QUOTES FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY

If you’re struggling to overcome an addiction, no one needs to tell you it’s tough – you’re living it. Sometimes you could use a few encouraging words to remind you that you’re not in this alone and that, yes, change really is possible. Here are some quotes for addiction recovery that can strengthen your will and path while overcoming your addiction problem:

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

“If things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – Roger Babson

“Our greatest glory is not in ever failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.” – Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“What is addiction, really? It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It is a language that tells us about a plight that must be understood.” – Alice Miller

“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life.” – Samuel Johnson

“Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.” – J. Petit Senn

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.” – Yogi Berra

“Amazing how we can light tomorrow with today.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“Sometimes we motivate ourselves by thinking of what we want to become. Sometimes we motivate ourselves by thinking about who we don’t ever want to be again.” – Shane Niemeyer

“Every noble work is at first impossible.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Not feeling is no replacement for reality. Your problems today are still your problems tomorrow.” – Larry Michael Dredla

“I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done.” – Robert Downey Jr.

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” – Charlotte Whitton

“Every experience in your life is being orchestrated to teach you something you need to know to move forward.” – Brian Tracy

SOURCE: http://www.addictiontreatmentpost.com/addiction-recovery-quotes-overcome-fear/

SOURCE: https://www.addiction.com/7215/70-best-quotes-for-addiction-recovery/

HISTORY OF GAMBLING

Why have humans throughout history gambled? What

explains the recent explosion of gambling ? 

The history of humanity is inextricably linked with the history of gambling, as it seems that no matter how far back in time you go there are signs that where groups of people gathered together gambling was sure to have been taking place. 

When you talk about gambling usually your mind goes to casinos, baccarat, roulette, lottery, dice etc. But have you ever thought about when or how gambling first originating?  The fact is that some forms of gambling have existed in virtually the same form for thousands of years.

There‘s a lot of evidence that gambling games existed in ancient times. From tiles found in China dating from 2300 BC and ivory dice found in Egypt from 1500 BC to gambling paraphernalia belonging to Bronze Age Greek soldiers, it’s clear that gambling is as old as civilization itself. While it is almost certain that some forms of betting have been taking place since the dawn of human history, the earliest concrete evidence comes from Ancient China where tiles were unearthed which appeared to have been used for a rudimentary game of chance. The Chinese ‘Book of Songs’ makes reference to “the drawing of wood” which suggests that the tiles may have formed part of a lottery type game. We have evidence in the form of keno slips which were used in about 200bc as some sort of lottery to fund state works – possibly including construction of the Great Wall of China. Lotteries continued to be used for civic purposes throughout history – Harvard and Yale were both established using lottery funds – and continue to do so until the present day.

The Greek poet Sophocles claimed that dice were invented by a mythological hero during the siege of Troy, and while this may have somewhat dubious basis in fact, his writings around 500bc were the first mention of dice in Greek history. We know that dice existed far earlier than this, since a pair had been uncovered from an Egyptian tomb from 3000bc, but what is certain is that the Ancient Greeks and Romans loved to gamble on all manner of things, seemingly at any given opportunity. In fact all forms of gambling – including dice games – were forbidden within the ancient city of Rome and a penalty imposed on those caught which was worth four times the stake being bet. As a result of this, ingenious Roman citizens invented the first gambling chips, so if they were nabbed by the guards they could claim to be playing only for chips and not for real money.

Gambling in the old days was a little different to your average trip to Vegas, with everything from rocks, sticks and bones being used as ‘chips’, but there is evidence of the first playing cards being used in China around the 9th Century AD. They then spread through Asia, and Mahjong tiles and dominos evolving later. Playing cards then traveled to Egypt and ultimately Europe in the 14th century, with a 52-card deck becoming standard at that time as well.

Some suggest that the earliest forms of blackjack came from a Spanish game called ventiuna (21) as this game appeared in a book written by the author of Don Quixote in 1601. Or was it the game of trente-un (31) from 1570? Or even quinze (15) from France decades earlier? As with all of these origin stories, the inventors of games of chance were rarely noted in the historical annals. The French game of vingt-et-un in the seventeenth century is certainly a direct forefather of the modern game, and this is the game that arrived in the US along with early settlers from France. The name ‘blackjack’ was an American innovation, and linked to special promotions in Nevada casinos in the 1930s. To attract extra customers, 10 to 1 odds were paid out if the player won with a black Jack of Clubs or Spades together with an Ace of Spades. The special odds didn’t last long, but the name is still with us today.

The earliest gambling houses which could reasonably be compared to casinos started to appear in the early 17th century in Italy. For example, in 1638, the Ridotto was established in Venice to provide a controlled gambling environment amidst the chaos of the annual carnival season. Casinos started to spring up all over continental Europe during the 19th century, while at the same time in the US much more informal gambling houses were in vogue. In fact steam boats taking prosperous farmers and traders up and down the Mississippi provided the venue for a lot of informal gambling stateside. Now when we think of casinos we tend to picture the Las Vegas Strip, which grew out of the ashes of the Depression in America.

Roulette as we know it today originated in the gaming houses of Paris, where players would have been familiar with the wheel we now refer to (ironically enough) as the American Roulette wheel. It took another 50 years until the ‘European’ version came along with just one green zero, and generations of roulette players can be grateful for that. During the course of the 19th century roulette grew in popularity, and when the famous Monte Carlo casino adopted the single zero form of the game this spread throughout Europe and most of the world, although the Americans stuck to the original double zero wheels.

It’s hard to pin down the precise origin of poker – as with a lot of the games mentioned here, poker seems to have grown organically over decades and possibly centuries from various different card games. Some have poker’s antecedents coming from seventeenth century Persia, while others say that the game we know today was inspired by a French game called Poque. What we do know for sure is that an English actor by the name of Joseph Crowell reported that a recognizable form of the game was being played in New Orleans in 1829, so that is as good a date as any for the birth of poker. The growth of the game’s popularity was fairly sluggish up until world poker tournaments started being played in Vegas in the 1970s. However poker really exploded with the advent of online poker and televised events allowing spectators to see the players’ hands. When amateur player Chris Moneymaker qualified for and won the 2003 world poker championship after qualifying through online play, it allowed everyone to picture themselves as online poker millionaires.

The first slot machine was developed in the late 1800s, with three spinning reels and five symbols. Gamblers quickly saw the benefits of such machines, and they were being mass produced for saloons and corner markets in the early 1900s. As brick-and-mortar casinos became more and more popular, the range of games expanded, offering both traditional table and card games to the new slot machines, and casinos became what they are today - billion dollar businesses. From the Las Vegas to Macau, land-based casinos still pull in the gamblers and make fortunes.

Society's view of gambling has also gone through an amazing metamorphosis during the last century. There was a time when society viewed gambling as a manifestation of the devil. Morally deemed a sin, it was also an illegal activity, serious enough to warrant time in prison.

On the surface, gambling has presented a glamorous and exciting lifestyle. Although gambling was associated with the rich and the sophisticated, it was also strongly linked to loose morals and organized crime. Related to every kind of excess, gambling had a seedy reputation and, perhaps, that was the appeal. And while this combination of glamour and seediness generated real excitement in people looking for a way to let loose, gambling, as an activity, was still viewed primarily as a vice.

During the 1950's, society entered what some might call the Las Vegas era. It was the time of the Rat Pack Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford. Unlike today, when the nearest gaming site might be as close as your local convenience store, legal forms of gambling were confined to what the travel industry designated as destination resort centres. During this time, society exhibited, if not a change in attitude, then a grudging acceptance.

In recent times, however, we have seen a dramatic shift in the manner that society views gambling and how it is delivered. It is now promoted as just another form of adult entertainment and is readily accessible to most citizens.

Since New Jersey legalized online gambling in 2011, there has been a boom in the interest people have in it. America has seen a move towards legalizing it state by state, as well as experiencing the rapid rise in mobile gambling. Across the globe, internet users are gradually veering away from their desktops and towards their handheld devices. This is true of online gamblers too, wanting to be able to enjoy their favorite games whilst on the go. The top gambling sites out there have recognized a market and have stepped up to deliver. With a wave of impressive mobile focused online gambling destinations taking the world by storm, it's safe to say that desktops are being left far behind in favour of more mobile alternatives.

SOURCE:https://popculture.knoji.com/the-history-of-gambling-ritual-beginnings/

SOURCE:http://www.gambling.net/history/

SOURCE:https://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/AboutGamblingandProblemGambling/Pages/HistoryOfGambling.aspx

SOURCE:http://www.onlinegambling.org/history.php

SOURCE:http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/gambling-ancient-civilizations-00931

SOURCE:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_card

SOURCE:http://luciovoicesofvegas.weebly.com/first-casinos.html

SOURCE:http://www.casinonewsdaily.com/slots-guide/types-slot-machines/ that? Well who knows, but when it comes to gambling all things are possible.

                

            10 GREATEST GAMBLING MOVIES

Gambling has always been an interesting subject for a film adaptation. The gambling means not only the act of gambling, sitting at a machine or roulette and investing / acquiring / losing money, but also deceiving, searching for money, constant pressure, conflict and disruption of relations with others, and often, to fraud. All together makes an ideal combination for a great action and drama.

Here are ten movies about gamblers that have received a high aggregate critical rating. Films are listed in order of their critical ranking, from lowest to highest.

10) Hard Eight (1996)

Before striking gold in 1997 with Boogie Nights, cerebral American filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson debuted with Hard Eight, a pared-back drama about a pro gambler past his prime. Just how a first-time director managed to assemble this all-star cast – which includes Samuel L Jackson and the sadly-deceased Philip Seymour Hoffman – is a mystery, but certainly pays dividends. Hard Eight is an indie gem that combines black as the ace of spades humour with a knowing study of high-stakes casino gambling.

9) Owning Mahowny (2003)

This semi-fictional tale of bank manager turned criminal gambler is a glimmering star vehicle for Phillip Seymour Hoffman who owns every moment of Owning Mahowny. The title character’s gradual descent into the dark recesses of addiction stands as a grave warning to us all that never feels preachy or condemnatory. Meanwhile, director Richard Kwietniowski employs sparse direction to downplay any sense of glamour in favour of a very human story of vice overcoming a man’s soul. You won’t leave this movie elated, but it’s sure to stick with you.

8) Croupier (1998)

Poor Clive Owen. Where did it all go wrong? The guy was a national treasure with some awesome roles under his belt, but a few too many dodgy projects have stripped him of his former glory. Still, at least he’ll always have Croupier. Jack Manfred (Owen) is a struggling writer who takes a job as a casino croupier to make ends meet. Subsequently, he’s sucked into a story of dark intrigue involving robbery, murder and deadly double-crossing. Owen oozes cool in the main role and the movie ingeniously uses the blackjack tables as a metaphor for the nature of fate, chance and happenstance in defining his life.

7) The Gambler (1974)

While a bloody good film by any standard, The Gambler is also a major downer, coming at a time when smiles were banned in Hollywood. James Caan stars as Axel Freed, an English professor whose problem gambling rapidly spirals out of control. With $44,000 in debts and a psychopathic bookie breathing down his neck, Freed resorts to desperate measures to try and balance the books.The film was apparently a favourite of Caan’s who commented: "It's not easy to make people care about a guy who steals from his mother to pay gambling debts." Damn right, and you pulled it off, buddy.

6) Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)

Another talented actor who’s wasted the last decade on absolute rubbish, Johnny Depp does a cracking job in this iconic performance as drug-addled journo Raoul Duke. In the film, Duke and his buddy Dr Gonzo embark on a psychedelic voyage to Vegas in search of riches, glamour and the American Dream. Freely adapted by Terry Gilliam from the Hunter S Thompson masterpiece, Fear And Loathing remains a filthy pleasure to behold, portraying Sin City as a surreal dreamscape through the eyes of its whacked out protagonists. If that sounds like your kind of thing, pop a pill and give this one a look. It’s far out, man.

5) The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Not until Casino Royale in 2006 would poker be so engagingly portrayed on film. Norman Jewison’s direction perfectly captures the tense excitement of seeing the pot stack after the flop and of devising the best play while keeping an eye out for tells.Steve McQueen absolutely kills it as poker prodigy Eric ‘The Kid’ Stoner and is at his best during the film’s iconic ‘last hand scene’ (check it out in the vid above). Jewison later dismissed the film as an ‘ugly duckling’ and went on to enjoy greater success with movies such as Fiddler On The Roof, Rollerball and The Hurricane. Nevertheless, this has to be his magnum opus.

4) Rain Man (1988)

As well as being something of a comeback project for Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man is one of the best-loved (and certainly better known) gambling movies ever made. So, why is it way down at number four? Well, there may be better casino flicks out there, but this shouldn’t detract from the brilliance of Rain Man. The film’s conceit of a severely autistic introvert and his preternatural card counting talents has been referenced and parodied so many times, it’s all too easy to forget how great it was the first time around. Do yourself a favour, put down that DVD of The Hangover and get the real McCoy.

3) Casino Royale (2006)

007’s stunning return to form in 2006 is simultaneously the best entry in the entire franchise and one of the finest action movies ever, full stop. However, central to the action of Casino Royale is the utterly awesome high-stakes poker tournament, in which Bond fights to bankrupt terrorist banker Le Chiffre. If you’d bet that it was possible to make 40 minutes of cinematic poker edge-of-your-seat thrilling, I would have taken you at 100/1 odds and called you a chump. Fortunately, nobody did, so I didn’t have to fork over my pension fund. Lucky escape.

2) Rounders (1998)

Rounders is a thing of grim beauty. The narrative is as classic as they come: it’s the Rocky arc, with a plucky upstart forced to bounce back after getting his backside handed to him. However, it’s the performances that make this flick - particularly John Malkovich’s brilliant turn as deranged gangster Teddy KGB.

1) Casino (1995)

This movie would have to make the top three if only for Nicky Santoro.  Even if literally everything else about it was complete crap. Happily, Casino (1995) has a hell of a lot more to it than Joe Pesci’s smart mouth. Martin Scorsese is a pretty safe pair of hands (particularly when Mafioso are involved) and he’s on absolute top form here. Depicting the tense relationship between Las Vegas casinos and their criminal benefactors in the early 1970s, every aspect of this film is brilliantly realised. The casting, direction and script are all perfect – what more is there to say? Go watch it, unless you’re just a “low-life, motherf**ing degenerate prick".

SOURCE: https://www.rightcasino.com/news/10-greatest-gambling-movies/

TRICKS CASINOS USE TO MAKE YOU SPEND MORE MONEY

     

There’s so much more going on in the average casino than meets the eye. However, most of us tend to be aware of only what’s happening on the surface; we see only what the casino wants us to see. Our senses are dazzled by the lively atmosphere that is complete with lights, sounds, drinks and food, which keeps us entertained and comfortable, feeding the thrill and hope that we’ll be the next big winner. Happily, we move around the casino floor completely oblivious to the fact that these gambling establishments are employing casino psychology tricks to keep us playing and spending more.

There’s a reason why the casino almost always wins. The following are 10 tricks casinos use to manipulate gamblers into playing for as long as possible.

01. NO CLOCKS

If you don’t wear a watch to the casino or you forgot your phone at home, good luck finding out the time. Time has no meaning in a casino. It’s surprising that a lot of people really don’t wear watches. Casinos know this and aren’t about to assist people in keeping them punctual.Players who don’t know the time aren’t in a hurry to quit playing. It’s a fact that when someone is engaged in an activity time seemingly drifts by at a faster pace for them, and you will rarely see humans more engaged than in a casino. Casinos are purposely designed to look the same, regardless of the hour. With no clocks adorning casino walls it is not difficult to simply let time slip away deep into the night without a care in the world. Whether it is 3am or 3pm, the atmosphere is unchanging. When you’re in the casino, your internal sense of time shuts off. All that exists is a now that stretches on until you leave. Don’t expect to get the time from dealers either since they are told not to wear watches for this very reason.Day melds into night and night into day and schedules dissolve into nothingness. Add that to the fact that if you’re in a casino you are most likely on vacation, and that contributes to the indifferent attitude you may have about sticking to your standard routine and spend more time than you had planned repeatedly slapping dollar bills down. 

02. NO WINDOWS

There are no windows or skylights to help you determine if it’s light or dark outside. In most casinos there may be windows near the entrance or exit, but once you get inside the belly of the beast you will be hard up to see any. This tactic goes hand-in-hand with having no clocks. When they get you in, they don’t want you to have any inkling of what is occurring in the outside world. If you were to see it getting dark outside, or even getting light with the dawn, your internal clock would kick in and tell you it’s time to move on and do something else, like go to sleep. However, this will tear you away from gambling and the casino can’t have that. In addition, they don’t want you to see anything remotely interesting happening outside. If you’re playing in a casino on the Las Vegas strip, there is enough visual stimulation outside to draw anyone’s eye to it. Therefore, the casino you are in will do its best to make that outside world nonexistent.

03. LIGNT , SOUNDS AND ACTIVITY 

Casinos are a symphony of non-stop sound, lights and color: bells ringing, siren-like lights flashing, change clanging, slot wheels whirring, digital sounds beeping – it’s all captivating. Why is it captivating? Because it’s non-verbal communication saying, “Win! Win! Win!”. It gives the impression that everyone is indeed winning when, in reality, most are losing. It’s such a happy place, how can I lose?! Flashing slot machine lights and happy, up-beat noises captivate players and boosts their moods, making them feel excited and hopeful that they could win. All the machines, no matter the one you play, is alive with sound and lights, drawing you in and encouraging you to continue placing your bets. In addition to sound effects and other noise, most casinos also play a soundtrack of music that is pleasing to the ear. In some cases the music may be soft, repetitive and easy listening, for the purpose of putting gamblers in a trance-like state. While sometimes music may be upbeat and stimulating.

04. LABYRINTH DESIGHN

You’ve had a good time and you’re ready to leave the casino. That’s when you realize that you have no idea how to get out. You start making your way through the maze of tantalizing slot machines and game tables, only to find yourself encountering more of these tempting traps at every turn as you search for the exit.  Confusion is the end result. The confusion you feel as you try to figure out the labyrinth-like design is normal, and it is one of the age-old tricks employed by casinos to keep players gambling. Casinos are virtually void of landmarks, making it easy for you to get lost. This, in addition to alluring games, can make it difficult to leave. You know the exit was near the video poker machines, but which set of video poker machines? Moreover, more modern casinos have lower ceilings which prevent someone from seeing any landmarks on the walls or ceiling in the distance that may help orient them, but instead keep them hemmed in. For many, especially those who have been imbibing alcohol, finding their way out is like participating in one, large, interactive brain teaser.

05. PLAY WITH DIGITAL CREDITS, NOT WITH CASH

Although your gambling adventure may begin with cash, after you feed your money into a slot or video poker machine, your cash becomes digital credits. Without inserting actual cash into the machine, every time you make a bet, it’s easy to forget how much you’re spending. Once you cash out from the machine, a ticket is printed with your remaining balance. Since you’re not holding physical paper money in your hand, it’s easy to feed that ticket into another machine and keep playing.  The only way to get your winnings or your cash back is to visit the cashier. Casinos make it easy for you to play, but not easy for you to walk away.

06. NEAR WINS

Except actually winning, there’s nothing more exciting than to be extremely close to winning! And they know that, and take advantage of that. All machines are designed to pay out very small wins in the beginning in order to provide you with the incentive you need to keep on playing. So while on the short run you win small amounts, on the medium run you almost win.Has it ever happened to you to be just one cherry away from the jackpot? You didn’t really think that was a coincidence, did you? But if casinos gave out money to everyone who almost won, they would be broke after one day. Every game, whether it be a table or machine, is designed to payout small wins in the short run, but eventually take more from you in the long run. Slot machines constantly make small payouts while perpetually being one cherry or star away from the big jackpot. Players always win hands at blackjack which gives them the impression that the game is winnable, but the house edge is always grinding away at their bankroll and their money slowly dissipates.Other games give the gambler a feeling of “control” such as craps or keno. Here, the player has a direct influence on the outcome, such as throwing the dice or picking their own numbers. This is yet another ploy that gives the player a false sense that they can beat a game and therefore will cause them to play longer.Basically, players overestimate their chances and probability of winning. Near wins are what essentially keep casinos in business. Giving players a taste of winning will almost always guarantee that they visit again.

07. LOCATION OF SERVICES

If you’ve been inside a casino at least once, then you’ve certainly noticed how far placed are the restrooms, restaurants or any other service for that matter.  If you want to use the restroom, get something to eat, or cash out your chips, you must burrow yourself deeper into the bowels of the casino. The purpose is to make you walk through the casino, pass by a lot of very tempting games and machines. This way, maybe on your way to cash out, you might want to give that super nice looking slot machine as try.

Often, these services are wedged as far back as possible. This is a last-ditch effort to keep you inside since you have to walk through the whole place again and pass all of those tempting machines and tables. You have just cashed in your winnings and perhaps you may want to try your luck one last time before leaving. It’s the same principle stores use in hopes of getting a customer to make that last impulse buy during that long walk to the exit.In larger casino/hotels, the casino is buried deep inside the building itself. Taking various escalators, stairs, etc. is the only way to get to and from it and is one way to keep you on the property.

08. FREE PERKS FOR LOYAL PLAYERS AND HIGH ROLLERS

Free or reduced services, otherwise known as comps, are another lifeblood of the casino. Players will often receive coupons for free meals, buffets, shows, etc., or point cards which enable them to win other prizes in order to get them to keep coming back. It makes them feel important, even if they are low rollers and don’t gamble substantial sums of money. Even if they lose, they still feel as if they have gained something and are more likely to return. They are important to the casinos because the vast majority of money made comes from these smaller gamblers, so their business is even more coveted than the high rollers’. Are they simply being good hosts to their patrons? Not really. It’s all calculated to keep them there so they play more and longer. Whatever casinos give out in comps, they make back hundreds-fold from the same people. It’s sort of like persuading a child to behave well in exchange for a cheap toy.

09. FREE ALCOHOL

This could have gone under the freebies category but deserves to be discussed independently. It’s as obvious and transparent a trick as freebies but may be the most powerful. Free drinks work on a couple of levels. First, they’re FREE. Unless you’re a teetotaler, who doesn’t love free drinks? Cocktail waitresses swarm the casino floor, their trays full of various drinks at all times. It’s no secret why this would keep a player put, satisfied, and feeling cheerful. Next, alcohol makes even smart players sloppy. If you’re a player who uses basic strategy in blackjack, alcohol will slow your brain therefore corrupting your ability to make the proper decisions. Gamblers will also become more liberal with their money if buzzed or drunk, throwing their chips around like they’re nothing more than the pieces of clay that they are. To many, sucking down free drinks while playing enjoyable games is pretty much as good as it gets.

10. OXYGEN 

One of the more bizarre tricks is casinos reportedly use higher levels of oxygen in their establishments to help keep players awake. Pumping in this extra oxygen from pressurized tanks, help gamblers to free refreshed and alert, which enables them to gamble for longer, without getting tired. There has also been talk that some casinos even release pheromones, which would promote feelings of comfort and euphoria, making the environment all the more appealing and addictive

Keep these casino psychology tricks in mind the next time you visit the casino and use this knowledge to your advantage. You’ll have a far more gratifying experience and a lot more fun when you remember that, no matter how much a casino might try to trick you, ultimately, you are the one in control of your actions.

SOURCE:http://listverse.com/2010/02/09/10-tricks-casinos-use-on-you/

SOURCE:http://www.vegasmaster.com/casino-psychology-tricks-used-on-players/

SOURCE:http://realitysandwich.com/300010/10-tricks-casinos-use-on-you/

GOODBYE GAMBLING 

 fragments from a book based on a true story

by Dejan Stankovic

     “There are many factors that influence the categorization of a given form of gambling.  According to generally accepted criteria, there are three types of gambling: recreational, problematic, and pathological, but there are no clear borders separating them which would make them more recognizable.  The borders are so unnoticeable and fluid that no gambler is aware of their existence.

      I’d describe it as a vacuum which is created around the borders and overflows from one sphere into another while maintaining the structure of the previous hopeless sphere.  Therefore, when you cross the border from recreational into problematic gambling, you won’t momentarily change your behavioral model.  Instead, you’ll find yourself behaving in the “old” way in a new sphere, under new circumstances.  This is why your reaction will be significantly late, and the consequences incomparably greater.  It’s important for you to know that it’s a one-way road from recreational to pathological gambling, and that a pathological gambler can NEVER, I repeat NEVER go back to gambling recreationally.  He’ll try, and the members of his family will often turn a blind eye to a series of rotten compromises, but time will always prove what I’m telling you to be true.  I must insist that every new relapse (i.e. new debts, crossing over to more difficult spheres) will be more painful in every sense of the word.”

   
    “Man is programmed to push all of life’s ugly events into oblivion, and remember only the pleasant ones, to which time gives greater significance, thus making them even more pleasant.  Behind us is a past that, regardless of our attempts to resuscitate it, remains dead.  Before us lies an uncertain future, and the moment between the past and the future is life.  Have I lived life, or has life lived through me?  I don’t know, but I do know that everything would’ve been different if only I hadn’t been there that night.  I can just imagine all the scenarios that were waiting for me, and the roles I would’ve played if only I hadn’t played the one, the only, role: that of the Gambler.  It’s all over, I no longer repent, I no longer pine for all those scenarios.

      I met Lady Luck in 1973 at a hotel not far from the Black Sea.  I noticed her immediately in her makeup and fine evening wear.  She noticed me, too.  There were a lot of people on the floor that night, but they were mostly her earlier acquaintances.  I, on the other hand, was visiting this place for the first time.  She flirted with me, and in the blink of an eye, she could transform from an untouchable woman into a naïve girl or a hoyden.  The quickness of her transformations made it impossible for me to penetrate her soul and foresee her real intentions.

Many years later, I discovered that she has no soul, no eyes, or heart, but by that time I was already her slave.  I’d surrendered to the course of events like a young man in the hands of a professional.  That night I drank a poison that kills in a special way, over the course of many years, by selectively destroying only man’s healthy potential, thus leaving him at its mercy.  In time, the poison spreads throughout the body, and when the scale tips in favor of our previously restrained darker sides, its full effect can be felt.  Moments of contrition and reflection are the most difficult.  Only then do we become aware of our weakness, and our futile search for an antidote.