Do you tell the truth after a casino visit?

Be honest. After you visit a casino and you're back home or back to work, do you tell the truth about what happened while you were playing?

In other words, do you truthfully tell how much you lost or how much you won?

Or do you lower the amount of losses, and embellish the amount of winnings?

On the other hand, do you tell your friends you won less than you really did so they don't hit you up for loans? Or do you tell your ex-spouse (or current spouse) that you lost when you really won?

Does what happens in Vegas really stay in Vegas and everyone else back home gets a story with a spin?

Do you really tell the truth, or lie? Fess up here. ;)

I never tell anyone specifically how much I win or lose. Not even my wife knows...but we both operate out of my own gaming funds that have been accumulated from winning. I strictly play VP and do so at a higher level than she does at playing slots. Hence, it's "my job" to keep the pot full. So, if I take a certain amount with me, she knows I haven't raided our savings or hit the ATM. She's aware that there are days in which I will have a "negative gaming experience" as well as good days, as does she. When I do win, I don't tell anyone about how much I win either. The only "bragging" I might do is when I hit a royal. The group of people we generally go with to LV tend to operate the same way. We all gamble at different levels and feel its nobody's business what the actual dollars and cents details might be. Accordingly, we stick to the generic "were you up or down today?" conversations. Our practice has been to celebrate big wins (like hitting a royal) by treating everyone to dinner and, of course, when we've all had bad treatment by the Gaming Gods, it's a good excuse to drown our collective sorrows somewhere...kind of like a win-win no matter what.

I usually just say if I won or lost without total numbers, whether I ever had a worthwhile chance to leave ahead, maybe details about anything noteworthy or unusual. I'm playing much less these days.

Is it OK to tell a white lie?

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Is it OK to tell a white lie?

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Whatever you can live with, I guess.

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Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

Whatever you can live with, I guess.

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Ahh... but the difference is a white lie told to others versus a white lie told to yourself... Can there even be a white lie that you tell yourself?

Isn't a white lie told to oneself just rationalizing? People do it all the time.

I want to make a truthful statement about my latest trip to a casino... and about a lot of other trips to casinos... I've now played more than 128,522 hands of video poker without getting a royal flush. Keep in mind that theoretically, a player hits a royal once in about 40,000 to 48,000 hands depending on the video poker game being played.

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Keep in mind that theoretically, a player hits a royal once in about 40,000 to 48,000 hands depending on the video poker game being played.

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The way you made that statement shows a bit of a misunderstanding. A player averages a royal flush once every 40-48K hands if their strategy provides that level of expectation. I've seen people hold a flush instead of 4RF. I've seen people hold and ace over a JT when the JT is a better hold, etc. Your results reflect your strategy.

In addition, you really need to understand averages. I'm sure it rains in socal once every week or two ON AVERAGE. I'm sure you realize that doesn't mean it really happens that way.

I can't disagree with you Arc and I won't. For the record, I play correct strategy -- the same strategy you would -- breaking up dealt straights and dealt flushes when presented with 4RF cards. Still no luck.

I do keep in mind that you had a RF drought of 200,000 hands and I keep that in mind every time Im in a casino and hope I don't break your record.

Boy...you don't want to read this, Alan:

I just got back from my week in LV and on Wednesday, hit a RF @ O'Sheas and on Thursday, hit one @ Flamingo. There's no secret other than to continue playing solid VP to keep you in position and to keep you in the chair. (Dumb, homemade strategy will bleed your budget and you can't win if you're not playing.) Other than that, it's pure luck.

Good for you Vic and I DO WANT TO READ THAT. I know my lack of royals is just a lack of luck. But I want people to read about my lack of luck -- and your good luck too -- so that they know that even in a skilled game of video poker luck is very vital to success. You could know all the right plays but if the RNG does not cooperate you won't win.

I will let you in on one secret way to hit a royal, Alan, but don't tell anyone else, OK? So, here's the deal: go to O'Sheas on a Wednesday afternoon, purchase a Diet Coke from the Burger King in their food court. While playing, put the cup down into the coin drop well so you don't knock it over, and within 15 minutes, a royal flush will appear. It happened just like that for me, and it can happen for you.

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Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

I will let you in on one secret way to hit a royal, Alan, but don't tell anyone else, OK? So, here's the deal: go to O'Sheas on a Wednesday afternoon, purchase a Diet Coke from the Burger King in their food court. While playing, put the cup down into the coin drop well so you don't knock it over, and within 15 minutes, a royal flush will appear. It happened just like that for me, and it can happen for you.

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Vic, what size Diet Coke do I need for a $5/coin machine? ;-)

Or you can try this:

My best $1 RF was $8200 when I stopped in to use the facilities. Put in a $20...............third hand.......held 2 or 3 cards.....$8200.

Oh, third from the left.

Every casino I've ever been in has a sign either on the ATM machines or next to them about problem gambling. Every casino cage has signs and booklets about where to call/go for help. I think that's a pretty good indication that generally people lie to themselves, or at least the experts think enough casino-goers lie.

So, how much of a lie is OK when you lose?

I can understand telling a lie when you win. You don't want the guys in the office or your brother-in-law hitting you up for a loan because you just won ten grand on a slot machine.