The Chicago-area newspaper Southtown Star recently ran a piece by one John G. Brokopp, listed as “Gaming columnist” for the Star’s big daddy, the Chicago Sun-Times (Whoa ... LCD doesn’t know what kind of slots action they got going on in Southtown, but it’s gotta be heavy to be running a columnist.)

To the hardcore, the name may be familiar: Brokopp is a gambling-world jack-of-all-trades who not only gets syndicated from his regular Chicago beat, but also appears regularly in CasinoCityTimes.com, Casino Player, The Colorado Gambler, Midwest Gaming & Travel, and Strictly Slots.

He’s also authored and co-authored a few books, including The Insider’s Guide to Internet Gambling, Break the One-Armed Bandits, and Thrifty Gambling.In “Some advice for smart slot play,” Brokopp offers just that this week.

Following, a brief summary of an expert’s sober viewpoint. (How sober? Brokopp feels it necessary to drop that classic parade-raining bit of info, “casinos derive approximately 80 percent of gaming revenues from slot and video poker machines.”)

And naturally, LCD won’t resist kicking in a few comments.Says Brokopp: “Always play in affordable increments...” Says LCD: Remember the buddies-in-Vegas flick Swingers? The most memorable scene is the one involving the blackjack table. Our hero has waited all his life to place a $100 bet on a hand of blackjack.

Our hero does, catches a ten, dealer shows six. Our hero doubles down. Our hero loses a sizable fraction of his budget five minutes into his Vegas vacation. The moral? Go ahead, make that huge bet once and get the painful loss out of your system. Then spread your bankroll conservatively. You’ll play for longer and simple mathematics say you have more chances to win.

Says Brokopp: “Play at a comfortable pace.” Says LCD: This good advice comes with good news; namely, playing at your pace is easier online. Not to mention actually finding your pace in the first place.

Says Brokopp: “Use a money management system.” Says LCD: Duh! Also easier said than done, although Brokopp suggests a swell trick. Start at X amount and spin through it. Put half your winnings aside when the original stake is gone; the other half becomes your next stake. Spin through it, put half aside, etc. Zeno would be proud...

Says Brokopp: “If you make a nice score, cash out the winnings immediately and put them aside.” Says LCD: Here, Brokopp hits the nail on the head, particularly in terms of non-virtual casino play. And if this is key in the real-life joints, it is utterly crucial to maintain this discipline online. After all, the money you deposit online doesn’t seem real at all – It’s just a number on the screen, right? – and if you haven’t gotten with a trusted online casino, payouts may have heavy restrictions in terms of time. Both aspects make online money even easier to blow than you do banknotes at the ‘bandits.

Happy spinning, all! (We’re sure Brokopp would share the sentiment as well.)Now go ahead and try these tips at Silver Bets online casino, for example...