A Gambler’s Balanced Life
Brad and I are no where near a casino today and won’t be for a full two weeks. (You can find out why as you read further.) So, this will not be a regular blog full of Vegas/gambling frugal information. However, this is a perfect opportunity for me to suggest other ways to get such information that you may have missed in the past – and that is going back and reading comments on past blogs. I have talked to many people who read my blog faithfully as soon as I post one, but never go back later to read the comments.
I also know this to be true as people e-mail me with questions that have been discussed at length in the Comment section. Many people post comments many days or even many weeks after the original blog and that information may be as helpful – or even more so – as things I have written. An example of this is when players wanted to know what we and others are doing when a favorite casino downgrades machines and/or changes a major program, as Boyd had done. That subject was discussed at length in the comments on many blogs, and you would be able to see what casinos to which other knowledgeable players are switching.
So, if you rarely read the “Comment” sections – you could go back some weeks or months and might be surprised how much new or helpful information you missed. And then you might decide to get in the habit of, before reading a new blog, go back and read comments on at least the last one or two. (I do this for QOD and all the blogs I read on this website – LVA readers are very knowledgeable – and very generous in sharing their valuable information!)
And now for the reason why we are taking a long vacation away from casinos. I write a lot about the value of gamblers having a good balance between casino life and what I call “real life.” These pictures, taken in Georgia, show how much love is being shared and how much St. Patrick’s Day fun we are having in our “real life.”
Great-grandchildren: Cooper, 4 months, Asher, 4, and Bowen, 2.
I’ve remarked many times in the past that even +EV gambling has an opportunity cost, and that the TRUE EV of a play is the expected win MINUS the value to you of something else you could have been doing instead. For instance, somebody playing .25 FPDW perfectly is probably losing money overall, making $8 an hour but forgoing any one of a myriad of better life opportunities.
I guess I’m lucky. I know/knew dozens of Vegas inhabitants who, because of the casinos’ gravitational pull, literally CANNOT/could not do anything else except gamble any more. There’s always some “good play” to chase down. I observed that in other people and wrenched myself away from Vegas. I’m glad to see that you’re prioritizing what’s really important.
Always have fun in your real world!!
Ah the “real life”, so much nicer and rewarding than the artificial casino hopala we all enjoy. The only thing that may even come close is that 100 play royal flush Brad called up at the Palms!