Tonight, let's take a look at how we spend money in our day to day routine and compare that to how it affects our betting habits. I had planned on moving into the more tactical approaches of bankroll management, but I think this is a good first step that I can share before we move on. First of all, how many of us have purchased a book related to gambling and skipped past the first chapter -- you know, the one that talks about bankroll management? I'm raising my hand here. Fuck all that. I want the inside information, the tricks that are going to make me rich. Bankroll management is as gay a concept as having a goal and a plan. As long as I got the winning formula it doesn't matter what I do with my money because I'll never lose two in a row.
Wrong. Either that or I've become really gay these past few months.
The other day I found myself in Circuit City, attracted by the "going out of business sale". I was in the market for a new computer and this seemed like a good start. However, their computers were only marked down by 10% -- it was the other bullshit that had people wandering the store like zombies in search of something better. Across the street from Circuit City was Best Buy. I decided to go there instead, and sure enough I found the same computer at a cheaper price. As I'm standing there, the Best Buy salesman asks me if I want to purchase the store warranty. A good warranty makes good sense, fuckin A'. As I listen to the sales pitch, the more I move away from this idea. $300 for a warranty on something that only costs $700. Right away the math did not compute. Sure, the warranty might prove worth it if, say, I should forget and leave my laptop in the driveway and then run over it with my pickup truck. After declining the store warranty in favor of going with the one year manufactorer's warranty (which does not cover me slamming it against the wall in fury), he then asked me if I wanted them to go through and remove all the bullshit programs I don't want. My response to this was that it would take another hour or two to hang around and tell some guy to do some shit that I could do on my own. I declined that as well. After getting into the car with my brand new purchase, I looked at the sales slip and congratulated myself on a job well done. If I had taken the store's warranty -- $300 -- and then taken them up on their offer to delete the programs that I didn't want -- $130 -- I would have paid almost twice as much as the original price of the computer. The smart, consummate consumer, you're goddamn right. Wasn't nobody gonna fuck with me.
My next stop was the Savannah mall. I was going to buy my first cell phone. The landline has always worked well for me. I had no use for text messaging and no more than half a dozen people call me on a regular basis. Having no cell phone also works when you're away from work and your boss knows that you don't have a cell. As far as he knows you're taking care of business. So I go into the Verizon store and next thing I know the only thing that holds my interest is the Blackberry I'm being shown. In short order I'm leaving the Verizon store with a phone that I'm still learning how to use and a $120 commitment a month for the next two years, but I have all the amenities. Navigation? You're goddamn right. Text messages? You better believe it. All this shit I never used before but found so imminently important are now at my disposal. What happened to finding a regular phone at a regular fucking price?
On the way home I related this to my betting history. I used to think that my worst decisions were based upon A) drinking B) being on tilt or C) both A and B. However, some of my worst decisions have come while I was stone cold sober and feeling good about the previous bet. There is that compulsive streak that I think runs through many of us, and our last good bet is only as good as our last good decision. Have you ever felt good about laying off a bet only to turn around and place more than you should on the next one? That was how I felt after considering my day of advancing myself in the world of technology. Not only am I a compulsive bettor, I am a compulsive spender. Send me shopping and I'll come home with every deli cheese known to man.
It comes back to being honest with yourself. If you hope to become disciplined with your betting bankroll, you have to recognize your shortcomings. For most of us, our bankrolls are the result of our daily grind, the money we had to earn through real work. Our spending habits during this day to day grind will work itself into our day to day grind of betting.
Don't forget that a long term loser = a repeat short term loser.
Wrong. Either that or I've become really gay these past few months.
The other day I found myself in Circuit City, attracted by the "going out of business sale". I was in the market for a new computer and this seemed like a good start. However, their computers were only marked down by 10% -- it was the other bullshit that had people wandering the store like zombies in search of something better. Across the street from Circuit City was Best Buy. I decided to go there instead, and sure enough I found the same computer at a cheaper price. As I'm standing there, the Best Buy salesman asks me if I want to purchase the store warranty. A good warranty makes good sense, fuckin A'. As I listen to the sales pitch, the more I move away from this idea. $300 for a warranty on something that only costs $700. Right away the math did not compute. Sure, the warranty might prove worth it if, say, I should forget and leave my laptop in the driveway and then run over it with my pickup truck. After declining the store warranty in favor of going with the one year manufactorer's warranty (which does not cover me slamming it against the wall in fury), he then asked me if I wanted them to go through and remove all the bullshit programs I don't want. My response to this was that it would take another hour or two to hang around and tell some guy to do some shit that I could do on my own. I declined that as well. After getting into the car with my brand new purchase, I looked at the sales slip and congratulated myself on a job well done. If I had taken the store's warranty -- $300 -- and then taken them up on their offer to delete the programs that I didn't want -- $130 -- I would have paid almost twice as much as the original price of the computer. The smart, consummate consumer, you're goddamn right. Wasn't nobody gonna fuck with me.
My next stop was the Savannah mall. I was going to buy my first cell phone. The landline has always worked well for me. I had no use for text messaging and no more than half a dozen people call me on a regular basis. Having no cell phone also works when you're away from work and your boss knows that you don't have a cell. As far as he knows you're taking care of business. So I go into the Verizon store and next thing I know the only thing that holds my interest is the Blackberry I'm being shown. In short order I'm leaving the Verizon store with a phone that I'm still learning how to use and a $120 commitment a month for the next two years, but I have all the amenities. Navigation? You're goddamn right. Text messages? You better believe it. All this shit I never used before but found so imminently important are now at my disposal. What happened to finding a regular phone at a regular fucking price?
On the way home I related this to my betting history. I used to think that my worst decisions were based upon A) drinking B) being on tilt or C) both A and B. However, some of my worst decisions have come while I was stone cold sober and feeling good about the previous bet. There is that compulsive streak that I think runs through many of us, and our last good bet is only as good as our last good decision. Have you ever felt good about laying off a bet only to turn around and place more than you should on the next one? That was how I felt after considering my day of advancing myself in the world of technology. Not only am I a compulsive bettor, I am a compulsive spender. Send me shopping and I'll come home with every deli cheese known to man.
It comes back to being honest with yourself. If you hope to become disciplined with your betting bankroll, you have to recognize your shortcomings. For most of us, our bankrolls are the result of our daily grind, the money we had to earn through real work. Our spending habits during this day to day grind will work itself into our day to day grind of betting.
Don't forget that a long term loser = a repeat short term loser.
