Planetarion Forums

TheShadowMan · 30 Jun 2004, 14:08

Who here likes to place the odd wager or are you a crazed gambler who get their dole and places mad bets to try and make their fortunes?

I'm not really a betting person but i placed my second bet in my whole life on the euro2004

Got 11/1 odds on portugal to win, I threw down 40 yoyo's so I got this gambling fever i heard other gamblers talking about.

I saw in the paper today that paddy powers are taking bets on what the first excuse will be for our new tram system breaking down. 100/1 for leaves on the track lol 50/1 Our transport minister gets done for not having a ticket

Got any funny bets you placed? Or big winners?

Dante Hicks · 30 Jun 2004, 14:13

Anyone who's read my journal thingie will know this but a few weeks ago I bet £600 (all the money I had in the world for rent + bills, etc) on roulette.

And lost.

I've done similarly idiotic things but that was the largest.

Knight Theamion · 30 Jun 2004, 14:14

3/2 that you will quickly be puked out by these forums

Dace · 30 Jun 2004, 14:15

NewScientist predicted 3 winners for the Grand National.

I put EW bets on all 3.

I got a first and a fourth place finisher and made £135 \o/

SilverSmoke · 30 Jun 2004, 14:19

Two months ago I spent about 1000 euro on roulette in a casino (5 visits in 3 weeks)

IncubusGod · 30 Jun 2004, 14:23

Have done 3euros on the lottery the odd week for a few years. Am I addicted?! :eek:

Well actually I recently put a tenner on a horse for the first time. Was in a petrol station waiting in a queue and some rich fk( with a new Audi outside) comes into the queue talking on his phone. Conversation goes on and it appears the person on the other end of the phone is at some horse racing meeting.

The guy then goes "Yeah can you put a bet on for me...got a tip...yeah its Delphi Queen...3.45 at York...put six on her each way,cheers"

Now I assumed that "six" did not mean six euros by any means and I proceeded to enter this info on my phone, then pay for my petrol and go to the nearest bookies on the way home. Put a tenner on the horse each way at 16/1
Told my family about the funny story and they all went down and put 2.50 each way on it for a laugh.
Watched the race the next day. Came second by a half a fking nose. Delighted still. Ace...loads of money.

Was worried it might get me gambling regularly however I've manged to avoid this as I know FK ALL about just about every sporting event that you can bet on :P

Deffeh · 30 Jun 2004, 15:31

i ****ing love gambling so ****ing much

but i have no more money so im drying out atm

Dace · 30 Jun 2004, 15:38

Deffeh hates England.

IncubusGod · 30 Jun 2004, 15:42

Deffeh is teh addict! :O
Anyway, deffeh, that better be your excuse for not being around as much you damn hairy ghey scotsman.

Deffeh · 30 Jun 2004, 15:50

I'm around all the time. I work Fridays to Mondays, 9-6 which is a bit of a bumraper, but i have tuesday to thursdays off. Ive been very drunk, very early. Times are generally good. But i have an hour and 10 minutes to find a form

Evergreen · 30 Jun 2004, 15:58

I love the fruities (as you call em ) here.

Nothing like emptying one with piss all gambled.

Nothing worse than doing it in a shitty area where you can already spot the two people who want to mug you and kick you in the minute you walk out the door if you leave with that cash, more often than note they were the mugs who lost all that money to the machine in the first place.

Oh well.

Deffeh · 30 Jun 2004, 16:13

i thought you didnt gamble.

Belgarath The Sorcerer · 30 Jun 2004, 16:20

I like gambling. I mostly just bet on football, however recently I've been mining my father for horse racing info, and I've started branching out. It's just a matter of keeping track of who are the form jockies/trainers etc.

Always remember kids: The golden rule of gambling is to never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Stew · 30 Jun 2004, 16:30

I went to the dogs and casino on Saturday.
Lost a few quid.
I think that answers wherther I gamble or not!

Deffeh · 30 Jun 2004, 18:47

its so ****ing good and as soon as i get money in my account again im totally gonna ****ing schoolboy some bets

Nodrog · 2 Jul 2004, 18:39

Gambling is pretty pathetic tbh, most people who engage in it regularly are probably ****ed up in some way. Choosing to entrust parts of your life entirely to forces outside your control seems like a rather bizarre thing to want to do.

Stew · 2 Jul 2004, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodrog

Gambling is pretty pathetic tbh, most people who engage in it regularly are probably ****ed up in some way. Choosing to entrust parts of your life entirely to forces outside your control seems like a rather bizarre thing to want to do.

If everything is predictable and controllable then life is boring.

Marilyn Manson · 2 Jul 2004, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodrog

Choosing to entrust parts of your life entirely to forces outside your control seems like a rather bizarre thing to want to do.

It's thrilling.

Deffeh · 2 Jul 2004, 18:57

its outstanding. Theres nowt better than a pint after a win, knowing its a profit pint, etc

Nodrog · 3 Jul 2004, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deffeh

its outstanding. Theres nowt better than a pint after a win, knowing its a profit pint, etc

I'd rather buy a pint with money that I know I'd earned rather than received through pure luck with no input on my part, thx.

Nodrog · 3 Jul 2004, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

If everything is predictable and controllable then life is boring.

There's plenty of ways that you can try and get money in an 'unpredictable/uncontrolled' fashion without resorting to gambling. You could play poker or bet people that you can beat them at quakeworld for instance. Or even invest in the stock market if you had a lot of money.

queball · 3 Jul 2004, 01:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodrog

Gambling is pretty pathetic tbh, most people who engage in it regularly are probably ****ed up in some way. Choosing to entrust parts of your life entirely to forces outside your control seems like a rather bizarre thing to want to do.

Being risk-loving is bizarre?
It's a happiness from playing + happiness from losing * probability of losing + happiness of winning * probability of winning > happiness from not playing kind of equation.
And betting on horses is a science, I'm told.

Nodrog · 3 Jul 2004, 01:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by queball

Being risk-loving is bizarre?
It's a happiness from playing + happiness from losing * probability of losing + happiness of winning * probability of winning > happiness from not playing kind of equation.
And betting on horses is a science, I'm told.

Stupid risks, yes. Betting when the odds are in your favour is obviously rational, but I wouldn't class that as gambling. By 'gamblers' I am more referring to people who often bet knowing that the odds are against them, or when they have no rational expectation of winning, or bet essential money on 50:50's (or only slightly favourable odds). Roulette/lottery players fall into this category, as do a lot of people who bet on football/horses/whatever, although in the latter cases its important to distinguish between 'gamblers' and people who are primarilly concerned with having fun rather than avoiding the loss of their money - for instance someone who goes to a casino with friends for a night out wouldn't be automatically be a gambler - they would (normally) be prepared to lose money in exchange for having an enjoyable night in the same way as someone going to a theatre or nightclub.

Quote:

Originally Posted by queball

And betting on horses is a science, I'm told.

Depends on how you do it. It may well be possible for some experts to bet on horses in a manner that involves more skill than luck, but I would suspect that 95% of betters are just gambling.

queball · 3 Jul 2004, 01:32

By "the odds are against them" you mean the expected outcome is negative? But the expected utility can still be positive. (eg. I have £10, I can go out but not have much fun, or I could bet it on roulette, and stay home if I lose or go out with £20). Betting everything you own on a single spin of the roulette wheel might be fun. As long as the person doesn't employ some really stupid strategy like playing with the same money repeatedly until it's lost. With the lottery, if you pay a quid, it's hardly essential money.
What does "rational expectation of winning" mean?

Nodrog · 3 Jul 2004, 01:41

Quote:

By "the odds are against them" you mean the expected outcome is negative?

Yes, but stake size matters as well as the expected outcome. Betting on a 55:45 might be rational if you have money to spare, but doing it when you are struggling to get by would be the height of stupidity.

Quote:

But the expected utility can still be positive. Betting everything you own on a single spin of the roulette wheel might be fun.

It's a dumb move when looked at from a long-term perspective. Short-term concerns such as a few moments of pleasure are fairly irrelevant here, on account of being so heavily outweighed.

Quote:

With the lottery, if you pay a quid, it's hardly essential money.

Minor bouts of irrationality are irrational nonetheless. A few quid on the football might be worthwhile in order to increase your enjoyment of the game, but buying a lottery ticket generally brings nothing whatsoever.

Quote:

What does "rational expectation of winning" mean?

That you have rational reasons to expect a win? (ie not things like "I have a good feeling about this!" or "My horoscope said that I'd win money today").

queball · 3 Jul 2004, 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodrog

It's a dumb move when looked at from a long-term perspective. Short-term concerns such as a few moments of pleasure are fairly irrelevant here, on account of being so heavily outweighed.

Oh, sure, all of these bets are bad bets for any kind of policy. But the policy is set by society and so on. Even if the gambling just allows you to appear more attractive than risk-averse losers or changes your perceptions about money irrationally or whatever it can still be right. Or if you can always get sympathy if you lose. Dante's situation is typical: someone wants "all or nothing" because they're fed up or whatever.

Quote:

That you have rational reasons to expect a win? (ie not things like "I have a good feeling about this!" or "My horoscope said that I'd win money today").

You have a rational expectation of winning the lottery one time in 14 million.

Nodrog · 3 Jul 2004, 02:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by queball

Oh, sure, all of these bets are bad bets for any kind of policy. But the policy is set by society and so on.

No it isn't? Gambling everything you own in a situation where you aren't likely to win is an objectively stupid move, unless there are incredibly extreme factors at play.

Quote:

You have a rational expectation of winning the lottery one time in 14 million.

Therefore if the jackpot is not likely to be at least 14 million pounds your pound bet is irrational, and an instance of gambling.

KoeN · 3 Jul 2004, 12:17

i remember when someone here posted the odds off all quarter finalists of the EC 2004. france on 1/2, all the rest on 1/12 - 1/18. didn't anyone spread his money equally on all countries except france? it'd be pretty save win i think. (there was no big chance france would win anyway).

Deffeh · 3 Jul 2004, 19:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodrog

I'd rather buy a pint with money that I know I'd earned rather than received through pure luck with no input on my part, thx.

money won is twice as sweet as money earned.

Dante Hicks · 3 Jul 2004, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by queball

Dante's situation is typical: someone wants "all or nothing" because they're fed up or whatever.

Indeed.

Besides, comparing months when I haven't gambled to months where I have there's no real discernable difference. I've probably drunk more if I've not gambled I suppose.

Gambling is fun. It's a totally shit way to get rich but so long as you remember that, it's not a problem.