This sick hobby (warning--quitting gambling rant)

[amatrine]

re

Thanks. LOL Did you ever play the olympic games on the 64? I remember playing that with my brother because you could have multiple players. We loved that one it is time Of course we also had like 50 cds that were full of games and all hacked,lol

Ama

 

[AussieDave]

I quit gambling in 2001 and just started up again when my husband was constantly going to the Indian casinos about a two hour drive each way from our house. I tried them once and didn't like them.

The way I quit before is I had Neteller and Click2Pay lock my accounts. I couldn't deposit, I couldn't play.

Recently I received an inheritance and I have been playing with that money. I, too, have a compulsive personality and get very carried away sometimes. I regret it when I toss away $600.00, but while I am doing it I don't know why. Guess that is an addiction.

Addisyn I sincerely hope that you don't blow your entire inheritance. I'd really feel sick to the pit of my stomach if in the not too distant future it's your nick at the start of a thread like this.

Although I've got things under control now, I've had to take some positive actions to prevent myself being tempted by access to large amounts of cash.

In so far as affiliate payments, anything over $1K gets put straight onto my NT ATM card. (once that's loaded I can't reverse it back). My partner, she's got a NT ATM now too.

I'd rather pay a few fees that risk a large amount sitting in NT. Hence every 24 hours I transfer cash to both our NT cards.

Over and above this, apart from keeping a some cash in my business account & some in my personal bank account too, I've tore up my Credit Cards and only use VISA debit cards now.

All other money I have has been placed into investment accounts.

Min 7 days to obtain money, a couple take 30 days. This gives me enough time to reconsider what I'm doing if that monkey jumps on my shoulder and starts whispering in my ear; he's a tricky one he'll have you believing this time will be different

I don't know if people are aware of this but the suicide rate for compulsive gamblers rates very high also.

My only advice is, don't become complacent if you have a tendency to go a little crazy when gambling is involved.

 

[GrandMaster]

(Also got a 486 with Windows 3.11 if anyone wants to make me an offer..?)

How much are you paying me to take it away?

 

[AussieDave]

Play Station 3 is on a couple of ambitious Christmas lists presented to me, but I was reading this week that the damn things are priced at around $600?

And add to that figure a couple of games. No wonder parents are broke these days

 

[amatrine]

re

I also just saw that the old games will not work on the new station.

Ama

 

[Simmo!]

I also just saw that the old games will not work on the new station.

Ama

Only a few apparently - some have audio issues, some graphics issues. The beauty of PS3 is that firmware can be downloded to update the hardware. The thing that would stop me buying it (aside from the fact I prefer PC based games) is the Bluray DVD format. Will it be the Betamax of DVD? Time will tell.

 

[gfkostas]

I've said my fair share on this topic here https://www.casinomeister.com/forum...vening.11571/?highlight=deficiency+motivation
so i wont' repeat myself but only add the following

Our mind is satisfied with the acquisition of knowledge but then discovers that alone it is insufficient to bring about transformation, which requires a further step to convert data into an inner experiential reality. To try to control thoughts with will power without first removing its motivation and pay offs is fruitless. The well disciplined mind should only speak when requested to perform a task. An endless commentary is not needed.
Untrained the mind is really an unrully child who constantly needs attention. With inner effort and by surrendering our little egos we discover that the intellect itself has got to be transcended from "knowing about" to "becoming" sober which is accomplishes by spiritual practise,discipline and devotion. We find the solution by fostering the positive rather than attacking the negative. To try to force one self to give up gambling is usually insufficient. Intellect is a limit in itself. Drug addicts know that they have a problem and yet this knowing can't bring about transformation. Drop your opinion about your problem. There's the problem that I have with gambling and there is the noticer that is noticing that I have a problem with myself. Something is noticing me having a problem.
Let me rewind that. I have a problem with myself. There are 2 "persons" there. There is the I and the self that comes later as a result of mentalization. The self is the ego and the sum total of our ideas of who we are. Once we drop it or surrender it for a little bit we discover this beautiful little child inside us who has only love and acceptance for the world. We learn the meaning of : You do not have any problems. Only the person you imagine yourself to be has problems. Do I make any sense?

One may discover sooner or later that the need to gamble is nothing more than an ongoing energy field which never ends unless the victim finds some love for himself.
When you are in love with yourself because someone has said something nice about you or because you've just "fall in love" with a girl who seems to uncondionally love you then you realize that the need to take care any addictions suddenly fades away as once you are "fulfilled" there is no more need for external stimulants for one finally feels "complete". It is the vanity and stupidity of our society that harvest all these problems that we face every day and i'll get to that at another time.

 

[Simmo!]

Blimey! Your surname's not "Cantona" is it gfk?

Actually when you read that a 3rd time, it does actually make some sense

 

[Slotster!]

Blimey! Your surname's not "Cantona" is it gfk?

Actually when you read that a 3rd time, it does actually make some sense

Lol! I was thinking seagulls and trawlers too

 

[Tagdog]

whhooossshh someones been taking psychology class a little to seriously

 

[AussieDave]

whhooossshh someones been taking psychology class a little to seriously

Or pass that joint over this way

 

[reda]

hi well i do spend more than i should but it is so hard when you win a couple of good jackpots. i won a 11,000 and a 8,444.00 jackpot and i didnt use a bonus so i got all of it. since the jackpots i probably put 5,000 or more back into the casinos , i am still ahead but i dont want to waste all the winings. i am a compulsive gambler. but hitting big jackpots makes you just want to gamble more. somedays however i do take breaks and watch t.v or ride my bike and also household chores still have to be done. but i still sit on the comp approx 3 hours a day. it is really an addiction that you have to take control of. im still working on it.

I am also a compulsive gambler. I have to admit that when casinos started to lock my accounts because of the new law I felt pretty good. It felt like someone was going to stop me because I knew I couldn't stop myself. I received an inheritance this past January and I wasn't working. Obviously I was able to stay home and gamble ALOT. Needless to say, I blew through half the money by gambling. When the money was gone and I needed to get a job I found that the urge to gamble was quite diminished. I think it was because I now had a job in a big company where I was involved with a lot of people and I had a lot of stimulation in my life. I think sitting in front of a computer keeps you from a "real" life. I feel I am being satisfied by other thing now such as making money, a career, and even some romance. This post is really directed towards those of us who really do have a problem. Please understand I mean no offense to those who can deposit $20 and play for an hour and then STOP. I cannot do this. If I have the funds available I will gamble until it is gone. I do not enjoy playing for "fun money" if I know I can't play for real someday. It just doesn't cut it. Maybe some of us have to go cold turkey but maybe if you have alot of things to "fill" you up in life, the gambling could become just something you do occassionaly. I don't know if this helps but it's the best advice I can give. God Bless, Debbie

 

[xstud]

Wow

You know I feel the same way I think that gambling in this day and age is all about self-control. I feel that it can take over your life and at times it has taken over mine, when I turned 17 snuck into a casino and won $140.00 off of 20.00 I was hooked. Then I discovered online gaming and I think that the best possible thing that can happen is legislation that makes it more difficult to fund gambling accounts. I love gambling online and have 2 huge wins, but I have had far many more losses.

At times I have funded my account gambled, lost 500.00 and do it again. The scary point for me reached when I almost got evicted from my apartment due to gambling too much. I think that the hardest thing in life is admitting you have a problem. The second hardest thing is when one exciting thing in life is seeing those reels spin, hitting that bonus round or seeing your blackjack crush a dealer 20. I feel like gambling isn't fun anymore especially online, too many worries... too many times the dealer "bangs 21" or too many times it takes 100 spins to hit a bonus, one thing we all have to remember is that gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry and they make money from people who have problems and people that don't.

A friend of mine who used to be a blackjack dealer once told me best... If it wasn't for greed casinos would be bankrupt. The average individual is ahead at some point during their gaming experience, if they even just cashed out that 50.00 and walked away within months the losses would be enormus.

Gambling has ruined my life at times and created excitement at others... what you have to do is exhibit control and if you have none I am a firm believer of not getting yourself into those type of situations... shut off pc, go fishing, do things that you love to get your mind off of gambling. Or go to vegas 1 time a year... get it out of your system...have something to look forward to. it's better than staring at a screen watching your bank balance dwindle.

Hope this helps

Brody Hagen

 

[Simmo!]

You are right xstud. It is about self control but unfortunately not everyone is blessed with that facet. That's why I think regulation is so important in that it allows money to be taken out and put back into education and programmes to assist. It's not going to work for everyone, but a problem gambler will very likley find some way to gamble again eventually, even if one avenue is shut off.

 

[gfkostas]

You are right xstud. It is about self control but unfortunately not everyone is blessed with that facet. That's why I think regulation is so important in that it allows money to be taken out and put back into education and programmes to assist. It's not going to work for everyone, but a problem gambler will very likley find some way to gamble again eventually, even if one avenue is shut off.

But is legislation the answer even partially?
We may observe how throughout history, society has tried to "treat" social problems by legislative action, war-fare, market manipulation, laws, and prohibitions only to see these problems persist or recur despite treatment. Although governments are myopic, to the sensitive observer it eventually becomes obvious that conditions of social conflict won't dissapear until the underlying origins have been exposed and "healed".
We should aim our efforts in healing and not treating the problem called addictive gambling.
The difference between treating and healing is that in the former, the context remains the same, whereas in the latter, the clinical response is elicited by a change of context as to bring about an absolute removal of the cause of the condition rather than mere recovery from its symptons.
It's one thing to prescribe an anti-hypertensive medication for high blood pressure and it's quite another to expand the patient's context of life so that he stops being angry and repressive all together. Same goes for gambling.
Legislation and law enforcement personel deal with content and they are therefore costly to the society as well as ineffective.

whhooossshh someones been taking psychology class a little to seriously

Truth is I never had any

 

[WAYLANDER]

gfkostas

Your post's are giving me a headache !

Flippin Ell........... i'm off for Pie and Chips


WAYLANDER

 

[gfkostas]

gfkostas

Your post's are giving me a headache !

Flippin Ell........... i'm off for Pie and Chips

 

[MrVan]

Although governments are myopic, to the sensitive observer it eventually becomes obvious that conditions of social conflict won't dissapear until the underlying origins have been exposed and "healed".
We should aim our efforts in healing and not treating the problem called addictive gambling.
The difference between treating and healing is that in the former, the context remains the same, whereas in the latter, the clinical response is elicited by a change of context as to bring about an absolute removal of the cause of the condition rather than mere recovery from its symptoms.

Hey I wrote a paper on that exact topic last year for a class. It was called "Fix the Cause, Not the Problem". I definitely agree, except I feel that the only way to fix the cause starts with disciplining children and controlling their experiences (wow that sounds evil). Had I been forced to clean my room and do more chores as a child I think I would be much more responsible now. On the other hand, the anti-procrastination session i had to take in school in the gifted and talented program (and other classes/teachings of the sort) did nothing for me, and maybe even made me procrastinate more. Life can't be learned with words, only through experience, and experience starts the second you enter this world.

Haha so basically I blame my parents. (just kidding)

 

[Darem1]

My two cents

Well, I might as well put in my two cents. First, congrats to Amatrine on the new job. I have been working in a "mens' field" for many years.
May you have many many productive years and good health from now on!
To MrVan I say run, don't walk to your counselor's office and switch your major to mathematics. Mathematics is the basis for EVERYTHING. I truly believe that our universe is based on some type of divine mathematical matrix. Some day this will be proven, but not in my lifetime. I also have to confess that I have enjoyed online gambling too much, even with the disposable income, and am glad that I no longer gamble online. Some days I get close to opening an Instadebit account but I don't do it because I can't gamble at the casino where I actually won quite a bit (cashing out was another matter) so I don't want to p*ss away money anymore. That being said, I still gamble, but at the "local" Native American casino. Went Sunday. Hubby puts in $20, gets it up to $58 (nickel slots), cashes out, buys a paper and goes outside to wait for me. I put in $100, get it up to almost $300, play it all back here and there. I know he came out ahead, but I had a great time. This is sick. I could have made a quick $200! Or even $100 ahead if I played back only $100. Reading what I just wrote I cannot believe that I have one ounce of intelligence. Thank God I don't have other bad habits or I would be in a real mess. Yet I think about all the fun I had online, especially when I would win........

 

[Westland Bowl]

I knew a looong time ago that gambling was a losing proposition in the long run for a large majority of people. I can never ever count on ME being the one to win the million dollar slot jackpot when the odds are so great.

So I never ever stepped into a casino until a co-worker wanted someone to go with him to Tunica MS when we had an assignment in Memphis TN. I wanted to experience the casino atmosphere so I set a limit of $35 to lose then I would quit.

We went to Sam's Town and played slots to begin with. I was up a considerable amount of dirty quarters then we went to the buffet. Afterwards, my luck changed and lost all my winnings and the $35. Yes, I did quit and never spent another dime there but just stolled around to experience the rest of the casino. I saw a lady who had the slots aisle to herself and was spending $20 a spin. She was attended to personnally by a butler-looking guy to fetch drinks, cigs, whatever. My co-worker didn't win anything at craps.

I never thought again about gambling until I came across a blurb about the martingale progression. I thought, "Wow, that seems like a good plan....just how often do you lose 7 or 8 blackjack hands in a row?" (ok, I just now picked myself off the floor laughing at my naive thinking I had back then.) That got me into online gambling through the money management angle. I did ok for about a week and then weird hands would come out and bam, the martingale busted me. I couldn't believe it! I had so many questions going through my mind......"If these were random cards, shouldn't I have a mix of wins and losses?", "How is it that I get 10 or more losses in a row? Does that happen in a real casino?", etc. I've gotten enough 20 hands beaten by the dealer's 21 to quit online gambling for a year.

Last year, in the fall, I returned to online gambling to try it again. But nothing changed. The "randomness" question was burning into my mind this time, especially after experiencing 18 losing hands in a row at Lasseters. I felt that there is an inherent flaw in online gambling in that we don't SEE the cards but we are to trust the casinos that they aren't changing the card values after we make our bets. I was about to quit online gambling again if I couldn't trust that the cards were random.

After doing a bit of researching on this issue, I came across the Cipher software that visually shows the results of your blackjack hands. Per his instructions scattered across several gambling forums, I could see patterns to the results of the blackjack hands and therefore an edge is obtained through recognizing this. Hence I'm still here a year later.

I can't say I'm in profit after all of this. The software mentioned above certainly helps me to get an edge and win but, dang, it's the damn greed that makes me take bigger risks than I should. I always thought that I'm not a greedy person.....because I never ACTIVELY short-changed anyone else or did manipulative schemes to pull people's money for my sake. Nor did I lusted or coveted after anyone else's money. But greed is deceptive.....it can hide behind the facade that "you are just following your system's rules which calls for this size of a bet." In other words, you justify your greed by blindly following your system.

I actually lost $1193 one time simply because I wanted to reach a nice round $1200 in my bankroll....I was greedy for that $7. Many times I have recovered from steep losses to only continue to play and suffer steeper losses....I should have just accepted that the session is just not going to go my way and take a small loss on it.

Anyway, without an edge, I would not be gambling, period. With an edge, you have to recognize greed and know your limits.

 

[Scounselor]

Angst!

I'm hearing alot of angst here. Although I am new to online casino gambling, I relate. Heck, I won with FREE no deposit, and also free bonus money (max. deposit $30.00)...don't ask me how I managed to do that....three times...and when I gambled away the REAL CASH the free stuff turned into...I felt....angst! I could have withdrawn that money and ...paid down bills...bought something I wanted...anything. But...the real cash was soon gone when Lady Luck suddenly turned against me...and as soon as I lost the last dollar of it...I thought, "WHY did I do that?" I picked a very good friend of mine and told her that the NEXT TIME I accidentally win...(sum of xx$'s)...I will call her and she will tell me....to withdraw. I decided I need a buddy to slap me silly before I tell myself I can parlay this sum into a bigger sum...because...at that high winning peak...seems I go into a loosing spiral. Everytime I expect the next gamble will turn it all around. It never does. Geese-Louise, I had no idea one could feel so bad after loosing even virtual no deposit money (when you get lucky with a few spins and it turns into real/virtual money)! Thank you for listening and for sharing.

 

[babs7262]

my 2 cents

Mr Van
I think it's great that you can post this thread!! kudos to you!!! I guess for some odd reason my OCD actually helps me control myself. I could see myself going nuts. I learned my lesson 3 years ago when I went to Atlantic City and was on a losing streak. I went through so much money, I couldnt tell my husband for the longest time.

Ive been doing very well since that time. I set a budget and 2 1/2 hour time slots a day for gambling (excuse the pun). I wake up with my coffee and play for a 1/2 hour and play again before bed BUT..only if I dont lose in the morning. I lost this morning ($30, but hey, we all have our limits) so now Im not allowed to play before bed. I only give myself $100 a week, Like I said, I play for the enjoyment, I have no expectation of "hitting the big one" Im human though, and there has been times if I win, I play bigger wages and catch myself before it's too late.

We all have things in life that we fall tempation to, some people it's shopping, some it's food, some it's drugs and some it's gambling. I think it is wonderful that you can admit that it is taking over your life and you are becoming unhappy. I think you should take a break as I did 3 years ago. I guess it's like that first high people chase with drugs. If you win the first time you gamble, chances are you will have some problems. I wish you the best of luck and take advantage of the time you have. Life is too short to be unhappy and to fill voids that leave bigger holes in your heart. You will find yourself in time and find out what the void is and eventually when you heal, maybe you can play for enjoyment instead out of loss of self control.

Ive been there with other things, I think that Is why I have a handle on it. I have had a very huge life for my age and alot of it was not good. In all of the bad, alot of good ended up coming out though...the good will shine through brighter each day you have control. Take one day at a time. Don't say you will never gamble again PLEASE dont do that. Just say "im not gonna gamble today, I think Ill play golf today" or something else you enjoy. If you slip, it's ok....there will be another day when you wake up the next morning to start over.

Good Luck and God Bless
Barbara

 

[Peaceful1]

Heck, I won with FREE no deposit, and also free bonus money (max. deposit $30.00)...don't ask me how I managed to do that....three times...and when I gambled away the REAL CASH the free stuff turned into...I felt....angst! I could have withdrawn that money and ...paid down bills...bought something I wanted...anything. But...the real cash was soon gone when Lady Luck suddenly turned against me...and as soon as I lost the last dollar of it...I thought, "WHY did I do that?"

Certainly glad I'm not the only one.. worst/stupidest series of decisions I made was when I was given $5 (bonus comps) to play WITH NO PLAYTHROUGH, got it up to $200 ($200 free without having to spend a dime)...and LOST IT BACK. I guess the only thing I kept telling myself was that it was money I never had in the first place anyway, but then again..it's MONEY I COULD'VE HAD!!

But you can't dwell on this stuff because that's when the bad feelings set in.. you just take it at "face value" and learn from it...instead of saying "I shouldn't have done that", say "I won't do it again" and, I know its hard, but this has to be your mantra in gaining control/balance.

 

[Peaceful1]

Well..another to add to that (and this is speaking from experience)..don't let the Winning Screenshots get you down too much...you don't know if that poster ended up reversing their withdrawal and lost it back!!!

 

[bpb]

I I thought, "Wow, that seems like a good plan....just how often do you lose 7 or 8 blackjack hands in a row?" (ok, I just now picked myself off the floor laughing at my naive thinking I had back then.)


After doing a bit of researching on this issue, I came across the Cipher software that visually shows the results of your blackjack hands. Per his instructions scattered across several gambling forums, I could see patterns to the results of the blackjack hands and therefore an edge is obtained through recognizing this. Hence I'm still here a year later.

I can't say I'm in profit after all of this. The software mentioned above certainly helps me to get an edge and win but, dang, it's the damn greed that makes me take bigger risks than I should. I always thought that I'm not a greedy person.....because I never ACTIVELY short-changed anyone else or did manipulative schemes to pull people's money for my sake. Nor did I lusted or coveted after anyone else's money. But greed is deceptive.....it can hide behind the facade that "you are just following your system's rules which calls for this size of a bet." In other words, you justify your greed by blindly following your system.

I actually lost $1193 one time simply because I wanted to reach a nice round $1200 in my bankroll....I was greedy for that $7. Many times I have recovered from steep losses to only continue to play and suffer steeper losses....I should have just accepted that the session is just not going to go my way and take a small loss on it.

Anyway, without an edge, I would not be gambling, period. With an edge, you have to recognize greed and know your limits.

You're still naive.

Greed has nothing to do with why you're losing. It's the fact that you don't have an edge. Cipher's system (program, theory, etc.) does nothing to change the house advantage of the games you are playing. If there was a pattern to be exploited in an online casino's RNG, you would be able to clearly describe and define your edge in mathematical terms.

Do not fool yourself, you are losing because you are playing negative expectation games. You are supposed to lose in the long run unless you do something to create an advantageous situtation (through bonuses, promotions, mistakes in a casino's implementation, etc.)

The only greed you're exhibiting is believing that a nebulous system is creating an edge for you. Rule of thumb ... if you can't precisely define that edge, it doesn't exist.