Part of being a successful gambler at Australian online casinos is knowing when to quit. Many of us will fall into a trap of gambling when we shouldn’t. However, if we can recognize some of the classic signs of when it’s time to call it quits, maybe we can quit before we lose too much money. Today, we are going to look at classic signals that it’s time to walk away from a gambling session.
When You’ve Lost Focus
Have you ever started gambling and have your mind starting to drift. Maybe you just remembered an important home project you need to complete. You then realize that you promised to return Harry’s hammer. Harry’s kid is on your son’s soccer team. The PTA meeting is this Thursday and you need to talk with Sam’s teacher about his recent report card.
Can you tell me how many hands of blackjack you just won? Or how many you’ve played? Nope. That’s because your mind is elsewhere. When this starts happening, it’s time to quit for a while, if not the day.
Gambling After You’ve Become Angry or Upset
You’ve been on a big winning streak and decided to keep playing. You then go on a bid losing streak and get incredibly frustrated. You then start contemplating playing a crazy strategy like the Martingale to try and get back your losses.
If losing is starting to make you angry or upset, then it is time to walk away. If you continue gambling while upset, chances are you will make poor decisions and lose. It is better to walk away and come back after you’ve got your emotions in check.
You’ve Hit Your Stop Loss for the Day
We’ve talked about a Stop Loss as part of bankroll management in the past. However, some people will ignore their stop loss and continue playing anyway. The whole point of setting a stop loss is to prevent yourself from going on a massive streak where you gamble away your entire bankroll at one sitting. If you have $100 and set a stop loss at $30, once you lose $30 you will need to walk away and come back another day.
When You’re Tired
Have you ever been gambling and found yourself starting to drift to sleep. Maybe you’ve even taken a short nap at the keyboard and continued playing. This is not a good idea at all. Similar to when you’re upset, you will make mistakes when you play tired that will result in big losses. Even worse, you can sometimes make mistakes and forget about them because you’re tired.
Also, there are times where you are clicking away half asleep and bet too much or play too many hands or spins at once because you’re playing on autopilot. If you’re tired, go get some rest and come back tomorrow.
When You’re Gambling With Money You Can’t Afford to Lose
The biggest red flag of problem gambling is when you start playing with money that you cannot afford to lose. If you have lost your online bankroll and are thinking about depositing the rent money to continue playing, it is time to quit playing. Furthermore, if you are thinking about playing with money that is earmarked for any other purpose outside of gambling, you need to walk away.
The reality of online gambling is that the house always wins. We cannot be the house edge in the long-term. Much of gambling revolves around limiting your losses. When you can recognize that it is time to log off and quit, you are taking the steps necessary to manage your bankroll and prevent yourself from becoming a problem gambler.