Why First Wins Can Shape Your Playing Habits for Years

Every gambler remembers that first good win – when they won a good chunk of change on a slot machine or correctly predicted the odds of an underdog winning.

In fact, first wins can shape your playing habits for years to come.

Let’s look at some of the positive ways that wins shape your betting habits and a few of the negative habits you’ll want to avoid after that first sweet taste of victory.

Positive Ways First Wins Shape Your Playing Habits

First wins can lead to some positive playing habits. There’s a bit of information you can garner from your first win, and learning what you did right (or wrong in the past) can help you become a better gambler.

You May Learn From Past Mistakes

When you win, you’re more likely to see what you’ve done wrong in the past because you have something to compare past bets to.

Smart bettors understand that betting is often a combination of skill and luck. While there is some skill to betting (especially sports betting), you need a lot of luck – especially with chance-based bets, such as slots and roulette.

Yet, it’s always important to learn from your past mistakes, which you can do when studying your wins.

Try to determine what types of games you win most. If you play games that require some strategy, such as poker or baccarat, try to figure out what hasn’t worked in the past and compare these findings with the strategy you employed when you got your first win.

You Could Refine Your Strategy

Once you’ve determined what hasn’t worked in the past, you can try to figure out what worked when you won.

What type of game did you play? Did you do any research to determine the best winning strategy?

If you won playing a purely luck-based game like slots, try to determine if there were any underlying factors at play. What was the slot’s RTP? Were there any special features that helped you win? Did you buy a feature?

At the end of the day, you may not want to dig too deep into the factors behind chance-based games, as you cannot control the outcomes of these types of games.

Negative Ways First Wins Shape Your Playing Habits

Some players also take on negative habits after their first wins. Here are some of the drawbacks you might experience after that first taste of victory at the betting window or online casino.

You’re More Likely to Continue to Gamble

Studies show that players are more likely to continue to gamble after they’ve won. Factors that keep winning gamblers playing include chasing wins, believing you are playing with “house money”, and chasing the dopamine rush of winning.

No matter whether you won betting on a sporting event or on a hand of poker, you’re simply more likely to continue playing once you’ve scored your first big win.

Even if you set aside your winnings as “future betting” funds, you may be more likely to continue to play long after your funds are exhausted.

Future Bets Might Not Be as Sweet

Once you’ve won once, you’re more likely to start chasing wins – or betting expecting to win because you felt that sweet satisfaction.

If a slot machine spin doesn’t result in that same crescendo of bells and whistles, you’re not going to get the dopamine hit that made your winning play so enticing.

Before you experienced your first win, you probably continued to play with very little expectation. Once you’ve experienced your first win, plays that don’t result in wins aren’t going to be as enjoyable anymore.

There is a sense of diminishing returns in gambling, where you’re going to feel less and less satisfied if future plays aren’t as exciting as that first win.

You Could Suffer From the Illusion of Control

Some players believe that their wins were determined by their own sheer skill. Unfortunately, gambling always requires a bit of luck, meaning there are no “sure” outcomes.

Even with skill-based gambling, such as sports betting or poker, luck is always a factor. You cannot predict a player getting injured mid-game, and you can’t predict which cards you’re dealt.

Many players also have the illusion of control with luck-based games like slots or roulette. They believe they somehow know what colors or numbers to bet on.

Obviously, no one can predict where a roulette ball will fall. The idea that a player can accurately determine the outcome of a round of roulette is merely an illusion.

You Might Believe More Wins Are on the Way

Many players believe after their first win that they’re on a hot streak, so more wins are sure to follow. Again, this is simply an illusion.

Just because you won once doesn’t mean that you’re due another win, just as you’re not due a win after a big losing streak.

This is why it’s important to be cautious after your first win. You don’t want to suddenly start seeing patterns where patterns don’t exist and start betting money that you don’t have or aren’t willing to lose.

Instead, use data-driven strategies, such as researching which team is more likely to win a sporting event, analyzing game RTPs, and learning poker strategies to improve your chances of winning in the future.

Your Gambling Might Become Problematic

Gamblers experience a chemical rush after their first wins. After a win, your brain releases feel-good chemicals that make you want to gamble more. Not only will you win money, but you’ll also get a bit of a serotonin boost that you’re hard-wired to want to chase.

If you find yourself gambling more and more because you want that sweet excitement of winning, you may want to take a break.

Research shows that gamblers are more likely to exhibit signs of problem gambling after big wins (for all the reasons listed above).

If you feel as though you’re gambling more than you can afford to lose, it’s important to seek help.