Money Management at Casinos Cont...(Page 2)

Keep Trip Expenses Separate

The last part of your plan involves your trip expenses. Set aside the money you need for transportation, lodging, eating, sightseeing, and shows; this money should always be kept separate from your gambling funds. Don't mix them together; otherwise, you will not know how you did gambling versus total expenses.

Establish the size of your bankroll

The size of your bankroll will have a large effect on what you do and how you do it. Set aside a given amount as your bankroll. Once you have settled on an amount, resist the temptation to supplement your bankroll with any other monies.

Your bankroll determines what games you should play, what bets you should make, how big your bets should be, and the amount of time you can play.

The ten positive rules for gambling

Following are some rules for managing your bankroll:

• Budget your gambling funds for the entire trip, for each day, and for each session.

• Remember, there is always another day, and another trip.

• Preset a goal for your winnings, for example, 50 percent or double your buy-in money.

• When you're winning, increase your bets; when you're losing, decrease your bets.

• Never play when you're tired or have had too much to drink.

• Play only at tables you can afford. Your session bankroll should be sufficient to cover at least 20 bets.

• Keep your gambling expectations reasonable. Don't expect to make $1,000 if you start with $100.

• After analyzing five consecutive actions of play, decide to continue or leave the table or machine.

• Have fun, and always quit while you're ahead.