OcUK's Gamblers (not so) Anonymous
- Thread starter jp_bl_68
- Start date
My brother used to be a croupier and he got heavily into gambling. Said everyone at the casino was like it, just mad bets on anything. Think he racked up £7000+ on credit cards. Pretty mad for a 19/20 year old. My dad eventually sorted it out. Nowadays, he won't step foot into a bookies/casino as he knows he'll probably go back to it. Won't even do the National!
Soldato
- Joined
- 25 Nov 2007
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Poker isnt gambling, its gaming
Take it from someone who works in a bookies: gambling is a mug's game.
If you've got to do it at all, bet small and aim big. A 9/2 for £35 or £150 on 3/1 Fav makes no sense. £1 on a 55/1 scorecast however, does. The difference being that you'll never miss a £1!
Don't chase your losses, and for crying out loud: stay off those damn machines! Despite what you think or hear from that idiot down the pub, you will only ever lose if you play them. I see people lose more than I make in a month on a single spin on an almost daily basis.
If by some chance you put in a £1 for fun with the intention of walking out anyway and win £100+ then yes, you're a winner but this is by far the exception to the rule. 95% will win on those machines and walk straight back over to them and put all their winnings straight back in.
I never bet before working for a bookmakers, but I don't mind the odd football accumulator these days as I know what I'm doing. £1 for a potential £3k+ return is fine by me, especially if I've got to sit and watch SSN on a Saturday anyway; it's a little bit of harmless fun. If I were to throw £40 onto a treble, it's not really harmless anymore (although it's all relative). This is the difference: gambling is fine when it's not harming anyone.
I don't want to sound like I'm mothering people, but I deal with the gambler's mentality every day; they don't want to listen so that's why I'm repeating myself.
Be sensible.
If you've got to do it at all, bet small and aim big. A 9/2 for £35 or £150 on 3/1 Fav makes no sense. £1 on a 55/1 scorecast however, does. The difference being that you'll never miss a £1!
Don't chase your losses, and for crying out loud: stay off those damn machines! Despite what you think or hear from that idiot down the pub, you will only ever lose if you play them. I see people lose more than I make in a month on a single spin on an almost daily basis.
If by some chance you put in a £1 for fun with the intention of walking out anyway and win £100+ then yes, you're a winner but this is by far the exception to the rule. 95% will win on those machines and walk straight back over to them and put all their winnings straight back in.
I never bet before working for a bookmakers, but I don't mind the odd football accumulator these days as I know what I'm doing. £1 for a potential £3k+ return is fine by me, especially if I've got to sit and watch SSN on a Saturday anyway; it's a little bit of harmless fun. If I were to throw £40 onto a treble, it's not really harmless anymore (although it's all relative). This is the difference: gambling is fine when it's not harming anyone.
I don't want to sound like I'm mothering people, but I deal with the gambler's mentality every day; they don't want to listen so that's why I'm repeating myself.
Be sensible.
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Not the way I've been playing this last week. I seem to have lost my feel for the game.
Sound advice.
I used to work with a bloke who'd spend every lunch break in the bookies betting on the virtual dog racing. It was depressing watching him do it.
This is true, i work as a croupier in a casino and gambling is a business, eventually you will lose, but if you come looking for some fun and don't expect to win and only spend what you plan to use it can be a very good (potentially cheap or free) night out.
Yep. This will sound like I'm blowing my own horn, but from all the bets I've done this last year (pretty much all on football) I'm actually in profit. I never expect to win, but I try and be sensible when I do by obviously picking what I think will return. I only ever bet small (£1-£2) for decent returns (£20+). My last win was on the group betting for the world cup where I won about £35 for £2. Before that I won about £40 on a scorecast for a £1, etc. The reason I mention this is because I feel it's a crucial difference. The reason I'm in profit is because it will only take one win to bring me level. Don't read this and think that gambling is a way to make or buy money, because it isn't.
If you gamble, expect to lose. Therefore, don't bet what you can't afford to lose.
As I said before, large stakes for small returns (odds-on or short favourites) don't make sense to me, because it's never ever guaranteed and it's money that will ultimately be missed. A £1 is something you could just as likely buy some crap in Tesco on impulse on; you're never - unless completely hard up in which case you shouldn't be betting in the first place - going to miss a £1. Above all, I have never taken any bet seriously. I always expect to lose. A serious gambler is someone who keeps pushing for that win, I don't. I can happily lose a bet and not worry about it because it was just a small bit of fun anyway. Even worse though are those individuals who get that win then keep pushing for more; they almost always end up losing it all then looking for sympathy.
I had a gambler once ask me about the machines in the shops. I explained to him how much I've seen people put in and take out, and how often people can get into the thousands of pounds just to lose it all. This chap, rather than hearing the subtle message I was trying to explain in that you're only ever going to lose on them heard "You can win thousands on those things."
It's a mentality/idiocy you can't fight.
As I said, it's fine in small moderation and if it's not harmful. If it's not for harmless fun, just don't bother and that's my honest opinion.
If you gamble, expect to lose. Therefore, don't bet what you can't afford to lose.
As I said before, large stakes for small returns (odds-on or short favourites) don't make sense to me, because it's never ever guaranteed and it's money that will ultimately be missed. A £1 is something you could just as likely buy some crap in Tesco on impulse on; you're never - unless completely hard up in which case you shouldn't be betting in the first place - going to miss a £1. Above all, I have never taken any bet seriously. I always expect to lose. A serious gambler is someone who keeps pushing for that win, I don't. I can happily lose a bet and not worry about it because it was just a small bit of fun anyway. Even worse though are those individuals who get that win then keep pushing for more; they almost always end up losing it all then looking for sympathy.
I had a gambler once ask me about the machines in the shops. I explained to him how much I've seen people put in and take out, and how often people can get into the thousands of pounds just to lose it all. This chap, rather than hearing the subtle message I was trying to explain in that you're only ever going to lose on them heard "You can win thousands on those things."
It's a mentality/idiocy you can't fight.
As I said, it's fine in small moderation and if it's not harmful. If it's not for harmless fun, just don't bother and that's my honest opinion.
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I play poker at my local pub and ive won 3 weeks in a row.I also play at my local rileys, the standard is better there but ive come 2nd or 3rd 3 times now 
I also back horses on tips i get from family who are in the trade im up about 120 points this year (dont belive me ? i chose 3/3 winners in a thread i made a while back, havent botherd posting since) i sometimes go to the dogs. Needless to say that if we know a trainer there that has a dog runing 2 - 3 lengths faster than it should we will know about it. Machines are rigged in the houses favour all the time YOU CANNOT BEAT THEM. Blackjack if you have a decent understanding of the game you can still make some money, without all the counting cards rubbish. I have one horse i was going to back tmorrow but the weather is putting me off so i wont be backing it, but ill put it on here anyway Dar Re Mi 15:10 Sandown should still place but its at 3/1 now so theres no point in having a each way. Its all abit of fun at the end of the day, if you want the element of gambling without the clear disadvantage you have at the bookies you should look into forex.
I also back horses on tips i get from family who are in the trade im up about 120 points this year (dont belive me ? i chose 3/3 winners in a thread i made a while back, havent botherd posting since) i sometimes go to the dogs. Needless to say that if we know a trainer there that has a dog runing 2 - 3 lengths faster than it should we will know about it. Machines are rigged in the houses favour all the time YOU CANNOT BEAT THEM. Blackjack if you have a decent understanding of the game you can still make some money, without all the counting cards rubbish. I have one horse i was going to back tmorrow but the weather is putting me off so i wont be backing it, but ill put it on here anyway Dar Re Mi 15:10 Sandown should still place but its at 3/1 now so theres no point in having a each way. Its all abit of fun at the end of the day, if you want the element of gambling without the clear disadvantage you have at the bookies you should look into forex.
) buy in and bring your own beer 
Matched betting?
am currently playing 0% risk game and making about £250-300 a month from it, literally have to set it up n check it each day and then thats it, you could question its legality but i wouldnt get in much trouble anyway
What would this be then?
Also, I live in letchworth, HI.