I've Quit Gambling

[Half Smoke]

.
my history -
I made some good $ counting cards at BJ in the 90s
I was much younger and hungry to win
played one day every single week in A.C. for about 14 hours for 6 years
got tired of it and started betting racing
lost a tiny amount betting horses
made a tiny amount betting sports

I was never willing to bet a large enough amount to make a real difference in my financial situation - I'm comfortable - don't need gambling winnings

but I was sweating the ups and downs of it - it was too important to me - taking up too much time - if I lost it hurt my pride

I still like looking for angles in sports betting - just don't want to bet

since I've quit - a few months now - I feel really good - my mind is clear

it feels like that old song by Cream "I feel free"

.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

.
my history -
I made some good $ counting cards at BJ in the 90s
I was much younger and hungry to win
played one day every single week in A.C. for about 14 hours for 6 years
got tired of it and started betting racing
lost a tiny amount betting horses
made a tiny amount betting sports

I was never willing to bet a large enough amount to make a real difference in my financial situation - I'm comfortable - don't need gambling winnings

but I was sweating the ups and downs of it - it was too important to me - taking up too much time - if I lost it hurt my pride

I still like looking for angles in sports betting - just don't want to bet

since I've quit - a few months now - I feel really good - my mind is clear

it feels like that old song by Cream "I feel free"

.

Kudos to you!!! Racing is a wonderful activity that stimulates the mind especially when we get up there in the years. However, when the game seems no longer fun and at least appealing as an activity it is wise to change and walk away.

[Mr_Ed]

Good for you!

Those gravitational pulls can certainly stress one out.

Sit back and relax.

See you on Derby Day.

[P.Rosa]

I stopped drinking alcohol in 83 and never looked back.
Then I gave up smoking for good in 98.

As for gambling, I quit gambling several times in just the last few months.
I'll be on my way to the track in a couple of minutes.

I wish you success with your intention.

Good Luck

[Bustin Stones]

Tommy Lasorda (ex Dodgers Mgr):

I took a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, stared at it and said, “Who’s stronger, you or me?” The answer was me. I stopped smoking. Then I took a vodka martini and said to it, “Who’s stronger, you or me?” Again the answer was me. I quit drinking. Then I went on a diet. I looked at a big plate of linguine with clam sauce and said, “Who’s stronger, you or me?” And a little clam looked up at me and answered, “I am.” I can’t beat linguine.

[proximity]

idk anything about sports, but from the 90s on (your history) blackjack and racing certainly became much worse games.

in hoosiers, gene hackman said he was going to break the team down and build them back up and racing had a chance to do that with the slots but failed miserably and now is sinking like the titanic.

[Bustin Stones]

I stopped smoking 50 yrs ago, stopped drinking to excess 50 yrs ago, stopped eating to excess 20 yrs ago. You want me to stop gambling? You're going to have to pry that racing program from my hands. You gotta have a little fun in life.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

.
my history -
I made some good $ counting cards at BJ in the 90s
I was much younger and hungry to win
played one day every single week in A.C. for about 14 hours for 6 years
got tired of it and started betting racing
lost a tiny amount betting horses
made a tiny amount betting sports

I was never willing to bet a large enough amount to make a real difference in my financial situation - I'm comfortable - don't need gambling winnings

but I was sweating the ups and downs of it - it was too important to me - taking up too much time - if I lost it hurt my pride

I still like looking for angles in sports betting - just don't want to bet

since I've quit - a few months now - I feel really good - my mind is clear

it feels like that old song by Cream "I feel free"

.

Glad to hear you made a positive change.

[Half Smoke]

.
thanks for all of the positive responses guyss

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

.
thanks for all of the positive responses guyss

That's what it's about.

If something isn't working for us, we have to change it.


Even if you're talking about my precious horse racing or something!

my vices (and when I say 'vice' here, I'm referring to my faults/defects/failings not 'vice' in the popular usage where it's almost romantically referred to as a dark excess or pleasure) ... my vices? are things like physical illness, mental illness, self medicating, loss, fear...

Eating? Could have a daily spread of all my favorites and I'll still be underweight/undernourished. Horse racing? That's my mountain. Gambling? It doesn't 'hit me' thank goodness. Health willing I'd much rather do physical labor than even gamble some bonus/promotion at the slots/dice/or modern blackjack odds. Both will bore me but at least physical labor 'hits me' and it helps my appetite and sleep and health.

Everyone has their own stuff, their own vices their own demons... but in general a lot of the same things are to be avoided, and a lot of the same things you try to do and maintain like physical exercise (even if it's just a consistent routine of maintaining your apartment, and some walking if your body is blessed to do some basic things). There are cardinal standard virtues. There are things like family and friends and culture that are generally positive blessings.

You were sweating the ups and downs of gambling and it became stressful and a waste, so it sounds like you made a healthy choice.

Even if it includes my beloved horse racing

[Poindexter]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

.
my history -
I made some good $ counting cards at BJ in the 90s
I was much younger and hungry to win
played one day every single week in A.C. for about 14 hours for 6 years
got tired of it and started betting racing
lost a tiny amount betting horses
made a tiny amount betting sports

I was never willing to bet a large enough amount to make a real difference in my financial situation - I'm comfortable - don't need gambling winnings

but I was sweating the ups and downs of it - it was too important to me - taking up too much time - if I lost it hurt my pride

I still like looking for angles in sports betting - just don't want to bet

since I've quit - a few months now - I feel really good - my mind is clear

it feels like that old song by Cream "I feel free"

.

Why are you looking for angles in sports betting if you are free. As long as you are looking for angles your head is in the game. You were betting inconsequential amounts of money but were pained by losing streaks as we all are. So you come up with an angle and over 200 games you hit 56 percent.

Then what? Bet again? Angle regresses to the mean. Too many ups and downs. The cycle repeats. Or maybe you don’t bet and you post your plays. Even though nobody is playing along, your results aren’t as good as you want them to be. That pride enters the equation again.

Do you invest? What is your goal? To make money every day or make money over time. Do you stop investing because one year your portfolio goes down 20 percent, or do you ride it out knowing over time it will correct and you will make money. Now obviously are chances of correcting into the positive in the stock market is far better than gambling, for most. But the ups and downs are much the same.

I am not trying to be critical here. Ups and downs will always be part of the game. If you want to win consistently play online backgammon against a computer. I can win at a 56 percent doing that. I think I actually won higher than that. Doesn’t do anything for me but it is really good for my pride.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

.
my history -
I made some good $ counting cards at BJ in the 90s
I was much younger and hungry to win
played one day every single week in A.C. for about 14 hours for 6 years
got tired of it and started betting racing
lost a tiny amount betting horses
made a tiny amount betting sports

I was never willing to bet a large enough amount to make a real difference in my financial situation - I'm comfortable - don't need gambling winnings

but I was sweating the ups and downs of it - it was too important to me - taking up too much time - if I lost it hurt my pride

I still like looking for angles in sports betting - just don't want to bet

since I've quit - a few months now - I feel really good - my mind is clear

it feels like that old song by Cream "I feel free"

.

I think it was the great psychologist Abraham Maslow who said that men are happiest when they have a worthwhile game to play. We all start off as young kids happily playing games on the playground, and then we get older and some of us gravitate to the "money games"...which are easier on the body but sometimes a lot harder on the wallet and the psyche.

If the ups and downs of gambling/investing are making you "sweat", then you've obviously made the right choice by quitting gambling altogether. But, as Poindexter has already stated, why are you still looking for winning sports-betting angles if you are not interested in betting actual money sometime in the future? Don't you know how the gambling gods tempt the gambler? When you have no money riding on the games, your mind is more relaxed and more creative, and you might uncover a couple of promising sports betting angles. And then you will be tempted to back these promising angles with real money...and the "sweating" will begin all over again.

A person who drinks alcohol doesn't keep booze in his house when he makes up his mind to give up drinking. Nor should a gambler occupy his thoughts with betting angles if he is serious about stopping his gambling. My advice to you is to throw away the sports betting angles and to take up a safer way to stimulate your intellect -- chess, perhaps. That way you can guarantee that you will remain as "free" in the future as you are now.

[PaceAdvantage]

Or, you could be like me and play video games...LMAO

I just shat all over a Fortnite lobby...14 kills and a win...I can only imagine the looks on these 14 kids' faces if they knew they just got wiped by a "boomer."

My guess is all 14 were probably way more than half my age...

[PaceAdvantage]

And if there's any weirdos like me who enjoy Fortnite or Call of Duty, hit me up with a PM...I'm always looking for someone to play with closer to my age...lol

[Tom]

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