IMPORTANT: WHEN QUITTING GAMBLE DIARY ALWAYS ALLOW 10-15 SECONDS IF YOU INTEND TO UNLOAD THE APP FROM MEMORY (Home-Home-Swipe App Up). THIS ASSURES ENOUGH TIME FOR ANY NEWLY ENTERED TRIP AND SESSION DATA TO BE SAVED.
Q: Is the app easy to use while I’m gambling?
A: Gamble Diary is designed to be easily used WHILE you’re gambling, with very quick and intuitive entries for all of the things you previously wrote down in that little black book.
Q: How do I get started?
A: From “Trips” on the main menu tap “New Trip”, where you’ll give the trip a name, then tap “New Session”. You’ll only have to enter “Where”, “Who”, and “Activity” once per trip, because any additional “New Sessions” you create will retain much of the information from the previous session.
Q: Are there any shortcuts for entering “Where” and “Activity”?
A: Yes. The first time you tap “Where” or “Activity” for a new trip you are offered the option of starting the list for that trip with “Use the default list”, “Copy from prior trips”, or “No, I’ll enter them”. The default list is good for newcomers to Gamble Diary but as you add to that list with your own choices for Game/Activity or Location you’ll want to choose “Copy from prior trips”.
Q: Are there any shortcuts for starting a new “Trip”?
A: Yes. Any existing trip can be “cloned”. This creates a new trip with the prior trip’s locations, activities, and gambler/stakes. This is very convenient when you frequently visit the same casinos with the same gambling friends.
Q: When should I add a new session?
A: You can create a new session as frequently or as seldom as you wish, with every game change or buy-in, or you can simply track your entire trip results under one session.
Q: How much detail can I capture in a session?
A: After the initial Session the following fields are fairly automated (carried over or calculated): Where, Who, Activity, Minimum Bet, Start Time, End Time, Start Amount, Net Win, and Stake Balance. In addition you can add any number of “Notables” – selections like Jackpot, Royal Flush, 4 Aces, etc, and include the time, amount, and session stake balance for each. And there is a text field to enter anything you want (“Wore my lucky red sweater”).
Q: I hit a jackpot, I took a photo, and I want to share with my friends from Gamble Diary. Can this be done with a “Notable”?
A: Yes. First fill out the fields for the Notable (especially the time). Any photos on your device that were taken near the time of the Notable are shown and you can select a specific photo to be associated with the Notable. You can now also share the Notable (including photo) with friends via Facebook, Twitter, email, or message. Great for updating your friends on the fun you are having!
Q: Can the current session really be closed out and a new session started with “three touches”?
A: Yes, in the case where your current session End Amount is $0 (way too often, right?) and the new session is the same place/game/starting amount. The three touches are: 1) Touch in End Amount, 2) Tap Return ($0 End Amount), and 3) Tap New Session. Of course we hope you’ll use a few extra touches to enter a large End Amount! Also, add two touches if you’ll be changing the Game/Activity, or Location.
Q: Are there any shortcuts for entering Start Time and End Time?
A: Time/Date entry is done with a familiar selector wheel which has a “Now” button added. Also, New Session from the current session page uses the current time to set the End Time on the current session (unless you’ve adjusted it already) and then uses that End Time as the Start Time on the new session.
Q: Why not use current time for all Start Time and End Time entries?
A: The powerful reporting capabilities of Gamble Diary encourage many users to enter past trips and sessions (at least for the current tax year) from their previous records (black book, savings account, W-2Gs, or from memory). Gamble Diary makes entering historical sessions easy by basing the time/date of the next session on the prior session instead for current time.
Q: Phones are discouraged at table games by some casinos. Can I still use Gamble Diary?
A: Most users of the application simply set up the session as they are walking up to the table (Game/Activity, Minimum Bet, Starting Amount). Then after the (hopefully successful) session they enter End Amount and End Time. (End Time is automatically set if the user taps New Session.) For a new buy-in on the same table game you can discretely turn away from the table and do the “three touch” new session as described above.
Q: How many trips and sessions can I create?
A: This is only limited by the memory on the device. Certainly hundreds if not thousands. And the Archive feature allows you to move groups of trips and their sessions off of the application’s trip list.
Q: How do I create reports?
A: First you edit a Report Scope, then specify an Output File Name, and hit the “Run Selected Report” button. You can immediately view the report, zooming in on the details, and swiping through multiple pages. All reports are saved for later viewing, or emailing, or deleting. You can update an existing report by first Selecting it then going back to Create and hitting “Run Selected Report”.
Q: How do Archives allow device sharing?
A: Archiving is a way to conveniently save a collection of trips to either declutter your trips list or to restore later and review on any of your iOS devices. Use this feature to (for example) review or edit trips on your iPad that you have created on your iPhone.
Q: How does Stake differ from Start Amt?
A: Stake is the amount you are bringing for the Trip and you set it for each Who/Person. Start Amt is the amount you are starting with at the beginning of a Session. At the end of the Session you enter and End Amt and Gamble Diary shows your net win (or loss) and updates your Stake Balance just below it. Example: My Stake for my day trip is $200, my first session Start Amt is $20 and I win $30. My displayed Stake Balance is now $230.
Q: What if I want to track tips (in addition to my gambling stake)?
A: Although not specifically supported at this time, it would certainly be possible to add a Who/Person called Tips, give it a budget amount (Stake) if desired, and enter the tip spent using Start Amt and End Amt. You could add Activities such as “Jackpot Tip” “Drink Tip” etc. This method could actually be applied to other trip expense categories as well, for example Transportation, Meals, Room, etc. Once tracked all of Gamble Diary’s reporting capabilities are, of course, available.
Q: What about tracking slot machine numbers?
A: Although not specifically supported at this time, some of our users have used Activities to do this. Rather than use an Activity such as “Buffalo” for example they create a custom Activity such as “Buffalo SE1075” to record a specific slot machine (especially if it is doing well!) In order to help such users an Edit/Sort feature was added to the Activities screen, making such Activities easier to navigate. Having tracked slot machine sessions to this level, the reporting capabilities could help identify your favorite machines over time.