2 ms·

The "right" way to gamble is to decide how much fun gambling is and how much it's worth to you and then spend that amount. Like for example I could go skydiving

by CPLX 9y ago

The "right" way to gamble is to decide how much fun gambling is and how much it's worth to you and then spend that amount. Like for example I could go skydiving for $350 or play a few hours of blackjack and poker for that much and decide to choose the latter. So you spend that much to get the expected result. Sometimes you bust out quickly, sometimes you make money, just like sometimes you see a bad movie or concert for full price. But as long as the calculation is actually utility all is well. Of course in practice that's hard to do, our brains aren't quite wired for it.

matwood 9y ago
Exactly! I love playing craps. The ups and downs are a big rush, plus it is super social. I set my personal limits pretty low so I cannot play much anymore in the bigger casinos where minimums are $25+. Find a smaller casino with $2 minimums, a rowdy crowd, and it's a great time :)
wastedhours 9y ago
Yep, same for me, my mum taught me as a kid that you should never aim to come out of a casino with money. Your wager is your investment in the fun of that experience, take £20 in to play an hour on the 1p/line slots. In the same way I play the lottery, don't expect to win, but for me the cost is worth it for the moments of daydreaming I get from it.
turc1656 9y ago
Yes, totally agree with this. This is the most appropriate way to gamble. The casinos are viewed as an entertainment industry, and that's exactly what people should treat them as. For me, I realized years ago that even when I won, I didn't enjoy playing. That was an odd observation/realization to experience when it finally occurred to me. I was down in New Orleans for a bachelor party and we all won a bunch of money because the table was hot - everyone roughly made enough to pay for their trip. Which was great. But then I realized that even though I was thrilled that I just got a free trip, it occurred to me I didn't actually enjoy the experience (time spent) of winning the money. I derived little to no entertainment/pleasure from it as it was happening, even though the process was addicting. Luckily, we managed to all agree to leave while we were up big. I think if most people actually sat down and thought about it, I think they would find the same true for them. Ever actually looked at gamblers when they are playing? They all look miserable. High stakes, low stakes, slots, table games, doesn't matter. Most of them look miserable yet remain there.

by CPLX 9y ago

matwood 9y ago

Exactly! I love playing craps. The ups and downs are a big rush, plus it is super social. I set my personal limits pretty low so I cannot play much anymore in the bigger casinos where minimums are $25+. Find a smaller casino with $2 minimums, a rowdy crowd, and it's a great time :)

wastedhours 9y ago

Yep, same for me, my mum taught me as a kid that you should never aim to come out of a casino with money. Your wager is your investment in the fun of that experience, take £20 in to play an hour on the 1p/line slots. In the same way I play the lottery, don't expect to win, but for me the cost is worth it for the moments of daydreaming I get from it.

turc1656 9y ago

Yes, totally agree with this. This is the most appropriate way to gamble. The casinos are viewed as an entertainment industry, and that's exactly what people should treat them as. For me, I realized years ago that even when I won, I didn't enjoy playing. That was an odd observation/realization to experience when it finally occurred to me. I was down in New Orleans for a bachelor party and we all won a bunch of money because the table was hot - everyone roughly made enough to pay for their trip. Which was great. But then I realized that even though I was thrilled that I just got a free trip, it occurred to me I didn't actually enjoy the experience (time spent) of winning the money. I derived little to no entertainment/pleasure from it as it was happening, even though the process was addicting. Luckily, we managed to all agree to leave while we were up big. I think if most people actually sat down and thought about it, I think they would find the same true for them. Ever actually looked at gamblers when they are playing? They all look miserable. High stakes, low stakes, slots, table games, doesn't matter. Most of them look miserable yet remain there.