I went to casino and gambled for the very first time yesterday. I would consider myself an extremely competitive person in the sense that I despise losing, especially to “machines” and things I do not “perfectly” understand.
The results? I came home practically even.
The whole thing was a mild rollercoaster, as I was, at times, up 50% and at other times trying to make my money back.
My biggest takeaway, though, is that casinos are unbelievable. How the hell are casinos legal? Sure, it is fun. But the entire thing is designed to manipulate you and take your money.
They literally try to get you drunk and happy so that you bet more money and, in turn, lose more. I will admit, I was the fool who signed up for this, but this is such a brilliant contraption that they have created.
The games are designed for the user to lose. Yet, with the odds stacked against us, we ignore all rules of statistics and focus on short term outcomes, thinking we can beat the house.
Maybe we can. But…more people lose than win.
Yet…our “bets” are effectively extremely high-margin donations.
And we flock to go give money to these “charities.” ! For the record, I was in Macao, the “Asian Las Vegas.” I bounced between some of the biggest casinos IN THE WORLD. I played roulette and blackjack, two games primarily guided by luck and chance.
I am not ignoring the fact that it is really fun to think you have a chance. It is! Winning is fun. But I saw so many people lose so much money…And everyone bets at their own rate / pace / what they can afford, but, to me, it leads to so many more questions.