A couple thoughts that might not add any value to the other thread (so I’m putting them here).
First, think about friends/tourists who tell you about their trip to Las Vegas. If someone asks them “How’dja do?” (I try not to ask this unless I can see someone is clearly itching for me to ask so they can talk my ear off), then
- if they tell you “I won”, then unless they are routinely full of it about everything you talk to them about, then there is no reason to doubt them. (And good for them for having a winning trip)
- if they tell you “I lost”, or “Yeesh, I got massacred”, nobody would make that claim if it weren’t true. So I wouldn’t doubt them either (unless maybe if they owe me money)
- if they tell you, “Oh, I broke even”, that is almost never the case
“I broke even” means either “I don’t know, because I didn’t keep records, and then the vacation cash in my wallet got mixed in with gambling money, and then we split the check with the Leeways at Ping Pang Pong, and of course the bill went on Chet’s card so he could get the damn points on HIS card, and then all the tip money everywhere we went came out of my wallet too, and then I gave my old lady some cash that one time, so I really have no idea if won or lost this trip”, ORÂ it means “I got whacked pretty bad and I am lying to myself about it, or I am lying to you about it, or both, because acknowledging what a loser I am isn’t something I’m prepared to do, and will never be able to do. Plus what I think you think about me matters to me for some stupid reason, so I don’t want you thinking that I’m a loser, even though you know full well that I never take any of your advice that would help me actually win, because gambling is no fun for me that way”.
So, that.
Second, a side benefit of records is they can sometime give you peace of mind when you have a bad session or bad day. “Oh, this is the worst day I’ve had all year”. Is it? Do you know for sure? If you visit casinos more than once a year, you’re going to have a worst day and a best day each year. And barring some coincidence, there probably won’t be any ties, so you’re only going to have only one worst day and one best day. Or maybe you think it has been the “longest wait ever” to spin the wheel in for a bonus game. Once again, is it really? Do you know for sure? They can’t all be the longest wait.
I don’t keep perfect records myself, but some games and some things where I’ve kept detailed records. I can tell you (because of the point changes on my card) that my longest wait for a Wheel at Buffalo Diamond was 1,099 spins. And IF I ever see that game again and IF I find a play, and IF that play goes bad, I won’t feel sorry for myself that “this was the longest wait I’ve ever had”, instead I will have thoughts like “Yep, I’ve been here before, and in the long run things will work out OK. This was bad, but I’ve weathered much worse”.
Similarly, “this is the worst week I’ve had all year” can be confirmed if you keep decent records. It may very well be a shitty week, but it probably isn’t the worst week you’ve had all year. (But don’t give up, it’s only Wednesday, there’s plenty of time yet to go further down the tubes.)
Short Coin Charlie
