Tell me what casino game you play, and I’ll tell you who you are
For many, our personality has a strong impact on the casino game we decide to play. The reference on this issue is an article entitled “Choosing the right game for your personality”, written by Henry Tamburin and published in Casino Player magazine.
Tamburin formulated an intelligent typology and behaviour classification system based on universal characteristics that casino players could use to determine whether or not the game they are playing is right for their personality.
Here’s an overview of this typology and some tips on how to make sure you’re using your most prominent talents and traits for a good casino game.
The 10 casino personality types
In this article, Tamburin identifies 10 personality types and matches them to the most popular casino games:
- Extrovert (likes to be noticed and interact with other people): craps.
- Introvert (shy and prefers to play alone): slots, video poker, and roulette;
- Risk-taker (likes to push his limits and bet large sums of money): progressive slot machines and Keno;
- Competitive: poker and all-tournament casino games such as blackjack
- Frugal (wants to spend as little money as possible): Video Poker
- Exuberant: Blackjack, Baccarat and Craps.
- Intuitive: Caribbean Stud and next-generation slot machines
- Thinking: poker, blackjack and video poker
- Interesting: blackjack and video poker
- Emotional: slot machines and video poker
Some of these personality types overlap, of course. In fact, Tamburin describes slot machine players as “Intuitive, Exuberant and Extroverted” and video poker players as “Risk-takers, Thinkers and Introverts”.
The Slot Player
Slot players most often want to play for fun. It’s a happy medium between table games and instant games, with a multitude of mini-games, eye-catching graphics and sound effects, and an easy-to-understand mechanism.
Slots are often aimed at casual gamblers who like to be entertained. These are usually introverted but fun personalities.
The Baccarat Player
The ancestor of Texas Hold’em was popularized by the first James Bond movies. It is a game of almost pure chance, which mainly attracts suave and debonair casino lovers. Its fans like to attract attention and are therefore rather exuberant and extroverted.
The Blackjack Player
While the rules of blackjack are simple, they can take years to master completely. It is a game of skill and risk, so it appeals to thrill seekers and extroverts. But it also appeals to the patient and discerning.
Blackjack players are most often found in the middle ground between the exuberant baccarat player and the analytical and serious poker player.
The Craps Player
Craps players are clearly extroverted. It is a casino game that is both exuberant and requires a good resistance to fluctuations. Personalities attracted to Craps also enjoy taking risks and playing at full speed. They are also usually generous and friendly.
The Roulette Player
Roulette players are often a bit introverted like slot machine enthusiasts, but they share the same analytical mindset as poker players, as well as the impulsive exuberance associated with craps players.
Roulette players like to trust their skills and believe in their judgment. They also have the patience and willpower to play for long hours without losing faith in their instincts.
The Poker Player
Poker requires both strong interpersonal skills and an analytical mind capable of making decisions based on risk and strategy. As a result, poker players are often introverted, patient and highly intelligent.
So this typology is interesting to take either way. It will allow players to find the game in which they can thrive the most. But also the one in which their earnings will potentially be the highest since they will have the perfect skills and character for its operation and rules.
But it’s also a good way to learn more about yourself or possibly to venture out of your comfort zone to discover new games and new (strong) sensations.
