How Does Your Personality Type Affect Your Gambling Habits?

Has anyone ever told you that you are such a “three” personality? Or maybe they called you a blue, or a sanguine if they are really academic. Other people might refer to you by your Zodiac sign or even your Hogwarts house. The most confusing instance is when someone simply shouts a bunch of letters at you unexpectedly. “You’re such an INFP!” If you are anything like me, your response is usually something along the lines of “What does that even mean?” All of these are examples of various approaches to defining personality. In case you are unfamiliar with them, here are some quick explanations. Some people identify their temperament based on an Enneagram test, which results in a number 1-9. Those numbers correlate to one of nine personality types, such as the achiever or the security seeker. The color code uses another theory that separates people into reds, blues, whites, and yellows. Personality categorization even goes back to ancient history! A sanguine is one of the four temperaments of ancient Greek psychology. When you hear people refer to themselves as a combination of four seemingly random letters, they are most likely referring to their Myers-Briggs results, which is based on Carl Jung’s theories about cognitive functions. This test considers four traits, and there are two options for each attribute. Each person can fall anywhere on the spectrum between those two traits, but the quality that is more dominant gets its letter in your acronym. An example would be someone who is equally introverted and extroverted. The results are one of sixteen possible combinations, known as the sixteen personalities, identified by the combination of letters that correspond to the dominant traits. Most personality tests will ask you a series of questions about how you would respond in certain situations, how you would describe yourself, what affects your perceptions of the world, and whether or not your feelings affect your decisions. There is no right or wrong personality assessment, and you can choose whichever one works best for you. They are almost all based on a variety of psychological theories. If you took a variety of personality tests, you would probably find that they both describe the same characteristics. For example, my Myers-Briggs type is an ENFJ, and my Enneagram is a 2. Both of those results can be explained by the fact that I am extremely extroverted. For this blog, I am going to focus on the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory. I am choosing that one because it neatly separates the personality types into four categories with four types in each. If you have never taken the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory, these descriptions will be meaningless for you, but you might find that some of the information correlates to other personality descriptions. Take the free personality test before you continue reading so that you can identify the explanation that fits for you. Let’s take a look at each of the four possible categories and how they relate to gambling. If you are an INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, or an ENTP, you are one of the Analysts. You will notice that all of these have the NT in common in the middle of their type acronym. The N stands for intuition, and the T stands for thinking. According to the Myers-Briggs theory, people who have a dominant intuition believe more of what they imagine or internally process, as opposed to thinking about what they experience externally. Thinking means that you tend to make decisions based on logic instead of your emotions. Anyone who has both the N and T dominant traits is going to be logical and intellectual. You like to analyze, strategize, and solve problems. If you had it your way, everything in the world would be highly logical, so you shy away from things that you don’t understand. As a general rule, Analysts prefer strategy games like blackjack and poker, instead of casual luck-based games. People who have the INTJ personality type are few and far between. They only enjoy gambling if they believe that it will benefit them because they don’t do anything without considering the logic behind the decision. Extreme risk-taking is uncharacteristic of the INTJ, so they would not be likely to be a high-roller. Instead, they only play the minimum bets with a small amount of money that they believe they can afford to lose. Texas Hold ‘Em is an excellent choice for the INTJ because it allows them to use strategies to control the outcome. If you are inventive, innovative, and highly logical, you are most likely an INTP. These people are the ones who love to think outside of the box, but they also are afraid of failing. They do not avoid risks, and they can sometimes be impulsive, so it is not surprising for them to enjoy gambling, but only if the wagers are small and if they believe that they do have a chance to succeed. Blackjack and poker would offer a challenge that the INTP personalities will appreciate. Leadership and competition are characteristics of the ENTJ personality. People who are ENTJs love using their keen sense of logic to win, especially if there are other people there to witness their victory. They can read people well and are naturally persuasive and willing to take significant risks. Brick-and-mortar casinos are exciting environments for the ENTJ because they enjoy the atmosphere and ability to compete with others. Any game that allows them to play against others, like poker and baccarat, will suit the ENTJ because they will appreciate the opportunity to win by interpreting other people’s actions. Out of the four Analyst personalities, the ENTP is the one that is most likely to enjoy gambling. They are more concerned with understanding as opposed to logic, so they can take more pleasure in risks than the other Analysts. The thrill of gambling comes in the opportunity to try something new and display their success for others to see. Similar to the other NT personalities, ENTPs will always enjoy skill-based games like blackjack and poker more than games of luck. However, if any of them were going to try out slot machines, the ENTP would be the most open to that possibility because they are not as afraid of risk as the others. Similar to the Analysts, the next group of personality types also exhibits the intuition (N) trait. But instead of making decisions based on what they think, the Diplomats make decisions based on what they feel (F). So, these people tend to work toward a better world by understanding their own emotions and those of others. Most likely, they will enjoy gambling on occasion, but only because the inherent risk would be a thrill for them. The INFJ personality type describes a group of people who are determined, goal-oriented, and decisive. They have a strong sense of altruism, but they also need to detach on a regular basis, and gambling makes the perfect escape. People who are INFJs are highly intuitive, so they trust their feelings and thoughts more than external stimuli and logic. As a result, they will be drawn more toward games of chance where they can place wagers based on their gut feelings instead of analytical strategy. Slot machines, roulette, craps, and sports betting are all perfect ways for the INFJ to relax and let loose. However, if their intuition is off and they end up losing, gambling will quickly lose its value for them. People who are INFPs are idealistic and communicative. They often pour themselves entirely into causes that they believe in, so they need a break every once in a while. Gambling offers a source of pure entertainment that gives them a chance to do something for themselves. Slot machines and roulette are perfect games for the INFP because they do not require the gambler to spend a lot of mental energy figuring out sophisticated strategies. Since gambling is a source of entertainment, INFPs do not mind losing a little money, but they will feel uncomfortable playing high-stakes. ENFJs, like myself, are empathetic and generous. We often take on other people’s problems and emotions, and we feel them as deeply as our own. Other people rely on ENFJs, so we don’t like to do anything that can cause someone else disappointment. Even though we are comfortable taking some risks, we prefer to feel like we have control over the outcome. Our well-developed intuition and ability to read other people’s emotions effortlessly makes us great at card games where we compete against other players. Poker, blackjack, and baccarat are perfect options for us because they allow us to use our strengths, have some control, and still take some risks. Energetic, creative, independent, compassionate, and free-spirited are all words that can easily describe the ENFP personality. They genuinely enjoy the thrill of gambling because they are observant and curious, and they enjoy the adrenaline rush that they experience when they take risks. Texas Hold ‘Em is the perfect game for ENFPs because they delight in the risk, but they also play well because they are able to read their opponents easily. ENFPs love the thrill of the game, but they relish it even more when they actually win! This group of personalities is probably the least likely to enjoy gambling because they prefer to be systematic, organized, and responsible. They are characterized by S (sensing) and J (judging) characteristics. Sensing means that they process thoughts using their senses. Instead of focusing on what they feel, they focus on what they can see, hear, and experience for themselves. The judging characteristic means that they take action based on an organized plan instead of improvising. One of the most common personality types is the responsible, self-reliant ISTJ group. They are rule-followers, cautious, and over-thinkers, who consider all of the pros and cons before they ever make a decision. Most likely, they will believe that it is more logical to save their money than to gamble, but that same personality trait is actually the reason that they will probably be successful. A lifetime of thinking through every possibility gives them an incredible talent for considering all possible scenarios very quickly, which provides them with an upper hand in analyzing the best moves and making the right choices. Poker is the most systematic form of gambling, so it is the one they will enjoy and excel at more than any others. ISFJs take delight in hard work for the sake of working hard. They do not desire approval from other people, but they are perfectionists who will do anything to exceed other people’s expectations. Competition is frivolous to an ISFJ person because they are goal-oriented, and merely winning is not their goal. When they gamble, ISFJs prefer games like blackjack or baccarat where they are not in direct competition with the other players. These games are also not completely random, so the methodical ISFJ will appreciate the organization and patterns. If you are an ISFJ, you will be particularly sensitive to negative emotions if you lose or if gambling gets in the way of something else that you want, so it is wise to be mindful. People who have an ESTJ personality have a strong moral compass, a keen sense of their surroundings, and an excellent ability to predict the success of something that they are working on. ESTJs are probability experts, so they enjoy the challenge of casino games that are not based purely on luck. They are calculated risk-takers, but they will not place a wager if they do not believe that they have a good chance of winning. Their extroverted nature means that they enjoy interacting with other players, but they might get overwhelmed in the chaotic environment of a brick-and-mortar casino, so live dealer online games offer a good compromise. Another one of the most common personality types is the ESFJ group, which is characterized by incredible social skills and belief in authority and tradition. A lack of control can make the ESFJ person feel nervous or uncomfortable, so they will be drawn to games that allow them to make decisions that impact the flow of the game. They do not like to be isolated, so they would never opt for single-player games like slot machines. ESFJs often have a lot of people relying on them, and they tend to be perfectionists, so they will feel upset if they lose or feel like a failure. Finally, we come to the Explorers, a group defined by their characteristics of sensing (S) and perceiving (P). That means that they believe what they can experience, they think about things through the lens of their external senses, and they choose to act based on creativity and spontaneity. Out of all of the four categories, the Explorers are the most impulsive and bold, so they are the group that is most likely to enjoy gambling. To them, taking a risk that is based purely on luck is a thrill and an adventure, instead of something to be avoided, so they will be more drawn to chance-based games than any of the other personality types. Spontaneous, curious, and creative are the words that are most often used to describe a person who has the ISTP personality traits. Rules and routine feel like a trap to them, so they thrive off of freedom and exploration. They rarely consider the consequences of their actions, so their lives can feel rather turbulent. When it comes to gambling, they enjoy it for the sake of the excitement, and they do not care too much about whether they win or lose. It is not surprising to see an ISTP playing on a slot machine or the lottery, but if they chose to put their sense of logic to the test, they could be highly successful at Texas Hold ‘Em. People who are ISFPs are passionate and competitive. These are the people who challenge social norms and love to break the rules. They pursue extreme emotions and avoid anything that could be considered stagnant or structured. For them, gambling is a way to get an adrenaline rush while proving that they can win. However, they can get upset easily if they start to lose, which can lead to them making poor decisions in desperate attempts to win back their money and their dignity. Despite the fact that they can enjoy the risks of luck-based games, they will find more enjoyment out of competing with other players. Caribbean Stud Poker and blackjack are games that they will have fun playing, as long as they are winning. Have you ever been known to start complex discussions about abstract topics? If so, you are probably an ESTP. They love to be in the heart of the action, the center of attention, and the cause of drama. But they also have creative minds that allow them to think outside of the box. Anything that they can do that will challenge their logic is something that they will be drawn to, including taking risks and creating debates. When it comes to gambling, they would be great at skill-based games, like poker, because they notice every detail and use that to predict outcomes, but they rarely choose those games. Instead, they opt for luck-based games because they want to challenge themselves mentally and emotionally by letting go of control. The most impulsive personality type is the ESFP, so they are the group that will find gambling irresistible. They love getting attention, trying new things, and interacting with others, but they hate and avoid anything repetitive. For ESFPs, the risk is something that they cannot live without, even though the other personalities see it as something to avoid. Logic and consequence are foreign concepts that they will not let dictate their lives. There is not one particular game that is best for ESFPs because they are never going to stick to only one. Instead, they will try out every game in the casino and then venture to another casino as soon as they get bored. It is interesting to learn about each of the different personality types, especially when it helps us predict their gambling habits. I hope that this information helped you learn a little bit more about yourself or about your friends and family. For example, if you are one of the personalities that always chooses casino games based on skill, maybe you can challenge yourself to try something with a little more luck. Another option is to use this information to your advantage! Now that I know my personality type, I can learn the characteristics of the people that I have a tendency to gamble with. My sister is a perfect match for the description of the ISFP, so I can use my knowledge of her personality to convince her to take more significant risks, and hopefully, she won’t be too upset when I win because she got too excited about the adventure! Your response to this blog post will most likely depend on your personality style. Some of you will immediately see it as an opportunity to challenge yourself, while others will not let it dictate any changes to your actions. Either way, I hope that you learned something new about yourself and your gambling habits.