I promised you one last – at least for a while – discussion on the subject of what to do when one of your favorite casinos downgrades their video poker schedules. This has to do with your goals, a subject I have discussed off and on in my writings for years, beginning with book #1, The Frugal Gambler, published…. can it be…TWELVE years ago. (Time does fly when you are having fun!)
I revisited the subject of goals in More Frugal Gambling, with some revised thinking:
Some people have written to me criticizing my pyramid in The Frugal Gambler. (If you remember, this pyramid had four levels: “Clueless in a Casino” at the base; “Clear Thinking” one level up; “Balanced” on top of that; and “Pro” at the peak.) My critics claimed that it “labeled” people; therefore, they thought, it was a put-down and that I was too judgmental. They also said that they’ve known some rude and selfish pro gamblers who only rose to the top because they were “scum.”
Whoa! I didn’t mean this pyramid to be a test of character. I certainly don’t believe that a professional gambler who happens, by dint of personal choice and hard work, to be at the apex of the casino pyramid is a better person than someone who’s unknowledgeable and wandering around lost in the casino jungle.
Perhaps a better way to categorize gamblers, if we can even do such a thing, is to talk about goals and personalities, instead of trying to find one neat figure (like the pyramid) to use as an all-encompassing illustration.
Then I went on to talk about some various goal groups: people seeking occasional entertainment in a casino; players who want this type of entertainment more often and start studying to make this affordable for them; and a transitional group looking for an inexpensive hobby. Then come the more serious, those who would like to make it a profitable hobby or even a part-time job. Only a sliver of a percentage has made it to the most serious level, gambling as a full-time job.
Although in the past there was usually a progression from a purely recreational gambler to a more serious one, the changing video poker landscape is making some players change their goals. Some players will not consider “going back.” They will simply cut down or completely cut out gambling….period! If they can’t find a good game, they just won’t play. And that is a wise decision for many – and the only one many can live with.
However, some gamblers are willing to modify their goals. They still find a casino exciting. So they will still spend their entertainment budget there no matter what games are offered. And those players who had developed great skill in maximizing the casino comp system in the past will make that entertainment budget go further than they could in other entertainment alternatives. So for many players this is still a frugal option.
I find that often the very serious gambler looks down on the more casual one. What they don’t realize or often don’t try to understand is that each person has his own goals. As long as what you do in a casino is not illegal or unethical – as long as you are not losing more money than you can afford – as long as what you are doing is not hurting your personal and family relationships – as long as you are happy with what you are doing there – then I will not judge you – and I would hope that no one looks down on you for any reason.
As a recreational gambler who liked to turn $20 into $200 while enjoying a long weekend for free with great free food, I am sadden by the change in casinos. The good old days are gone. For the last few years I have enjoyed myself. I have lost almost all interest in casinos. The comps are gone, the pay outs are so bad it is not worth the effort to play, and the dealers are so miserable it is depressing to play and be around them. If I lost $100 it was not a big deal because I had a free room and free food. Not anymore. The comps are gone.
I find your observation and comment spot on. Over the course of the past 10 years, my wife’s and my gambling has significantly increased, particularly after we retired. In the early years, we were content with losing the equivalent of recreation money as that to us was recreation. As our visits increased, we became much more diligent about types of games we played, switching from slots to craps to blackjack to video poker. As our knowledge further increased, we improved our skill using your Frugal Video Poker software, and then sought out the better pay schedule, cash back and bounceback combination. Our results have considerably improved, with positive results in 5 of the past 6 years. However, the real goal for us is the overall experience, not “making money”. We live in the Dallas metroplex where a trip to a casino is a trip of a minimum of and hour and a half (for a casino at a reservation) to 3 hours for a gambling jurisdiction (Shreveport). Therefore, the rooms, the food, entertainment, decor and hospitality have as much or more significance than just the gambling. We currently are finding plays that are break even on a cash gambling basis, so the extras are a great benefit and the primary reason we gamble so much.
A good indication of the character of a “serious” gambler is how often they discuss and admit their losses as well as wins. Those who only boast about the “good” days are only fooling themselves, not others. The wisest and most balanced approach to gaming in my opinion is one that recognizes the fluctuations we all must endure.
Boy, you sure get more than your share of criticism in your writing!! I can only think these overly critical folks need an infusion of positive thoughts and actions. How sad to be so negative about everything your read.
You hit the nail on the head. It can’t
be a profitable hobby for me unless
the VP is 100+%.
You hit the nail on the head. I subscribe to:
“if VP it is not 100+% I won’t play.”
I liked the pyramid. I thought it was spot on. If you fit one of the levels, you just fit one of the levels. You, on your on without government assistance, have to opportunity change levels. It is that simple.
To be offended by the truth, is a personal problem.
I have always made a distinction between the +EV gambler and the recreational gambler. The advantage player is not primarily focused on fun; the recreational player is not primarily focused on winning. This does not mean, however, that the recreational player needs to be a loser. It’s just as much fun to play FPDW as it is to play Airport Deuces, for example.
The recreational player who can’t be bothered to learn the strategies, can’t be bothered to seek out the best games, can’t be bothered to know which casinos to frequent and which to avoid, will lose. If gathering and using that knowledge seems too much like “work”, well then, so be it. Many people, in all walks and aspects of life, spend more money than they have to, not to mention get swindled, cheated and fleeced, because they’re too stupid or lazy to put out the effort to get the best deals. To me, playing -EV VP when a positive game is available is like the person paying $3/gallon when gas is $2.65 just across the street.
Everyone has the right to do what they want to with their own money. But I’m never going to lend a friend $20 because he just flushed his paycheck down a 7/5 Bonus Poker machine. I would lend him the money if he played FPDW with perfect strategy, though.