By Samantha Williams 

Speak of gambling, and oftentimes you’ll see people burying their hands in pockets and wallets, hoping to find something that will be worthy for betting. Indeed, gambling is almost synonymous to money. However, a player who’s actually serious about it knows that it is more than that. It’s about strategy, luck, respect, and honor.

Here are the basic commandments when it comes to gambling:

1. Don’t ever cheat. Cheating can only give you temporary euphoria. It’s your ticket to earn the money you’ve long been waiting for. But it will never tell you if you’re truly a good player. What’s more, cheating will only prove to you that you don’t deserve what you earn. It will also lessen or even diminish the confidence and trust other players may have in you. If you don’t want to be banished in gaming tables and casinos, avoid showing your evil techniques.

2. Bet only the money that you can afford. Whether you like it or not, gambling can sometimes be addictive, and it’s very important that you will learn to practice self-control. Don’t blame the game. After all, it’s you who has the power to manipulate it.

3. Pay your debts. Gambling wouldn’t be as exciting as it should be if not for the bets or stakes. However, it’s only good as long as you’re winning. If you don’t, then you can watch your money slip by. The least thing that you can do is to preserve your honor by not forgetting to pay your debts. Besides, it’s the part of the risk that you have to take once you decide to play.

4. Improve your odds by excellent calculations. You may constantly hear that gambling is a game of chance. Though this may be true, you have the power to improve your odds by simply sticking to fool-proof strategies related to the game you were playing. Thus, make sure that before you sit on the gaming tables, you’ve already at least equipped yourself with basic techniques. You can look for some books pertaining to the game or surf through the World Wide Web. There are already too many strategies that you can find online.

5. Respect your opponents. Of course, when you play in poker or any type of gambling game, you’re up against one or a group of people. Your initial reaction is to protect your interest. You basically don’t want to exhaust your money through losing. However, it’s not-enough reason to not practice gambling etiquette. If you don’t want to annoy your fellow players, make sure that you don’t blurt out other people’s cards. Perhaps you’ve heard of the technique called bluffing in poker. It simply means “bluffing” or telling a white lie to your opponents, hoping that they will fold their cards and you win the game or perhaps to increase the pot or the stake. Though this is a very effective strategy, you must know the best time to use it. Otherwise, they may have the last laugh.