Ramblin and Gamblin Thru Nevada

[Rob.Singer]

All arci's trying to do is minimalize that pit he gets in his gut that appears whenever he hears or has to read about addiction to the vp machines. Take a good look at his overall existence....what do you think he lives for? He says he goes to Indian Casinos, of all places, for six hour sessions whenever he can sneak out of the problems video poker itself has caused in his home. Then when he can get away from the boring chores of the daily routine where there's nothing better coming in his life, he gets right back into his vp-needed fix by spending hours every day reading and posting on the video poker and gambling-oriented forums. Yet he is "not addicted" and he bolstered that copout by claiming addiction is different from a gambling problem. Why, in my book I admitted to being an addict, yet the problems that caused me was nowhere near the problems its caused him. So ask him about it and what do you instantly get? Yup, denial....the #2 problem of a gambling addict.

Redietz, anyone who plays vp for four hours believing they're "playing with an edge" does have some level of gambling addiction, win or lose. No one gets more disgusted at sitting at any machine longer than an hour max than me, so I know what you mean about not being able to take it any longer than your limit. The fact that you don't really play many hours overall in a year's time isn't really a factor.

[redietz]

I'm well aware of pretty much everything Wynn has said on this topic. He was the first to swing the jargon from "gambling" to "gaming" and then from "gaming" to "gaming entertainment." But just because Steve Wynn says somethng doesn't make it true. He promotes the angle that it's all recreation and you really aren't going to win because his properties generally have lousy rules and he wants his high-end clientele to accept losing. He wants his high-status crowd to put their noses in the air and play whatever as "entertainment."

Wynn knows what can be beaten, which is why he yanked the video poker Rob had recommended. The initial sign-up bonuses at Wynn pushed the 9/6 Jacks into positive territory, for example, and Wynn was being beaten at those games. So he both changed the sign-up promotions and ditched the machines.

[redietz]

So, guys, let me get this straight -- you want to say that the guy who plays 40 hours a year and wins is an addict, and the guy who plays two or three times that and loses is not an addict?

I guess sign me up for The Addict Club! You guys are a trip. Do you ever really hear yourselves?

[Rob.Singer]

So, guys, let me get this straight -- you want to say that the guy who plays 40 hours a year and wins is an addict, and the guy who plays two or three times that and loses is not an addict?

I guess sign me up for The Addict Club! You guys are a trip. Do you ever really hear yourselves?

Alan has his own interpretation and arci has his denial, but what I'm saying as a former AP, then professional player, is that anyone who experiences the video poker machines and constantly looks forward to the next time they can play, is an addict...aka, has a gambling problem. It's a vice like any other. Some men need constant hookers; some people need constant highs from drugs; some people can't operate without pain pills; arci can't go thru a day without lying on gaming forums; and gamblers, whether they can or cannot actually gamble every day, have to be constantly thinking or talking about it.

[Alan Mendelson]

So, guys, let me get this straight -- you want to say that the guy who plays 40 hours a year and wins is an addict, and the guy who plays two or three times that and loses is not an addict?

I guess sign me up for The Addict Club! You guys are a trip. Do you ever really hear yourselves?

Winning or losing has nothing to do with the addiction of video poker. Addicts can win and addicts can lose.

[redietz]

Right, and hours played also isn't an indicator. Maybe by breaking the video poker play into "sessions," and having each individual session "end early," one can avoid the travails of addiction even when your hours add up to many, many more. That was sarcasm, by the way.

Well, I'm glad we have so many folks on this forum who are experts both in gambling and psychological addictions. Hmmmm, I do seem to recall the Journal of Gambling, when it started up, requesting one forum contributor submit some papers. But I must have gotten his name wrong....

[Alan Mendelson]

I've participated in many forums, and it's funny, but out of all the forums I am a member of, I seem to be the only net loser at casino gaming.

[Rob.Singer]

I've participated in many forums, and it's funny, but out of all the forums I am a member of, I seem to be the only net loser at casino gaming.

That's right, and that's because you're honest. When you came on here and said you're a net loser WITHOUT having the need, like arci and the famous names always have to do, to caveat that statement with "but the math always works out, and it just so happens that I'm on a miracle run that puts me right about in-line where my edge says I should be at this point", it was really a first.

AP's desperately need to make others think they win because they do not. It gives them the will and justification they need to keep their optimal-play-driven addiction alive. The rest of the players who post on forums are too embarrassed to talk about their losing so they don't say either way.

[arcimede$]

AP's desperately need to make others think they win because they do not. It gives them the will and justification they need to keep their optimal-play-driven addiction alive. The rest of the players who post on forums are too embarrassed to talk about their losing so they don't say either way.

I think we just had some sideways honesty from wheels. He just admitted he's really been a big loser and driven by addiction. He always tries and projects his faults on others and here we see him doing it in spades ... clubs, hearts and diamonds.

[slingshot]

So does that mean if I go over my last session and think through my mistakes and how I'd do things differently that I'm an addict? I really enjoy this game.

[Rob.Singer]

So does that mean if I go over my last session and think through my mistakes and how I'd do things differently that I'm an addict? I really enjoy this game.

I don't really know what you mean, (the rest was deleted by the moderator.)

[slingshot]

I don't really know what you mean, (the rest was deleted by the moderator.)

I often think about how I played during my last session and how I could have done better and the things I did right. I was wondering if that meant I was an addict. It seems to help my determination when I realize maybe I can improve the next time.

[Rob.Singer]

I realized I was an addict when I was an AP because that's what that method promotes. You've often heard how the more an AP or anyone plays, the closer to theoretical expectation you will come. In English, that tells players they really can't expect to do well playing as an AP unless they play millions of hands as quickly as possible. Now, I look back on those AP "sessions" and don't see much, because the mindset of any AP is that they are better players than all the others, and if they look back they will see no room for improvement. Our resident "tested genius" will confirm that.