What got you started gambling ?

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

I'd have to say for me it was seeing my parents buy lottery tickets ( state gets a cut ), next jai-alai.... a really entertaining game you can bet on ( and the state gets a cut), then I learned of casinos ( state gets a cut), then Blackjack, then beating blackjack, then Ed Thorpe...

The gov't creates the gamblers from the get-go !

How many different scratch off tickets can you buy in your state ? In my state you can select far more lottery options than options for which newspaper to buy, when visiting the Quickee-mart ( and Habib) !

Buster · Dec 24, 2006

from the time i was about 7 or so. i always remember my dad bringing home the "cards" that are next to impossible to win.but the good thing about the way they did them was whoever had the best record won the pot and it was usually around 100 bucks or so.

well he always let me play one and of course i had no idea what i was doing so i won a couple of times a season.and now 35 years later it has escalated to this.funny thing is he played those cards right up till the day he died and never played through a book,just those damn "cards"

Fishhead · Dec 24, 2006

Playing poker and attending dog tracks before the age of ten.

Also, I recall when I was 6-7, SAFEWAY Supermarket would give away "NUMBERED HORSES" for every certain amount spent on groceries and every week one could cheer in their horse on a TAPED horse race to win cash prizes...............I was way into that.

Fishhead · Dec 24, 2006

Fishhead said:
Playing poker and attending dog tracks before the age of ten.

Also, I recall when I was 6-7, SAFEWAY Supermarket would give away "NUMBERED HORSES" for every certain amount spent on groceries and every week one could cheer in their horse on a TAPED horse race to win cash prizes...............I was way into that.

Would be interested if anyone else remembers this.........or has a link somewhere online discussing it.

This had to be between the years 1965-69.

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

The hook for me occured when I was living in SD, and finally old enough to legally gamble in Vegas, by then the state had already prepped me to be a gambler.

I studied my Blackjack card counting books, went to El Cortez, Binions, The mint, etc. one weekend, won $1,000, drove back the next weekend, did it again. That was seed ( all started by the state), no going back from that point, you're all in then, sink or swim !

Iceman · Dec 24, 2006

Harness racing. A cable show in the mid 80's showed race replays and we tried to pick the races.

From as long as I remember I have tried to pick NFL games as I always loved sports and numbers(esp stats) more than anyone I knew growing up.

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wad27tmHBz4

Fishhead · Dec 24, 2006

Doug said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wad27tmHBz4

One of my fav groups/songs of all-time.

Never seen them in concert.

Fishhead · Dec 24, 2006

DOUG--Has your success in gambling allowed you to have chicks for free?

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

I've never seen Dire straits either, their first album is awesome, no such thing as chicks for free.

By the time they did "money for nothing" they had almost "jumped the shark" in comparison to how good their debut album was.

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

Joe_Hallenbeck · Dec 24, 2006

I played this football contest in my local paper every week when I was a kid - from when I was about 8. It was free to play of course, but it's what got me started needing action on the games.

Doug · Dec 24, 2006

Fishhead said:
One of my fav groups/songs of all-time.

Never seen them in concert.

One of their best, from the first album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-N9RrxLDG4

Ironman_8 · Dec 24, 2006

Fishhead said:
Would be interested if anyone else remembers this.........or has a link somewhere online discussing it.

This had to be between the years 1965-69.

Fish, it had to be later than that. I remember them having the cards in the late 70's / early 80's. I did recall the horse picked wasnt even coming in close to finishing near the money Couldnt find a link to that online.

Actually to answer the initial post, my friend that used to play (and still does) just teasers and won lots of cash and I was waayyyyy knowledgeble then him in sports so I said "Why not?"

Whoson1st · Dec 24, 2006

Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. or maybe it was It ain't over till it's over..... or it could have been John Henry....
All played a part. I just don't remember now.

Whoson1st · Dec 24, 2006

Go see Rocky 6...I wasn't going to do it...
But Loved the flick!

Fishhead · Dec 24, 2006

Ironman_8 said:
Fish, it had to be later than that. I remember them having the cards in the late 70's / early 80's. I did recall the horse picked wasnt even coming in close to finishing near the money Couldnt find a link to that online.

Actually to answer the initial post, my friend that used to play (and still does) just teasers and won lots of cash and I was waayyyyy knowledgeble then him in sports so I said "Why not?"

Know for a fact that it was in the late 60's because of my location at the time(parents grocery store).

G.MONEY · Dec 24, 2006

Dad owned race horse's when I was younger, around 6 years old, so I became a Track rat. We had a house keeper who Played the horses, so we would go everyday almost and catch the last 3 races at Arlington Park, did that for many many years. Then went by myself as I got older, ended up going to school at UNLV and the rest is history............G.

Ironman_8 · Dec 24, 2006

Fishhead said:
Know for a fact that it was in the late 60's because of my location at the time(parents grocery store).

No, no I wasnt disputing that it wasnt going on in the late 60's. Just adding that the promotion went on until the dates mentioned.

Railbird · Dec 24, 2006

my hatred for other people and their bad opinions. started when I was 4 or 5. Hate that lies like the earth is 20 million yrs old, like this whore is hot, like this 6'5 qb is great, I would rather handicap games instead of drink beer or chase girls. My hatred for Laker fans, My hatred for the home team. My hatred for the media, my hatred for peer groups. :youmad: