THE LEONARD BENSON COMPANY

“When things get tough, the tough get going!” Well, if that’s the attitude the marines use to win a war, then that’s the attitude Benson players should use in gambling : MENTAL TOUGHNESS. Being mentally tough is the only psychology that will withstand the ups and downs of your daily sessions. It is the only psychology that will force you to follow the departure rules, playing strategies and betting progressions when things aren’t going your way. Furthermore, it is the only psychology that will preserve our systems !

Okay, enough of the drill sergeant routine. Now that I have your attention, let’s calmly analyze the importance of the psychology of gambling . To me, it is the number one pitfall in casino gambling. That’s right. The wrong psychology can cause ten times more losses than any one bad table, missed bet or improper strategy .

And the reason for this is simple: the compulsive or “untough” gambler tends to abandon the system as a whole. When he or she does this, they usually commit a long list of mistakes. Just think about this for a second: Making a wrong bet is only one mistake in the overall system . But abandoning the structure can mean breaking every rule from bet selection and unit size to table and daily departure. Adios, bankroll !

This compulsive or untough behavior is the exact psychology the casino wants you to have. It is this psychology that makes up for half of their profits! Because when players don’t know when to quit, don’t know how to properly implement strategy or progress their bets, they have very little chance of beating a 50/50 game. And let’s face it, all the table games are basically 50/50 games, with a slight edge to the casino . We need every bit of our systems running smoothly to beat these games in the long run and we cannot have some untough player throwing a wrench in the works.

That’s why I look at my gambling as a partnership. A partnership between me and the system I’m playing. I am 50% responsible for the outcome. The other 50% is the system . Since we already know the strengths of our systems , it is no surprise that most students who lose simply don’t follow the rules. They are psychologically unable to play out the system from week to week and month to month.

And I agree, it can be difficult. But nobody wins all the time, under every condition. That’s the psychology of a two year old. “Since I can’t have my way, I’ll take my toys and go home.” Well, just ask yourself: How old do you think the compulsive or untough gambler is?

You see, you really are a partner in the success of our systems . That’s why we are stressing the importance of being mentally tough. And by the way, when we say “untough” we don’t mean only compulsive behavior. The untough gambler is also the gambler who doesn’t go for the big wins , quits when he could have had a much bigger profit and doesn’t understand the principle that we have previously driven home: WHAT YOU DON’T WIN IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU LOSE FROM YOUR RACK.

Anyway, we have broken down the key features of the MENTALLY TOUGH and MENTALLY UNTOUGH gambler below. Look them over and note which features you have, both positive and negative. It will help when taking our exam, which we call “The Benson Psychological Review.” It is our belief that the more importance you give to the psychology of gambling , the more you will understand the unique partnership that is needed between you and our systems to make winning possible. A partnership that follows the course, without emotion, with aggressive patience and, most of all, MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

MENTALLY TOUGH

1. Sees gambling as a process.
2. Plays out of a bankroll , not just one buy-in.
3. Doesn’t need the action.
4. Never gets overly excited about his wins or depressed about his losses.
5. Never compares himself to other players.
6. Never plays more than he has to.
7. Does not feel disappointed with a small loss. That is, doesn’t need a large win to be satisfied.
8. Expects to win in the long run.
9. Looks at his bets as chips, not money .
10. Never breaks the quitting rules.
11. Never lets his previous wins or losses affect his present play.
12. Never argues with the dealers or other players .
13. Plays through his mistakes. Doesn’t dwell on them.
14. When losing doesn’t play to just break even. When ahead doesn’t play to just protect his profits.
15. Always plays in his comfort zone. That is, with units he can afford to lose.

MENTALLY UNTOUGH

1. Evaluates the system from session to session.
2. Plays out of one buy-in, instead of a total bankroll.
3. Sees casino gambling as fun. Needs the action.
4. Over-reacts to his wins and losses.
5. Tends to watch other people’s play, especially if they are winning.
6. Tends to play more than he has to. Feels unsatisfied if his sessions are short, regardless if he wins or loses.
7. Must show some profit to feel satisfied.
8. Immediate wins are his real goal.
9. Always worries about losing. Sees his chips as money.
10. Quitting rules are stretched to feed the action.
11. Tends to try and win back his previous losses and protect his previous wins .
12. Tends to argue with dealers and other players.
13. Mistakes bother him and affect his play.
14. Tends to play around the break-even point. Afraid to go for big wins and refuses to accept a loss.
15. Plays beyond his comfort zone. That is, a loss of a buy-in causes him great distress and concern.