Winning Just Before Dinner – Everything Tastes Great!

by Al Spath

We’ve all been there – hitting a slot machine for a tasty little payout, making a run on the craps table, doubling down in blackjack and busting the dealer hand after hand, or scooping a poker pot when those pocket rockets hold up for you, but seemingly not for the rest of table. You’re stoked, you’re pumped, you’re up for the day or session, and it’s a great time to take a break and share your winning ways story over dinner. It’s like nothing in the world matters, you’re wallet is fat; you just beat the machine, the tables or some over-confident player, all is good, pass the bread…

It doesn’t get any better than that! Your dining experience is a totally uplifting event and the mood noticeably enhanced by you winning, rather than losing money. The poor service doesn’t seem as unsettling, the weak drink doesn’t get you looking for your lost cocktail waitress, and the over priced bill can’t even rankle your evening. Ah, but then again….as you turn your head about 90 degrees and see me sitting in the corner booth, pissin’ and moanin’, demanding to see the manager, you are reminded what it’s like to lose.

Everyone reading this knows that look and it could be said that you might “occasionally” act in a similar, childish way. After having lost nearly half of your gambling stake during the first afternoon, your mood and demeanor are showing definite signs of the frustration. It starts when the waiter, who is some new smuck, can’t tell you the specials, let alone pronounce them. The hot appetizers are cold, the wrong dressing is all over your limp salad, and your steak seems like it was made in shoe store, not a kitchen. Just hold the dessert..please?

The difference is astonishing, and given the choice, shouldn’t you always look for the right time to get up and have an enjoyable meal? My neighbor recently told me that on every trip to Vegas he and his wife agree to stop and take a break when they have had a good winning morning or afternoon on the machines. Not only do they enjoy their meal, they have given themselves a needed break and reaffirmed a positive winning attitude. It’s amazing how well they continue to do when they return to the gaming tables or machines. They know they can win, they know they are playing on casino money, and they know when to quit a winner again.

But what about on-line poker, in the comforts of your home, where the refrigerator is but steps away to fetch a cold beverage and something to eat! Is it likely we find convenient reasons to remain “in the game” for over extended periods of time, playing beyond our conscientious zone and playing on adrenalin and instinct, rather than the sharp senses of skill and experience? Most definitely so, and those of you that play on line, having your lunch and a “soft” drink close at hand, are you being attentive as you should be? Hell no, plain and simple. Are you playing two or more tables at once, chatting with on line friends at the table, or on the internet using some type of instant messaging? If you are, you are also taking away from the attention you should be using to maximize your profits, not to mention that BLT your spouse just made for you getting stuck right in your throat.


Next time you play on-line or visit your favorite casino, make an effort to take a break when you’ve achieved some success at the tables or on a machine. I guarantee you one thing, your dining experience will be more relaxing and enjoyable and it will do exactly what timely breaks and good nourishment are intended to do: allow you to recharge your batteries, assess your overall play so you can map out a strategy for continued success, and foster conversations that lead to more confidence and determination with the end result of you achieving repetitive positive results.

“Raise More Than Call, Fold More Than Raise”

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