Gamers mention responsible play all the time, but I needed to check the numbers for myself https://shufflekaszino.org/en-nz/. So, I performed an experiment. For three months, I logged every single time I played at Shuffle Casino. As someone in New Zealand, I noted my deposits, the games I selected, my wins and losses, and exactly how long I played. This isn’t a jackpot story. It’s a simple examination at my own habits, using my own data. I’m sharing it because seeing real figures might enable others consider more objectively about their own gaming.
The Raw Numbers: Deposits Made, Game Sessions, and Time
After three months, I crunched the final numbers. I had played 47 different occasions. I put in a total of NZD $1,150 across the whole period, which averages out to about $383 a month. My net result, after removing all deposits from what I could have cashed out, was a loss of NZD $180. The clock revealed I spent 2,215 minutes playing. That’s just under 37 hours. Each session averaged 47 minutes. Having it all compiled was a wake-up call. The hobby now had a defined, numerical shape I couldn’t rationalize.
The Effect of Time Management
The timing information gave me my biggest “aha” moment. How long I played was closely linked to how I finished. Sessions under 30 minutes were almost a coin flip for wins and losses, and I usually stopped because I hit a limit I’d set. Sessions that ran longer than an hour almost always ended in a loss. Those were the ones where I commonly played down to zero or hit a loss limit in frustration. It seemed my focus and good judgment declined the longer I played. Because of this, I now set a hard 45-minute timer for every session. That rule came straight from the numbers.
The Reason We Started Tracking Our Play
Mostly, I was curious. I believed I understood my habits, but I had a hunch my gut feeling was wrong. I wanted facts, not guesses. How much money was I truly putting in each month? What games did I actually play the most? Did my “quick break” often turn into an hour? I started tracking to get a clear picture and make more conscious choices. This wasn’t about stopping. It was about understanding, so playing could be a fun part of my life without any nasty surprises.
Winning and Losing Trends and Variance
Examining each session result showed the typical ups and downs. I finished ahead 19 times and behind 28 times. Essentially, I was down in about 60% of my sessions. But my largest profit (+$210) was larger than my worst loss (-$125). That’s standard volatility. A few major wins get overshadowed by many small losses. The data chart looked like a jagged mountain range. It made me recall that any single session is just a blip in a unpredictable series. That made it easier to not get so fixated on a bad day.
How We Developed Our Data Gathering Method
Consistency was essential. Just after each Shuffle Casino session ended, I launched a spreadsheet and recorded the details. I didn’t delay, because memory is hazy. For every session, I noted the date, start and finish time, the exact game, my balance when I started and stopped, and any money I deposited. I also jotted down why I stopped—did I hit a win goal, a loss limit, run out of time, or just feel done? Sticking to this routine gave me three months of solid, trustworthy data to examine.
Essential Metrics We Logged
I kept it simple, tracking just a few things that painted the full picture. Measuring each session’s length was illuminating; the clock doesn’t lie. For money, I tracked deposits and final balances to find out where my cash went. Noting each game showed my true preferences. And that note on why I stopped connected the numbers to my mindset at the time.
The “Why I Stopped” Code
This small note became one of the most useful things I tracked. I used a short code: “T” for time limit, “WL” for win limit, “LL” for loss limit, “B” for bust (playing to zero), and “N” for a natural stop (just feeling finished). Watching how often “B” appeared compared to “WL” gave me a blunt look at my own discipline. It motivated me to set better limits later on.
Key Behavioral Insights We Discovered
The numbers showed my psychology back at me. I identified a “chasing” habit on weekends. My sessions were a bit more frequent and my average deposit was larger. Weekday play was shorter and more controlled. I also identified a specific trigger: if I lost three spins in a row on a pokie, I was very inclined to jump to a different game, usually blackjack. I think I was seeking for a game that felt more skill-based. Now when I experience that urge, I can identify it and ask myself if I’m making a smart move or just reacting.
- My mean deposit on weekends was 22% more than on weekdays.
- I commenced playing most often between 8 PM and 10 PM.
- The initial session of every month always had my greatest deposit.
Using This Data for More Intelligent Play
The main idea of tracking was to alter my habits for the improvement. I created three new rules from what I discovered. First, I set a firm weekly deposit budget based on my three-month average. This limits those bigger weekend spends. Secondly, I now force myself to take a five-minute break every half hour to empty my head. Finally, I determine what game I’m going to play before I even log in, based on how much time I have and the risk I’m comfortable with. I don’t just scan the lobby any longer. These rules work for me because they’re built on what I actually did, not what I *thought* I did.
Game Performance Breakdown
I was very curious to see which games I played and how they performed. The data indicated strong preferences and varying outcomes. Pokies consumed most of my time, but my results were quite mixed between them. I played fewer table and live dealer games, but they felt different—often lengthier and less frantic. This breakdown showed me which games were purely for quick thrills and which I played when I was looking for a longer session.
- Digital Pokies: Consumed 78% of my total time. Net result: -$142.
- RNG Blackjack: 12% of total time. Net result: -$55.
- Live Casino Games: 8% of total time. Net result: +$17.
- Miscellaneous Games (Roulette, Baccarat): 2% of total time. Net result: $0 (break-even).