Record Keeping
Keep a complete and accurate record of all your blackjack sessions. Jot down not only how much you win or lose but also all of the playing conditions encountered, from rule variations to suspicious floor personnel. This information is helpful in updating your current bankroll as well as determining your game plans for future sessions.
Without good documentation it is too easy to lose track of your actual financial position. Players who do not make the effort to write down exactly where they stand daily tend to exaggerate their wins and diminish their losses over time, due primarily to fuzzy recollection rather than deliberate fabrication. As with life in general, it is easier to remember the good times and to forget the bad. Too often, losses from other casino games such as roulette or craps that one plays while on blackjack breaks get unfairly attributed to blackjack by players who keep poor records.
Just watching the black-and-white evidence of your cumulative bankroll increasing over the years is very satisfying in itself. Reviewing past successful playing records can certainly help you through the depression and self-doubts that tend to follow losing sessions. At these times it is especially comforting to note how your total winnings have compounded to date, thereby leaving you confident and eager for your next visit to the tables.
