good way to ensure that you won’t be tempted to exceed your budget limit.
Never borrow money to gamble: To fall into the habit of gambling with borrowed money is one of the most serious mistakes any person can make. Not only can one run the risk of falling heavily into debt and perhaps having to sell one’s possessions to payback the borrowed money, but the risk of alienating friends and family members, or infuriating the “money lenders” should be enough reason to avoid this practice at all costs.
Pace yourself: Avoid betting all your money in one go. Remember, the objective is to have fun and enjoy yourself. If your gambling budget is $50, then place bets of $1 or $2 instead of betting the entire $50 on one single bet, losing it and walking away empty handed. As long as the entire sum of money is not lost in one single bet, the player has a chance to win.
Know when to quit: Always quit while you’re ahead. The best time to quit is when you are ahead of the casino. Many players make the mistake of thinking that their streak of luck will last forever and continue to gamble until they eventually lose it all. This is mainly the result of overconfidence and greed.
Chasing losses: “Chasing a loss” is a term used to describe the act of trying to win back money that was lost during a previous bet. The problem with this is that the player stands to lose even more money. In this case, it is better to just accept the loss and quit or continue playing for the sole purpose of just having fun.
Maintain a low profile: Whether you are playing for fun or money, winning or losing, always maintain a low profile at a casino. The main reason for this is that one never knows what types of unsavoury characters may be present at a casino. It is in the best interest of every player not to draw attention to his/her own money or winnings.
Emotional states: Never gamble when you are angry or depressed. Emotional states such as anger and depression usually cloud a person’s judgment and impair his/her ability to play the games properly. A person who is experiencing an intense emotional state usually lacks the ability to think as clearly as someone who is not.
Don’t gamble alone: In some way, it is better to visit a casino with friends or family members if you are planning on gambling. Friends and family members will usually tell you if you are spending too much, drinking too much or not playing properly. In the very least, it is in everyone’s best interest to have a sober person in the group who can safely drive everyone home.
Take frequent breaks: As in any other activity be it reading, writing or playing computer games, one should always take frequent breaks to feel refreshed and alert. Although this may not apply to a person who places a few bets before leaving the casino floor, it does apply to gambler who intends on spending a considerable amount of time betting in a casino.
Have fun: Gambling should be viewed as a fun and exciting recreational activity as opposed to a means of making money. Even though most of us have heard of, or read about the occasional gambler who won the big jackpot that changed his/her life, this is usually not the case for the majority of players. Let’s face it. The glitz and glamour of casinos were not built on the good fortune of winners. Therefore always play for fun and never for the sole purpose of making money.
Avoid alcohol: Never drink and gamble. Not only can alcohol impair one’s judgement, but it can also inflate one’s sense of self confidence to the point where the person gambles away money which he/she would never have gambled if he/she was sober. This is one of the main reasons as to why some casinos offer free alcohol to their players.
Avoid distractions: Distractions can come in many forms from the occasional cellular phone ringing to the sexy girl walking past the table, and one should always be mentally prepared to ignore them in order to better focus on the game. Additionally, the loud sounds and flashing lights of a casino may look and sound very exciting, but they are not there to help you concentrate on the game. Try not to become distracted.
By following these basic set of guidelines, one can enjoy his/her visit to a casino and have plenty of fun while minimizing the risk of falling into any financial difficulties.
Blackjack
Blackjack is my favorite game. It is the only online casino game I know that gives me a real chance of winning. Sitting in front of my computer in my study with the fire going and a mug of coffee or glass of whisky at my elbow, I can play blackjack at my own pace, taking my time and not being rushed by the dealer or the other players. This gives me a chance to study and remember the cards that have been played. I know that card counting is frowned upon and that the casinos do all they can to stop it, but, this is me playing on my own and I have the right….
It’s me against the dealer and no other players are part of my blackjack game. If I decide to take a hit on eighteen that’s my business and no one can laugh at me. If I decide not to split a pair of jacks, that’s my decision and I am entitled to stand by it. I like to bet fifty or a hundred dollars on each hand when I am online gambling and I am always amazed at how well I come out after a few hours playing blackjack.
Things have changed recently. The US has put a stop to money transfers to online casinos, so when one writes “Blackjack” into Google to search for online casino sites, one gets a long list of warnings instead of casino names, but the online casinos are out there on the web and little searching will uncover them. I can continue to play and enjoy blackjack.
U.S Casino History
The casino in the United States has a long and often illustrious history. Gambling plays a part in American history from the beginning of the colonies, in the lore of the Wild West, in the history of the underground bars during prohibition, and more. Laws concerning gambling have changed over time, with growing prohibitions against gambling followed by a relaxing of laws.
Attitudes toward gambling varied in the early American colonies. Puritan-founded colonies, not surprisingly, disapproved most strongly of all forms of dice, cards and gaming. Colonies founded by the English were quite tolerant of gambling, and it was treated as an innocent pastime. By the early 1800′s, gambling, and even gaming houses, or casinos, had evolved in the newly founded United States. New Orleans, in particular, was a center for gambling, and casinos and saloons in New Orleans evolved games we still link with the old west, including poker and blackjack.
During the California gold rush, gambling was both legal and widespread, as government offices regulated and licensed the saloon and the casino. Faro, bluff, and dice games were popular. While New Orleans had been the gambling capital of America forty years earlier, San Francisco replaced it as the main site for gambling and casinos due to the free flowing gold of the California gold rush.
During the period between the late 1850′s and early 1900′s, California progressively criminalized gambling. It remained legal in Nevada until 1910; however, the casino never reached the glory in Nevada that it had in San Francisco. Gambling was also criminalized elsewhere in the country during this period. Needless to say, gambling did continue, but it was a phenomenon kept behind closed doors. During the era when gambling was widely illegal, casinos remained in operation in speakeasies, private clubs, and more.
Gambling once again began to be legalized in 1931, starting with Nevada. During the 1930′s, some 21 states legalized racetrack gambling. Gambling continued in Nevada, and with low stakes bingo elsewhere. Casinos began to spring up in Atlantic City, NJ in the late 70′s. In 1987, the Supreme Court made a fundamental decision allowing gambling on Native American reservations, and in the years since, casino gambling has spread throughout the country with modern and thriving casinos in many states. Riverboat casinos began to spring up on major rivers in many states during the same period, bringing gambling full circle to its early roots with riverboat gamblers on the mighty Mississippi in the early 1800′s.
Interesting Facts about Gambling
As with any recreational gaming, there is always a good deal of trivia associated with such games. So it is with gambling. Gambling has a rich and intriguing history, so much so that trivia lovers will surely adore the wealth of trivia facts pertaining to gambling. Let’s take a look as some gambling trivia facts below.
Did you know all of the Kings in a standard deck of player cards actually represent real people? That’s right; the Kings are more than Kings in a deck of cards. Due to the fact that a standard deck of cards was created in France during the 15th century, the designer of the cards used historical figures to represent the Kings the deck that they designed. For example, Charlemagne is depicted as the King of Hearts, while Julius Caesar is represented by the King of Diamonds. Likewise, Alexander the Great is represented by the King of Clubs, while King David of the Bible is represented by the King of Spades.
On a similar note, the designer of the first deck of playing cards also decided to represent specific cultures with a deck of cards. Thus, the various suits of the cards represent different cultures that had major influences on the world before and during the 15th century. Therefore, the suits of spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts represent the Middle East, Greece, the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire respectively.
Alternatively, let’s take a look at the game of slots for a moment. Did you know that in certain states of America it is still illegal to use slot machines? That’s right; various states throughout the United States do not permit any form of gambling in the state. Therefore, the only way an individual can even possess a slot machine without getting in trouble for possessing it is that the machine meets certain criteria established by the law of the state. What are the criteria? The machine must be considered an antique: it must be at least 25 years old and used for display purposes only. Finally, anyone found in states that do not permit ownership of gaming devices runs the risk of getting fined and the equipment is immediately confiscated.
Finally, did you know that the act of gambling may actually predate documented history? In fact, examples of gambling appear in all civilizations as long as people have been able to write things down. Whether it existed prior to the act of writing however, is anyone’s guess.

