[dlowilly]

For me it was when I was 15. Went on a school trip to Spain and blew all my traveling money on a coin pusher in some store. Had never seen one before. !Muchos Gracias Espana!

[Otters27]

6th grade craps in friends garage. My mom warned me but I didn't listen

[funnyb25]

I think I was like 7. During Summer School we went to the Fair, and I blew all my food money on the Carney games. Got a loan from the staff for food, and dad paid back the staff. Lost TV privileges for 1 night, and had to mow the lawn. Wish I was 7 again.

[grease lightnin]

Me and pals in 3rd grade used to play a game flipping quarters off the wall on to baseball cards on a table. Each had good cards and shitty cards on the table. You kept whatever cards your quarter landed on. Lost a second year Nolan Tyan playing that fukking game.

[DrunkHorseplayer]

At Longacres Park back in the day when I realized that the races could be beaten.

[grease lightnin]

At Longacres Park back in the day when I realized that the races could be beaten.

How does one do this?

One of my pals loves the OTB and I never win shit when we go. I study the programs but it doesn't help

[jjgold]

Probably avail fifth or sixth grade I was playing football tickets I knew I was destined for stardom

[brock]

I was 1 1/2 year old. Told my mom I didn't need a diaper to got to the park. I lost.
Really I believe I got the fever from my mom. See was sure she was going to win the publishers
clearing house. Bought all kinds of junk for a chance to win.

[reigle9]

First ats bet when i was 10, cowboys-bears. Playing draw poker for sports cards before that, but usually had to give them back when the other kids would throw a fit.

[INVEGA MAN]

Playing parlay cards when I was 13. 4 Teamer for a quarter

[Cuse0323]

First time my dad gave me a parlay card to fill out. Probably like 4. Every week on, I itched for Wednesday to come so that I could fill out another. Had to talk him in to letting me do two, so I had action on Sunday if I lose CFB. Though, I'd get dumb and do two cards mixed with both and be depressed on Sunday. Worst was losing a noon game that just ended the weekend. Also why I still don't bet on something I can't watch.

[Sam Odom]

[DrunkHorseplayer]

How does one do this?

One of my pals loves the OTB and I never win shit when we go. I study the programs but it doesn't help

Much more difficult now but pre-simulcast if you watched every race, studied trips, took into account track bias and focused on win-place betting you could make money but you wouldn't get filthy rich.

[RudyRuetigger]

well I saw a million other sperm cells racing and I bet 1 I could beat the other to the egg

well, I won the race but never got paid

[jtoler]

I think its in my blood. I use to not want to do anything as a kid with friends unless something was on the table as far as money, marbles, whatever. My dad used to gamble but I didnt realize what exactly he was doing yet I was still making wagers at 5 yrs old.

[bonz]

First ats bet when i was 10, cowboys-bears. Playing draw poker for sports cards before that, but usually had to give them back when the other kids would throw a fit.

I remember that game from 2 years ago it was wild as fuk.

[JIBBBY]

Casual gambler in the 20's but got serious about 15 years ago.. I guess 15 years ago was when I knew for sure I was a sports gambler and was in it to last.....

[Mr KLC]

When I got married.

[Ralphie Halves]

Playing cards with Grandma when I was like 5 yrs old. One day we played for pennies, then another day for matchsticks. Next time we played, we didn't play for anything and I lost interest.

Then when I was in 3rd grade, I told my teacher I wanted to be a stock broker. There were still kids in my class, I shit you not, that were still saying things like "I wanna be a horsey!".

Thank God, in my 30s, I went from being a gambler to an advantage player. Could have been a rough go.

[BeatTheJerk]

I was 12 & it was College football. I would pick the spreads on damn near every game & kept my own ATS data via newspaper for the entire league in perfect hand writing. My grades slipped, but made my Pops money on the Country Club parlay cards. I would handicap 10x more back then compared to now, it's a damn shame ....

[Optional]

Parents owned a few race horses and I had a school holiday job at a trainers stables, so spent a lot of time around racecourses as a kid.

I used to scrounge around discarded tickets looking for winners and bookies would even let me place $1 each way bets as a 9 or 10 year old in those days.

But what got me was one day when Dad sent me to collect a winning ticket that paid 3 or 4 thousand (in the 70s) without telling me... and then when I brought the money back he had me give it to a horse trainer to buy a horse running in the next race, which won.

Was an exciting day but think it was what got me really interested in gambling.


That horse never won again for Dad in about 15 starts, before he sold it to a country trainer who took around the rural cup circuit and won more than 10 in a row with it.

[jjgold]

A lot of pros in this thread

[SBR_Guest_Pro]

6 years old. went to an arcade. kept putting in tokens to try and win tickets. Same concept. tokens for tickets. Chips for Cash

[Shute]

Early 20s
Simply unanble to remove myself from the casino no matter how hard I tried after hours at BJ and craps table. Maxed out the ATM and trying to get a cash advance on the ****.
Unreal.

[Roadtrip635]

I can't remember a time I didn't gamble, my whole family gambled in some form or fashion, cards, pool, dominoes, football bets and squares etc. I probably started with shooting marbles, pitching pennies later pitching quarters, my uncle taught to play dominoes at about 7, started racing bicycles for bicycles and placing side bets, bought $1/$2 football squares, hustled the County Fair dart games, had people pay me to win them their prize. I actually got banned a few times from those dart games. Eventually, started playing poker in my early teens.

[jjgold]

Roader tremendous post!