Why Discipline Beats Strategy in Gambling
Nothing is guaranteed when gambling. Even if you win a few hands or bets, and think you’re on a “lucky streak” you are always only a few bad bets away from complete desolation. The good news is, with the right discipline, you can train yourself to be a better gambler—which is something better than strategy.
Discipline always prevails, as it allows for more personal input and adaptation than gambling alone. Read on to learn more about discipline and how you can use it to leverage your gaming experiences.
Discipline vs. Strategy
Before we begin, it’s important to highlight the difference between these two approaches. Strategy is a tactic that is followed over and over again to achieve a desired goal. Discipline, however, is more on the metaphysical side—it’s a state of mind that allows you to make decisions and choices for the purpose of achieving a desired goal.
While strategy and discipline can sometimes be used interchangeably, it’s important to recognize that discipline is something more than strategy. In terms of a visual example, a strategy is a line on a paper—it requires certain motions to maintain, but it can only go in one direction. On the other hand, discipline is the paper. While still staying within certain parameters (the edges of the paper), it can be used to achieve a goal using any motions/directions desired; one just can’t leave the paper.
Why Discipline is Better than Strategy
Don’t get us wrong, we love a good gambling strategy, and finding/developing one is a great way to get a professional gaming career started. The problem is, even the best strategies have holes, or situations that aren’t covered, and when those arise, individuals without discipline will fail.
Discipline is something developed over time, and it is a state of being that can do the same things as a strategy, and more. With discipline, when something happens that your strategy doesn’t account for, you know how to proceed.
An example of this is whining 10x a row in Roulette. Look at this this way. Say your strategy for roulette is always to bet red and martingale (double your bet) after each round (we know this is dumb, and we aren’t actually suggesting anyone do this for the record). Let’s say your strategy works great at first and you start winning a lot of cash. You double between each round, meaning you win more and more. The when occasionally hits black, but you aren’t worried because red is happening far more often and you are up. But then, the wheel hits green, then black for several rounds. If you kept doubling your bet win or lose (as your strategy would indicate) you would quickly lose far more than you won during your red run, thus showing the fallacies of this type of strategy and leaving you with nothing.
This is where discipline comes in. You can start with this strategy, but have a max bet in mind, say $30 per spin. This means that you’ll double your bet after your first $5 spin, then again after your $10 spin. However, after that, you will hit your top out of $30 and will continue with that bet the rest of the game, even if you are tempted to double your bet after a series of wins. This way, when things don’t go your way, you can minimize/plan for losses.
Now, we know this wasn’t the greatest example, as most gamblers don’t use Martingale during roulette, but this does show the importance of discipline versus approaching the table with merely a strategy.
How to Develop Discipline as a Gambler
It’s important to note that the development of discipline looks different for everyone. Use the following tips as a guide, but don’t be afraid to make adjustments as needed to suit your gambling style.
1. Practice Outside the Casino
The casino is a unique environment specifically designed to convince players to leave reason behind. Discipline is reason, so start your journey by practicing at home in an environment without temptations before you head to the casino.
2. Set Boundaries and Limits
As mentioned in our example, boundaries and limits (basically, knowing when to walk away) are the most important part of discipline. Sit down and decide what yours will be and know from the moment you stand up they will always be the limits, no matter what happens. Set maximum bet limits, as well as loss limits.
3. Write Your Limits Down
Whatever limits/guardrails you decide on, ensure you write them down. You’re not only more likely to keep those limits, but you can also fold the paper and put it in your pocket to take with you, referencing it in those moments when you want to deviate.
4. Don’t Drink/Smoke
Drinking and smoking interfere with decision-making. If you’re a smoker, work to break the habit before you dive into your gaming career. It might sound silly, but when you are craving a cigarette, you will make decisions you otherwise wouldn’t, and this can affect every aspect of your gambling, as you can’t always step out whenever you want.
5. Use Physical Guardrails
It takes time to develop discipline, and just doing everything on this list isn’t enough. You need to take measured actions to instill physical limits in your life, to ensure nothing goes wrong. For example, if you are making a career out of gambling, make a specific bank account just for that goal. This way, you can always track what you are winning/losing, and you know when you need to walk away.
Other examples include only taking the cash you want to spend that day to the casino, and locking your bank cards when you may find yourself tempted. Although this is extreme, you’ll find yourself eventually becoming more controlled in your gaming.
Overall, if you find yourself slipping back into your old habits while gambling, don’t let it get you down. As we mentioned, building discipline takes time, with most people reporting no massive physical/mental changes for the first 30 days. It can be hard to adjust to gambling with discipline over strategy, but if you do, you won’t regret it.
