Gambling and luck

Two things I rarely do is gamble or rely on luck, which is kind of ironic as some people associate treasure hunting with compulsive gambling.
I watched an Oak island special recently with a human behavior expert who stated how treasure hunters have several things in common with compulsive gamblers.
I am not a compulsive gambler was my first reaction, but then I thought about how many detectorists do resemble compulsive gamblers.
What I mean by that is people who continually search the same site or sites hoping to get lucky one more time.
When I thought about it some more, it dawned on me how much I rely on detectorists rolling the dice on areas known for previously paying out, hoping to get lucky just because other people have in the same areas.
I often say on this blog and in my metal detecting books how I play the percentages hitting a site, but I play the percentages to beat other gamblers and the house. 
There are only so many finds on any given day at a site, the more gamblers showing up at the same site hoping to get lucky the less winning chances they really have.
On the flip side, the less people hitting a site the more your percentages of winning or finding something good increase. 
Of course your odds of a successful hunt only increase if you stop going to the same darn sites as everyone else with a metal detector, kind of similar to obsessively playing the same slot machine every one else plays over and over again.
If I am going to play the percentages I want to be more like the owner of the casino, knowing I stand to gain a certain return percentage every time no matter what.
You can be a lucky so and so without ever having to rely on luck, research and timing are way more important than luck to a detectorist. 
Here is a novel approach to metal detecting that has worked quite well for me over the years, research potential detecting sites, search them and if you do find something good keep that site information in your top pocket until it is time to hit the site again. 
Research and timing baby! but timing also refers to being in the right place at the right time which in my opinion has very little to do with luck.
Put yourself in the right place at the right time by going to places that other detectorists would probably not bother to search.
Let other people gamble on small pay outs at known sites with the metal detecting crowd.  
"Unfavorable conditions for finding treasure" is code for lack of imagination and it is no coincidence unfavorable or sanded-in conditions only happen to the detecting crowd hoping to get lucky at the same sites.
My display case has many "Poor beach conditions ratings" finds that came about because I zigged somewhere different while others zagged at the same old sites. 
Some of my best finds are the prequels to the "I hit the beach two hours before low tide" stories you read on metal detecting forums, snagged while local beach and water hunters gambled on waiting for a low tide to change their fortunes.
It did change their fortunes and I love the stuff I recovered while they waited at home for that magical two hours before low tide time.
The odds of finding something good are always in your favor when you are a positive detectorist with imagination. 
Treasure is where you find it, literally!

available at www.garydrayton.com