Saxondale Posted 14 February 2012 Posted 14 February 2012 One of my best mates has a bit of a problem. Doesn't play online (thankfully) but plays roulette at the casino. Whenever we have a night out anywhere with a casino (ie. Leicester) he tries to drag me there at four in the morning and stay for hours. I always try and dissuade him but he seldom takes my advice. Sometimes I end up going with him (i have zero interest) and sometimes I have to go home and leave him to it. He knows it's a problem but whenever I try and warn him about hit, he just questions why I smoke, to which I have no answer. To be fair, he doesn't tend to do too badly because he plays in a set way and just plays until he's up / at least even. If he goes down, he draws out more money (sometimes a shitload) and plays himself into a positive position, usually successfully. He's had some big wins and some big losses, so financially I don't think it's a great problem although it definitely has the potential to be a massive problem. He just cannot resist it, something I can't understand - but then he can't understand why I smoke. I've tried trying to rationalise it with him but, unfortunately, it's not a rational addiction.
I am Rod Hull Posted 14 February 2012 Posted 14 February 2012 One of my best mates has a bit of a problem. Doesn't play online (thankfully) but plays roulette at the casino. Whenever we have a night out anywhere with a casino (ie. Leicester) he tries to drag me there at four in the morning and stay for hours. I always try and dissuade him but he seldom takes my advice. Sometimes I end up going with him (i have zero interest) and sometimes I have to go home and leave him to it. He knows it's a problem but whenever I try and warn him about hit, he just questions why I smoke, to which I have no answer. To be fair, he doesn't tend to do too badly because he plays in a set way and just plays until he's up / at least even. If he goes down, he draws out more money (sometimes a shitload) and plays himself into a positive position, usually successfully. He's had some big wins and some big losses, so financially I don't think it's a great problem although it definitely has the potential to be a massive problem. He just cannot resist it, something I can't understand - but then he can't understand why I smoke. I've tried trying to rationalise it with him but, unfortunately, it's not a rational addiction. That sounds like a classic default defense mechanism, mate This has been a great thread and a real eye opener, some sad but interesting posts.
Tevez Posted 14 February 2012 Posted 14 February 2012 I've seen thousands won and thousands lost in 10 minutes. It's all mental strength, if you can pull through, though it's hard to avoid betting these days.
The Quick Brown Fox Posted 14 February 2012 Posted 14 February 2012 My mrs once said to me I think you have a problem with gambling, I said I'll bet you a tenner I haven't! Sorry couldn't resist Seriously it is a horrible thing that can rip family and friendships apart. I like a bet but I also know when I can't afford to do it so don't. If I ever borrow to gamble then I will start to worry. Well done for overcoming this, keep it up.
Rincewind Posted 14 February 2012 Posted 14 February 2012 Went to a coffee morning with a few people that are launching a mag associated with Action Homeless. One of the topics was why people are homeless and I mentioned this thread. gambling is a bad thing. If you have to do it it is you that should control it not the other way round. Like others have said it is easy to flitter away. INot much but I had a free $5 dollow once and took no time to lose it on blackjack. Thought I knew how to beat it. Slots, roulette, craps, Blackjack all favour the bank/casino because that is who you are playing against. Poker is slightly different if you know what you are doing because you are playing for other players money. You only pay rake when you enter a pot above a certain amount so if you know when your chance of winning is well above you you losing then you are a good player. For most people that player is targeting them. I have not played for a while and decided that I will play for recrational purposes only on the lowest stakes possible. I am never going to be a winner and make my living at it.
adam1 Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 One of my best mates has a bit of a problem. Doesn't play online (thankfully) but plays roulette at the casino. He knows it's a problem but whenever I try and warn him about hit, he just questions why I smoke, to which I have no answer. To be fair, he doesn't tend to do too badly because he plays in a set way and just plays until he's up / at least even. If he goes down, he draws out more money (sometimes a shitload) and plays himself into a positive position, usually successfully. He's had some big wins and some big losses, so financially I don't think it's a great problem although it definitely has the potential to be a massive problem. Roulette. NO. Avoid. If you are to have a bet in a casino - blackjack gives you the best chance. Smoking. As someone else said he has a problem. The fact that he withdraws more money to chase losses makes this a MASSIVE problem. Financially. Roulette does favour the casino. Financially he will be down. It is in the percentages. As to how much - how often does he go when you don't? Is he likely not to tell you all of his losses? There is nothing wrong with going to a casino to gamble - only take a set amount with you. Put winnngs in a different pocket. See what you end up with after you have gone through the original amount. Leave the casino.
Walker Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 Roulette. NO. Avoid. If you are to have a bet in a casino - blackjack gives you the best chance. Smoking. As someone else said he has a problem. The fact that he withdraws more money to chase losses makes this a MASSIVE problem. Financially. Roulette does favour the casino. Financially he will be down. It is in the percentages. As to how much - how often does he go when you don't? Is he likely not to tell you all of his losses? There is nothing wrong with going to a casino to gamble - only take a set amount with you. Put winnngs in a different pocket. See what you end up with after you have gone through the original amount. Leave the casino. Absolutely spot on! I guess it's all down to knowing your limits. I'd say I gamble 20-30 quid a week on horses/football, but that's it. With it being a (relatively) small amount to gamble and although being massively frustrating when/if I lose, I know I can afford to lose it. This isn't the case for some people though, sadly.
Rincewind Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 You cant win at roulette. There is the 00 factor. Casino pays 35.1 true odds 36-1 (something like that I think) I have known some to do quite well at blackjak but the cards are dealt to stop people counting. A fresh deck every deal means it increases the luck in favour of the banker. A few years back I went on holiday. Yarmouth I think and every day I had one bet on The Mirrors Newsboy Nap of the day. It just happened that this week he did shit. And the ones that did win were odds on so i lost a little bit that week. The thing is though I put that amount to one side and kept to my gameplan and even kept a record. Could easily have won that week. Cant remember doing it much after that. Then I stopped. Where I worked we had a syndicate each taking it in turns picking horses. Again we were rubbish. So gambling is not my forte. The prosthough wait for one horse and one trainer gather the information from people in the know then make several smallish bets at different bookies. My brother toyed with several things before taking holdem up. He did some spread betting on football and stockmarket among other things and before he lays any money out he studies and anylises results and then monitors it keeping accurate records. I could notdo that so I would lose. I do not have the patence. But for the few that do it is rewarding when it goes right.
Captain... Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 I have had extensive experience of the gambling industry from working on course (from 15/16) to working in (and managing) a betting shop. This was by the time I was 21. Being the other side of the fence has certainly helped me. I bet. But I don't bet often. I certainly don't have an addiction. I don't have an addiction because I understand what gambling is and why a bet is to be placed. A bet is when you disagree with what the bookmaker has said a horses chance is. You can apply this to all types of bets. You may have heard the phrase 'value.' Value means that the price is substantially higher then the horses chance. i.e. a 12/1 chance is priced 20/1. Whereas a 12 chance might win one every 13 times thus making a loss, a 20 chance winning once every 13 times returns a profit. So the idea of 'value' is to end up in profit. Not every horse will win. I recognise this. I understand that I will have more losing bets then winning bets. But I will make a profit over all. This is the second problem. People do not know how to lose. They cannot deal with the emotional and mental challenges that losing runs bring. They therefore start 'chasing their losses.' You can now see how this applies to poker etc. People also don't realise gambling requires some intelligence and hard work. There is no such thing as luck. An American academic expert/gambler once wrote: the harder I work the luckier I get. For Joe Public gambling is often seen as a get rich quick scheme. This isn't helped by the advertising on tv - especially the bingo adverts. I think that gambling problems will become more prevailent in the next few years. I have seen people with addicitions to gambling and it is hard to get over. I think posting it one here is helpful as it may help one or two others who may be in a similar situation. That is probably one of the most intelligent things I have read about gambling, I have never really thought of the odds that way, although ti is obvious, I don't gamble apart from playing poker, but I have stopped doing it online, even though I was up in my account I didn't play enough or win enough to make it worthwhile. I love going to the darts, and my mates always bet, but I don't see the point because I know fvck all and just go to get pissed, so in that sense I don't know the value of the bet, and can't judge the odds. My mate who follows darts the most always makes the most money. I guess that is why Roulette is not a good idea, by all accounts the odds are the best in the casino, but you have no control other than luck.
Rincewind Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 Value betting is a big part in poker. You see it on TV where the commentaer says a player is making a value bet on the river. The bet depends on what is in the pot and how much you think the other player will call. with a possible worse hand. Too small and you give them odds to call owith a better hand or bluff raise with a worse. To big a bet and they will fold because they are not getting the right price. TV players may seem maniacs and the game has become super aggressive but they mastly still are playing the odds. I think knowing other players style helps too. That is why the stats on players style are so important. If a player folds a lot to your bet that follows you you can bet with a wider range. Like I said before I know these rules but I am unable to employ them myself and I probably have not got the above completely right.
General Smuts Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 I put a quid on Lloyd Doyley to score first last night so I know I have a problem.
Houdini Logic Posted 15 February 2012 Posted 15 February 2012 anyone on here had or have one? I have just got over a poker one, gambled a lot of money away, I never knew anything like it, it gets a hold of you like nothing else. I have won at poker and although I do consider myself an alright player, it has ****ed me so many times. When it hit me was when I borrowed money and used other peoples money to gamble with, and lost. I'd say that was the worst period of my life. Then I knew I was properly addicted. When i confessed to my mum about it (probably hardest thing I've ever done) she sent me to the counselor, so I've not played since tbh. Has anyone else got over a gambling addiction then or know someone with one? I'd just say be very careful because it could be a personality thing rather than anything specific to poker/gambling. When I was younger I was addicted to a certain drug and I had to quit everything to sort myself out. This meant I went to uni at 18 as a very sober person and as such I found myself spending a hell of a lot of time in bookies and casinos. I got to the stage where no banks would give me any more money and I had to confront my parents and tell them I was £18k in debt. The problem was they paid this off under the condition I had to pay them back in installments, but that meant that I had great credit rating and so I went out and got three credit cards (one was £5,000), wiped them clean and stuck all the money in the stockmarket (which I had/have no clue about, other than reading forums). I've just about sorted this out now, but I'm paying more each month to people/banks than I do in rent and bills where I live. I also started drinking again a couple of years ago and it's getting to the stage now where I'm getting a little bit worried... So I have no research, no polls and I could be completely on my own here, but for me it was evident that this is some sort of personality issue rather than specific to any one vice. All I'd say is that be happy (and proud) that you've managed to get this under control, but always keep one eye on everything else...
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