4 ms·

The saddest thing I ever saw with my own two eyes was at a blackjack table in a smaller, rural casino. I was at a table with my sister and we were playing $5 a

The saddest thing I ever saw with my own two eyes was at a blackjack table in a smaller, rural casino. I was at a table with my sister and we were playing $5 and $10 rounds. A man walked in with a duffel bag on his shoulder. It was a chilly day outside but he was in just jeans and a T-shirt. He walked up to the table, pulled a $100 bill out of an envelope, and put it on the table for a cash play. Busted. -$100. He pulled out another bill and played another round. 17, dealer had 20. -$100. Third and final bill. 20. Dealer blackjack. He didn't say a word, or show dismay, or really have any expression at all. Just slung his bag back over his shoulder and walked out.

eco 6y ago
That actually sounds like a much more healthy way to gamble than spending hours at the table/machine chasing dopamine hits. You can plan how much you are willing to lose in advance and more easily stick to it (rather than after hours of the game and casino feeding you chemicals).
- rriepe 6y ago
  He probably was a gambling addict. They develop weird routines like this to deal with it. I knew a guy that would just walk in and play one round of roulette with everything he had planned to spend there, then walk out win or lose.
  - indigochill 6y ago
    To his credit, if you're compelled to play roulette, that's the optimal way to play. Every spin is stacked against the player (that is, the payout * the odds of hitting a particular bet are all less than 100%), so minimizing the number of spins minimizes the stacking of the odds against winning.
    - rriepe 6y ago
      Yep, that was basically what was going on in his head. He was compelled to go there and gamble but had some control over how. The whole thing reminded me of a methadone clinic.
- glouwbug 6y ago
  No, it’s more like he sold his coat for $300 and left with the last of his belongings in the duffel bag
- ericbarrett 6y ago
  Sure, I guess. The pall it put everybody under killed the table, though. Even the dealer was sad for him, and I assume a dealer at a rural U.S. casino has seen things.
- j4yav 6y ago
  Joylessly losing as much as possible as efficiently as possible, and then leaving? What’s the healthy part? Or do you mean more that it’s less acutely harmful than enjoying the games while you lose?

eco 6y ago

That actually sounds like a much more healthy way to gamble than spending hours at the table/machine chasing dopamine hits. You can plan how much you are willing to lose in advance and more easily stick to it (rather than after hours of the game and casino feeding you chemicals).

rriepe 6y ago
He probably was a gambling addict. They develop weird routines like this to deal with it. I knew a guy that would just walk in and play one round of roulette with everything he had planned to spend there, then walk out win or lose.
- indigochill 6y ago
  To his credit, if you're compelled to play roulette, that's the optimal way to play. Every spin is stacked against the player (that is, the payout * the odds of hitting a particular bet are all less than 100%), so minimizing the number of spins minimizes the stacking of the odds against winning.
  - rriepe 6y ago
    Yep, that was basically what was going on in his head. He was compelled to go there and gamble but had some control over how. The whole thing reminded me of a methadone clinic.
glouwbug 6y ago
No, it’s more like he sold his coat for $300 and left with the last of his belongings in the duffel bag
ericbarrett 6y ago
Sure, I guess. The pall it put everybody under killed the table, though. Even the dealer was sad for him, and I assume a dealer at a rural U.S. casino has seen things.
j4yav 6y ago
Joylessly losing as much as possible as efficiently as possible, and then leaving? What’s the healthy part? Or do you mean more that it’s less acutely harmful than enjoying the games while you lose?