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Compulsion
is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as an irresistable
impulse to act, regardless the rationality of the motivation.
The above definition has been abridged to reflect only the
part that is relevant for this context. In casino gaming,
it describes those adverse personality traits the casinos
attempt to coax out of you: hedonism and greed.
Compulsion is a tough adversary, because fighting it involves
fighting yourself! Or, more specifically, your natural inclinations.
Even seasoned pros can succumb to this beast, for although
they have to some degree learned to suppress it, it's always
lurking in the shadows. It's like a time bomb, ticking away.
And then, after it explodes, the looters come, and pick
you clean. But don't blame them. They're just doing their
job.
It is only natural, when losing, to find yourself edging
toward a state of panic. How are you going to absolve the
losses you just incurred? You're upset, because somebody
just took your money away; money that was very precious
to you. Perhaps now (after eight straight losses) is the
time to load up and get it all back with one large, well-timed
bet.
Seems, at the time, like a pretty good plan.
This is what goes through one's mind. It's just part of
being human. The casinos know it. They wait for it. It's
the reason for their success. Watching their guests self-destruct
before their eyes is part of their daily routine.
Want to hear the outcome of that large, well-timed bet?
There are but three possibilities:
1) The player reached into his pocket and realized that
he was tapped out. The bet was planned but never made.
2) He lost that bet also, which brought his string of losses
to nine. (Don't think it can't happen to you.)
3) He won, and was very pleased with himself until the next
crisis, when he tried it again, and lost BIG.
Don't be thinking that number three could have worked out.
Winning a bet conceived through one's surrender to compulsion
worsens the problem by validating a terrible habit. When
allowed to flourish, that habit will devolve into self-deception
that will take you in one direction-which is the opposite
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