Addictions | Count 21

How gambling affects near and dear ones

A gambler’s activities might bring joy to the gambler, but sadness to his near and dear ones. Gambling is perceived to be living dangerously. Family members of chronic gamblers are affected by it as much as the gambler is affected by gambling.

Gambling addiction brings a lot of sadness to a gambler’s family members. This may not be known to the gambler. A serial gambler, who is addicted to the vagaries of gambling, will find it difficult to maintain cordial relationships with loved ones. This is a saddening part of the whole thing.

A gambler assumes keeping relationships intact to denial of gambling instincts. For gamblers need a non-apologetic heart, and the capability to come home without any regrets.If you are wondering whether you are a compulsive gambler or an occasional gambler, you need to read the following points.

If you have violent mood swings, you are a compulsive gambler

Gambling addicts are known to have violent mood changes. When they get addicted to gambling they don’t seem to know an escape route. They live and breathe in this world taking misery and prosperity as the two sides of the same coin.

Personal neglect

A compulsive gambler does not care about personal health. He or she totally neglects niggling health problems. Compulsive gamblers are not bothered about their image in society as well

Boisterous Behavior

Compulsive gamblers lie all the time. If they are not lying, then they are exaggerating things. They concoct tales of victory, and how they ruled over the other gamblers.

Arguing

Compulsive gamblers argue with everyone at the slightest opportunity

Filed Under: Addictions, General · Tagged With: Gambling, Mental health, Problem gambling

3 Tips to Help You Win More When Playing Slots

If you’re into gambling, you’ve probably heard the saying, “We’ve loosened our slots!” This means your chances of winning are better than they used to be. Playing slots is fun and here are three tips that can help improve your chances of winning.

1. Try Lots of Online Casinos

Instead of being a patron to the same online casino each time you play, try playing the slots on different websites. You may find that some have better payouts or a greater chance of winning. Plus, when you sign up to play at a new casino, there are often freebies and other cool promotions that come with being a new player. Your chances of winning are always better when you’re new because online casino websites want to keep your business.

2. Switch Slot Machines

If you’ve been having terrible luck at a slot machine, it is probably a good idea to switch to a new one. Not all slot machines have the same odds of winning. However, if you have been losing for a very long time in a row, there is a slightly greater chance that you are near a payout. You should also be on the lookout for slot machines that people have given up on because a win is probably coming up soon.

3. Play in Slot Tournaments

There is usually a greater chance of winning when you play in tournaments because the host wants to make sure everyone sees someone winnings.
It is definitely hard to master the system since slots are a game of chances, but these 3 tips will help ensure you have the best odds.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Gambling, Online casino, Slot machine

3 Common Mistakes by Rookies in Poker

When new players begin playing poker, there are some mistakes that many rookies tend to make. Here are the top three:

1. Betting on Every Hand

One of the skills that experienced poker players understand is that you can’t win with every hand. New players, though, will often bet on every hand, whether they have the cards or not. One thing that comes with time and experience is understanding the strength of your cards and whether there is a likelihood that you will be able to win based on the cards that you have. Most of the time, you will want to pass on that round. It’s about being patient and waiting for the cards to be right.

2. Bluffing Often

A big part of poker is bluffing. Skilled players will be able to convince you that his or her hand is too good to beat causing the other players to fold. Sometimes this causes someone with a pair, or maybe nothing at all, to win the jackpot just from bluffing. Many new players, however, try to bluff every hand. You have to realize that bluffing takes a lot of skill and most new players are not good at bluffing.

3. Getting Overly Emotional

Emotions ride high when it comes to gambling. How many times have you gotten mad or upset when you’ve lost a board game; put real money behind it and suddenly your emotions will rise to the surface. When it comes to this game, that’s not a good thing.
If you’re a new player, be sure to keep this in mind as you begin playing.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Betting in poker, Bluff (poker), Poker

How the Pros Do It

COCONUT CREEK, FL - DECEMBER 17: A dealer wor...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Anyone who is a professional gambler has taken the time to learn the odds and statistics of the various games. You don’t get to be a winner, especially a big winner by luck. Oh yeah, there’s always stories about some lucky stiff who went to Vegas their first time and returned home with a bundle. Random chance has a way of working like that.

But, we’re not talking about them; we’re talking about the person who’s trying to make a living by beating the odds. These people are probably some of the coldest, most calculating mathematicians on the face of the planet. They’ve tried every angle, calculated the odds, and most importantly worked to develop a system that increases their chances of winning.

The simplest and most common system doesn’t deal with how they play their cards, as much as it deals with how they place their bets. They bet with the intention of slowly incrementing their winnings, instead of making a killing. It’s all based upon their “unit” bid.

Start of by determining the unit bid, we’re going to use $2.00. Bet that every hand, until you lose.
Once you’ve lost a hand, double your next hand’s bid, so you have a chance to recover your loss.
For every hand you lose, continue doubling your bid on the next hand.
Once you win, go back to your base unit bid.

If you’re playing Blackjack by the standard guidelines, you’re going to win some hands and lose some hands. The odds of losing a string of hands gets more and more astronomical the longer the string gets. By using this system of doubling your bet, you eventually recoup all you’ve lost.

There’s only one problem with this system; the casino knows it too. That’s why they put table limits. By doing so, they guarantee that you can only double your bet so many times. Eventually, you hit the upper limit for that table, if you lose it, you’ve lost everything.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Betting in poker, Blackjack, Gambling

Gambling Is Fun at Home

When you walk into a casino, you see all the flashing lights and you hear the sounds of the slots and other machines. You feel like you’ve walked into a candy store and you want to try everything. This is why many people enjoy gambling at a casino. It is a fun environment that offers hours of fun. You don’t have to go to a casino, though, to enjoy gambling. You can play in an online casino or invite friends over for a game of poker and games.

AZOV CITY, RUSSIA - JANUARY 30: People gamble...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Online casinos are becoming more popular because technology can make the game experience even better than what is at a live casino because of the graphics and custom sounds. Depending on where you live, you can even bet real money. Many websites are even willing to match the amount of money you initially invest towards play, which you won’t find at a live casino. Who wouldn’t want to have all the fun of a casino at home? Plus, if you have a gambling addiction, it is easier to limit yourself to free casino game sites.

Hosting a poker night or other casino game night is another great way to get your gambling fix. Most people enjoy playing against people they know anyway, because it is easier to read their faces, giving a whole new dynamic to the game. It is an inexpensive way to have fun, too.

No matter which way you like to gamble most, there are options. You no longer have to travel to a casino to gamble. You can do it in the comfort of your own home.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Casino, Casino game, Gambling

The Effect of Internet Casinos

In case you didn’t know it, gambling is on the rise. There are many more casinos, in many more locations today than ever before. While only Las Vegas and Atlantic City were gambling centers 40 years ago, today you can find casinos along the Gulf Coast and on most Indian Reservations. In the last ten years, gaming revenues have increased by just shy of 50%.

Obviously, what’s driving this increase isn’t just the commercial casinos, it’s lotteries and Internet casinos as well. These Internet casinos, which are mostly offshore, take in an estimated 5.4 billion dollars per year from the United States, and over 25 million dollars worldwide. They are taking gaming to a new level, by bringing it right to the average person’s computer. Many of the same games that are in casinos are available online. No more need to travel for your gambling, you can do it right at home.

The first online casino launched in 1995. Since then, over 2,000 other casinos have opened their electronic doors. While online gaming doesn’t have the ambience of going to a physical casino, it makes up for it with convenience.

Has this phenomenon reduced revenues for physical casinos? Not at all; what’s happened is that more and more people are gaming as part of their regular entertainment, increasing the revenue to the gaming industry. Want to relax after work? Just log onto your favorite casino, and spend that day’s paycheck. You don’t even have to get dressed up.

However, there is currently a lot of question as to whether or not Internet casinos are legal in the United States. At least two statutes, both of which predate the Internet, come directly against Internet casinos, with legislatures working to create other laws. The great concern is security; not so much for the gambler, but to avoid money-laundering through these Online businesses.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Casino, Gambling, Online gambling

When Does Gambling Become Too Much?

Many people enjoy going to a casino and playing a few games. To those people, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little time and money to go out and have a good time. Others have their hobbies and entertainment; this is just another form of entertainment.

As far as it goes, there’s nothing wrong with that viewpoint. But we must be aware that as in many other things, there is a risk of becoming addicted to gambling. This risk increases the more a person thinks they have to win; or the more they put themselves in a position where they have to win. That can come about due to seeing their gambling as a way of solving financial problems; feeling they have to prove themselves; or the pride of just plain beating the system.

I had a friend who started going to a casino every once in a while, with his wife and another couple. It started off innocently enough, as a weekend getaway for the two couples. They would go to relax and enjoy themselves, establishing a budget for their gambling money, and seeing that expense as just another form of entertainment.

Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way for my friend. He soon found that he’d lost all his budgeted gambling money. That wasn’t really a problem, as he had his debit card with him, and there was an ATM machine conveniently located in the lobby of the casino. He decided to just pull out a little more money, so that he could continue playing.

He never bothered to tell his wife what he was doing. They went to the casino about once a month, and every time, he was pulling extra money out of their savings. He was losing that money as well. Within a year, he’d lost their entire life’s savings. When she found out, he lost her and their daughter as well.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Casino, Gambling, Online casino

Overcoming Legal Addictions is Difficult

There are many addictions out there that people have to deal with on a regular basis. In fact, it has been shown that almost anything can become an addiction for people with an addictive personality. Many times, you will find that there are different addictions that go together, and they can be hard to break. In fact, you may find that for some, you have to go to inpatient drug alcohol treatment centers to get the help that you need.

Gambling is an addiction that is frequently seen with others. One of the most common types of addiction that a gambling addiction is seen paired with is an alcohol addiction. Very frequently, it is also seen with other drug addictions, as well. There are many reasons for this.

Casinos make it easy to pair an alcohol addiction with a gambling addiction. On top of that, you will frequently see smoking along with these, since most casinos allow smoking. They also will usually give the gambler free alcohol, which for those with a weakness for it, can be hard to turn down.

Some people start gambling to try to help pay for other addictions that they may have. They do not realize that they lose money more often than they get it back. This can make it very difficult for those around them to understand their reasoning for the gambling, especially if the other addictions are unknown.

Any type of addiction is difficult to overcome. Many feel that legal addictions, such as gambling and alcohol, are the most difficult to overcome. Since they are not banned, and in some areas, they are even easily accessible, they can be very hard for those with these addictions to overcome them. If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction, seeking help is the best way to overcome the addiction.

Filed Under: Addictions · Tagged With: Gambling, Problem gambling, Substance abuse, Substance dependence

The Different Gambling Games Offered By Casinos

Casinos have tried to come up with games that would interest a spectrum of people. For instance, for those that like to push buttons, but still like to play cards, there is a slot machine designed for that purpose. If a player likes the noise, and clank of change, there is a slot for that. Some of the oldest games offered are the basic double or nothing type. This is where you place a bet, you lose, and in an attempt to get your money back, you double your bet, hoping to get the original bet returned, plus a profit.
There are other types of games that resemble lotteries, like Keno. In Las Vegas, Keno is offered throughout the casino. The numbers are posted in the restaurants, bathrooms, and lobbies. You can get a form, fill it out, and hand it to any employee for them to submit for you. The pay outs are not as much as lotteries, and it can cost up to five dollars per number you pick.
There are other games, some more popular than others, like Poker. This is where you are hoping to have a better combination of cards that your opponents. If you do have a better hand, you win the pot, otherwise, you bust. Black Jack is another game where you are playing against the dealer. If your cards are better than the dealers cards, without going over 21, you win. It sounds simple enough, and out of all the games, this is truly a game of luck. Many say that this game is on that you should double up bets on regularly, because it is only a matter of time before you get the cards you needs to earn you a win. Roulette is a basic game that many enjoy. The object is to choose the color that you think the ball will land on. You only have two choices, so the odds are in your favor.

Filed Under: Addictions, Games · Tagged With: Game, Poker