You gamble? You'd better get some help!

[yyz]

I remember back in the good old days, when I liked to wager some cash here, and there.

I would go to the track, hit the casino, or play cards with the boys.

The thing that always pissed me off, was the way "other people" looked at my hobby. If I went to a bar every day after work, and sat there for an hour and a half, but never got drunk, no one would say a fuking word. I would be a "sociable guy". If I spent my time and money fishing, camping, hiking, biking, going to the races, etc........not a peep would be heard from anyone.

But picture this:

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"I was thinking I would head up to the casino on Saturday."

"Weren't you just there last weekend, and about a month before that?"

"Yeah......."

"Man. You better seek some help, before this shit ruins you!"

Ever heard that one? Sure you have! We ALL have!

"You have a bookie? Whoa, somethings not right there, fella!"

This is the only activity I can think of, that has this public stigma. Why are gamblers shit on so often? I see a hell of a lot more degenerates playing bingo, but place a bet on the Vikings and it's: "call GA for this guy!"

Do any of you get this kind of flack?

 

[acehistr8]

I hear that all the time.

Aside from having a fulltime job, I do quite well playing online poker 8-10 hours a week as well as capping games (65% this year on WNBA - dont laugh. No seriously dont laugh, come visit us in the NBA forum. Ok you can laugh, WNBA WAHAHAHA). I hear it all the time.

You know the funny thing? I have friends who have lost 5 figures gambling in the stock market. They invest in stocks or mutual funds without knowing a damn thing. They see some dogshit stock on CNBC and immediately jump in.

Ask yourself this, a lot of us have mutual funds. Could any of you name the fund manager? Could you name more than one of the top 10 holdings in that fund? I doubt many of you could, hell I only know a few.

That, my friends, is also gambling. So if my friend is down 5 figures, he is "looking out for his future" but if I am up 5 figures and put that money towards the downpayment on my house, I "have a problem" or "need to talk to someone"

Hey its in my blood (well partially thats true, my grandfather was the first lottery commisioner in the U.S. in New Hampshire back in 1963) its fun and I happen to be good at it.

As for what to tell people? Well, I havent figured that out yet.

 

[Elegant Lance]

acehistr8,

You tell any prick that puts down your gambling to kiss your ass. (sorry for the language, but it had to be said.)

Gambling is as honorable as any business, if not more. I would trust my bookie more than I trust my VP. I'd rather hang around gamblers than businessmen.

Do any of the people making these comments drink alcohol? I'd bet they do. Then ask them how they can drink. I mean, do they know what alcohol does to people?? It enslaves and kills them. It makes them do terrible, terrible things.

How dare they?

 

[ndnfan]

yyz.....sure sounds like stuff I hear around here all the time. If you bet on sports.."you have a problem" Yet the same people saying this stuff play the 1 in 50 million odds lottery to win 5 million or have money in stocks or retirement plans in stocks....you name it.....Can't stand people when I hear that crap about gambling.

 

[djv]

Stocks have just been mentioned. It is srange how folks gamble and in many cases hell of alot more on stocks and that's ok. Well many are finding out last two years how to spread there cheeks. Yes the cheeks of there ass. Very slow at the far right water cooler at work last two/three months with the scandels in such large companies. We call it the far right water cooler. Because thats all there in love with. Common sense or seeing other sides to anything is not there cup of tea. So when I ever mentioned and I tried not to at work any gambling. Well 'im one of the most dumb ****s there is. They have stayed very clear of me lately. God and im glad of that. Because they are truley some of the biggest dumb ****s I have ever met.

 

[nighthorse]

I need lots of help for my gambling problem..........that's why I come here!!!

 

[Theboundbook]

Most people don't want people to become successful. Really. They want to keep people "down" to their level. Sports handicapping is a skill, and that is why it threatens the general public. We have a skill that they don't. Or that they don't want to spend the time and effort to learn. I do this full time now and have been making money pretty much every month for 14 months straight. Now I cannot say I can live on this alone, but it is a pretty steady income. I figured out last night I have made close to 20,000 in 14 months. I have been as high as 40,000 but became greedy and reckless. Because of the experience and knowledge of people here I have learned nothing comes easy, expectedly, and there is no such thing as a sure thing. I have taken alot of good info from this board and applied it to my gambling and it has paid off. Not as fast as I would like but that is what makes you last - maybe forever. So to those who have "problems" with the everyday bettor, I have this to say:

"There are games for you too; they are called SLOTS, KENO, LOTTERY, & of course BINGO FOR PROFIT!

Have a good one guys and keep up these interesting and sometimes humorous threads.