Alcohol at the Table: Why Free Drinks are a Bonus for Tourists but a Strategy Threat for Locals?
I went out with some buddies for a weekend trip recently, and we were all over the moon about the free cocktails being served while we played. It felt like we were beating the system just by getting a few rounds of "free" drinks. But then I looked over at the guy playing serious poker at the next table, and he wouldn't even touch a beer—just stuck to bottled water and coffee the whole night. Is it really that big of a deal to have a few drinks while playing, or does it actually mess with your head more than you realize? I felt fine, but my bankroll definitely didn't look fine by the end of the night.
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It’s a classic trap, honestly. When you’re on vacation, those drinks feel like a great perk because you're there to party and have a good time. However, once you start playing more often, you realize that even one or two drinks can totally cloud your judgment and lead to some really expensive "hero" calls or sloppy betting. I was reading a piece on https://bdgovt.info/the-casino-tourist-vs-the-casino-local/ that breaks down exactly why locals tend to stay sober while tourists indulge. The locals are there to protect their edge and treat it like a job, whereas the tourists are just looking for the full Vegas-style experience. I’ve definitely learned that if I want my money to last, I save the celebration for after I leave the table, otherwise those "free" drinks end up costing me way more than a top-shelf bottle at a liquor store.