This past weekend, a couple of my friends were up in Windsor which obviously called for some time spent in the casino. Upon their return back to campus, some of the boys were upset about the crazy amount of money they lost gambling, while one of my best friends won 125 dollars. Let me explain that this best friend of mine is a girl who knows absolutely nothing about gambling, and was completely intoxicated when she won the money. So this leads me to wonder, can people really win a lot of money in a casino just off pure luck or is strategy needed? I always hear about these "professional gamblers" who win thousands of dollars in the casino, but then how can casino rookies come out of a drunk night in a casino with winnings in their hands? Are the two not related at all: is it just that some people win off pure luck and other gamblers are winners because of their strategies? When she first told me she won the money, I thought for sure it was off of a slot machine. While this is unquestionably a gendered assumption, I knew she never played games that required any strategy at all such as poker or black jack. But, I was wrong! She won 125 dollars drunkenly off of black jack! How did this happen? I can just picture the frequent gamblers at the black jack table infuriated at this young girl walking away with money, taking away from them. As infuriating as it is for the professionals, isn't this what "gambling" is all about? Doesn't all gambling entail luck?
What do you guys think about this? For any gamblers out there, do you think you win more off strategy or more off luck? Do you think its fair that drunken rookies can come and just win off pure luck? What is casino etiquette anyways? Do the same rules apply for socializing outside the casino apply for within the casino, or is the casino really a "magic circle"?
As you mention, the chances of walking away from a night at the casino in the green are like likely then walking away with empty pockets. In that respect, your friend did a good job!
My first inclination, as you suspected, would be to say that your friend got lucky. However, I do think that playing cards involved more skill than the slots or roulette that rely solely on luck. Maybe your friend has a good poker face, and actually knows blackjack. That would make more sense, and she would be smart for pulling off the trick! Just as you pointed out, the others at the table were probably not intimidated by her, and resting on these stereotypes, she was able to unsuspectingly win off her secret skills...
To answer some of your questions though, I do think it's fair. There is no disputing that. It's not unjust for anyone to win in a place that is built upon exploiting our impulses. Also, I'm not a big gambler (because it's too fun and I have horrible luck), but I would think that if you were to ask regulars, they would say it involves a decent skill to luck ratio (at least 3:2 if not 1:0). Otherwise, what would be their motive?
Someone is always going to lose, and some might win, but even those who win one night could end up in the red in the long run. As they say: "Casinos weren't built off winners."
I don't gamble a lot at all, but a couple of weekends ago, I was playing black jack with some friends. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but ended up making more money than anyone I was playing with. I am sure that there is strategy to some extent, but I also think that luck does play a big role in gambling; at least it has in my experience...Congrats to your friend.
In my opinion winning can be looked at in two different ways. The first one I will touch upon is skilled winning, or "professional gamblers." I think that depending on the game, one can be better at winning at the casino. For example professional poker players will most likely beat a casual player every time they face off. On the other hand a professional black jack player will not necessarily beat a casual player. It all depends on the cards. Yes, there are certain times that decisions need to be made, but the bottom line is: If you don't get the cards, you will not win. There is a reason that ALL casinos make money. The odds are always in their favor. So no matter how great you think at are at blackjack or roulette, you still should realize that you have significantly less than a 50 percent chance of winning. Overall, I think that winning at the casino is mostly luck, and your friends drunken winnings support that tremendously.
As you mention, the chances of walking away from a night at the casino in the green are like likely then walking away with empty pockets. In that respect, your friend did a good job!
ReplyDeleteMy first inclination, as you suspected, would be to say that your friend got lucky. However, I do think that playing cards involved more skill than the slots or roulette that rely solely on luck. Maybe your friend has a good poker face, and actually knows blackjack. That would make more sense, and she would be smart for pulling off the trick! Just as you pointed out, the others at the table were probably not intimidated by her, and resting on these stereotypes, she was able to unsuspectingly win off her secret skills...
To answer some of your questions though, I do think it's fair. There is no disputing that. It's not unjust for anyone to win in a place that is built upon exploiting our impulses. Also, I'm not a big gambler (because it's too fun and I have horrible luck), but I would think that if you were to ask regulars, they would say it involves a decent skill to luck ratio (at least 3:2 if not 1:0). Otherwise, what would be their motive?
Someone is always going to lose, and some might win, but even those who win one night could end up in the red in the long run. As they say: "Casinos weren't built off winners."
I don't gamble a lot at all, but a couple of weekends ago, I was playing black jack with some friends. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but ended up making more money than anyone I was playing with. I am sure that there is strategy to some extent, but I also think that luck does play a big role in gambling; at least it has in my experience...Congrats to your friend.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion winning can be looked at in two different ways. The first one I will touch upon is skilled winning, or "professional gamblers." I think that depending on the game, one can be better at winning at the casino. For example professional poker players will most likely beat a casual player every time they face off. On the other hand a professional black jack player will not necessarily beat a casual player. It all depends on the cards. Yes, there are certain times that decisions need to be made, but the bottom line is: If you don't get the cards, you will not win. There is a reason that ALL casinos make money. The odds are always in their favor. So no matter how great you think at are at blackjack or roulette, you still should realize that you have significantly less than a 50 percent chance of winning. Overall, I think that winning at the casino is mostly luck, and your friends drunken winnings support that tremendously.
ReplyDelete