Gambling For a Living Requires a Business Plan Or Strategy

One of the paradoxes of life is that at first glance, gambling for a living seems to be a carefree, easy, and unconfining way to make a living. But appearances are seldom what they seem and that is especially true of professional gambling. Successful, profitable gambling is a process and not just luck.

Like any way of making a living, gambling requires hard work. The more successful you want to be in life, the harder you have to work at it. You can work hard without a plan and get some results, though they may be mixed, or you can work hard with a plan or strategy and get better results. The question is, how much of a payoff do you want for that hard work?

If you don't want to waste time and all that hard work, I suggest you plan your work (learning how to gamble) as well as your gambling. The studying and learning are part of the job, so you have to consider part of pro gambling is education. How you get that education may vary. For some, a gambling mentor or school is the way to go. Other people choose books, videos, and other methods. While you can practice at the race track or casino or sports book, practicing before you study can be very costly.

Successful businesses usually have a business plan, in fact, business experts say that a good business plan is the most important tool for success in business. Since pro gambling is a business (and if you aren't treating it that way, good luck making a profit and luck is exactly what you will need) it only makes sense to have a real written plan. The first part of that plan should be a list of tools that you want to acquire or have acquired to be a successful gambler. Write down what skills you will need to be a success at your chosen gambling venue.

Obviously knowledge of the game, whether it is racing, sports, or casino gambling, is a good place to start. To be successful at a game or business you have to know it inside and out. Knowing what tools (skills and knowledge) you will need and how to acquire them is a good place to start. Also, writing down some realistic goals is another requirement. If you don't know what you want or expect, how will you figure out how to get it or even know when you have attained it?

Money management is an absolutely essential skill that you need to develop and practice vigilantly in order to succeed as a gambler. If this is starting to sound like a lot of work and somewhat confining and less free than you thought gambling would be, welcome to the real world of professional gambling.

Everything should be written down in a business plan. It doesn't have to be real complicated but it should be clear and give good guidelines that you can follow. It is your business plan and you can edit it any time that you want to. I advise you to write your plan including goals, both financial and personal, starting bankroll and where future more money will come from, as well as what tools and skills will be needed. Next, start to budget your time. How much time will be spent each day/week/month on book keeping, learning, gambling? Also, and this is very important, how much time will you spend reviewing your plan or gambling strategy and also, finally, how much time will you spend on other areas of your life such as family and relationship commitments and responsibilities?

Let's not forget that gambling can be fun, but it also is work, in fact, if you do it for living it can be more work than work, if you know what I mean.

Bill Peterson has been a professional horse player and card player for years. His innovative techniques were developed by thinking outside the box. In his own words, the result of "A life well wasted." Bill has been teaching the basics of gambling for years and you can read about Bill's Power Point Poker at http://www.powerpointpoker.com

To see all of Bill's horseracing handicapping methods at http://williewins.homestead.com , The Handicapping Store. "No one can make you a winner but learning the basics and a few little known secrets and techniques can advance you closer to your dream of making a profit at your favorite game. Use my methods and customize them to suit your own style and you will be ahead of 99% of the crowd."

Gambling Addiction Requires Appropriate Treatment

There are many types of addictions, some mild and some more severe. The most rampant form of addiction is substance addiction that includes drug addiction and alcoholism. However, there are also other types of addiction that involve a compulsive behavioral pattern. Addiction to gambling is one such forms of addiction.

On its own, gambling is not an offensive behavior. However, the problem starts once the habit becomes a compulsion. A compulsive gambler is someone who suffers from compulsive gambling habits. This is a behavioral disorder and addiction known as a compulsive gambling disorder. People suffering from this condition don't know their limits, nor do they have the power to stop. Therefore it becomes necessary for them to recognize their problem and admit that they have an illness before any type of gambling addiction treatment can begin.

All that is on the mind of a compulsive gambler is the need to acquire money in order to play and gamble. For them nothing else seems to matter and they can literally run up a bill of millions of dollars without realizing the consequences. All that matters for them is playing another round of their choice of game. It doesn't cross their minds what damage they are causing to their families or loved ones, to say nothing of their own financial position. This is the real danger of compulsive gambling, as this can actually ruin a person financially beyond imagination.

It is typical of most compulsive gamblers to carry on wasting money irrespective of whether they win or lose. Gambling is a well-known problem that can literally rule and ruin your life if you are a compulsive gambler. As the inevitable consequence of this, it disrupts and leads to the breakdown of relationships. All this may result in immense stress and anxiety that may cause a person to take to alcohol or drugs. For all these reasons it is very important that you seek professional help if you are a compulsive gambler and cannot correct yourself. You can do this by opting for suitable gambling addiction treatment at a reputable clinic or treatment center.

Gambling addiction is a disorder that is often referred to as ''hidden illness''. This is because compulsive gamblers can continue to lead a perfectly normal life with no signs of a problem. You would get no indication at all that the person has a gambling addiction. It is also true that the problem with every compulsive gambler is slightly different. This is why you should go for a gambling addiction treatment program that perfectly suits you and your needs and requirements. Only this can help you recover fully and properly from your gambling addiction.

The treatment process is not going to be easy. However, with the right care and counseling you can achieve complete and comprehensive cure from this compulsive behavior. The program usually involves a 12-step process and concentrates on the gambling behavior of the patient. Counseling is an indispensable part of the entire program and proper counseling can cause excellent results. The idea behind the programs is to help the patient think in a positive direction and about a life without gambling. The patients are taught excellent ways which they can then employ to keep their mind off gambling. They are encouraged to direct their minds to more fruitful activities.

Accepting the addiction to gambling is invariably the first step in the recovery process. A good therapist can convince you successfully of the need to undergo gambling addiction treatment so that you can take control of your life once again and stop wasting thousands of hard-earned cash at the gambling table. Once you are successfully convinced you can start a program at a treatment center.

Once you start the treatment program you should complete it at any cost. For getting a good result it is of paramount importance that you see the program to the end. Quitting midway may sound an easy option but you can benefit only if you stay put till the end. It is important for you to be able to replace the thoughts of compulsive gambling from your mind with better choices and healthier activities. This can be achieved with the help of the counselors attached to a good gambling addiction treatment program.

In order to eliminate the habits of compulsive gambling for good it is important to identify the root cause leading to the habit. Counseling takes into account these factors. Once these problems are addressed correctly through counseling, the recovery process becomes much smoother and easier. This is important for a gambling addiction treatment to work properly.

It is also good to remember that since gambling addiction treatment is a behavioral process, family support can have a highly positive impact on it. Constant encouragement by the family can help speed up the recovery process and make it more comprehensive.

Find more information on gambling addiction treatment. Helpful and informative information on gambling addiction treatment is available.