Do you ever stop and think how much money you would have if you didn't gamble?

[Lazy-Man]

75% of us lose. Think of the money we would save

[Bigmikesm]

Think about it all the time.. I couldn't even put a rough estimate of my career losses. Probably over 6 figures.

[excel]

I would have at least 12 more points today.

[ttwarrior1]

no comment

[TheCentaur]

Not as much

[The Kraken]

Only stupid people continue to place -ev wagers. Only bettors that win long term are +ev bettors and I reckon they account for less than 1%. We're all stupid. And losers. I drove by the gym tonight and saw some guys in there working out and looking good. I came home and got on here to feel better about myself.

[john230]

Most people that win get a big hit and then get out. Over the long haul most will lose. I know when I was in my 20's I had grandiose thoughts that I could make it in this game. That for most is an illusion. I think the best way to apprroach it is that gambling is for entertainment purposes only, like going to a movie, eating at nice restaurants, etc. Budget accordingly.

[Domestic]

You guys have got to remember that the money you spend on gambling might have been spent on other things anyway if you were not spending time betting/watching sports.

[UntilTheNDofTimE]

Most people winners or losers chose gambling as there hobby and spend countless hours a week focusing on it. If you werent watching games you bet on you might be at a club or a bar wasting money as well. Gambling is oppurtunity cost as well. So unless in the time you gambled you could of got a part time job or you did absolutely nothing; you probably wouldnt have much more. Not many people are EREers so if you spend 40-70% of your income to gamble and you truely believe you would of saved that all your nuts.

[denn333]

Definitely an entertainment expense.

[brettels]

Would have spent it on something else

[jjgold]

so say you did not lose it??

Maybe put in the bank and die with it unhappy??

I cannot stand real cheap people that live life rarely spending money and doing nothing in their lives but work..they are the real losers actually

People that enjoy life are the winners as long as you do not go overboard

[bobbyfk]

People that enjoy life are the winners as long as you do not go overboard

[robmpink]

Dac, i'd say 6 figures. Sucks, but the damage I caused sucks more.

[Ace_of_Spades]

Winners never look back.

[Sportsbetting123]

Yes - worst thing I ever got involved in

[wtf]

great post jj

totally agree with you

i know this guy fairly well, he is worth at least 80 million usd

when we go out to drink he complains about the cost of beers, like 8 bucks, what a fukin tool

[yahoonino]

most people that win get a big hit and then get out. Over the long haul most will lose. I know when i was in my 20's i had grandiose thoughts that i could make it in this game. That for most is an illusion. I think the best way to apprroach it is that gambling is for entertainment purposes only, like going to a movie, eating at nice restaurants, etc. Budget accordingly.

well said

[k13]

Lot less than I do now but mostly from "futures" winners.

Most of my SU winners go to parlays....

[thetrinity]

a lot of "loser" mentalities on here. anyways, people who bet within their means probably would just be using the money elsewhere anyways.

[RyanLeafOfBets]

Most people winners or losers chose gambling as there hobby and spend countless hours a week focusing on it. If you werent watching games you bet on you might be at a club or a bar wasting money as well. Gambling is oppurtunity cost as well. So unless in the time you gambled you could of got a part time job or you did absolutely nothing; you probably wouldnt have much more. Not many people are EREers so if you spend 40-70% of your income to gamble and you truely believe you would of saved that all your nuts.

I absolutely agree with this statement. For the most part, I don't go on tilt too bad. I'm probably down a career $1,500-2000. I've been gambling off and on for six years though.

Even if I drop $100 a month on average from here on out, it's a pretty cheap hobby. I mean, I'll drink with friends, but most the time we stay in and watch games, so WAY cheaper than the bar. I would definitely rather have gambling as a hobby than going out to the bar every night and not even having the stones to go talk to a girl like most people I know.

[itchypickle]

It's one thing if you gamble every paycheck and actually DEPEND on a wager to make you more financially better or to build a balance in order to purchase something...but if you do it the right way the losses are frustrating but it doesn't make you wonder if your power is about to be shut off from late payments or now you can't go fill up your car with gas etc.

Pickle doesn't smoke, I play golf now and then more for the drinking and just hanging out with the guys aspect rather than working on my skill, I don't buy scale model airplanes or race cars on the weekends and stay in the garage/workshop.....so sports betting is where I chose to throw my hobby money into.

I'm sure we'd all like to have a LOT of wagers back or wish they never happened but in the long run it's a big cycle....we'll go on good runs and smile looking at that ledger balance and then we'll be right back down cussing ourselves for breaking tendencies and laying 5-10 extra units on one "lock" and wipe away weeks worth of wins in one day.

[wtt0315]

i am down about 100,000 units but that is ok because tommorow i will put on my spreadsheet a 101,000 unit play on a team and i will be ahead. if i lose then i will just have to do a 202,000 unit play sunday

[pattymayo]

The way some people here try to justify their gambling habits is pretty comical

[darkhat]

If I didn't gamble I'd just be spending the extra money on alcohol and strippers. One of the few things I'm good at is spending my paycheck as quickly as possible with nothing to show for it. It doesn't matter where it goes, but I make sure it goes.

btw: I think I've mentioned this before, I spend more drinking than gambling even, which is somewhat impressive.

[macoeric]

That and booze

Oh what could have been...

[mrmarket]

Most people winners or losers chose gambling as there hobby and spend countless hours a week focusing on it. If you werent watching games you bet on you might be at a club or a bar wasting money as well. Gambling is oppurtunity cost as well. So unless in the time you gambled you could of got a part time job or you did absolutely nothing; you probably wouldnt have much more. Not many people are EREers so if you spend 40-70% of your income to gamble and you truely believe you would of saved that all your nuts.

ERE's are wackadoos. 50% survival nut goldbugs, 20% cheapos, 10% 100k+ spirituality seeking yuppies, 10% envirohippy sex fiends, 7% in crushing debt prison, 2% normals, 1% socially inept geniuses
Even jacob went back to work after hawking his snakeoil
key to life is moderation minimizing pleasure to maximize experience when enjoyed/moving to a peergroup andor neighborhood where you are doing comparitively better than average
not living in a trailer in the woods
foraging for acorns to live on 6k a year

[Iced]

mrmarket have you gotten a new job yet? Your posting style has become progressively more like jj's ever since being unemployed

[paco]

so say you did not lose it??

Maybe put in the bank and die with it unhappy??

I cannot stand real cheap people that live life rarely spending money and doing nothing in their lives but work..they are the real losers actually

People that enjoy life are the winners as long as you do not go overboard

Good post coach

[mrmarket]

mrmarket have you gotten a new job yet? Your posting style has become progressively more like jj's ever since being unemployed

Never underestimate the sheer power of boredom
quick someone give me the find passion speech
i will turn it around!!!!!

[GGZOLA]

what I wouldnt do to go back in time and tell my dumb brash young self to find another hobby.
Only bad thing to happen in my life. And once your in...good luck trying to stop.
Much more disciplined now, but hate the stress it puts on the mind and body.
Unfortunately jobs so fcuked up and this crooked-arse government that more people gambling now than every b4 I think.
Is it wrong to look at it as a source of income, absolutely. But desperation knows no boundaries.

[teaserpleaser]

Yes thats why I did stop that and my losing streak + I found out I actually enjoy leaving the house and doing things

[135steward]

Oh fer Chrisake!

75% of us lose. Think of the money we would save

So, what's yer fukkin' point?!

Jesus fukkin' Christ, man! If you have something you'd rather do with your money, then fukkin do that! You're a grown man! Live with your choices, or change them. The act of gambling itself is fun, and doesn't cause brain or liver damage! It's the safest high I've ever had. But if you don't like it, then don't do it!

[135steward]

Wow! Jj?

so say you did not lose it??

Maybe put in the bank and die with it unhappy??

I cannot stand real cheap people that live life rarely spending money and doing nothing in their lives but work..they are the real losers actually

People that enjoy life are the winners as long as you do not go overboard

Goddam, man! You actually said something positive! Even inciteful. Maybe you're not so bad as I said.

[135steward]

The way some people here try to justify their gambling habits is pretty comical

What are yiu, a fukkin' judge? **** you.