DonkSlayer 1 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Interested to know how you all started out or in what context you view poker when you're honest with yourself. I played Gin and Chess a lot growing up before I got into poker around 20 (3 years ago), and I play now for the win and the $$, and I detest gambling without an edge (will play a little BJ for about 2% of the nights winnings, usually after several beers). Others started out or continue with Sports Betting and general casino games and tables. Which one are you? Link to post Share on other sites
turd ferguson 1 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I'll bet you $100 you can't guess which option I voted for. Link to post Share on other sites
DonkSlayer 1 Posted March 6, 2006 Author Share Posted March 6, 2006 I'll bet you $100 you can't guess which option I voted for.I credit you and Golden with the majority of my hearty chortles. Nh. Link to post Share on other sites
Wandigo 1 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Before poker, I would make constant bets playing table tennis. I've also been an avid Unreal Tournament GOTY gamer, for probably the past 4 or 5 years, but never took it to any tournaments, although I'd like to.As far as gambling, I played craps and blackjack before I got into poker. And before I got into hold 'em, we just played home games with games like Guts, Acey Ducey, omaha, chicago, maverick, and some others.Turd I'm gonna guess that you didn't vote at all. Link to post Share on other sites
turd ferguson 1 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I credit you and Golden with the majority of my hearty chortles. Nh.Golden? Really? Link to post Share on other sites
ajs510 122 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 My sin of choice was always blackjack. For years after I turned 21 I was making quarterly trips up to the Niagara Falls casinos to play. Usually did pretty well (at least doubled my money) but then for some reason I completely hit the wall and had something like 10 losing sessions in a row. After I dropped about $2000 over the course of a year, I decided that luck had caught up with me and I needed to stop playing. That was right around the same time poker started booming, so my friends and I started up a weekly home game which continues to this day. I knew I had turned a corner the first time I looked down at a 9-2 and thought "fold" instead of "double-down". Always been a gamer though, I play a mean game of chess. I've never been one for Gin or Backgammon, never really learned how to play properly. Link to post Share on other sites
Abbaddabba 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I've played blackjack once in my life, and it was for $2 a hand at a charity casino. It's the dumbest thing ever. I cant believe people are actually addicted to that shit. I'd sooner take a set and steady wage to play poker at the stakes that i do for half the amount that i'd otherwise make, if it meant eliminating the random fluctuations attributable to chance. Which is probably the reason why i play stakes far lower than i ought to be given my 'bankroll'. Link to post Share on other sites
No_Neck 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 blackjack is a great great game, beats the hell out of slots, I don't see why anyone would play those. Link to post Share on other sites
MasterLJ 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 blackjack is a great great game, beats the hell out of slots, I don't see why anyone would play those.Half of this is right.Economics professors need to study this... people "de-investing" their money.Why people willingly put themselves in position to earn -2% to -15% of their money is so beyond reasoning. Link to post Share on other sites
ben_wallace 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I like gambling on my personal skills or lack there of. For me it all really started around 18 (legal drinknig and gambling age in Australia), with dumb dares. I used to bet small money on dumb dares or feats. Like $10 says you can't walk up to that chick and tell her 2 angels must have fallen out of heaven and are dancing in your top. Or $50 says I can skull 4 beers faster than you. But it was always on myself I was never big on sports betting or betting on others, unless it was a big evet like a Grand Final or something. Some of my friends play pokies (slots) a lot but I can't stand the things, there is no skill and they bore me to hell and back. I've always liked games of skill but often get bored with them after a while. Me and a friend had been watching WPT when it started airing over here, and he suggested we start playing a home game and it went from there. So like most donks out there I saw it on TV and went I like that game and went and started playing it. I'd say its mroe skill than gamble based for me. Link to post Share on other sites
checkymcfold 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Half of this is right.Economics professors need to study this... people "de-investing" their money.Why people willingly put themselves in position to earn -2% to -15% of their money is so beyond reasoning.not that i ever play any other casino games other than poker, but isn't blackjack a 99.5% return when played properly? Link to post Share on other sites
slash 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Blackjack sucks. That's why, when I was in Vegas last week, I stuck to WPT All-In Hold'em. If you're not aware, it is a table game based on hold-em that basically works like playing the house heads up. I think Sklansky invented it. I thought it was pretty easy and after playing several hours of it, don't see how the house wins against people who have any semblance of an idea how to play it or heads up hold'em. But, there you go. Most people suck at poker so I guess that's the big house edge.And there was the -EV hour I spent at the Caribbean Stud table. Very -EV.But I'm a poker player.OK, fine, I'm addicted to action and am a total degenerate. I bet you couldn't tell that before I admitted it. Link to post Share on other sites
ivegottadollar13 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 i admit i love blackjack and 3 card poker even though the house has a huge edge over me...its just the thrill of it :)even hit a straight flush a few nights ago at chumash for 400 bucks on my FIRST hand in the game lol Link to post Share on other sites
AlTrade 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Hey Great Topic!I've played black jack for a long time now, not too much now that poker consumes my time. I like to play black jack when I'm out with a group of friends and we get on a roll. You must set LIMITS when playing black jack or other table games and know when to walk away. I'm sure we have all seen morons lose tons of money and keep running back to the ATM for more.I started playing poker a few years ago, still learning and having a lot of fun doing it. I've read several books, played in several different casino's, lots of home games and on line. I guess down deep I'm a gambler, mostly when it is +EV. Link to post Share on other sites
Abbaddabba 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Half of this is right.Economics professors need to study this... people "de-investing" their money.Why people willingly put themselves in position to earn -2% to -15% of their money is so beyond reasoning.Less than perfect information, and "entertainment".translation:People are stupid and have nothing better to do with their time.Of course when it begins to become a winning proposition, there're other reasons. Link to post Share on other sites
poguemahone68 0 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I would never, absolutely never ever, bet my nights poker winnings on black.NeverEver Link to post Share on other sites
turd ferguson 1 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I would never, absolutely never ever, bet my nights poker winnings on black.NeverEverShould have gone with red eh? Link to post Share on other sites
sholden 0 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Blackjack sucks. That's why, when I was in Vegas last week, I stuck to WPT All-In Hold'em. If you're not aware, it is a table game based on hold-em that basically works like playing the house heads up. I think Sklansky invented it. I thought it was pretty easy and after playing several hours of it, don't see how the house wins against people who have any semblance of an idea how to play it or heads up hold'em. But, there you go. Most people suck at poker so I guess that's the big house edge.The house edge is 1.5%, assuming yoiu play optimally of course. Link to post Share on other sites
blakheart 3 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I guess I am kind of both. In HS I bet sports constantly with my friends, but also played a lot of backgammon, chess and card games. I still play games frequently, but I have a hard time walking by a craps table and not diving in! I used to play a lot of Blackjack, but it became to mechanical at some point. All you do is make the optimal play and hope it works. Kind of boring after a while. Link to post Share on other sites
chrozzo 19 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 not that i ever play any other casino games other than poker, but isn't blackjack a 99.5% return when played properly?i bet you $10 dollars i can get you gamblin by the end of the day Link to post Share on other sites
slash 0 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 The house edge is 1.5%, assuming yoiu play optimally of course.Yeah, I assumed there was something small. I'd be curious to see an analysis of the game that identified where exactly the edge is generated against a player playing optimally.Additionally, dealers who don't know how to pay out correctly, and pit bosses who fail to correct them, cost them money. I personally saw them mis-pay over $7500 in jackpot payouts over 3 days. Since I didn't play the sucker bets, I didn't get a piece, except for when one guy made a straight flush that (legitimately) paid him 100-1 I think on a $25 bet gave me a black chip because his one outer cost me my win against the dealer. That was nice of him. Guy hits two huge payouts in 3 hours and still loses over a grand. He was playing alright too, maybe a bit weak tight on the main bet, but not too bad.Me, I swung all over the place but came out ahead in that game. I'll play again and give it all back I'm sure. Link to post Share on other sites
SPADES21 0 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I started young. Squeezing into my dads home game at 9 and 10 years old. Mostly crazy stud games...Dr. Pepper, Guts, 4-Forty-4, Chicago, 5 card draw and others. I learned Dice at grade school...alley craps, horses, threes, and ship cap crew. My grandpa taught me chess and backgammon. And ive have always loved any kind of card game... gin, cribage, kanasta, I even played in my grandmas bridge game one night! When I was 13 my mom actually taught me how to play blackjack when I was sick in the hospital.I started playing poker more seriously about 4 years ago or so and just started playing online for real money about 6 months ago. I focus mostly on NL Holdem but I really like Ohmaha H/L split and Chicago.I would have to say that I am a card player with a gamblers heart. I love the action but I know my skill level and limits so I usually stay under control. Link to post Share on other sites
sholden 0 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Yeah, I assumed there was something small. I'd be curious to see an analysis of the game that identified where exactly the edge is generated against a player playing optimally. http://wizardofodds.com/allinholdem Link to post Share on other sites
Mercury69 3 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I grew up playing all manner of board and card games. Risk was a favorite and still has a place in my heart. I learned some of the more complex card games (Canasta, Euchre, Bridge, other trump games), which I prefer over Gin or Crazy 8's or Go Fish. I was involved with online gaming for a few years, but now I like poker best of all. Definitely more of a gamer than gambler, but I'm learning more about the gambling aspect of things. Link to post Share on other sites
Golden 2 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I credit you and Golden with the majority of my hearty chortles. Nh.Turd? Really? Link to post Share on other sites
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