Why I Game at Casinos

[Bullajami]

I play lots of poker and have made some good coin from it over the past few years. I am not the best player in the world, but that is not my goal. I just like to have fun playing poker. Its a game.

I also like to bet on sports. I search and wait for opportunities. I take bets that look like they are at the best price, a value. I play for bonuses and take arbitrage bets when they become available. I have made a bit of money at it over the past few years. I cannot beat every linesmaker in the world, but that is not my goal. Betting on sports increases the entertainment value of watching sports. Its fun.

I also like to play casino games. With rare few exceptions the games I play have a house advantage. The casino will win my money, given enough time.

There is skill in playing poker, and there is skill in handicapping sports bets. There is not much skill in casino gaming. There are certain strategies to employ in certain situations, but if you can follow a simple chart, you can play most any casino game to mathematical perfection. Many poker players and pro sports bettors sneer at this lunacy. I feel them looking down their nose at my propensity for putting $50 on the pass line every once in a while. They regard it as ignorant to play a game that cannot be beat. I don't really care.

I play because it entertains me. There is something strangely calming in doubling down when I have 10 and the dealer shows 6. It is the perfect play, no matter the outcome.

If you play poker you will sometimes make a heroic call, only to find out that your opponent has the nuts. Or you can get your money down on a team that has every opportunity to win, and doesn't. But these are judgment calls...and when your judgment is wrong, it is painful... humiliating... emasculating.

This does not happen at the tables. When you double down on that dealer 6, it is not a judgment call, it is mathematical perfection. Even when the dealer flips over a 9 and draws another 6, you were right all along. You can't get that in poker or sports betting.

So game on my brothers and sisters, just mind your bankroll and don't get carried away!