Mindful gambling for slots and video poker Is crucial during these distracting times. The notion of mindful living Is about living in the moment and is the basis of recent behavioral research.
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Mindful Gambling For Slots and Video Poker
Slot players, video poker players, and video keno players prefer different expectations from their gambling. The need for social interaction isn’t necessarily a criterion for a good time. On the contrary, the lack of socialization is preferred by many players.
When gambling alone, it is easy to lose yourself in the activity. Subsequently, being mindful, or at the moment, is an integral part of solitary gambling.
The addition of stadium gaming has allowed solitary players to play games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat without the usual interaction. Electronic gaming has even made boisterous team-like games such as craps accessible to the single-player.
Zindel Segal, Mindful Gambling and 5 Suggestions
Zindel Segal is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough. His research applies to solitary gamblers. Professor Segal suggests that automatic routines, habitual patterns, and favorite games play an essential role in a gambler’s session.
Patterns of negative thinking take away from the fun factor and mindful gambling. For example, the thoughts of “tight machines,” “low casino payoffs,” and gambling superstitions can slip into the player’s awareness, therefore taking the player out of mindful gambling.
1. Playing on “Automatic Pilot” & Bankroll Control
Continuous play without a stop limit is not a good practice. Sure, playing solitary sessions can take us away from stressful situations and bring relaxed recreation. However, mindful gambling suggests being in the moment to keep track of your bankroll. Need mindless relaxation? Take a walk or a break to not over-bet your bankroll and gamble beyond one means.
NETG SUGGESTION – be aware of the time and money played. Keep a log, and bring only the money for that session. While playing, set a loss limit.
2. Relate to Your Play with Thought
Gamblers remember close bonuses in slots, patterns in video poker, and repeated keno numbers. We are aware of certain parts of the experience but not the whole. This is called Gambler’s Fallacy. Your observations are not to be trusted because it’s part of a tiny sample size.
NETG SUGGESTION – be aware of the science and how Random Number Generators work with a casino house edge.
3. Dwelling On the Past or Future
“I never win at XYZ casino.” That’s the past talking. Humans constantly want to see a cause and effect on which to base their following actions. One example is returning to a particular machine that you won previously. Remember, every single play is an entity of itself. Repetition and patterns are human perceptions of past actions that do not influence the next bet.
NETG SUGGESTION – remember your success is not dependent upon the previous play. Every bet placed is an “in-the-moment” event without connection to your previous bet.
4. Gambling Angry? Need To Escape Despair or Depression?
Going to the casino to gamble when you are angry, upset, or in a negative state of mind is unsuitable for your bankroll. Instead, be in the right mind for recreational gambling, and be mindful. Seek other means of help when you don’t feel like yourself.
NETG SUGGESTION – Gamble when it is your primary interest and you have calculated a sufficient bankroll. If gambling is not your primary reason to visit the casino, reconsider.
5. Don’t Chase Your Losses
Chasing losses can be catastrophic to your finances. Accept losing – it happens. Play only with your session’s bankroll. The house edge always exists to take a bite out of your bankroll. Accept the science & math Involved in that house edge and make decisions accordingly.
NETG SUGGESTION – Remember, the casino is there to make money while entertaining you. Fight the good fight, but don’t buy into the “it’s due to hit” mentality.
Conclusion
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the casino. Just walking in can give you a boost of adrenaline, sending those endorphins screaming for excitement. But try to be “at the moment.” Being mindful in life, especially while playing slots and video poker.
Binbin
Special Thanks to Professor Zindel Segal for permission to use his research for this post.
Zindel Segal is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough. His guiding professional intention is to use empirical data to advocate for the relevance of mindfulness-based clinical care in psychiatry and mental health. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy—the program developed through this work—has been evaluated in over ten studies worldwide. He also serves on the Advisory Board for MindfulNoggin.com, which offers a digital platform for MBCT.