Do you like to gamble?
 

<iframe width="676" height="380" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjPAYAsyRVs" title="&quot;Big Time Pool&quot; #shorts #movie #cinema" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you're in Lousiville tomorrow, you might want to buy a seat. T Rex (Tony Chohan) is a one pocket specialist, but I'll go with the run out Russian (Fedor Gorst) because of his amazing shot making skills.

https://gorstchohan.com/

Nope. I'm pretty sure that in the last 53 years, I've spent less than $20 on "gambling".
I've bought 2-3 lottery tickets (always at the request of a girlfriend). I spent $6 at Jai Alai in Tampa once. I've never bet on horses or dogs. I think I took <$5 to a buddy's place when I was in my twenties and a bunch of us played cards. That's it.
When I invest, I choose low cost index funds. That's probably as close as I get to gambling.

Doesn't do anything for me. I've gambled some money and knew it was gone before I started.

Other gambles, yes. Buying things.

Way back in 1978 or so, my brother and I decided last minute to go to Reno for Hot August nights. Since we were late going, we couldn't get a room in Reno, so headed south to find a place to stay. We ended up in Virginia City if I recall, and stayed at the Traveler's lodge. In the room we found vouchers for 'free' money at the local casino's so we decided to go play with that money. Got down to our last $3 of 'free' money and were playing the $1 slots right in front of the front doors to the last casino on our list. Hit a $100 jackpot and hooted 'n hollered so loud the poker table behind us all stopped playing wondering what all the commotion was about. That more than paid for our trip.

Never understood the appeal, but it's fascinating to watch people who like gambling, gamble. Something in the DNA or their upbringing, I suppose.

I prefer to lose my money on a sure thing ;)!

Went into a casino on a music cruise once .... bored as hell after just a few minutes.

Went to a dog track with buddies in Fl once ... had 20 Large riding on ten races... that's bucks.

Used to play penny-poker (with coins) ... with buddies .... a few times. Big pot could buy a 12-pack.... back when beer was cheap.

We used to bet on Backgammon in the dorms back in college .... nickle a chip.

I think I've purchased 5 lotto tickets .... if that.

It's not in my DNA :)

I've never been remotely attracted to gambling in any form. We have about three casinos on reservations within ten to twenty five minutes driving time. We go mostly to the nearest one to eat in some of the restaurants once in a while, but they are mostly fairly crowded. I like to see the contrast between the people in the commercials for the casinos and the people you actually see sitting around at the machines and tables. I haven't been to one casino where those people in the commercials are.

Horse racing yes. I'm from a horse racing family.

Card games no.

Casino. Not really, I'm one of the few people who have made money at Sky City casino LOL so I don't to be in the negatives by gambling there again.

If playing the share market is gambling - yes.

The repeated failure and frustration leads to a dopamine high as the body tries to heal.
The higher the stakes, the greater the high.
New earnings are just more chances to get that feeling back.

Boy, isn't that the truth! Indian casinos sponsor big pool tournaments here. It is something to walk past all the slot machines to get to a big room full of 100 pool tables..

Anyway, those playing the slots definitely not the young and attractive people in the TV ads. Nope..mostly seniors (They bring 'em in by the busloads) paying for the sins of their ancestors. Sure doesn't look like fun to me.

Gambling is an inherent part of pool. Probably why casinos host many tournaments...hoping the players head to the casino tables with their winnings. More than a few players are gambling addicted. Not many of the top level players are, though. When they play for money, it's usually backers money at risk, not their own.

I love to watch the top players, appreciate the almost unbelievable skill they have developed. I've never placed a bet...I did back my honorary nephew once, he panting to match up with a top Portland player. This guy insisted on playing for $50 per set, 2 sets, race to 9, 9 ball. After watching some fun pool for two sets, I paid for half the table time. Yep, it was a draw...each winning one set, with my honorary nephew winning one more game than the other guy. My honorary nephew was walking on air when we left the place. The guy he'd broken even with was Portland's #1...

It's all a pecking order thing. Either Cochan or Gorst would shoot the liver out of both my honorary nephew & this other guy.

Guess my point is...when top pool players match up with money at stake, it's not gambling...it's a true contest of skill. It's not hustling when both players are aware of the skill level of their opponent. The gambling is for the backers and those who make side bets.

Anyone driving East on I-15 into Vegas NV and seeing the giant casinos should take note and turn around. Those places were not built on winning gamblers. I freaking hate gambling, my only experience was in the 80's, put 4 quarters in a slot machine and lost them. Looked around at all the detritus sitting in front of slots and gaming tables and made a mental note to never again repeat that mistake.

Additionally LV has tried to appeal to families the last 20 or so years past. A total dirtbag place once you get past the glitz. First time in my life I turned away a glass of wine, family trip with young kids in the big pools, on our way to a BB tournament, a very short pour at double the cost of a similar glass of wine in Del Mar CA.

Sucker bet all day long.

Las Vegas is all about the possibilities of a good time. The gambling is secondary to most people.
Drive your Porsche into the valet, Get dressed up, put on your bling, eat awesome food @ a place like Binions, see some great entertainment (got my Billy Idol tickets), go dancing and get lucky in more ways than one multiple times "all night long" :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqAvFx3NxUM

Only two of you know all the sordid details and you never talk about it till your there again.
What goes on the road stays on the road. Vegas baby!!

I gamble every morning on the MI Lotto gamesite.
Spin to Win is ok...but I have never won anything.
I play the Mega Bucks for $7 a pull...it's fun.
If I win anything...I quit playing.
If I don't win....I quit.

only with my life. I'm currently way up so while I've had ups and downs, it's been a fantastic ride so far. Not for everyone.

Every time I date someone new.....

Only on cars

I always thought gambling was stupid. Done it twice.

First time was on my honeymoon at Tahoe. Wife likes to gamble, and felt bad because I was reading the paper, instead of gambling. Happy wife, happy life, so I gamble until she is ready to leave. Won a few grand, paid for our trip

Second time was in Vegas. Guy I was working for switched our tickets for a conference in Chicago for Vegas. I was just kind of hanging out. Had a drink and wander around. He is at the crap table, wants me to hang out with him. Apparently, you need to have a bet on the table to roll the dice, or you did at this place anyway, could not tell you where, Bellagio maybe. He is trying to get me into gambling, so he puts a minimum bet out there for me, and I am "the shooter" in the parlance of the game. I make about ten rolls before I make my point without throwing craps, which has people excited. The dice get passed around the table, and you go until you lose, pretty much, as the guy with the dice. I am on one side of the croupier, and the guy on the other side of him hit about a dozen rolls before he craps out, so people are getting excited. The dice come back to me, and people start throwing chips on the table, because they think I am going to do the same thing I did the first time I get the dice. Turns out, that well, and a little bit better. Dice get to the guy on the other side of the croupier, hits his dozen rolls, it comes back to me, and I do it again. This went on for like an hour and a half. Then some guy showed up and started betting DON'T PASS and the table went cold. No idea how much that guy I worked for won, but he was laughing when he gave me a couple grand in chips. That POS embezzled money from me, so he tosses me a couple thousand, he probably made 50 or better.


Pretty sure I am the luckiest person on the planet, and it has nothing to do with the gambling stuff.

Kids I grew up with starting to play poker at some coworkers place in their 20s every weekend, then the Vegas trips started. I would go with them for the fun of going and shooting the breeze but only to discovered that they don't talk much at the casinos because concentration was needed. Not nearly as much fun as hanging out in one of their homes. I would throw a hundred bucks or two playing black jacks but I work too hard for my money to donate to their big buildings and plus, I am cheap so I stop after a hundred or two. I don't see the thrill or fun in it? These guys has great jobs, and were single at the time, so dropping a few thousand there was not uncommon but I shake my head. Thankfully they all outgrew it eventually or the get rich scheme just did not working out they realized. I still go to Vegas when I need to drive through the 15 and beyond. I like the cheap but very nice hotels, restaurants are plenty and pretty good. Spend the night and keep driving the next day is about as close to gambling as I get. Oh, we like the shows (kids like the magic shows).

Every few years, I drop 15-20 bucks on the lottery to see if my lucky day to get the new Turbo S. Not yet but it will come soon enough:D

I have a few times - played slots and 21. I get bored with it. You can burn allot of money gambling and yet it is big business. I find it amazing this vice went from a sin to a common place in main street America. I also find it comical when I see or listen to casino and sports book commercials is ended by " got a gambling problem call 1-800- XXXX"

I won a poker tournament in Vegas once.

First and last time I’ll ever play poker.

I was in Vegas about 14 or 15 years ago with 2 university buddies. One guy really wanted to enter a poker tournament, I did not mainly because I had no idea how to play.

Like was stated above, I went in with the mindset that whatever the buy in was would be my donation to the house… I agreed to a $40 buy in at O’Sheas.

The game started with 2 tables of 8. Once each table was down to 4 players, the tables merged. One buddy was out, the other was still in as was I.

There was one ‘shark’ there - if you could call him that. It was at O’Sheas and it was a $40 buy in.

He was systematically going around the table and forcing guys to go all in and he’d take them out. He tried this with me once but whatever my hand was, it was better than his.

By the time the tables merged, almost everyone that was in the game stuck around to watch. The people from my table definitely wanted to see how this would play out as many were knocked out by the ‘shark of the $40 table’…

In the end, it was down to him and me. The dealer said that we could split the winnings if we wanted or play another round. It was 2:00 or so in the morning so I said I was game… the ‘shark’ said he wanted the practice so we played one more round… I made him go all in (I had more chips than he did) and whatever my hand was was way better than his. About 10 people were standing around watching this and all cheered.

I think my winnings were about $360…

The last time I played poker, I won a tournament in Vegas. I’m not sure how but it’s the god honest truth.