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Posted: Sep 16 2010 09:16 am

Anyone do any good at it?

I actually won $500 off a scratch off ticket yesterday!

Curious if anyone has or knows anyone who has hit anything bigger off of those or if I'm just one lucky bastard.

Joined: Dec 28 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 66

My dad won $500 off of one once.

He's been the manager at a store that sells them for a really long time, so once in a while he'll buy one, but when he plays them, he'll scratch off only the game part and leave the prize unscratched. One night when we were both working, he handed me a ticket he had scratched off and told me to cash it in for him. It was one of those tickets that gives you ten possible numbers that you need to match with the winning number, and he matched every single one. We both figured it would be maybe $20 total, but when I returned to the office with $500 for him he was more than surprised. Very Happy

Posted: Sep 16 2010 10:00 am

Most I've ever won is maybe $5. I'm not lucky with scratch cards, but I've never tried real card games or slots where it actually counts.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Everyone I know talks about all of their winnings.

Funny how no one talks about their losses and yet no one is giving up their jobs to go and just gamble.

I think we all like the feeling of a win. It makes us feel like at that moment we are on top of the world. When it is big, like $500, $1000, or more, it is a rush. So we ignore the losses.

Ultimately though, very few people gain money through gambling. We all know it.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 10:43 am

I'm certain I've bought less than $500 worth of scratch off tickets in my life, so I can consider this an up.

And yes, your right, its all about the Rush. Its a sweet ass feeling when you hit, and well, If I quit my job I wouldn't have any money to Gamble with.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 16 2010 11:15 am

I play some $2-4 limit poker every now and then, and at times I'll throw a buck on the roulette table and see how many spins I can make it last (my best is 7 so far). But I'm not really a hard-core gambler.

I've sometimes taken home a hundred or two-hundred dollar profit from the poker tables, but usually I lose my 40 or 60 bucks.

My best win at "true" gambling was on Keno, when I hit $300 on my last day (my last few hours, even) in Vegas. Pretty much covered my losses.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 12:03 pm

I usually go with blackjack because I feel like I have more control over whether I win or lose rather than say slots which is entirely random. I'm not a big gambler either, so when I play black jack I like to just try to make my 60 bucks last and get drunk for free whilst playing. I've won a couple hundred dollars before, but I'm certain I've lost more than I've won.

As far as scratchers go, I almost never play them, though my room mate won 15,000 (maximum you can win on a scratcher I believe) last year.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 12:33 pm

Burt Reynolds wrote:

I usually go with blackjack because I feel like I have more control over whether I win or lose rather than say slots which is entirely random. I'm not a big gambler either, so when I play black jack I like to just try to make my 60 bucks last and get drunk for free whilst playing. I've won a couple hundred dollars before, but I'm certain I've lost more than I've won.

I believe blackjack has the best odds in the house, when played somewhat efficiently.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 12:39 pm

Put $20 in a slot machine in Vegas and walked out with $50. Mom was with me, and her advice with just about anything has always been "quit while you're ahead." So, I did. My cousin won about $900 at the blackjack tables, though, because this one dealer absolutely sucked at blackjack.

I also won a $100 shopping spree at Toys R Us in a raffle when I was like 10 years old. I don't think raffles really count as gambling though.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 12:46 pm

Rycona wrote:

Burt Reynolds wrote:

I usually go with blackjack because I feel like I have more control over whether I win or lose rather than say slots which is entirely random. I'm not a big gambler either, so when I play black jack I like to just try to make my 60 bucks last and get drunk for free whilst playing. I've won a couple hundred dollars before, but I'm certain I've lost more than I've won.

I believe blackjack has the best odds in the house, when played somewhat efficiently.

This is true. What sucks is when you have a table of morons that do not know how to play, because their hitting on 16 when the dealer shows 14 effects you when they bust from drawing a face card that the dealer should have gotten. Instead the bust and the dealer draws the inevitable 7 and the whole table loses when they should have won if people knew what they were doing.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 12:47 pm

My sister one $50 off a scratch-off one time, the best I have ever hit was probably like $10.

aika wrote:

I also won a $100 shopping spree at Toys R Us in a raffle when I was like 10 years old. I don't think raffles really count as gambling though.

Heh, very nice. They would have been incredible at 10.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 01:12 pm

aika wrote:

I also won a $100 shopping spree at Toys R Us in a raffle when I was like 10 years old. I don't think raffles really count as gambling though.

Gambling is basically any game where the odds or outcome are dictated by chance, so yes, a raffle is technically gambling. It's weird, as I've seen tons of raffles throughout my life, but most of those probably had a charity/fundraising angle, which is allowed (at least, in NY law).

Posted: Sep 16 2010 01:15 pm

I remember on my 18th birthday the very first thing I did was buy a scratch ticket. I won $5 on it. I bought another and won $1. Then that Thanksgiving I won $300. Later on I went to win $100 and $50. I play so often that for a time I had a lot of dreams in which I won big on scratch tickets. In fact, any time I play lottery in my dreams, I always win.

Anyway, my rule is that if you break even, stop and try again at another store.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 01:27 pm

Also, you should be able to look up the odds for all the prizes all of that state's tickets online. I know you can for NY and CO anyway.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 01:58 pm

A lot of people who move to Nevada are surprised to find out that there is no state lottery or scratch-off tickets. The casinos lobby to keep it that way to encourage people to go to them for gambling. But really, that's better for the gambler in the long run. Lottery tickets and scratchers pay back such a low percent from what they take in. Casinos at least have to have games that statistically pay back a minimum of 95% of what they take in.

I do enjoy gambling, but I don't go as often as I'd like. I play blackjack and poker exclusively. In blackjack, I'm definitely down overall...but I've only played maybe 5 times. One time I did wind up winning over $200 profit, but more often than not I lost everything I sat with. I've probably lost at least $500 at the blackjack table over my lifetime.

Poker is a different story. I've done very well with it, and I know my exact winnings over the last 8 years because I keep track, whether it be a home game or at a casino. The most I've lost in one sitting is $200, but I've finished in the money in several tournaments, winning a few of them as well. I've had three money finishes that have paid out more than $5000 each.

Money tables are more profitable and efficient than tournaments, though. There are always a couple of guys at any table who are either very new to the game, incredibly stupid, or just way too drunk to play. Those are the guys you target and wipe out over the course of a couple hours. I've sat down with $200 at a NL Hold 'Em table and left with $2400 after eight hours of playing. Eight hours seems long, but it really isn't that crazy for a poker player; I never get tired at the table for whatever reason. Still, a normal session is about 3-4 hours. It's not rare to leave with a $200-300 profit after the short sessions. It's also not rare to lose everything I sit with.

Also, I play fantasy football and baseball for money, which is a form of gambling.

So yeah, I definitely dig gambling.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 02:02 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

Everyone I know talks about all of their winnings.

Funny how no one talks about their losses and yet no one is giving up their jobs to go and just gamble.

I think we all like the feeling of a win. It makes us feel like at that moment we are on top of the world. When it is big, like $500, $1000, or more, it is a rush. So we ignore the losses.

Ultimately though, very few people gain money through gambling. We all know it.

So true. My friend constantly brags about how good he is at blackjack, but he still works a shitty job.

I always tell my gambling friends......they didn't finance those giant casinos in Vegas by handing out jackpots to people.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 02:18 pm

Rycona wrote:

aika wrote:

I also won a $100 shopping spree at Toys R Us in a raffle when I was like 10 years old. I don't think raffles really count as gambling though.

Gambling is basically any game where the odds or outcome are dictated by chance, so yes, a raffle is technically gambling. It's weird, as I've seen tons of raffles throughout my life, but most of those probably had a charity/fundraising angle, which is allowed (at least, in NY law).

In that case, I used to play bingo pretty often. I never won once.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 02:23 pm

Oh yeah, to make me look like more of a degenerate, I also do like to place bets on football games. I usually don't do anything during the season, but I do put money on playoff games and definitely on the Super Bowl. I usually lose. I follow football closely but absolutely suck at predicting against the spread.

Posted: Sep 16 2010 04:49 pm

I won $1800 in a PokerStars Million Dollar Turbo Takedown. I bought in with 11 Frequent Player Points. It was a very profitable investment. I was about 5 places away from the next step up which was $9500. I play for fun on PokerStars and I used to play alot until all the underground games got shut down. I was known for my honest nature. Something that I can't portray on the Online tables.

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Sep 16 2010 08:29 pm

Rycona wrote:

Burt Reynolds wrote:

I usually go with blackjack because I feel like I have more control over whether I win or lose rather than say slots which is entirely random. I'm not a big gambler either, so when I play black jack I like to just try to make my 60 bucks last and get drunk for free whilst playing. I've won a couple hundred dollars before, but I'm certain I've lost more than I've won.

I believe blackjack has the best odds in the house, when played somewhat efficiently.

When played with perfect strategy, this is true. If you count cards well, you can actually throw the odds into your favor.

Posted: Sep 17 2010 03:51 am

Douche McCallister wrote:

I won $1800 in a PokerStars Million Dollar Turbo Takedown. I bought in with 11 Frequent Player Points. It was a very profitable investment. I was about 5 places away from the next step up which was $9500. I play for fun on PokerStars and I used to play alot until all the underground games got shut down. I was known for my honest nature. Something that I can't portray on the Online tables.

I love online poker, but I have never actually cashed any money out of a site. I'll deposit $50 to play cheap tourneys and I can make it last a while, maybe even a few months. I've been able to get it up past $1000. But then I always lose it and get stuck back to 0.

I've probably deposited $50 12-15 times over the last decade. Still haven't pulled any money out of PokerStars, and likely never will. I see it as entertainment rather than a money-making opportunity.

Posted: Sep 17 2010 07:58 am

GPFontaine wrote:

Everyone I know talks about all of their winnings.

Funny how no one talks about their losses and yet no one is giving up their jobs to go and just gamble.

I think we all like the feeling of a win. It makes us feel like at that moment we are on top of the world. When it is big, like $500, $1000, or more, it is a rush. So we ignore the losses.

Ultimately though, very few people gain money through gambling. We all know it.

I actually gave that a try not too long ago while on a years hiatus. My wife let me try my hand at poker. At first, I did very well, but it was so damn tedious, like spending 14 hours a day on the internet playing poker quickly lost its luster for me. Not to mention the first time you piss away 3 grand in an hour. Now I don't gamble at all, I think I did it to the point to where I am so bored with it I no longer have the patience. But you are right, the number of people making money is very few.

Joined: Aug 04 2009 Posts: 2515

I don't even think of scratch cards as a type of gambling. The odds of you win are staggering.

I prefer to play games where you at least have some control over the chance of you winning.

Poker is a good example, it depends on the cards as well as how you play. You can have nothing and still win. I play Texas Holdem and other games like Southern Cross, Railroad, 5 and 7 card stud etc.

I don't really do much else. Things like horse racing/greyhounds i would do very rarely and often just for the laugh or the enjoyment if it was the grand national.

EDIT: I should also add that when i play poker, it's really just for fun and not serious or to win money. Buy ins are usually like £2/3/5 though i have played in a tournament a few times buy in was like £20.

When it comes to online poker i never play with real money i.e. i just practice or play for enjoyment. I personally find when you play online that because it's all virtual you are a lot more careless with your money. All your doing is virtual transactions when transferring money from the bank to the game and then just virtual chips. You never really consider the money value.

Posted: Sep 22 2010 09:33 am

I do enjoy playing Blackjack, although I'm not that great at it. So I don't take much money to the table with me.

If I play the slots next to my Brother-In-Law, I'm going to win. It happens everytime, and he gets furious and refuses to let me play next to him.

I'll throw my money on Roulette every once in a while its fun.

Posted: Sep 22 2010 03:05 pm

I played a poker tournament last week at the MGM for $70 and lasted exactly 3 hands. Folded the first two, and went out with pocket kings in the third. That sucked.

On Sunday, played blackjack and poker with a bunch of friends. We spent over 8 hours on the strip, and we gambled for at least 6 of them. After all that time I finished.....$9 down.

But! I won a drawing for a free movie ticket on the way out of the MGM so it was kind of a wash.