One thing I did New Year’s Day was to close out my 2008 gambling spreadsheet. I didn’t like what I saw.

I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details, but I had an unlucky year, playing mostly full-pay video poker in Atlantic City. But what hurt more was that my cashback and bounce-back cash went WAY down from previous years. My 2008 cashback and bounce-back money was was about one-third that for 2006. Not good at all.

So my 2009 resolution is to be a lot more particular about the promotions that will lure me into Atlantic City. I live a 15-minute drive from the casinos, and could find a promotion every day of the week if I didn’t have pesky things like a job, other hobbies and friends.

But this year, I will be a lot pickier before I jump in the car and head to the gaming halls. How much money are they offering me to walk in the door? Do I really want the gift they’re offering, or will I end up giving it to the Salvation Army? What is their cashback and comp rate? Do I really like the free food? Then I’ll decide if it’s worth the trip, or if I’m better off staying home.

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