We all know what we like about casino gambling. The thrill and excitement that comes with the possibility to pocket a lot of money we didn`t work for, the highs and the lows (well, maybe not so much the lows) and that tingling feeling that by getting away with the casino`s money, we`ll have somehow cheated the system and got away.


Before you walk into a casino (be that an online or a real Brick and Mortar one) you have to ask yourself one question though: exactly what shall my goal be once I`m sitting at the table and pushing the chip-stack towards the dealer? If your goal is to generate money to pay for life`s essentials, you might as well forget about it. Casino gambling is negative EV play. That basically means, if you were to play on in a casino forever with unlimited funds, you`d be losing a steady trickle of money no matter what you did. That doesn`t mean you won`t get lucky and bag a mountain of chips on a single bet, it just means that over the long-haul there is no way you can beat the casino. Entertainment should be your primary goal, because that is basically what casinos offer their patrons: entertainment which (much like a Disneyland ride or a good movie) costs money. While more conventional forms of entertainment cost set amounts of greens, the nature of casino gambling offers the player (and Lady Luck) a possibility to tamper with the costs.


Certainly, one may end up receiving the entertainment he bargained for AND getting paid for it, and that`s what makes casino gambling so appealing to most of us.

Regardless of the temptation though, in order that you should enjoy a healthy and positive gambling experience, you should always bear a few principles in mind:

1. Entertainment is what it should be about, nothing more, nothing less.

2. The Casino is a business, much like the ice-cream vendor on the corner. It provides services (sets up the room, the tables, hires the dealers, waitresses and all personnel required) in exchange for a profit.

With that in mind, let`s see exactly which particular aspects of online (or offline) casino gambling you should pay special attention to.

Bankroll management is just about the only thing separating an exciting and enjoyable gambling session from a wild rash-like outbreak of problem-gambling. Never risk more than you can afford to lose - says a wise piece of advice, and even though it largely seems to have been stripped of all meaning due to the exposure it gets on the pages of all sorts of - sometimes dubious quality - websites, the essence of the advice is spot on. Don`t be easily impressed by heroic tales of wild casino wins and busts. If someone tells you he/she just won $100K, your first thought shouldn`t be "wow, if he could do it I can too" but more like" wow, he must`ve put his house on the line for that". In a casino, nobody wins big on small bets (with the possible exception of slots progressive jackpot winners).


By making sure gambling stays on a fun level, you implicitly make sure you only play limits you`re comfortable with. You go to the casino to have fun, not to soak your new suit in sweat and go home 3 years older because of the stress. By risking only as much as you can afford to lose, you`ll make sure the fun aspect of the game prevails, and that it never gets uncomfortable.

Don`t let all the small "traps" the casino sets for its players get you. You may have noticed no Brick and Mortar casino has any sort of clocks hanging on its walls. Windows too are non existent. They do not want people to be aware of how time flies and maybe cut their gambling session short on account of that.


The free drinks that they give you are not primarily meant to quench your thirst either. Rather, their goal is to get you "in the zone" for some more gambling. The more you play the better off the casino is. If you win due to the variance, the casino still wins on the bet you made because you`re playing on negative expected value all the time.


Even though online poker is a positive expected value game for a skilled player, poker rakeback and offers like prop deals make sure the EV gets bigger and that even poorer players get a shot at the money involved.