7 Situations Where You Should Skip Going to the Casino

Casinos are full of challenging and exciting ways for us to be entertained. A well-planned trip to the casino can break the monotony of daily life and provide a much-needed escape for a few hours or even days.

Unfortunately, a lot of people head for the casinos when they shouldn’t. Here are seven situations where you’re better off skipping the casino.

1 – You Haven’t Set Proper Limits

Walking out your front door before you’ve set proper limits can be disastrous. Limits aren’t only there to hedge your losses; setting limits will also serve to protect wins.

You need to set limits on both time and money. These are the two most precious commodities in any casino on the planet. The casino hopes you spend as much time as possible on the casino floor.

That should tell you all that you need to know about time limits. Why would the casino take such painstaking measures to keep you in the casino?

The longer you’re on the casino floor, the more opportunities the casino has for the math to work itself out and eliminate any wins. If you have an especially rough session on the tables, it means your losses will continue to multiply.

Always set strict time limits on yourself before you leave for the casino and stick to them. These can be hours per day or even be broken down into shorter sessions throughout the day.

I’ll typically set the alarm on my phone. Every two hours, the alarm buzzes in my pocket, and I’ll take 45 minutes to go on a walk or grab a snack.

Setting a strict limit on wins and losses is as important, if not more so, than a time limit. Have you ever seen the line at a casino’s ATM on a busy night?

Sure, you should never gamble with more than you can afford to lose. However, even if you can afford it, extra losses are devastating to a casino gambler’s psyche.

When you start betting more than you planned, you’re chasing losses. Nothing good will come from developing possibly the worst gambling habit of all.

Win limits are a tool of the savvy casino gambler. When a successful gambler reaches their predetermined win limit, they cash out and walk away. That poolside beverage will taste even better with a fat wad of cash in your pocket.

2 – You’re Not Mentally Prepared for Losses

Casino gambling comes with its own unique pitfalls. One such negative side effect is the mental toll that losing can have on an individual.

Look, casinos are institutions of entertaining the masses. They don’t exist to make millionaires unless you’re a casino owner.

If you’ve had a rough couple of months at work or have recently endured an ugly break-up, casinos can be great places to unwind and forget about your troubles for a moment.

However, the odds are stacked against you in regards to winning. It would help if you used the time as an opportunity to let your troubles slip away as you gamble through the night.

Don’t defiantly head to the casino with some grandiose idea that your luck is due to change and you’re guaranteed to win, quite the opposite.

While you should never gamble with the idea that you’re already beat, you need to understand that your trip’s purpose is to be entertained, which comes with a price.

So, again, decide what that price is and stick to your limits.

3 – You Don’t Know the Games

I’ve done it. I’ve walked into the doors of a massive casino, walked to a table, and bought chips with little to no knowledge of precisely how the game was played. I guess I planned to figure it out as I went. Fake it until you make it? Wrong.

I lost a substantial pile of cash in what I was convinced at the time must’ve been a casino record. There’s no excuse not to have a firm grasp of the casino games you plan on playing before you make the trip. You have a nearly infinite catalog of resources on how to play every game in the casino.

If you’re fundamentally opposed to reading up on the rules and best strategies for casino games, you can play them online or on your smartphone until you grasp the basics.

In fact, I really began to implement and grasp the basic strategy for blackjack by playing online for real money. I spent hours every night playing blackjack for free and using my basic strategy chart on every hand.

It gave me the confidence to strut into the casino and play blackjack like an experienced casino gambler. I actually began winning and have been fortunate enough to turn a small profit over the years.

It never fails to make me cringe when I’m on a table and see players take a seat and buy in with little clue about what’s happening. I’ve begun carrying a spare strategy chart in my pocket for the particularly hopeless cases that are trying.

Learning the games before you show up on the casino floor is one of the easiest and most vital aspects of casino gambling.

4 – You’re Broke

When you can’t afford to lose money in the casino, stay away. I’ve had friends that would break this rule almost as an act of defiance when we were younger. Sadly, some of those same friends will break this rule today.

Rent, car payments, groceries, and countless other expenses would be put on the back burner for a trip to the casino. Again, casinos don’t exist to turn your money troubles around. They are meant to entertain us, and they do that exceptionally well.

They do it so well that millions of competent and intelligent gamblers are happy to part with their cash in exchange for the thrill of the chase. More often than not, players walk in with more than they leave with. Unless you’re a professional gambler, the casino is a terrible investment.

Never borrow money to gamble. Never, under any circumstances, use money set aside for other expenses to fund your casino trip.

When you don’t have the money to make a casino run, stay home. Hone your skills playing for free online and develop a decent bankroll.

5 –You’re Under the Influence

Never step foot on the casino floor when you’re intoxicated.

The first reason to steer clear of the casinos when you’re under the influence is that you’re going to ruin somebody’s night, possibly. Whether it’s the cocktail server, the dealer, or the unfortunate person sitting next to you at the blackjack table.

However, there’s more pragmatic reasoning for staying off the hard stuff when playing in a casino. Your judgment will be greatly diminished, and this can lead to some truly catastrophic consequences.

No, I’m not talking about security wrangling you in and spending the night in the “drunk tank.” Though, that would be less than desirable. I’m talking about the ramifications that gambling under the influence can have on your bank account. While intoxicated, our inhibitions are much less guarded.

I’ve found more than one person sobbing in the casino parking lot after having too much “fun” the previous night and draining their bank account. Chasing losses is much more likely when you’re intoxicated.

It seems like the most common backlash from making it to the casino while intoxicated is a sheer embarrassment from either acting foolishly or devastation from losing a large sum of money.

Either way, you’ll be best suited by keeping your wits about you in the casino.

6 – It Interferes With Life Obligations

We’re all adults, and that comes with certain responsibilities. I encourage you to skip the casino anytime it interferes with other obligations.

Missing your second cousin’s wedding probably won’t cause a Christmas dinner brawl. However, if you made a commitment to show up, then you need to be there. I’m referring to work and family obligations.

You can actually survive pretty comfortably without a bankroll, though. It’s far less pleasurable to be without electricity or even the internet.

I believe that family should almost always come first. If your kid has a soccer game or a musical, you need to be there.

However, it doesn’t need to be a spectacle to require your attention. Maybe your significant other has been asking to spend more time together; the casino will still be there in a few weeks.

Don’t allow your life to be put on pause for a few hours spent on the casino floor.

7 – You’ve Developed a Gambling Addiction

Problem gambling is an obvious issue for many. If you’re currently suffering from a gambling addiction, stay away from casinos both online and land-based.

There are dozens of options for help with the problem. Many casinos have a self-exclusion list to aid in your recovery.

Conclusion

The last thing I want to do is discourage you from enjoying your leisure time in the casino. The seven times you should skip the casino are meant to shield your fiscal and mental health from casino pitfalls.