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The "how much have you lost gambling" topic
- Thread starter Cubsfan23
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I lost no dollars and gained $70 or something. Gambling just doesn't hook me like that. Now if it were gambling for fun, then yeah, I lost something in the realm of eighteen billion cojillion million corillion quillion brimstonion prillion dillion dollars.
I totally blame Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball for that.
I totally blame Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball for that.
Lifetime, I'm pretty close to even. My worst gambling outing, I lost $200, and I've won $50-100 on a couple of trips. I guess I don't care enough to keep exact numbers...
As to how to cut into the losses, I don't know if there is a quick fix. Expectation value means that the more you play, the more you lose...unless you're very lucky. Try to avoid online gambling, and stick to games where the house edge isn't so daunting (blackjack or craps). Sports gambling is the kiss of death, as far as I can tell -- I don't know anyone who does well at it over a long period of time.
As to how to cut into the losses, I don't know if there is a quick fix. Expectation value means that the more you play, the more you lose...unless you're very lucky. Try to avoid online gambling, and stick to games where the house edge isn't so daunting (blackjack or craps). Sports gambling is the kiss of death, as far as I can tell -- I don't know anyone who does well at it over a long period of time.
Wellington
BAAAALLLINNN'
I've won more than I have lost, luckily, but in total I'd say I've lost around $1300. 
IAmtheFMan
Member
Most I lost was 300 dollars, break even otherwise, except for my first time at Vegas where I went up 1100; so I'm up total about 800 dollars or so.
Lifetime probably down a couple hundred. Only started really studying the game itself(Hold'Em) in the past year. Purchased a few books and have tested different ways of playing. Since learning about the game more, I've generally finished up. I dropped too much money when I used to go on the boat. Playing $3/$6 just like our local game really hurt me
Best way to "gamble" is w/ friends, card games, leagues, etc. That way there's no house take of the pot and if you lose you at least don't lose it to the millionaires who own casinos, etc., just regular schmucks like you and usually everyone is at a very similar level. Just a much better, much more fun atmosphere. Nothin' more fun than me and my friends putting down 10, 20 bucks and playing poker all night.
Well, quitting is probably the best bet. I've never had luck with sports betting myself, and casino gambling, well, long term you are going to lose since the odds are against you.
Only gambling I've had luck with is poker, mostly online since I don't live near a casino. There are so many bad poker players out there that can make poker profitable for a decent player. You do have to be a disciplined player though, and play at a comfortable stake level, and it takes some time to become a good player. All that being said, some people never seem to take to poker (like my one friend that loves to gamble, just can't sit at a poker table without playing most hands, and naturally loses).
Amazingly, I might be getting somewhat close to even (probably within $1000 of even) gambling for my lifetime. This is thanks to a good run of online poker, and an amazing run at online blackjack once. Plus, since no gambling at all in north carolina, I am pretty much stuck to online poker, which I do ok at.
Only gambling I've had luck with is poker, mostly online since I don't live near a casino. There are so many bad poker players out there that can make poker profitable for a decent player. You do have to be a disciplined player though, and play at a comfortable stake level, and it takes some time to become a good player. All that being said, some people never seem to take to poker (like my one friend that loves to gamble, just can't sit at a poker table without playing most hands, and naturally loses).
Amazingly, I might be getting somewhat close to even (probably within $1000 of even) gambling for my lifetime. This is thanks to a good run of online poker, and an amazing run at online blackjack once. Plus, since no gambling at all in north carolina, I am pretty much stuck to online poker, which I do ok at.
Mike Works
Member
When it comes to throwing away money for scratch and win tickets, lifetime, I've probably only lost like... $500 or so. When it comes to gambling on sports, I've probably made about $750. When it comes to gambling with cards/slots, I've probably made about $300. So I'm close to even too.
I once went to a casino south of here, lost $5 on slots, then came home. I'm not big on the notion of spending money on stuff I can't have later, so I'm not much on gambling.
My mom, on the other hand... she lost $60,000 in one year playing at online casinos. SHE'S HARDCORE SHE'S HARDCORE
My mom, on the other hand... she lost $60,000 in one year playing at online casinos. SHE'S HARDCORE SHE'S HARDCORE
MaverickX9
Member
I've lost like $100 at online poker.
It started out nicely, as I was up $80 at one time. Then I cashed out the original money I put in in the first place. However, I quickly lost that $80 and I proceeded, out of blind rage, to put in another $50...followed by another $50.
I always make one stupid ass play that always screws me over.
It started out nicely, as I was up $80 at one time. Then I cashed out the original money I put in in the first place. However, I quickly lost that $80 and I proceeded, out of blind rage, to put in another $50...followed by another $50.
I always make one stupid ass play that always screws me over.
I'm in Vegas every month. Luckily, I'm not a gambler and hardly ever play. The last 3 months though, I've played a little and came out winning between $100-200 each trip. As soon as I'm up $100-200 I quit because I know that I've paid for my trip with the winnings and don't really care to gain much more. I know the more I gain, the more I will eventually lose later.
Tommie Hu$tle
Member
Lifetime, I'm probably down $600.00 to 1000 or so. I've had days where I've won upwards of 3k and lost about the same.
As far as "managing" the habit. I can't say. I for one don't play on online casinos I'm oldschool and I like the feel of being around people when I gamble. Online makes it feel like more of a "game" than it is also you don't have that visceral reaction when you see real cash leave your hands never to return again.
I like playing in casions with real money that is a great way IMO to control your spending.
As far as "managing" the habit. I can't say. I for one don't play on online casinos I'm oldschool and I like the feel of being around people when I gamble. Online makes it feel like more of a "game" than it is also you don't have that visceral reaction when you see real cash leave your hands never to return again.
I like playing in casions with real money that is a great way IMO to control your spending.
Doesn't always work, doesn't go according to the original plan most of the time. And I've worked for over a year in a very high profile offshore sportsbetting agency (was line-man actually) so I know what I'm talking about.Cubsfan23 said:
Myself?! I think I've won over $500 when I still worked there, mostly big games like finals and world cup. Couldn't actively bet as work took a lot of time and energy. Don't like casinos that much anymore, as you can never beat them. A casino is a company, which needs profit to be succesful. The odds are always against you (except for a few card games) -- Give me sportsbetting anyday. It's one or the other, no random number generator or something.
JoatesDogg187, don't gamble when you're underage. When it's time to withdrawl they can be really bitchy about you sending in proof that you're "JoatesDogg187" -- Once they see you're underage, say byebye to your money.
robertsan21
Member
Hey cubsfan i remember meeting you on an online poker client, havent seen you since then. i do not play poker online but it was my job to be testing the hardware as i work for that online betting company.
i am + alot on my personal betting, i think i am about 6K up on my sportsbetting.
i do not play on casino and poker.
i am + alot on my personal betting, i think i am about 6K up on my sportsbetting.
i do not play on casino and poker.
robertsan21
Member
Cubsfan23 said:
well most of the bonuses you get you will have to turnover acouple of times before you can withdraw them to your bank account.
McLesterolBeast
Member
Over the past 2 years, I'm up roughly $3,500 from poker (mostly from a 2,500 tournament win last week). I got lucky with the tournament, but ive been consistently (on average) up with friends and at casinos otherwise.
From other card games and machines at casinos, from what i remember i _feel_ that im up, but since i havent kept detailed records of those wins/losses it's probably on account of the fact that i more vividly remember the winning situations. More likely than not im down, but not for large amounts since i very rarely play table games or slots and when i do, it's for small amounts. I'd guess that im down $200 or $300 at most, at best - im marginally up.
From scratch cards im down, probably in the area of $100 from when i was much younger.
At bingo (yes, bingo), im up probably approximately $1,500, if not more. I'm still not sure if it's attributable to retardedly good luck, or the fact that most of the old people who play are too senile to recognize that they've won, making those of us who aren't senile far more likely to win. I've won a $1,000 prize on three different occasions, though it was split all but one time with a friend. I've won $500 multiple times, though same with the splitting.
I'd say that poker is the only thing that's sustainable. Sports betting, table betting, scratch cards and slots are all losing games, no matter what any one persons results may suggest and no matter what that person may say. I'm not sure about bingo. The power of old lady senility may be strong.
From other card games and machines at casinos, from what i remember i _feel_ that im up, but since i havent kept detailed records of those wins/losses it's probably on account of the fact that i more vividly remember the winning situations. More likely than not im down, but not for large amounts since i very rarely play table games or slots and when i do, it's for small amounts. I'd guess that im down $200 or $300 at most, at best - im marginally up.
From scratch cards im down, probably in the area of $100 from when i was much younger.
At bingo (yes, bingo), im up probably approximately $1,500, if not more. I'm still not sure if it's attributable to retardedly good luck, or the fact that most of the old people who play are too senile to recognize that they've won, making those of us who aren't senile far more likely to win. I've won a $1,000 prize on three different occasions, though it was split all but one time with a friend. I've won $500 multiple times, though same with the splitting.
I'd say that poker is the only thing that's sustainable. Sports betting, table betting, scratch cards and slots are all losing games, no matter what any one persons results may suggest and no matter what that person may say. I'm not sure about bingo. The power of old lady senility may be strong.
robertsan21
Member
McLesterolBeast said:
you must be joking?
Your telling me that casino is not a loosing buissnes?
bingo is not a matter of chance and luck?
the house always wins in the end, you will see!
sportsbetting is the best way to make money on, IF you know what your doing!
but 99% of the people that bet does not know what they are doing!
its not about luck its pure information and odds that makes you win money in the end!
i been working in the sportsbetting buissnes for 5 years now and i see alot of stupid people who lose alot of money on it, not to talk about the online casinos that some poor guy places his "food" money on.
all i can say is do not bet if you dont have sources within the sports world that can give you info about injuries and other useful information.
i am lucky as i work with a company that gets all the info, see what the pro punters bet on and we can see what games are fixed.
so thats how i make a profit, sportsbetting is a fulltime job and the few people that are good at it makes shit loads of money!
Doom_Bringer
Banned
$0
At the age of about 24 I was introduced to Las Vegas (I am currently 34).
I brought about $1000 cash and lost that plus another $1000 off credit cards on that first trip. I love playing Blackjack, I will win a lot... and I mean $1000 can turn into $3000 quickly.
Anyways, that first trip opened up a world of problems. Nothing major, I could still pay my bills... I just have a major achilles heal... I don't stop.
Every time I go to a casino on a trip (Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, St. Marteen) I have won. I just never stop... and my other problem, I start betting bigger.
So, over the years I have won tons and lost tons... My second trip, I brought $1000 and lost it right away... took another $1000 off the credit card and hit a $3000 dollar winner in slots. So I now have $4000... I start betting $200, $500 hands... doubling down for $1000 and I lost that $4000 and another $1000 of my own and left $3000 down.
But when I met my wife, she told me gambling or me... and I gave up all gambling in Illinois (boats, sports, etc.) and only gambled on trips.
Anyways, she is also my savior... our pre-marriage trip to Puerto Rico I won $1000 right off the bat and she made me get up... I ended up paying for the whole trip with winnings.
Our honeymoon, I won $1800 and payed for the entire trip with winnings. And our last trip to St. Marteen, I won just under $1000 and she stopped me.
I do feel I have a gambling problem, but she knows it, I know it and we work with it... We both feel I can have fun gambling, but knowing my problem we can get up and walk away.
I brought about $1000 cash and lost that plus another $1000 off credit cards on that first trip. I love playing Blackjack, I will win a lot... and I mean $1000 can turn into $3000 quickly.
Anyways, that first trip opened up a world of problems. Nothing major, I could still pay my bills... I just have a major achilles heal... I don't stop.
Every time I go to a casino on a trip (Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, St. Marteen) I have won. I just never stop... and my other problem, I start betting bigger.
So, over the years I have won tons and lost tons... My second trip, I brought $1000 and lost it right away... took another $1000 off the credit card and hit a $3000 dollar winner in slots. So I now have $4000... I start betting $200, $500 hands... doubling down for $1000 and I lost that $4000 and another $1000 of my own and left $3000 down.
But when I met my wife, she told me gambling or me... and I gave up all gambling in Illinois (boats, sports, etc.) and only gambled on trips.
Anyways, she is also my savior... our pre-marriage trip to Puerto Rico I won $1000 right off the bat and she made me get up... I ended up paying for the whole trip with winnings.
Our honeymoon, I won $1800 and payed for the entire trip with winnings. And our last trip to St. Marteen, I won just under $1000 and she stopped me.
I do feel I have a gambling problem, but she knows it, I know it and we work with it... We both feel I can have fun gambling, but knowing my problem we can get up and walk away.
McLesterolBeast
Member
Games that are played against the house aren't beatable. The two i mentioned as beatable are not.
If you have inside information, it has to be information that is unknown to proline, or whatever betting agency you're using, to be effective. Unless _you're_ the booky, that is. It's a lot like a stock market, where the going rate or in this case, the paid odds, are determined by all known relevant information. The vast, vast majority of success cases are prolonged statistical irregularities. Proline makes it their business to offer bad bets exclusively. Knowing what the "pros" know is effectively worthless if the professionals have factored it into their paid odds. An uninformed bet is, honest to god, insignificantly worse off than an informed bet. The only way to profit is to know more than the professionals know.
WasabiKing
Member
Rorschach said:
So true! My worst Vegas weekend ever had me short $300, but I was down at $1500 at one point.
robertsan21
Member
McLesterolBeast said:
i work for a bookie. and i am an odds compiler for Japanese football league and Tennis.
yes your right it is much like a stockmarket, and i love my job.
Information about if a match is fixed comes from the players themselfs and people that know players, judges or other officials for that sport, bet on the event.
being a succesful bookie you have to work with the best of the best on each diffrent sport that you offer odds on so you get all the infromation on all the diffrent leagues around the world.
bookies do know employ stupid people they want to make money and its up to the odds compliers to make it happen, its on their shoulders the blame will be if they loose money.
a bookie mostly knows everything that goes on, or atleast they should know what is going on in the market.
they who dont, do not survive long in this buissnes
but as i said sports betting is not a matter of luck its knowledge and information!
but as i also said you have to work within the bookie world to be sucessful.
and you also have to have a betting budget that you can never break, 2,5 % of your total betting cash should you bet and not a dime more no matter what the odds are.
and never do multiples, you should always bet singles.
its called flat betting and if you always bet to the best odds avaliable on the market you cant go minus in the end!
but to be able to bet at the best odds avaliable you have to have alot of diffrent bookies, i have about 25 accounts on diffrent bookies, some bookies have even started to rejekt my bets as i am a great punter and they dont want to loose more money, so what you do in that case you open an new account from a driffren IP and in another name so you can continue betting with them
robertsan21
Member
Cubsfan23 said:
well i asked you if your the cubsfan from GAF and you said yes.. oh well doesnt matter.
McLesterolBeast
Member
If you work as a bookie, it's obviously different - seeing as you're the one giving people shitty bets. I know friends who've done the same. You can often give people outrageously bad bets. Only problem is, you need a way to enforce debts (same friend who ran a bookie business has fucked over other bookies that couldnt enforce his debts) and you have to be making pretty substantial profits to justify the risk of getting caught.
I dont see why anyone would ever need an odds compiler though. The major sports betting businesses already have them worked out for you and basically. Just take the odds they pay for a given event (team A beats team B), subtracted from the opposite (team B beats team A) and that pretty much gives you the information to figure out the cut that they're taking off per bet. As long as you never pay better than those values, you'll be good. Manipulate the numbers around a bit, and you can fool the average idiot sports fan into thinking they're favorable bets. You can even shave an additional percentage point or two off from what the big companies are charging and get away with it.
I dont see why anyone would ever need an odds compiler though. The major sports betting businesses already have them worked out for you and basically. Just take the odds they pay for a given event (team A beats team B), subtracted from the opposite (team B beats team A) and that pretty much gives you the information to figure out the cut that they're taking off per bet. As long as you never pay better than those values, you'll be good. Manipulate the numbers around a bit, and you can fool the average idiot sports fan into thinking they're favorable bets. You can even shave an additional percentage point or two off from what the big companies are charging and get away with it.
robertsan21
Member
McLesterolBeast said:
having real people sitting around managing their own leagues is better, you get more updated info about a teams form, you can have a better odds on the market, that results in make more money for the bookie, i dont know of one single bookie that does not have their own odds compilers.
you must be talking about something totaly diffrent from what i am talking about.
i live in europe and the betting here is probably alot diffrent than it is over in the states, if youtelling me that they do not have odds compilers.
line betting is diffrent, for that you do not need a seperate odds compiler but for 1X2 betting you need it.
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