Illusion of Control

ImageIf you gamble, you definitely have control of a number of aspects of your gambling experience, including what games you play, how much you bet, what you bet on and how long you play. Unfortunately, what you can’t control is the results. (If you could, casinos would go out of business very quickly.) Some gamblers, possibly frustrated by the unpredictability in gambling, may think they can gain more control over the situation by trying to influence the outcome of the game. Behaviours such as throwing dice a certain way, changing seats or mixing up their play may give some people the feeling that they’re influencing the outcome. In reality, none of these strategies does anything to change their chances of winning. The chances of winning stay the same, regardless of who plays, how long someone has been playing or how much that person bets each play.

A better approach is to focus on the things you can control: how much you bet, how long you play and how often you gamble. That’s the way to actually be in control while gambling.