In the Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever" we see James Bond confidently approach the craps table, call out a few choice bets, roll the dice, and collect his winnings under the admirering eyes of Lana Wood. "Hey", she says, "You handle those dice like a monkey handles coconuts."

It's great to appear the winner in a casino. Anyone can always win. Here's how:

Set a gambling budget just the same as you would set your hotel, food, and show budget. That money you set aside for the casino is already gone in your mind, just like your hotel and food money will be gone. If you stay on or under your gambling budget you're a winner. After all, you're in the casino to enjoy the games, not try to win money to pay your rent. Bond doesn't make money gambling, he makes it from his job.

If you enjoy the "gaming" on a budget you're a winner, win or lose. If you're trying to change your financial situation, then you are really gambling and may end up a loser.

So entertain your date with assorted games at various casinos, every once in a while slipping a twenty dollar bill into her slot machine to get her started. She'll tell everyone back home about you doing that. Now that's inexpensive PR.

Also be sure to get your date on the craps table at least once. Girls love to throw dice. And save your multiple bets for only when you or her are throwing the dice to conserve money when others are throwing and to increase her excitement and show off your expertise when you and her are rolling the bones.

Learn to play the hard ways because you don't have to place the minimum $5 bet on them. You can bet a dollar and get back 7 to 1 or 9 to 1 making you really look like a 007 skilled player.

When you call out your "hard way" numbers, toss your chips into the center of the table where the "hard ways" are with a quick flat spin, making it stop cold near your number instead of bouncing and rolling all over the table.

After you finish, let the dealer at the table change over your chips and then toss a five dollar chip on the table with a "Thank you, gentlemen." like Bond did. When your date sees you do all this she may repeat Lana Wood's line of "Hey, you know what? You're a great guy."