Kind of like people that pool their money to buy a group of lottery tickets and think they are going to win. And yes, I know it has happened.

Only time I ever won at anything besides Lotto was Casino Nights sponsored by my Lions Club. If memory serves me correctly we could have a maximum of $500 winnings per state law, I kept half and tossed half back to the club, IIRC I was up about $200 or so that night in total.

Only night I ever went to a real casino was Kewadin at St. Ignace. We were working the car show at the straits and my co-worker wanted to see his friend who was a RN at the hospital. While everybody in the group was in the lounge I went to try my luck. Or as I said at the time "To feed the local economy" which I did rapidly at the slots. I'm a lightweight, I set a limit of $25.00, if winning I had to leave with at least as much as I started with and if I lost, well once the $25.00 was gone so was I.

You can guess which of the scenarios played out that night.

My wife and I went to Harrah's Casino for a concert several years ago. We played the slots for a little while before the doors opened for the show, and I lost $200 in about an hour, hour and a half. I didn't even realize how fast I was bleeding money.

Lesson learned. I've yet to set foot back in the place, or any casino. And I probably never will.

I only play Poker, specifically No-Limit Holdem, which is NOT gambling, and is NOT a game that's rigged in favor of the House, and is one of the few games which are entirely a game of Skill against other Humans where the House merely takes a small rake each hand/game.

When I go to Vegas to play Poker the town barely earns any money from me at all, whether or not I win or lose, and they make more off me from food and entertainment than Poker, and because I am a very disciplined Poker player I NEVER risk money I can't afford to lose.

Poker is a game that lasts a lifetime, one hand at a time. Whether I sit down today and tomorrow or skip 5yrs in between playing it's one long game, and in that sense I absolutely win more often than I've lost, despite having streaks that are both good and bad.

Over ~22yrs I'm up just under 20%, yet wouldn't dream of liquidating my stocks and such to "go Pro". I recognize that the tides could turn, and I am intent upon taking money rather than giving away mine, and I hardly ever get anything comped because I'm so miserly.

But this sort of exception aside, most everything said in this thread is absolutely true.

As far as Vegas I am up, but that's because I won $7k the first time I ever went. The 2 trips I've been back I've lost $3400 total. Don't ask me about Oklahoma or Louisiana casinos.

I never really kept a running total. I used to play when I went to Vegas but never more than 100 bucks a trip. I’ve won several $500 - $1000 hands. Maybe I’m down but I liked playing cards when I was younger so I was really playing for the fun. If I lost the 100 I lost it. I had the money to lose then.

Now I play a new game where I try to drink for as close to free as I can. I go to a bar, put 20 in the video poker machine and order a drink. Once I have my drink I cash out and move on. My goal is to never lose that 20 bucks. Even if I do lose it though it’s a lot cheaper than buying the drinks.

I only gambled while I was young and dumb back when I was in the military. I remember being drunk off my butt in Circus Circus when the dealer would occasionally count my 21 hand as a loss when I was a winner. She was really fast, and I just walked away from the table without contesting her cheating since the casinos were off limits for the short time we were there.

Las Vegas specifically, but gambling in general doesn't interest me at all now. I remember getting that rush starting out on the machines and then hitting the 21 tables soon afterward. I could see how addicting it could be, but I'm blessed for being able to walk away for good.

My only 2 gambling stories where I personally played:

1) While visiting a buddies family in SLC his Dad loaded us on the V Tail and we flew to Wendover NV, a shitty little town on the UT/NV border. I had never gambled before but my buddy did all the time so he say me down at a $2.00 Blackjack table and coached me. I ended up playing all afternoon, got sloppy drunk and even with tips paid out I walked out with about $2.00 more than I started with. The dealer was very amused at how happy this made me.

2) When my brother got married in St Louis my Mom heard about about the casino boats and asked me to take her as she had never been to a casino. Off we went, I gave her $100 and turned her loose...she came back about 20 minutes later wit no money and the only thing she said was "I dont get it?"

quote:

Originally posted by H&K-Guy:
I've never gambled. Ever.

I've never lost. Ever.

You can't beat the odds. The odds go to the house. Why would you gamble money you are guaranteed to loose out on?

H&K-Guy

Intrinsically, you are exactly right. The difference is that the casino and the gambler are working on different time horizons. The casino is the bank for the theoretical "long run" that all of gambling probabilities are based on, especially ones with skinny percentage margins. The best odds for the player? Craps pass line with odds, something like 2.14% house edge. OVER THE LONG RUN. The difference is the other mathematical concept of variance. In the short term, variance can be positive and thus why people do walk out of casinos with more than they go in with.....but continue to play and that variance works its way invariably back to the 2.14% house edge.

I have been traveling to Vegas and other casinos for 20+ years, and have had winning and losing sessions, and have studied the games and the odds, and hate playing any game where even the variance has not much of a short term chance. I now mostly play craps or tournaments, where my knowledge of the tournament game gives me an edge over other entrants and also allows me to know exactly how much it costs me to play.

When I first learned how to play craps, I was blown away by how much money people leave on the table and allow one roll of a seven to cost them everything that is laying out there. I play the opposite way, but not against the table. I play the Don't side, but only by using the Don't Come box to get my money on the table. The risk I have is getting through the DC initial roll to establish my numbers on the DC side. Then the percentages are massively in my favor: 8% my favor on the 6 or 8; 20% my favor on the 5 or 9; 33% my favor on the 4 or 10. And no one single roll can wipe out my money on the table. Does it happen where a shooter rolls the two or three DC numbers I am on? Sure. But I like the odds where they will hit a 7 before re-rolling the numbers I am up on. When I get up on house money, I will play hardways, and if I hit one, I parlay the whole amount since it is on house money. Playing this way the last 7-8 years, I have only twice hit the parlay. $25 hardway bet on 6 or 8 pays 9-1, so I just tell the dealer to parlay it, making the next bet on that hardway the $225+ the original bet for a $250 bet. Hit that twice in my life, pays $2250 and then I take it down and have a good dinner.

Well they do call Vegas: "Lost wages".

I suck at Vegas. Always keep my upper limit at $50 though typically at $20.

Back in the late 80s though, while my squadron was on a detachment to Fallon, NV, I went into the Bird Farm one night with a group of friends. Being un-initiated to gambling, and not knowing shit about how to play craps, one of the workers there showed me how to play.

I started with $10 - walked away with just under $7K.

Also walked away with a notification I was banned from the place for a year.

I'm sure the place made at least half that amount back from the squadron and our sister-squadron. To this day, i still do not recall how to play craps (it was about another 10 years after until i gambled again).

quote:

Originally posted by Vanwall:
A friend of mine always said he took a set amount of “entertainment money” to a casino. When it was gone he would leave.

That was my "secret" playing the slots in the EM clubs overseas.

Get $5 worth of nickles.

When it was gone, leave.

If I won enough to replace the $5, put that in my pocket, play with what was left. When that was gone, leave with my original $5 still in my pocket.

Of course, this was 45 years ago when $5 was big money...

I was a table game supervisor/pit boss & executive host in n Mississippi casinos.
The biggest "humph" you get from me is to see someone that thinks they have "a system" it's always one sided ..... The house will best you PERIOD.
I've seen ppl lose the family business just determined to win big.
Ive seen many families/friends just having a good time spending no more than a movie & dinner.
I've seen old retired ppl that just wanted to be around ppl. Some loose it all some have good luck and a good time.
I've seen recovering alcoholics/addicts fall off the wagon.
I haven't been to one in years. I don't get the tingle playing small .... Not gonna donate big !

A date playing quarter video poker is cool to laugh and talk close together then get a room !

I can honestly say that I always come back "even" or a bit up (gambling budget) when I go to Vegas (four times in the last two years). I play Texas Hold'em Poker, Craps, and Pai Gow Poker.

I've never won anything big but can easily leave the poker table with an extra $100-$200 from a session.

I only play the bets that are the close to even odds, I don't play the high odds sucker bets.

Now, where I do lose my ass is off the eating, shows, hotel room, airfare, parking, Uber, tipping, and other entertainment choices. That stuff is ridiculously priced anymore. The gambling is always my cheapest expense when I go to Vegas these days.

My Wife's Family was good friends with a man who owned a little Casino in Reno. We would always stop there on our way down to No Cal to visit the Family.

The stories he could tell! And it was a small place too. Couldn't imagine what goes on in the mega casinos.

He gave me a great book about Reno and Vegas. "They All Want to Leave Winners". Interesting read about old Nevada in the 40's to 60's.

There ARE some that really do leave winners. A friend who never gambles visited Reno and had allotted a hundred dollars for gaming. Instead of going to a quarter slot, he went to a $5 slot. A three coin machine too. His third pull he won $10,000 .

I doubt he ever gambled in Reno or Vegas again. He absolutely knows he beat some insane odds. Used the $10K for a once in a lifetime hunting trip, he never would have taken otherwise. Often talks about it.

My Ex is a proficient gambler. Lots of comps and freebies.
Problem: She gets up, way up then wont quit. She never walks out ahead.
I was never able to convince her to walk away with the $$$.
Which is why the Casinos loved her. At least the flights were free!

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Lots of people going to Vegas and not gambling.
Is the Chicken Ranch open?

Why would anyone ranch chickens ? The economics don't make sense.

I play poker. I am a competent player; tight-aggressive. House takes a minimal rake each hand; usually $7.00 max.

My oldest son is a much better player. Several years ago he was in Vegas on business and sat down at a cash table in the Bellagio. There was a big, loud guy with a Stetson at the table who was over-betting. Like, $50 pre-flop. No fun for the other players. Son noticed two young men seated near him that seemed to know each other. Son engaged the closest one and he said yes, they were three friends at the table. Son asked what they do and he replied simply: "This". Three pros. Son asked what they were going to do about Mr. Loud. "Take all his money" was the reply. And they put Mr. Loud in a chip sandwich and took his money. This story opened my eyes to some of the dangers at an unfamiliar casino. When you can't spot the "fish", you are it.

Once I gambled 20.00 worth of nickels. It took about 45 mins to lose them all. It was fun but that was all I was ever going to gamble.....except for the dollar my brother and I split to bet on a beautiful new sports car. It took us half a second to lose that.

quote:

He gave me a great book about Reno and Vegas. "They All Want to Leave Winners". Interesting read about old Nevada in the 40's to 60's.

Sounds interesting. Not on Amazon. Any chance it's a different name?