Gambling is a lot of fun, but it is very important not to get carried away when you are gambling. This is especially true if you are wagering large amounts of money. One way to make sure that you do not lose too much money while gambling is to prepare a budget before starting in the first place.
Designate a specific amount of money that is meant especially for gambling, and make sure that it does not eat into other important financial concerns, such as living expenses, medical bills, or educational plans. A bankroll is a good way to do this; but you have to make sure that it is separate from all of your other financial concerns, so that you do not get tempted to dip into them.
For a specific gambling session: for example, if you intend to take a trip to a casino or even if it is just for a weekly poker night with friends, it is also a very good idea to have a set amount of money to spend.
While it is true that statistically, a person is more likely to lose in gambling than they are likely to win, a person can enjoy the occasional winning streak. This can come in many forms. The roulette ball might always fall into the right pocket in a game of roulette. You might have a winning hand of cards in a game of Seven Card Stud.
Regardless of how a person wins in a gambling game, since a big part of a gambling game can hinge on luck, it is likely that the next time you try, you will not be as lucky. One way to make sure that you keep the winnings that you have made is to pocket them -that is to say, you should not bet the money that you have won. This makes it likelier to have incurred a profit during a gambling session.
Once you have spent all of the money you have set aside for a particular gambling session, make it a point to stop gambling altogether. This ensures that you will always stay within budget. If you continue to feel like you cannot resist the temptation to gamble even though you have already used up all of your money for that particular gambling session, simply leave the casino, the cardroom, or the poker table. This ensures that you will not have a lapse in judgment or self-control.