Vegas, baby!

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05-30-2010, 05:36 PM
Raistlin

Vegas, baby!

So last week I was on a vacation at a beach house in southern New Jersey. Atlantic City was only ~45 minutes away, so some friends and I decided to drive up there one evening to check it out. Think of Atlantic City as the east coast's ghetto, mini-Vegas wannabe.

Anyway, the point of this post: I did manage to win $50 playing blackjack, which was the first time I had ever gambled at a real casino table. I like playing poker more, but I figured I had a better chance of not losing everything playing blackjack, where I know enough basic strategy (basically, statistics for your cards vs. dealer) to get by.

So, have you ever gambled before? Do you like it? Discuss thoughts and experiences on gambling.
05-30-2010, 06:05 PM
NorthernChaosGod

Hahaha, I really like gambling. I used to play a lot of blackjack and actually managed to live off of it for a couple of months. I count cards.

I haven't gone in a while though, I haven't felt like it nor do I need it as a source of income.
05-30-2010, 06:25 PM
Chris

My older brother have a serious gambling problem, and I mean serious, so I have never even considered trying it myself. I have seen what it can do to people.

I would however love to see Vegas at least once in my life, and make a stop at Reno... My name is Reno, so it would bear special meaning. x)
05-30-2010, 06:59 PM
Madame Adequate

I've never gambled for money (so I guess I've never gambled :shobon:) but I do like a good game of poker. Texas Hold 'Em is my favorite. I'm okay at it, no great shakes.
05-30-2010, 07:38 PM
Rye

ROFL, don't forget that Atlantic is filled with old ladies.
05-31-2010, 05:56 AM
Shlup

I love Vegas! I like walking around, but when I gamble I like video blackjack. I sit at the quarter machines and stack up the free cocktails.

My biggest win was 315 nickels from a slot. :jess:
05-31-2010, 05:58 AM
fire_of_avalon

I have never gambled with anything more than borrowed pennies and clothes, and I don't like to concentrate on things like counting cards or weighing odds. I just like to win stuff.
05-31-2010, 07:41 AM
Miriel

I love gambling!

But I lose my :bou::bou::bou::bou: when I start losing. Panic, terror, utter despair. Even if all I've lost is like $5. Doesn't matter. But winning is like the best high in the world. Cause of the kinda psychotic bi-polar mood gambling puts me in, I try and avoid it. Otherwise I might lose my mind.

World Series of Poker is going on in Vegas right now. Del Murder is going to be in it one day.
05-31-2010, 08:55 AM
Jiro

I'm pretty neat at Texas Hold 'Em. I like to go a few rounds of Blackjack too, but of course I haven't gambled before :(

First thing I do when I turn 18 in a couple months is hit the casino in a fresh suit and a couple hundred and see what I can turn it into.
05-31-2010, 09:24 AM
Raistlin

I also play at my step-dad's weekly poker game when I'm at my mom's. Last summer I was up a total of about $140 from them. They started off playing no-limit Texas Hold 'Em $10 tournaments, but then switched over to a limit cash game. It's more boring, but also less risky. I was kicking ass at the no-limit tournaments, though (won $80 in one night from coming in 1st and 2nd in the two games).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miriel

World Series of Poker is going on in Vegas right now. Del Murder is going to be in it one day.

I enjoy watching the World Series, and could possibly see myself buying in on one of the side tournaments one day. But I cannot imagine spending $10,000 just to play in the main event with 5,000 people.
05-31-2010, 02:05 PM
missaira

i put $10 in a poker machine a few weekends ago, then got bored of it after about two minutes and retrieved $9. of the dollar i played i won 32c. woo me.
05-31-2010, 02:24 PM
Cuchulainn

gambling is fer mugs. I keep all my money for drugs.
05-31-2010, 04:06 PM
Parker

I'm obsessed with gambling, game protection, advantage play and cheating so Vegas is my mecca. Curiously I've never really gambled seriously, just a few fun bets. Also there are no Casinos in my area so I've never really bothered learning basic strategy/card counting etc. But I find it all so fascinating :)
05-31-2010, 07:41 PM
Breine

I was in Las Vegas last year but I didn't gamble. As far as I recall I wasn't old enough, being 20 at the time and all. I wouldn't mind trying it in a casino at one point, but it's never something I'd really get into.

Casual gambling with friends can be really nice, though.
05-31-2010, 07:52 PM
Hambone

I went to Vegas when I was 13. The fact that I couldn't gamble due to my age sucked, but it doesn't really faze me. There's enough cool stuff in Vegas for me. That being said, I would like to try gambling the next time I go. I bet I'd succumb pretty quickly to it.
05-31-2010, 08:20 PM
Peegee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menses

I also play at my step-dad's weekly poker game when I'm at my mom's. Last summer I was up a total of about $140 from them. They started off playing no-limit Texas Hold 'Em $10 tournaments, but then switched over to a limit cash game. It's more boring, but also less risky. I was kicking ass at the no-limit tournaments, though (won $80 in one night from coming in 1st and 2nd in the two games).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miriel

World Series of Poker is going on in Vegas right now. Del Murder is going to be in it one day.

I enjoy watching the World Series, and could possibly see myself buying in on one of the side tournaments one day. But I cannot imagine spending $10,000 just to play in the main event with 5,000 people.

The 10grand is to buy in? I wonder what the minimum to escape (cash out) would be.

I like playing poker. I'm not particularly good at it (ie reading people) but rather than giving away everything in case I ever play any of you, I'll just say that I have won 80$ [profit] playing at casino once. Usually I just play with friends and it tends to even out after several games [though I have gone through losing streaks too grumble], and I like it that way.
05-31-2010, 09:54 PM
Raistlin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peegee

The 10grand is to buy in? I wonder what the minimum to escape (cash out) would be.

It's a tournament; there is no cashing out. If you don't make it to the money (top couple hundred or so), then you win nothing.

Quote:

I like playing poker. I'm not particularly good at it (ie reading people) but rather than giving away everything in case I ever play any of you, I'll just say that I have won 80$ [profit] playing at casino once. Usually I just play with friends and it tends to even out after several games [though I have gone through losing streaks too grumble], and I like it that way.

Poker is more than reading people; it is also about odds and knowing the people you're playing with (how they bet, if they bluff a lot, etc.). Just keeping track of people's bets and hands can tell you a lot, at a no-limit game anyway (with a small limit, this info is much less useful, which is why I enjoy no- or high-limit games more). I'm not good at all at trying to "read" people (figuring out tells and reading facial expressions), but I'm good with math and remembering stuff, so I've been reasonably successful in the tournaments I've played in.