OT: RIAA and Their Law Suits

[dogscoff]

Only time I ever put money on at the bookmakers, it was because I knew I could beat the odds: I had a 100% chance of winning.

A few years ago one of the Online gambling sites had a promotion to encourage new Users: For every £1 you placed on your first bet, they would match it up to £100.

I put in £100 and got them to match it. Then I split the £200 on a football match- half the money that side A wins, half that they don't.

Inevitably, I lost one of the bets and won the other. I think I wound up with around £120, so I simply withdrew the cash and closed the account.

This little loophole in their promotion had been publicised by www.ntk.net (that's how I came to know about it) and I wasn't the only one to pull it off. The offer was soon withdrawn...

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Loser:

quote:

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Originally posted by Atrocities:
Jack, do you want to play some 7 card roll your own, no peek, low spade in whole stud poker? Or do you prefer the odds of Black Jack?

No Peek makes it a monkey game, much like uncounted Black Jack.

While playing for money inarguably makes it gambling, properly played Poker is not a Game of Chance, but a Game of Skill. Luck might determine the course of a single hand, but Skill determines the course of a night.

That said, I prefer Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, or Five Card Draw for their simplicity, or any number of insane 'home games' for variety and to keep the Math Masters on their toes.

We play once a week, and 'friendly' means that the buy in is low enough that losing it is no cause for sympathy.

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Oh I agree whole heartely. I hate that game and 7 card no peek ***** kills. That game and I do not get along at all.

Mine is seven stud roll your own, low spade in the whole. (Meaning if you have the lowest spade, typically an ace, you get half the pot) These game usually draw a huge pot. Everyone playing the worst cards they have in hopes of succering someone else.

Games like 5 draw duces wild drive me bonkers. zookiers (sp) is ok, but can get expensive if you loose to often. High low is ok too. I do hate hate stait low ball though.

There are hundres of games, but mostly the people I play with stick to basic staple games.

Never bet on the other mans game. Rule 1. Rule 2, the house always has the advantage. Rule 3, never bet more than you can aford to loose. Rule 4, never show your hand unless you have to. Keep em wondering. Rule 5, expect to loose, and to loose often. Rule 6, never get mad about loosing even if it is to the same guy seven times in a row. It will happen. And rule 7, never count your money while sitt'n at the table. There will be time enough for counting when the dealings done.

[Erax]

Gambling is like drinking. Some people can do it for fun and others - for reasons we are only starting to understand - can't control it. And still others see absolutely no point at all in it.

There is no easy solution. Whether you allow it or outlaw it, someone will always be on the unfair side of the deal.

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by Joachim:
Problem is that it can become a very expensive from of entertainment that can result in all sorts of crazy stuff. Such as kids locked in cars at Casinos, no money for food because the pokies ate it instead.
It is hard when a form of entertainment can be so obviously problematic to some - the question is - when is the social detriment worse by allowing it than banning it?
(aren't we all happy that a SEIV addiction is so comparatively cheap!)

And that would be why it is an idiot tax for the rest of the population, as I alluded.

Seriously though, all banning gambling does is cut back on it and drive it underground; by regulating it you can at least get the taxes - the caveat being that gambling will go up, and with it comes a rise in the crime rate.

Originally posted by Erax:
Gambling is like drinking. Some people can do it for fun and others - for reasons we are only starting to understand - can't control it. And still others see absolutely no point at all in it.

There is no easy solution. Whether you allow it or outlaw it, someone will always be on the unfair side of the deal.

I would agree with that statement.

Originally posted by Atrocities:
Jack, do you want to play some 7 card roll your own, no peek, low spade in whole stud poker? Or do you prefer the odds of Black Jack?

No thanks - I don't find gambling entertaining enough to be worth the money spent.

Tesco, Loser, Dogscoff, Atrocities: Those are some methods for keeping it at the entertainment level, especially Atrocities's list of rules.

By the way, Atrocities: You forgot to include 8) Know when to hold 'em, 9) know when to fold 'em, 10) know when to walk away, and 11) know when to run (although they should go just before #7).

[Loser]

I'd have to modify your Rule 3, Atro: never bring more money to the table than you're willing to lose. When it comes to how much you bet, it's time to watch the pot odds. Another rule might be "watch tells", Poker is about people, not about cards and odds and math and money.

We call the spade-split game Chicago, and play it both High and Low. I do dig Chicago. Makes for nice big pot. Wild games (Baseball, King Little, and a hundred other variations on the concept 'wild') can make for nice pots too, but mostly only when someone at the table doesn't realized that their trip-kings isn't all that much when there are six wild cards in the deck.

Not sure what you mean about the house... No house in Poker, just House Take on pots.

The only time I've ever gotten mad about losing is when I've realized that I was on tilt and playing like a fool. Then I was mad at myself, not my friend who saw my tells and took advantage of them.

As for restraint, it's important in everything. I'm not confident I will always be able to practice restriant, but for now I'm keeping it to Friendly games. Someday I'd like to get a modest sum together and go have a time at the card houses up in the mountains...

[tesco samoa]

blackjack i can count 4 decks now.

Mind you it has taken 2 years to count that many decks.

5 will be tricky

[Atrocities]

The house always has the advantage in games like Black Jack. I avoid that game and all gambling games other than poker.

A few years back I was in a game with 5 other players. My mother and uncle were in the game as well. I had four 9's on the dealers left, I got them natural. Two showing, two in the whole. I was high so I bet a 50'c. I was called and raised a $1.00 by my uncle. He was called and again the pot was raised by a $1.00. Each player raised the pot by a dollar until it came back to me. I raised it by $5.00 figuring everyone would fold out and I would make a nice profit. Nope, everyone called. The post was already at $5.00 by the time I got my fourth nine and placed my bet. (50'c anti a peace = $2.50 + one hand at 50'c each = $5.00)

The next round I am dealt the Ace of hearts. (9c, 9s, 9h, 9d + Ah) I am still high with a pair of 9's and the ace showing. My mother had the 10, jack, queen of spades showing,(10, Js, Qs,) my uncle had two fives and a seven showing, (5, 5, 7) Art had two eights and the ace of clubs.(8, 8, Ac) The dealer had a king queen and jack showing. (K, Q, J)

I bet a $2.00. I was called and every one rased by a buck each. I again raised $2.00 and was called with everyone staying in.

The sixth card was dealt.
Me - ITH 9, 9 - Showing A, 9, 9 - was dealt a 2
My Mother - ITH * * - Showing 10s, Js, Qs - and was also delt a 2.
My uncle - ITH * * - showing 5, 5, 7 - and was delt a third 5.
Art - ITH * * - showing 8, 8, Ac - and was delt a third 8.
Dealer ITH - * * - showing K, Q, J, - and was dealt a 10.

Another round of betting.

The Last card was delt down and dirty. I was given a second 2.

My hand still beat everything showing. I bet $5.00. I was called and everyone rased $2.00. The Last raise was to me and I max bet $10.00. Everyone called. Oh this was going to be a cake walk.

I laid down first:
9, 9, 9, 9 with 2, 2, A

The deal went next:
K, Q, J, 10, A with 4, 3

Art put his cards down:
8, 8, 8, 8, with A, 3, 5

My uncle laid down:
5, 5, 5, 7, 7, with K, Q

I won

As I was reaching for my money, my mother gently put her hand on my arm and smiled. She then laid her cards out onto the table for all to see.

10, jack, queen, king, and Ace of spades.

And to add insult to injury, she also had low spade.

(This recollection is not exact, but you get the picture. I had the second highest hand and was beaten by a Royal Flush. I have played over 10,000 hands of poker and have only seen this twice.)

[ September 18, 2003, 16:09: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[geoschmo]

You card guys have a whole 'nother language don't you? I was able to follow Atrocities post ok, but Losers Last post may as well have been Greek.

trip-kings?
I was on tilt and playing like a fool?

[Loser]

"Tilt" means you're no longer rational about the game, no longer in control of yourself. People get this way when they lose enough money that they get scared, then they do stupid things to get it back.

People also do this when they let other things in their life interfere with the game. One Saturday night, I got a call from a young lady I was seeing that really set me off. I went back to the table and continued to play, still ticked. I was throwing money around until I noticed my stack (the amount I had on the table) was getting low and tried to figure out how that happened. Needless to say, I figured it out. Calmed down after a smoke and a shot. (Yep, that'd be what you call 'self medicating'. Don't do that kids, you are not qualified to treat your own problems. )

I was using the way I speak when I said 'trip kings'. It just means Three of a Kind, Kings. That'd be a nice strong hand in a five- or seven-card game played 'straight up', but not one with wilds.

I was once dealt a Straight Flush to the King natural. Unfortunately it was in a quirky seven card draw game we call Anaconda, Pass the Trash, or That F**king Game. In this game you start out with seven cards and pass, to your left, three, then two, then one, with rounds of betting at all the predictable intervals. This means you do not get to keep five cards out of the seven you are dealt... That's the closest I've been to a natural Royal.

I've never played agaisnt family, as my parents ans sister are fairly puritan. I have played agaisnt my friend's family, however. Some nights it's just me and a table full of Junglings.

[Atrocities]

""Tilt" means you're no longer rational about the game, no longer in control of yourself. People get this way when they lose enough money that they get scared, then they do stupid things to get it back. "

Tilt often happens after you have had a few drinks. This is why Casino's server gamblers free drinks.

If your going to gamble, follow rule 8, Don't drink.