Author Topic: Do you like to gamble?  (Read 13416 times)

Lessa

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Do you like to gamble?
« on: January 24, 2018, 06:01:00 PM »
Personally I adore only playing poker sometimes. What about you? And are there any heavy players?

Sarah Saverdink

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2018, 06:44:04 PM »
I played a slot machine while waiting for my plane at Las Vegas airport years ago... That is the extent of my gambling career :)

For some reason, gambling makes me very nervous and is not enjoyable. Even play-money gambling (ie fun corporate events where they give you chips at the beginning of a "casino night" celebration event) are stressful. I'm apparently fairly risk-averse. #buzzkill

gooki

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2018, 02:57:10 AM »
I like to gamble, but I do not like the sense of addiction it brings. So I avoid it.

Roger D

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2018, 04:16:12 AM »
In the UK there is one somewhat-mustachian form of gambling, called Premium Bonds. You buy some Premium Bonds, and if you don't win the million-pound monthly top prize you can get your money back.

MasterStache

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2018, 07:44:44 AM »
Nope. Long history of gambling addiction in my family. It's destroyed marriages and fractured our family. I avoid at all cost.

Dave1442397

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2018, 08:01:55 AM »
The most I do is buy a single lottery ticket for Powerball and Mega Millions when we do our grocery shopping on Saturdays.

My first time in a casino was when my extended family dragged me to one in December 1987. I said I'd spend a $20 roll of quarters and that's it. I had $8 left when I hit the jackpot on the slot machine. I won $125 (I was only playing one quarter at a time). I converted the quarters to folding money and quit playing, $113 ahead of where I started.

I've been in casinos a lot since then, but never played again.

PoutineLover

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2018, 08:04:01 AM »
I don't like to lose money, so in general I don't like to gamble. The few times I've been to a casino, I've decided to spend a certain amount (20-50 bucks) and played til it's gone or I'll buy some rounds if I win. Slots are boring, I lose too fast at poker or blackjack, so it's usually roulette.
I went to Las Vegas once and boy it's depressing seeing slot machines literally everywhere and people who just sit there pressing a button over and over all day every day.

trollwithamustache

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2018, 08:07:28 AM »
A  buddy and I used to fancy we can count cards and play systematic blackjack. The justification being its not gambling anymore because we are so smart...   :)

Lis

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2018, 08:40:51 AM »
I went to the races for the first time this past summer, and I admit that was pretty fun. We went in expecting to lose whatever we put in (I think I put in $20, he put in $40) and that was the price of the afternoon. We ended up walking out with winnings, but we know that was sheer luck. That was fun and I would do it again occasionally.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2018, 08:44:42 AM »
Nope. Not at all.  I actually despise poker night.

Inaya

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2018, 09:50:55 AM »
Nope. I have bad luck. My husband's father wouldn't even let me stand near him in a casino because he'd always be winning until I walked up. Blew through $100 (not my money, and hubs' dad insisted--this was before he knew I was a walking slots curse) in like 5 minutes on a slot machine and I don't think I won back more than $1-2, if that.

I might enjoy buying a scratcher from time to time, but I get too stressed out about picking the wrong things to scratch off that it's totally not worth it.

Rubic

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2018, 11:47:12 AM »
Nope.  I'll take calculated risks if the odds are in my favor, but I don't
consider that gambling.

For example, I've never bought a lottery ticket.

My feeling is that if I lack the discipline in small matters, I'll develop
bad habits that carry over in large matters.

FI4good

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2018, 12:57:50 PM »
My stockbroker gave me a £10,000 rotating credit facility i used to buy shares in the morning and sell them in the afternoon, as long as the settlement day was the same it didn't seem to worry them too much.   

I turned over £2.2m in a couple of years but didn't make or loose very much, most or any profit went to charges & taxes. They noticed in late 2007 ( ha ha ) and politely asked me to be a cash buyer only from then on LoL ..

I then tried my hand at spread betting/ trading on margin  .. a couple of times i made £50,000 from a couple of thousand but eventually my luck always ran out, i remember one day a few years back i lost £45,000 in a couple of hours. 

I tried my best to be an active day trader for 7 years, i'm no good at it. So these days i get my kicks out of owning a few shares in firms which i think are great businesses.

Having said that i have always regularly saved into my pensions and invested them in the most unexciting & regular way. I don't want my pension to be thrilling or exciting , Satisfactory is fine . 
« Last Edit: January 25, 2018, 01:00:06 PM by FI4good »

zoltani

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2018, 02:08:39 PM »
If you're gonna gamble DON'T PLAY SLOTS, they're a sucker bet. If you want the game with the odds most stacked in your favor play the pass line on craps, baccarat, or blackjack.

Gambling doesn't appeal to me, but I play some video poker when getting a drink cause i can put $5 in a machine and get two "free" beers at the bar. I live in vegas. 

Beard N Bones

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2018, 02:20:02 PM »
Nope.  I'll take calculated risks if the odds are in my favor, but I don't
consider that gambling.

For example, I've never bought a lottery ticket.

My feeling is that if I lack the discipline in small matters, I'll develop
bad habits that carry over in large matters.


+1 Rubic.  I like the principle/philosophy! 
I like the rare scratch ticket or poker game, but I may have to rethink my position on that now.

simonsez

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2018, 02:29:04 PM »
Yes although slot machines do not interest me in the slightest.  The most similar kind of gambling to that are scratch-offs.  I probably spend about $50 a year on bingo or crossword scratch-offs.  I like going slow and oohing and aahing over every close word or 3/4 in a row that I have with each progressing letter/number.  I see the people who buy scratch-offs and have the clerk scan the bar code right there on the spot without going through the game to see if they won - I don't understand that.

At a casino I enjoy the atmosphere and do not play half the time.  If I do I'll play pai gow poker, craps, or blackjack at a $5 table and sit down with $100 or so.  A few area casinos also have $1 roulette that can be fun to fool around with $5-$10 as you're headed out the door.  I go the casino about 2 or 3 times a year and the horse track probably once every other year.

As far as home games, I run a $5 spades league and a $2 pinochle league, both monthly.  I'm up overall but would continue to do those even if I never finished in the money as a few dollars for a whole evening of cards and engaging the brain while hanging with family and friends is wonderful.  As far as poker, I play irregularly with two different groups, one is a nickel-dime-quarter dealer choice where the swings are usually within +/-$15 and a nickel-dime dealer choice where $4 is the most I've seen anyone lose.  I play those both about once a month and come out even in the long run.  Also have some Hold 'Em tourneys a few times a year that are $10-$20.

I do one fantasy baseball league every year and a few different trivia events for $.  If I'm playing 8-ball or on a golf course, some single digit wagers are likely to be made.

Oh, and I'll probably purchase a few squares for the Super Bowl.

Car Jack

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #16 on: January 25, 2018, 04:20:05 PM »
At a national work meeting, one night we had poker night.  Everyone was given some number of chips and at the end of the night, they would auction off prizes with the chips.  The dealers were really good in that they would explain strategy and help where I could ask if I should hold or what should I do.  I got to the point where I sort of understood the strategy, realized it wasn't fun and put all my chips in on a losing hand (on purpose), lost all the chips and left.

I personally think gambling is stupid. 

lizzzi

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2018, 04:22:26 PM »
I can't stand any kind of gambling. It is boring and stupid. I guess I just lack the gene or something.

stellaban

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2018, 12:41:08 AM »
Playing is the wagering of cash or something of price on an occasion with unsure final results with the number one purpose of triumphing money or material items. gambling thus requires three elements be a gift: consideration, threat, and prize. At stake or risk money, or whatever of price, on the final results of something regarding hazard: to gamble on a toss of the dice. verb (used with the item), gambled, gambling. three. To lose or squander by way of making a bet.

Dicey

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #19 on: January 26, 2018, 02:15:02 AM »
Pardon me for asking, but are you lost? You do understand you're posting this question on a forum about mustachianism?

Mezzie

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #20 on: January 26, 2018, 03:18:42 AM »
I hate gambling.

The first time I visited my husband's hometown (Vegas) while we were dating, he gave me $2 to put in a slot machine since I'd never gambled. I got $40 on one pull. In the 15 or so years since then, I've played a few penny slots while waiting for friends and broken even, so I'm still ahead!

RedefinedHappiness

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #21 on: January 26, 2018, 05:33:51 AM »
Yes. Poker, blackjack and fantasy football. Once I FIRE, I am considering the individual bet fantasy leagues.

caffeine

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2018, 07:30:50 AM »
I love poker. I miss online poker. I used to be able to play on $50 for a month before going broke. I always played the 9 man tournaments. Lots of fun.

Cwadda

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2018, 07:39:36 AM »
I really enjoy gambling, but I consider it more of a hobby. I go into a casino with the 100% expectation I will lose whatever I bring in. Therefore, it's more of an entertainment spending budget, not an actual gambling. Does that make any sense?

GuitarStv

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #24 on: January 26, 2018, 08:35:25 AM »
We went to Las Vegas for a couple days on vacation several years back.  I found a quarter on the floor of a casino and put it in a slot machine.  I lost everything, felt like an idiot for wasting my money, was not entertained, and have never gambled since.  :P

lizzzi

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #25 on: January 26, 2018, 09:38:57 AM »
We went to Las Vegas for a couple days on vacation several years back.  I found a quarter on the floor of a casino and put it in a slot machine.  I lost everything, felt like an idiot for wasting my money, was not entertained, and have never gambled since.  :P

This, almost exactly. I went to Vegas in 1975 with a $20 self-imposed gambling limit. Lost the $20 quickly, felt like an idiot...well, exactly what GuitarSv said.

life_travel

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #26 on: January 27, 2018, 06:08:39 AM »
Went to Vegas in 2010 for a work trip and played slots with $1, just for the experience . I was determined to just spend it and be done but it actually took  20 mins to get to zero :)
Then a couple of years later DH and me went for drinks to our local pub , we exchanged $10 for coins , split it and wanted to try slots ( as he never tried in his life). After 20 mins or so we only spent $2-3 each , got really bored and stopped . Haven't played any games since :)

cloudo

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #27 on: January 27, 2018, 08:38:05 AM »
I probably gamble more than most on this site.  I play poker, table games, slots, and fantasy football.  I don't play for very high stakes, and my poker winnings usually cover my losses from the other forms of gambling.  It's one of my primary forms of entertainment, I don't travel much or go to many movies or concerts.  I would argue it's actually more economical many other activities if you play smart and take full advantage of the free drinks and promotions. 

BlueMR2

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #28 on: January 27, 2018, 08:44:06 AM »
...only with my life.  Love racing, motorcycles, airplanes, SCUBA, etc.  Am bored to tears with classic gambling games and casinos.  I've tried, I just don't have the patience for it.  I need more action.

lost_in_the_endless_aisle

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #29 on: January 27, 2018, 11:31:33 AM »
I'm surprised at the number of positive responses so far; I expected full MM curmudgeon-mode instead of this!

Gambling is stupid, which is why I recommend it. Making the occasional bad decision and engaging in low-life debauchery connects us to the broad arc of human history and its various triumphs and tragedies. MM adherents tend to be far more logical and calculating than the median person so I think many of our kind can benefit by occasionally trying to live with less science and more art. I don't particularly enjoy gambling itself but I do enjoy gambling as a meta-experience.

simonsez

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #30 on: January 27, 2018, 12:40:44 PM »
Gambling is stupid
I mean, it can be but doesn't that line of thinking ring true for literally every dollar that is spent beyond the bare minimum essential living?  Drink anything besides water?  Eat a meal out somewhere or at home with ingredients that weren't the cheapest? Pay to watch TV or read a book or listen to live music or travel for leisure or surf the Internet?  Live in a bigger shelter or have more clothing than you really need?  Donate money to a charity or church or buy a gift?  I could attempt to live a life where the answer to all of those would be an omnipresent No and be financially independent earlier in life but I enjoy being stupid. YMMV

If I look back at 2017, I came out ahead about $20 for the year on about 200 hours of gambling.  Even if I had lost $20 instead of gained, I think those are very reasonable entertainment costs in terms of hourly cost.  I didn't include bar trivia since it's free and the element of chance involved can be highly subjective but I netted (after splitting net winnings and minus the cost of beer) about $50 personally on that last year.

Plus, a lot of gambling can be zero sum.  If I am with my friends not at a casino and we put a small wager on the outcome of a game or scenario involving chance (that may have varying levels of strategy/skill), there is no rake.  The expected net outcome for the group is $0.

Lastly, I reject that all gambling is a bad decision and considered debaucherous.  Professional poker players, especially many of the young ones, are some the nerdiest mathematicians and logicians on the planet that make a career out of gambling.  Just because someone says they enjoy gambling doesn't mean they are one of those lifeless drones sitting at a slot machine multiple times a week or playing the lottery with far too high a proportion of every paycheck or someone wants to act like a big shot and loses several grand on a trip to Vegas.  I mean, plenty of those people exist but that's not the full gamut of gamblers.

TartanTallulah

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #31 on: January 27, 2018, 09:59:28 PM »
No. To the extent that I won't even buy a tombola ticket or join in office sweepstakes. I've seen too many people whose lives have been affected by gambling, and it's such a ubiquitous and pervasive behaviour that I find it easier to be absolute about it.

libertarian4321

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #32 on: January 28, 2018, 04:17:45 AM »
I like to gamble about as much as I like ramming my head, repeatedly, into a concrete wall.

Turns out, both are equally productive uses of my time.  But at least if I ram my head into a wall, I don't end up broke.

Here's a suggestion.  Next time you feel like gambling, go to the bank and get $100 in $1 bills.  Get a bottle of whisky, and start drinking heavily.  At the same time, take a match and light those bills on fire, one at a time.  When the bottle is empty, collapse onto the couch.

You get the Vegas experience (liquor and stupidly losing all your money) for only $125 ($100 in cash, plus a bottle of Jack Daniels).

I just saved you hundreds in air fare, hotel, travel, etc.  Plus limited your foolish gambling losses to $100. 

You're welcome.

Just Joe

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #33 on: January 28, 2018, 12:55:43 PM »
I bought a lottery ticket about 30 years ago. Didn't win. I watched people gamble before. Losing didn't look like much fun.

So, I really never gamble.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #34 on: January 28, 2018, 08:26:09 PM »
OP, you don't happen to drive a newly acquired Acura NSX, do you?

Rufus.T.Firefly

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #35 on: January 28, 2018, 09:19:46 PM »
OP, you don't happen to drive a newly acquired Acura NSX, do you?

LOL

lizzzi

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #36 on: February 08, 2018, 08:01:47 AM »
One of the widows in our church choir is 82--she thinks gambling is fun--she and her husband used to take those seniors trips to casinos back in the day. Her adult daughter likes to gamble, too, and for a fun vacation drove her mother down to Atlantic City so they could both gamble. Last week the choir member was telling me she felt very sad--her daughter had won $2,000 gambling, and had given her a couple hundred of it to play. So the choir member lost it very quickly--her daughter didn't mind at all--just wanted to give her some money to have fun with. I asked the choir member why she didn't just thank her daughter and use the money for something else...but she kept insisting that gambling is fun, and they just wanted to have fun, and her daughter wanted to give her the money to be gambled for fun...and so on.

Fun???? I like to have fun, too, but this is...Just Asinine!

talltexan

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #37 on: February 08, 2018, 09:21:23 AM »
I've been sneakily undermining the office lottery buy over the past year. When the jackpot gets big, people ask if we want to do it, and I always say, "I'm out of this one, but if there's no winner, I'm organizing the next one."

There's always been a winner. Saved $15 of my own money so far.

zoltani

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #38 on: February 08, 2018, 10:11:45 AM »
Someone in Vegas won $10 million at the sports book betting on the eagles! Casinos took losses on the Superbowl all over town.

Cromacster

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #39 on: February 08, 2018, 10:18:31 AM »
I like some forms of gambling, but honestly most of the forms I participate in it's more due to the social factor.

Blackjack and Fantasy sports are only fun for me when the activity is shared.  Doing those alone is pretty boring, but with the right people they are tons of fun.

I'll buy a powerball when it get's to those crazy numbers, nowadays that seems to be above 500 million.  At that point, why not?

Beard N Bones

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #40 on: February 08, 2018, 10:37:48 AM »
I like some forms of gambling, but honestly most of the forms I participate in it's more due to the social factor.

Blackjack and Fantasy sports are only fun for me when the activity is shared.  Doing those alone is pretty boring, but with the right people they are tons of fun.

I'll buy a powerball when it get's to those crazy numbers, nowadays that seems to be above 500 million.  At that point, why not?

LOL.  Are you trolling us!?!  You see it worth while buying a ticket when the winnings are 500 million plus?!

Cromacster

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #41 on: February 08, 2018, 10:56:21 AM »
I like some forms of gambling, but honestly most of the forms I participate in it's more due to the social factor.

Blackjack and Fantasy sports are only fun for me when the activity is shared.  Doing those alone is pretty boring, but with the right people they are tons of fun.

I'll buy a powerball when it get's to those crazy numbers, nowadays that seems to be above 500 million.  At that point, why not?

LOL.  Are you trolling us!?!  You see it worth while buying a ticket when the winnings are 500 million plus?!

Not trolling.  When the jackpots are that big and the odds of the winning ticket being sold increase, 2$ is a small price to pay.  I won't ever win, but buying maybe two tickets a year doesn't negatively impact me at all.

GuitarStv

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #42 on: February 08, 2018, 11:01:09 AM »
I like some forms of gambling, but honestly most of the forms I participate in it's more due to the social factor.

Blackjack and Fantasy sports are only fun for me when the activity is shared.  Doing those alone is pretty boring, but with the right people they are tons of fun.

I'll buy a powerball when it get's to those crazy numbers, nowadays that seems to be above 500 million.  At that point, why not?

LOL.  Are you trolling us!?!  You see it worth while buying a ticket when the winnings are 500 million plus?!

Not trolling.  When the jackpots are that big and the odds of the winning ticket being sold increase, 2$ is a small price to pay.  I won't ever win, but buying maybe two tickets a year doesn't negatively impact me at all.

Why do you believe that the odds of you winning increase?

simonsez

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #43 on: February 08, 2018, 11:59:24 AM »
I like some forms of gambling, but honestly most of the forms I participate in it's more due to the social factor.

Blackjack and Fantasy sports are only fun for me when the activity is shared.  Doing those alone is pretty boring, but with the right people they are tons of fun.

I'll buy a powerball when it get's to those crazy numbers, nowadays that seems to be above 500 million.  At that point, why not?

LOL.  Are you trolling us!?!  You see it worth while buying a ticket when the winnings are 500 million plus?!

Not trolling.  When the jackpots are that big and the odds of the winning ticket being sold increase, 2$ is a small price to pay.  I won't ever win, but buying maybe two tickets a year doesn't negatively impact me at all.

Why do you believe that the odds of you winning increase?
I'm guessing they just mean expected net value (ignoring ties) rather than just the odds side.

Example: if the odds are a $2 ticket to win the jackpot are 1 in 250 million, the expected net value is negative for everything under $500 million.  Your odds aren't changing at any point.  Above a jackpot value of $500 million, the expected net value is now positive (again, this ignores ties).

Cromacster

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #44 on: February 08, 2018, 12:08:35 PM »
I didn't mean to say the odds of me winning increase.

I'll buy one ticket, so my odds stay the same, but as more tickets are sold the likelihood of a winning ticket being sold are greater.  I'd much rather buy a ticket on the night a winning ticket is sold opposed to buying a ticket and there being no winners.

simonsez is giving me way to much credit.  I really have no rhyme nor reason other than once or twice a year when it's obnoxiously large and I say "what the hell".



Samuel

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #45 on: February 08, 2018, 12:55:15 PM »
We went to Las Vegas for a couple days on vacation several years back.  I found a quarter on the floor of a casino and put it in a slot machine.  I lost everything, felt like an idiot for wasting my money, was not entertained, and have never gambled since.  :P

This, almost exactly. I went to Vegas in 1975 with a $20 self-imposed gambling limit. Lost the $20 quickly, felt like an idiot...well, exactly what GuitarSv said.

Yep, me too. I first went to Vegas for a friend's shotgun wedding when I was 21 or 22. Was super poor and gave myself $40 gambling budget for the whole trip. Lost it all at a blackjack table in what felt like 5 minutes and got up feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. That was the end of my gambling career (other than $20 poker nights with buddies).

Been to Vegas a few times since then for work and haven't gambled a penny. I just eat good food on the company dime and wander the streets (beer in hand, the single best thing about that city) observing the Homo sapiens.


I'm a red panda

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #46 on: February 08, 2018, 01:01:23 PM »
I'll buy one ticket, so my odds stay the same, but as more tickets are sold the likelihood of a winning ticket being sold are greater.  I'd much rather buy a ticket on the night a winning ticket is sold opposed to buying a ticket and there being no winners.

What?  I don't understand the math behind this. Why does it matter if a winning ticket was sold or not if it isn't YOUR ticket?

The expected value arguement makes some sense at least. Never play a game where the EV is negative.

Cromacster

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #47 on: February 08, 2018, 01:11:23 PM »
I'll buy one ticket, so my odds stay the same, but as more tickets are sold the likelihood of a winning ticket being sold are greater.  I'd much rather buy a ticket on the night a winning ticket is sold opposed to buying a ticket and there being no winners.

What?  I don't understand the math behind this. Why does it matter if a winning ticket was sold or not if it isn't YOUR ticket?

The expected value arguement makes some sense at least. Never play a game where the EV is negative.

If it was about math, I wouldn't be playing.  Too much logic trying to be applied to a 2-4$/yr lottery ticket purchase.

Duke03

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #48 on: February 11, 2018, 03:47:20 PM »
Yes.  Just got back from a 3 day casino trip.  Had a great time and can't wait to go back.  We gamble responsibly and practice bankroll management.  Never had a problem making the house payment.

Dicey

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Re: Do you like to gamble?
« Reply #49 on: February 12, 2018, 06:32:03 AM »
Yes.  Just got back from a 3 day casino trip.  Had a great time and can't wait to go back.  We gamble responsibly and practice bankroll management.  Never had a problem making the house payment.
Um, except this is a place devoted to achieving FIRE, not just making house payments.