Quit Now!

12 March 2024

By Frank Scoblete

When should I quit play? A session, a day, a trip?

I have a simple solution for me. I quit when I feel tiredness coming on. Time to call it a session and if I have been at a casino-hotel for a week or so, time to call it a trip. I may be ahead; I may be behind but I feel some fatigue? I’m done.

These are questions seemingly and eternally asked by most casino players since I started playing almost 40 years ago. When to quit? Does anyone have a definitive answer to the question? I gave you mine, what’s yours?

I am guessing that the following might answer when to quit play for you – at least I hope so:

• Quit, as I do, when you feel fatigue. Bad decisions can creep up on you as fatigue creeps up on you. You might over bet to make back your losses.


• Quit when you gave yourself “X” amount of money to play and you lost all of it or most of it and you are feeling miserable. Come back another time and maybe (please, maybe!) your luck will change for the better.


• Quit when your fellow players are irritating you. No sense playing at the same table(s) with players that are annoying. If those “blackjack experts” are giving you horrible advice when you know how to play basic strategy perfectly and you can’t find another able – take a nap or a walk or work out in the gym. Not worth playing in a distressed mood.


• Quit when a casino boss is annoying you. A boss can ruin a game for you just as those annoying players can ruin a game for you. For example, you ask for a comp and the boss makes you wait. Best thing to do? Quit play and then wait for the comp. If you can quit play then try to stay at the table without betting anything that might speed up the comp. The worst thing that can happen is the boss asks you to stand up.


• Do not go to another table to play a game with which you are not familiar. If you are a blackjack player don’t suddenly figure you’ll play craps. That can incur big losses because you don’t know the proper strategies. There are many horrible bets at craps. Take a break rather than do that.

I guess there are many other ways to make the determination to call it a session or a day or a trip. I prefer to spend days at a casino-hotel so I never feel an urge to play. That could be dangerous. I prefer to play when I want to play, not because that little voice inside me says, “play, play, play!”

• If you have friends who are loud gamblers, you might quit before you play at the same tables with them. Such friends might be good at other times but not in the casino.


• Quit if you feel the urge to drink – or only drink no more than one drink. Drink is given free to players in most casinos because of it positive effects on the casinos’ bottom line. Drink only if you are not going to play.


• Finally, if you have won a bundle, quit and enjoy your profits.

I am sure that many of you have your own unique ways to rein in your play. Those of us who enjoy casino play have to be in control. That’s the first lesson of play.

All the best in and out of the casinos.

Frank Scoblete’s books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores.