Few activities are more exhilarating than putting some money into your favorite sports team or casino game to make the experience more entertaining. Gambling has been a fact of human life for millennia, but the best gamers understand the concept of staking what they can afford to lose. Whether or not you stake money, we’re all gamblers in one way or another; when you snooze your alarm for ten extra minutes of sleep, you’re staking on your ability to get to work on time. Here are essential tips to ensure your long-term success as a gamer.
Discipline
Everyone always talks about discipline in this context, but few understand how important it is and how to go about attaining this highly sought-after skill. It’s easy to showcase a semblance of discipline when things are going okay; you win some and lose some and celebrate yourself as a disciplined gamer. True discipline comes into play when things are going extremely well or poorly. Imagine you’re on a hot streak winning with Vulkan Vegas, and every stake you make seems to result in a win. You know you should stop and take your winnings, but your ego and pride set in, making you believe this incredible streak will continue forever.
Your streak continues until everything won is lost in a classic case of gambling pseudo-discipline. Alternatively, people find themselves in a race to the bottom during a losing streak. The urge to win back lost funds or “break even” can lead to more losses and compounded misery. The urge to “break even” has led many gamblers to incredible losses.
Hyperfocus
The sheer volume of gaming options available to you might seem a bit intimidating and crazy at times, but you cannot stake on every game ever made. The best gamblers have favored games they focus on and become great at. It’ll be in your best interest to find a couple of games and systems you enjoy playing and hyperfocus on them until you become a “guru” and thought leader in relevant circles. It might be poker, blackjack, soccer, or NBA basketball games; whatever you choose to hyperfocus on, ensure it’s an activity you enjoy and have a considerable grasp over how it works.
Stake What You Can Afford to Lose
There’s no such thing as a “sure game” or a stake that’s 100% guaranteed to provide returns. Except for match-fixing and “gaming the system,” there’s a chance of losing money every time you stake on a play. It might be through an online casino or physically at your local bookie.
There are thousands of people globally who make a decent living and get incredible returns from gambling-related activities. These people always make calculated decisions and only stake assets they can afford to lose. There’s no reason to stake next month’s house rent on a game of blackjack.
Become a Student of the Game
All the money and experience in the world might fail you if you do not take the necessary actions to become a true “student of the game.” No player is an island; that’s why many gamers are where they are today: through mentorship, guidance, and help from seasoned veterans. There are books, lecturers, and classes on how to approach game theory and design; resources like these will help you better understand the inner workings of games you’re interested in playing.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before your next gaming session;
- Marathon, not Sprint. The worst mentality you can have is treating gambling and related gaming activities as a get-money-quick scheme. You might record some early wins, but the best way to approach this activity is by treating the experience as a marathon and not a sprint.
- Lost Opportunities. Do not calculate how much you could have won if you had staked more money on a game. When some players invest $10 into a play and win $20, they do not see it as a $10 profit, they consider it a $90 loss because they should have staked $100 on the play to win more money. Thinking like this is a surefire way to lose money and stop enjoying the experience.
- Your Experience is Supposed to be Entertaining. Too many people forget the essence of gaming and focus on the financial prospects and opportunities. Poker, Blackjack, Soccer, Basketball, and most other activities you can stake in began as an avenue for people to enjoy themselves with their friends, family, and community. Gambling became a reality as a means of spicing up their experiences, it was never meant to replace the essence of the game.
Your Journey to Success Begins Now
Gambling is a respectable activity that should only be carried out by people who are willing to be responsible when they feel the most irresponsible. It takes a level of discipline to set a gaming strategy and stick to it long-term.
