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Thread: A Far Too Common Event For VP Players

  1. #1
    Earlier tonight on vpFREE I read about a poster who calls herself "misscraps" and her latest trip up to Reno. She's a LV local who obviously moved there after retirement expecting to do what they all expect to do--use the casinos as their own personal ATM's while expecting all "the others" to keep the machines filled up for her. I happen to enjoy most of her reports because she regularly writes about her restaurant and show experiences, and isn't too heavy on her gambling. But this time she was, and now I see why she's a little reluctant to say so at times....

    If you've read vpFREE over the years, you'd know that while misscraps understands advantage play but rarely follows its concept to the letter, she's hardly an amateur. Yet, one might most accurately say that she never saw a slot or vp machine she wouldnt't play if she had the time.

    On her latest trip report she talks of going up to Atlantis for a night and then over to Harrahs Tahoe (where we just were) for one night. She enjoyed Atlantis thoroughly as it was her first visit there, AND she won about $9600 thanks to a $9800+ progressive ten-coin dollar RF she hit. Even I have to say "not bad". But then came Harrahs.

    She interestingly explained how she was showered by the host with a 2600 sq. ft. super suite of some sort (and this is for one night, mind you) a free meal at the gourmet restaurant, a generous $800 in free-play, and probably more attention & smiles than she could handle--all because she said she lost quite a bit there last time, along with losing her purse (which was subsequently found but ransacked).

    So armed with that cool $9600 won from Atlantis along with her starting bankroll of $5000, she confidently attacked the very poor paytables of Harrahs--and quickly hit another dollar $4000 royal flush! The stuff dreams are made of, right? I mean, I seasonally live in Southern Nevada myself now, and I can attest to how great it feels to head up north, take them for tens of thousands of dollars, and bring it back down....especially if you drive.

    HOWEVER....the rest of the story makes me very thankful I'm who I am instead of just another pathological gambler who just can't control their play and are truly unable to play intelligently by setting win goals and sticking to them. In one of the sickest displays of problem gambling I've read about in a while (and believe me, this and WORSE happens often to many who will never write about it, from my own experience as an AP as well as from talking to hundreds of players in person) IN THAT ONE SINGLE NIGHT SHE LOST EVERY DOLLAR WON AT ATLANTIS ALONG WITH HER $5000!

    First, kudos to the host for building misscraps'confidence level up enough so that she might have fell for the ol' host "you owe me, so PLAY" scheme. Absolutely brilliant. But can you just IMAGINE the amount of gambling sickness and uncontrollable need for action it took to waste away that amount of money in that amount of time? I'll bet she stayed up most of the night accomplishing that feat, and I'll also bet she and the hubby argued on the plane ride home. Such a wonderful trip, wouldn't you say?

    As our soon-to-be-replaced President likes to say after embarrassing himself time and again with his mouth, please learn something from this "teachable moment".
    Last edited by Rob.Singer; 04-12-2012 at 05:36 AM.

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Oh my! How the heck one could lose all that money in one night is beyond me. Glad I don't and won't ever come close to having that sickness. Hope she doesn't get around any sharp objects for the next few days!

  4. #4
    Are you kidding? She's probably already raided the 401k or credit cards for more gambling money!

  5. #5
    Just curious: do you know what her gambling budget is? Was that $9600 bankroll significant to her or was it a "drop" in the bucket, so to speak?

    I know gamblers who drop several hundred thousand dollars per trip in Vegas and dont blink an eye. My last trip to Caesars I was at a craps table where a guy took a $1-million marker and was betting on average $60,000 per number on the number, and at some point in each game had a quarter million on the table. And that million didnt mean much to him.

  6. #6
    This is a vp player & vpFREE member who regularly makes a big deal out of going from diamond to seven stars each year Alan, and she crows loudly about winning $1000 and getting free meals or show tickets. In other words, this is not a six figure per trip player. It was a pathetic display of both lack of discipline and getting that non stop gambling fix that she obviously craves above all else. And to those who would say she may have had other trips where continuing to play on after a big hit led to another big hit (as this one BTW also did with that second dollar royal) that does at times happen, but overwhelmingly does not.

  7. #7
    Well, if I were a 25-cent video poker player who managed to move up and hit close to ten grand and then lost it all I would feel pretty stupid.

    I feel pretty stupid when Im ahead just one thousand dollars and lose it and I play at much higher levels than 25-cent per coin.

    Of course what we don't know is the psychological make-up of this player. Some people actually don't mind giving back their winnings because they don't think of the winnings as "their money" and they think of it as the "casino's money."

    That's one of the biggest mistakes gamblers make. Once you win something it is no longer "the casino's money" and it is now YOUR money.

    Fortunately for the casinos, we all have a bit of GREED in us that keeps us gambling OUR money in hopes of winning more of THEIR money. We also have the FEAR that if we don't keep playing then someone else will win the big jackpot instead of us.

    Like in the stock market, FEAR and GREED dominate the casino.

  8. #8
    I agree with all of that.

  9. #9
    It's so heartwarming to know that Rob is perfect and that he is without any normal human frailties. If only this lady had adhered to his "win goal philosophy" we would all be spared his gloating and we wouldn't have to read about yet another opportunity for him to ridicule someone he doesn't even know.

  10. #10
    Vic, I think it was a good lesson and a good reminder to all of us. Sometimes you have to excuse the side comments.

  11. #11
    One more thing I can gloat about: We stayed at that same Harrahs about ten nights ago, and I left with every penny I came with. The downside? Our room was only about 500 sq. ft., and we had to pay for our dinner.

  12. #12
    Originally Posted by Vegas Vic View Post
    It's so heartwarming to know that Rob is perfect and that he is without any normal human frailties. If only this lady had adhered to his "win goal philosophy" we would all be spared his gloating and we wouldn't have to read about yet another opportunity for him to ridicule someone he doesn't even know.
    I think you're finally getting it!

  13. #13
    Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson View Post
    Vic, I think it was a good lesson and a good reminder to all of us. Sometimes you have to excuse the side comments.
    That's what makes him such an irritant in threads that could actually contain some reasonable discourse otherwise. The smug, "I'm the smartest guy in the room" and thoroughly condescending comments detract from whatever point he is attempting to make. As a "self proclaimed expert" on VP, his opinions fail to register as anything but unprofessional as a result. To be taken as a professional, it's generally wise to act as one.

  14. #14
    I agree with you Vic. As I've said many times... he is his worst enemy.

  15. #15
    I've never tried to win a popularity contest and you know what? I was and still am the most popular writer Gaming Today ever had in their nearly 40 years of publishing. I'm also the most popular subject in video poker forum history and you know why? Because I AM the smartest person in the room, and my ideas both capture the interest of normal players, and drive the know-it-all AP's nuts with how much simple common sense they present. I've also been the perfect personality to bring all these things to the table because you know why? I've always had the ability, the intelligence, the resources, and the drive to get the proper information to the right people and unlike the self-procliamed gurus of the vp world, I have always had a healthy, happy, meaningful family life and didn't destroy my wife's health by constantly dragging her to the casinos forcing her to play like several of our better knowns have done, and I'm not some uneducated big word-using oddball who wrote books no one reads.

    Vic, you could learn a lot from me if you really listened to the entire message. As far as me being some kind of worst enemy to myself, I don't know anybody else in this arena who's had a dynamic background as I've had, and as a result of my unparalleled successes, name another famous vp name AND HIS WIFE living as comfortably and with as little conflict as we are. My own enemy? VP's just a game and discussing it is a pasttime. I'll take this enemy's life a million times over anyone in the industry....and if I ever end up feeding anyone thru a straw it won't be because I so disrespected them when it was totally unnecessary.
    Last edited by Rob.Singer; 04-18-2012 at 07:14 PM.

  16. #16
    Rob you know I'm your friend. But there is a difference between being "popular" in the media and being "well liked" in the media. I am sure you are perhaps one of the most "popular" voices in the video poker community when it comes to being followed and when it comes to being read. But well liked? Come on Rob! I like you but the rest of the world?? LOL

  17. #17
    Once again we see that the dufus has no problem twisting the truth 10 ways from Sunday. I guess that's why he's a dufus.

    It is humorous watching him pat himself on the back so much. He probably ended up with a couple of major strains.

    I mean let's face it. The guy is a complete moron. He doesn't understand simple math, he knows almost nothing about statistics and he thinks he can fool people by just asserting some ridiculous claims. Like I said before, that's why he is laughed at by people who do know how to add more than 3 numbers.

  18. #18
    Originally Posted by arcimede$ View Post
    ... dufus ... dufus.... pat himself on the back .... a complete moron....
    Gee Arc, you're not trying to win any popularity contests either. And you've also done a good job of patting yourself on the back being the indestructible super video poker hero.

    Children. LOL

  19. #19
    I'm not sure why I'm supposed to want a "healthy, happy, meaningful family life." Personally, I'd rather be Charlie Sheen. So if anyone has a style of gambling that'll contribute to a "healthy, happy, Charlie Sheen life," I'm ready to sign up!

  20. #20
    Originally Posted by redietz View Post
    I'm not sure why I'm supposed to want a "healthy, happy, meaningful family life." Personally, I'd rather be Charlie Sheen. So if anyone has a style of gambling that'll contribute to a "healthy, happy, Charlie Sheen life," I'm ready to sign up!
    LOL. Best post yet.

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