[GoonSquad]

So I just turned 21 a few weeks ago and have been gambling too much money at the casinos in Atlantic City. Basically my last 3 weeks pay from my summer job is gone. I have been betting on sports for a while and put 50 bucks into my account about 2 months ago. I cashed out 150, had it up to 800, back down to 100, up to 600. Finally I got down to my last 8 dollars last night and vowed to stop gambling for the summer...after I lost one last bet.

Unfortunately for my degenerate addicted ass, this is what happened

5 Team Parlay #258166991
Baseball - MLB (Game) Moneyline
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(906) Pittsburgh Pirates -143* Jul 04/12@01:35p



Baseball - MLB (Game) Moneyline
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(907) Miami Marlins -122* Jul 04/12@04:10p



Baseball - MLB (Game) Runline
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(912) St. Louis Cardinals -1½ Jul 04/12@07:15p
• Game must go 9 innings (8.5 if home team is ahead) or this pick is NO ACTION.
• Jeremy Guthrie (R) must throw first pitch for Colorado Rockies or this pick is NO ACTION.
• Adam Wainwright (R) must throw first pitch for St. Louis Cardinals or this pick is NO ACTION.



Baseball - MLB (Game) Moneyline
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(902) Washington Nationals +104* Jul 04/12@11:05a



Baseball - MLB (Game) Total
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(903) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (904) New York Mets
Over 8 Jul 04/12@01:10p
• Game must go 9 innings (8.5 if home team is ahead) or this pick is NO ACTION.
• Cliff Lee (L) must throw first pitch for Philadelphia Phillies or this pick is NO ACTION.
• Chris Young (R) must throw first pitch for New York Mets or this pick is NO ACTION.

Outcome: Win
Date settled: Jul 04, 2012 10:11:11 PM
* Odds and win amount may not be the same as at time of placement, if a pitcher change takes place.

I won 190 from this parlay. What should I do fellow gamblers? Cash out the money and call it quits for the summer? Or keep on cappin these motherfuckers?

[bighawk12]

Keep that shit goiing

[pattymayo]

you won a measly $190?? that aint even worth cashing out.. you got the sickness bro face it you're not cashing that out you're gonna throw it on another parlay

[onacloud]

NEVER GIVE UP

the rush is the best there is no going back HOOKED

[HoulihansTX]

You throw in the towel, then forget this forum even exist. We are a forum full of gamblers, not quitters.

go steal someones CC if you are hard up for the funds.

[Ratzz]

I won 190 from this parlay. What should I do fellow gamblers? Cash out the money and call it quits for the summer? Or keep on cappin these motherfuckers?

cash it out.. go out and buy an object with it, and keep that object in plain view. as a reminder to yourself,
that you can and will successfully discipline yourself when you need or want to.

take the rest and buy a beautiful girl a dinner, and then a good book.

cash out... develop your system on paper, without using real $
write down all your bets (theoretical) as proof that you can win money, before using actual money..
losing while you learn is too painful. In fact, having money present creates so much doubt and stress, you never actually learn how to cap. Keep faithful records... don't forget the vig. That is huge *

If you just keep mental notes, the gambling mind will begin to lie and remember all the good bets,
and conveniently omit the losses. The books are not so forgiving.

best of Luck to you

[GoonSquad]

Damn Rattz, thanks for the real answer. I have been reading many stories online of people throwing their lives away because of obsessive gambling. I definitely do not want to be like those people. I was seriously considering calling GA the other day, just to try to prevent myself from becoming a lowlife ************ that can't control his urges to gamble and losing everything that's important to me.
Thanks for the advice

[jlee]

learn to hate losing, always try to learn from your mistakes, and stay consistent with your betting... there is such thing as luck but discipline is key. If I were you with the $190, I'd do $10 parlays for 4 days straight, if you lose all 4, cash out the $150 and save it for a few days, week, month until u get the urge to rebuy

[The Bet Master]

If you like gambling don't just try and cut it out. You'll probaby get a huge urge later and loae even more than if you ever cut it out. Cash out $100 or so so you'll get some money then bet a few dollars on each game. That's what I try to do just put a $5 bet on games when I need to because I just don't want to lose money yet don want to stop gambling.

[Ratzz]

Damn Rattz, thanks for the real answer. I have been reading many stories online of people throwing their lives away because of obsessive gambling. I definitely do not want to be like those people. I was seriously considering calling GA the other day, just to try to prevent myself from becoming a lowlife ************ that can't control his urges to gamble and losing everything that's important to me.
Thanks for the advice

i have read extensively about Neurobiology, and Clinical Psychology. Gambling is a serious disease, if a person is not aware of the machinations of their own brains. Gambling creates a false sense of progress, thus the person (animal really) is compelled to pursue it. It triggers the 'easy meal' reflex that animals cannot resist.. much in the same way that the best fishing lures are the ones that move randomly.. making the target fish think that it is dealing with an injured fish (easy kill, no expenditure of energy).*

Animals instinctively seek to conserve energy, in the wild, careless waste of energy, may be the difference between life and death. I am quite serious about invisible gambling.

Give yourself a deadline. Decide that you are going to figure out this sport or that sport by a certain date, and if you don't, then quit it. Write down every bet, as if it were real, the mind really does say.. "i knew that was going to happen" or "ya, i never woulda bet that!"*

The truth of your handicapping will be seen in the results. Remember, $100 wagered is not $100 won, easy for the mind to think that one too. The mind loves doubling money, the books don't.

Don't listen to any Kamikaze pilots... "balls to the wall, dude" "only a pussy would quit now".. that is not the thinking of a serious winner. Warrior, maybe.. but not a chessplayer. Gambling is chess. not MMA

Beware of your own mind, be aware of what makes it feel good, and where in life you seek the feeling of reward. If your greatest thrill is associated with potentially dangerous behavior... then proceed verrry cautiously.

Life is precious, time especially, opportunity in life does not linger. It turns faster than bananas.*

[russiaboss]

i have read extensively about Neurobiology, and Clinical Psychology. Gambling is a serious disease, if a person is not aware of the machinations of their own brains. Gambling creates a false sense of progress, thus the person (animal really) is compelled to pursue it. It triggers the 'easy meal' reflex that animals cannot resist.. much in the same way that the best fishing lures are the ones that move randomly.. making the target fish think that it is dealing with an injured fish (easy kill, no expenditure of energy).*

Animals instinctively seek to conserve energy, in the wild, careless waste of energy, may be the difference between life and death. I am quite serious about invisible gambling.

Give yourself a deadline. Decide that you are going to figure out this sport or that sport by a certain date, and if you don't, then quit it. Write down every bet, as if it were real, the mind really does say.. "i knew that was going to happen" or "ya, i never woulda bet that!"*

The truth of your handicapping will be seen in the results. Remember, $100 wagered is not $100 won, easy for the mind to think that one too. The mind loves doubling money, the books don't.

Don't listen to any Kamikaze pilots... "balls to the wall, dude" "only a pussy would quit now".. that is not the thinking of a serious winner. Warrior, maybe.. but not a chessplayer. Gambling is chess. not MMA

Beware of your own mind, be aware of what makes it feel good, and where in life you seek the feeling of reward. If your greatest thrill is associated with potentially dangerous behavior... then proceed verrry cautiously.

Life is precious, time especially, opportunity in life does not linger. It turns faster than bananas.*

[Vinnie Paz]

Rattz dropping the knowledge on us

Post of the year.

[MagicDiceFlow]

^^^^^^^^^^^Damn, super sharp post Ratzz , makes me want to re examine a few things. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Can't help it but Robert Redford's voice comes into my mind when reading that post. Flows really well with it.

I like your writing, your insight cascades onto paper really well. Smooth and insightful indeed. Great work there.

[Barnes & Whine]

Excellent posts Rattz...

love the bit on the machinations of your brain..meditate on this I will...

The light may yet come on for even the thickest gambling heads.

[face]

Find a little nitch, like certain diamondbacks home game Overs, or Cleveland browns team total unders, and bet your whole stack, then just screw around and bet hot teams for a tiny percent of your roll until you find another pound bet.

Don't give up unless you are bad at it.

[Ratzz]

Rattz dropping the knowledge on us

Post of the year.

^^^^^^^^^^^Damn, super sharp post Ratzz , makes me want to re examine a few things. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Can't help it but Robert Redford's voice comes into my mind when reading that post. Flows really well with it.

I like your writing, your insight cascades onto paper really well. Smooth and insightful indeed. Great work there.

Excellent posts Rattz...

love the bit on the machinations of your brain..meditate on this I will...

The light may yet come on for even the thickest gambling heads.

Thank you, gentlemen, your words are very kind... and most appreciated.

Everything i *learned about this, Neurobio and Psychology, (in particular "behaviorism") i combined in a book about Gambling.. the problem with Gambling is that the impulse itself is misinterpreted. The gambler pursues what he "senses" to be a good idea.. or 'progress'. The trick, i should say 'answer', tricks are what we are trying to explain and avoid.

The Answer is to understand the nature of motivation, and precisely how information is interpreted, and how and 'why' decisions are made. I go into this process in great detail, specifically with Gambling decision-making and thinking. Why so many gamblers ultimately fail, and lose their money, and more importantly the 'time' they spent on the games. That is what cannot be replaced. Wasted effort. The innocent eagerness of youth, the desire to be successful. To belong.

I learned so much writing it. I wanted to understand self-destructive behavior.. "how can self-destructive behavior exist?" i thought...how could "that" ever evolve? I must start with addiction, and it must be something non-chemical. It must be an idea. It must be Gambling.

It took several years of research, on the field (and in the library).. but i feel good about it. I m giving it a final revision. I will post it online.. should be ready soon. This is the cover (with spine), i hope people like it..

Cheers to all

[Ghenghis Kahn]

who were your test subjects and how many did you test if you don't mind me asking?

[MagicDiceFlow]

Sounds like a fantastic read. I'll be one of the first in line to purchase when available.

[Crofta]

Ratz...where were you 20 yrs ago? Would be f@cking loaded now if we crossed paths back inthe 80's!

[MagicDiceFlow]

If I may ask, what prompted you to write this book....was it your own gambling addiction, a friend or family, or just wanting to find the answer?

[Ratzz]

who were your test subjects and how many did you test if you don't mind me asking?

the test subjects are in the books that i read.. and myself. I found that i developed an almost 100% power over impulses once i understood the protocol of the human brain.. it's a device.. it' malfunctions.. it sends false alarms.. if it did not malfunction so much and so frequently, the world would not know so many wars, so much grief, so many scandals.. in business and politically.*

Sounds like a fantastic read. I'll be one of the first in line to purchase when available.

I hope you like it, thank you Magic!

Ratz...where were you 20 yrs ago? Would be f@cking loaded now if we crossed paths back inthe 80's!

20 yrs ago i was doing the research for the book (making the mistakes). lol but it's never too late to make a Million $

If I may ask, what prompted you to write this book....was it your own gambling addiction, a friend or family, or just wanting to find the answer?

I wanted to understand addiction without chemical dependency. My brother was a terrible heroin addict, and for myself, i drank too far. Not often, but too much when i did. i wanted to know what compels the human to make poor decisions. It's not stupidity, humanity is clearly not stupid. Ignorant, yes...

I wanted to research the addiction to ideas, Gambling is really a thought. A slot machine is a device, but gambling on the outcome of an event, is really an idea.. i wanted to know how an idea might destroy a life, and how a human being not only would permit that… but seemingly expend a great amount of energy to make sure that happened... running to one's own execution.*

[Galego]

Congrats for the post Ratzz... Let us know when you release your book.

I think this will help a lot of people here...

[hougigo]

I don't read books often, and when I do it's not because I'm interested in them (homework).
When you release this.... you bet your ass I'll buy it, I mean... the posts you made here already made me interested in the book.

Odds of me buying it when it's out:

yes: -100000
No: +1222000

[GoonSquad]

Awesome insight. I definitely agree with a lot of what you spoke about, with impulses and urges. I have found it very hard in the past few months to go 24 hours without betting on sports. Especially during this time of year with baseball, wimbledon, golf, euro cup, etc. Even when i'm not very sure which team will win I will throw money down on a side. I'm not sure why, maybe it's just my gut feeling of whats going to happen, but I very rarely commit to the "No Play". I will for sure look into purchasing this book if you release it.

[agendaman]

hey guy/this works for me/make say 5 10 dollar bets/then go camping out somewhere fo a few days BUT cant take your notebook computer or radio w/you /read the illiad of homer /investigate some aspects of existentialism / im a recovering alcoholic /know all about addiction /control it or be destroyed gl to you

[dudekid]

well put! great thread

[tevari]

If you ever develop an ego from betting, rest assured, you will be buried.

[yisman]

Odds of me buying it when it's out:

yes: -100000
No: +1222000

good thing you're not a bookie!

[vaas187]

just use it....

but the time you cash out, you'll have put more than that back in. you're addicted.

[blackout31]

Wow. Ratzz just made me step back and reevaluate myself. Yes, I'm up, but for how long? When do I finally put myself in danger.

Time to rethink things. Gracias senor.

[krk1030]

Walk away before you start losing real money.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Rattz....seems like it will be an amazing book. Congrats for sure.

I especially find it interesting how you phrased sports betting as not a chemical addiction but one where somebody is addicted to an "idea". To be frank with you I gabe this some thought too amd truly believe that it is the same reason why people say run for President or try to be the best at say kickboxing. It's not so much the appreciation or the enjoymemt the people are getting from the action themsleves , but rather the boost in esteem and in ego they get for accomplishing whatever it is they wanted too.

Its like in school, when oftentimes a student isn't studying hard because he wants too or enjoys it.....but rather because he wants that high grade to further boost his ego.

I find these types of people to be the least bit effective at what they do because they are doing it for a shallow short- term "high" if you will rather than because they genuinely enjoy what thay do.

[NYSportsGuy210]

(cont) Long term this leads to failure and unfulfilment.....and ultimately they start back to square one and wasted time doing it.

[ShogunRua]

cash it out.. go out and buy an object with it, and keep that object in plain view. as a reminder to yourself,
that you can and will successfully discipline yourself when you need or want to.

take the rest and buy a beautiful girl a dinner, and then a good book.

cash out... develop your system on paper, without using real $
write down all your bets (theoretical) as proof that you can win money, before using actual money..
losing while you learn is too painful. In fact, having money present creates so much doubt and stress, you never actually learn how to cap. Keep faithful records... don't forget the vig. That is huge *

If you just keep mental notes, the gambling mind will begin to lie and remember all the good bets,
and conveniently omit the losses. The books are not so forgiving.

best of Luck to you

What a great post.

Isn't this the same guy that trolled Lyon/Lakerboy's thread nonstop last year? Hopefully you stick to posts like this from now on.

[Ratzz]

Gambling is so extraordinarily complex.. in its very nature... so layered. its stimulation so profound. It keeps us riveted and glued to an event that really has no bearing on our lives at all.. when the outcome is decided.. win or lose money, we immediately cease caring about the event as if it never existed. Is it not odd to root like "fvckin hell" one second, and to not care at all the next.*


All of these problems and tendencies begin with how the brain makes associations.. and decisions based on those associations. This is the realm of Clinical Psychology.


a) teen girl makes out with a cute boy. (gets a warm fuzzy feeling)
b) Coldplay on radio while teen girl making out with cute boy.


*'making out' with cute boy = warm fuzzy feeling (this is called a 'Reinforcer")*It is called that because it is the basic reward, that creates more of the same behavior that created that reward in the first place.


– girl hears Coldplay song during makeout = gets same warm fuzzy feeling.*
(this is called the 'Conditioned Reinforcer')


– Girl IMMEDIATELY runs out and buys Coldplay album, listens to it over and over, hour after hour.


This is the foundation of addictive behavior. "The Conditioned Reinforcer". A person begins to associate an alternate activity with actual progress.

*This is precisely how Gambling operates, stimulates and tricks the human brain.. Gambling feels like progress. If it did not, you would soon lose interest and move on. In fact, it feels like "SO MUCH" progress, that the gambler devotes an inordinate time to the activity, in order to complete what he feels is inevitable and final success.


The first person to document the "Conditioned Reinforcer" Ivan Pavlov, i am sure all have heard it mentioned about "Pavlov's Dogs". Pavlov was a Physiologist, he won a Nobel Prize (in 1904) for his work on the digestion of food. He knew that Saliva and chewing were the beginning of the digestion process. His work was to study digestion from beginning to end. What he noticed was the the Dogs began salivating before the actual meat was ever given to them.

Pavlov himself was the Chief Scientist, so he was dressed as he was (i assume a suit), all of his assistants wore white lab robes covering their clothes.*


When the dogs saw the white lab coats, they began salivating…knowing that the food was soon to come. Pavlov had thought that salivation only occurrred once the meat was introduced orally to the animal. Nnow he understood that the animal brain anticipates, and that the body creates an involuntary reflex that it cannot control. (saliva, wet pussy, erection)


I used to know a famous/rich artist* here in New York, i remember that we had a common friend that used to immediately begin running at the nose when Will entered the room. he knew that Will had Cocaine, and that Will would give him some… and his pussy got wet. except his pussy was his nose..


I speak of this because all of Gambling is the 'Conditioned Reinforcer'. it is not that actual progress that we all seek. Much of our Gambling behavior falls into a category referred to as 'response induction'.


Response induction is what happens to an animal (all of us) when a certain expected reward does not materialize. It is the creation of 'new behavior/acts' to achieve/receive a previously expected reward. (the original reinforcer)


– A man slips a $1 dollar bill into a machine... but candybar does not come out. Nothing comes out.


– man begins to shove machine... nothing.. begins kicking machine it.. nothing.
all of this behavior is called 'response induction' by psychologists.


however, this is what Gamblers do... endlessly... without ever being aware of it at all. Never knowing it. They chase bets, they double down, they try new systems... losing all their money, their GFs, friends, opportunities.. all the while the books are laughing all the way to the bank...


i believe all of this should be explained to gamblers... so they understand what is happening to their minds.. to even the odds a little.


there is so much more.. tip of the iceberg, i have not even touched anatomy of brain, or Neurotransmitters..
(or Dopamine, the only real drug)

cheers