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BE REASONABLE WITH YOUR WIN GOALS
Too many times I see people march into the casino with dollar signs in their eyes, hoping to make the ultimate score so they can retire and see the world. But you need to be realistic. You aren’t going to break the bank.
Some ultraconservatives say that getting a 20 percent return on your gambling dollar is ideal. While that may be wonderful in the stock market, I figure you came here to gamble, not to grind out lunch money. Though you should realize that you aren’t going to walk away wealthy, don’t limit yourself to winning spare change, either. If the cards go your way, you want to get at least a 50 percent return on your money.
Say you started with a bankroll of $1,000 at blackjack and decided to play the $10 tables. After following my positive progression method (outlined in chapter 3) for a few hours, lo and behold, you’re up $500. A lot of people wouldn’t be happy with a 50 percent return on their money. They want to triple or quadruple it.
Time and time again I’ve seen people winning but just not being satisfied with however much they had. They go on huge runs and make tons of money, their original bankroll, too. They can’t shake the feeling that “If I did it once, I can do it again.” That, my friends, is how the online casinos stay in business.
Once you hit the 50 percent mark, be prepared to stop at any moment. And I don’t mean stop to go for a smoke break—I mean stop for the day. You’ve already gotten a 50 percent return; how much more do you want?
These should be your goals:
1. Win 50 times your minimum bet (or win 50 percent of your bankroll).
2. If you’ve won 50 times your minimum bet, be prepared to beat a hasty retreat, but never quit when you’re winning. As long as you haven’t lost three in a row, keep playing. Who knows—maybe you’ll catch another streak.
3. If you lose three in a row, get up from the table, but don’t go to another table. Go home, or go back to your room, or go out to dinner. Just end your gambling session now. Enjoy your winnings! Go buy something nice with it or just gloat over your luck.
4. If you go back and forth with the dealer, winning a few hands and losing a few hands, stop when you lose 20 percent of your profits. So if you’ve won $500 in profit, absolutely do not continue to play if you’ve given back $100. This way you’ve allowed time to see if things would turn back around, but you haven’t given back your winnings.
