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How I Became a Gambler

#1

Mine was a simple, yet complicated story. The Reader's Digest version...

I learned how to play poker, blackjack, etc, at about the age of 11. I was always good at math. I was quick to find out it was an easy way to get money in lieu of an allowance. Within a year I was "running" a game every Saturday night in my parent's garage.

Within 6 months I was busted.. grounded, so on... all the other parents found out their kids were losing money to me all the time. The rest is history once I learned that many forms of gambling, most specifically poker, were beatable.

Anyone remember the Jr. High/High School game often played at lunch out at the
raquetball courts or wherever? That's right... TONK... a form of five-card gin.

ADR

#2

<<Tonk>>

Ah, that was my first real gambling love. Brad and I met in a Tonk game at the Moose Lodge in Indianapolis IN. about 19 years ago. We were the two best players there so decided to "join forces." (Brad likes the legend that he "won" me in a card game!) We made enough money in about 3 years to buy our Indy condo with Tonk winnings. I would play almost every daytime - Brad would come after work and take over. (No one would play if we both were in the same game so we took turns playing unless there were two games going.)

···

____________________
Jean $cott - "The Frugal Gambler"
Order autographed book, cassette tape, and the new
   Frugal VP software at http://www.frugalgambler.biz
Read Frugal Fridays at http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com

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#3

Jean Scott wrote:

<<Tonk>>

Ah, that was my first real gambling love. Brad and I met in a Tonk game at the Moose Lodge in Indianapolis IN. about 19 years ago. We were the two best players there so decided to "join forces." (Brad likes the legend that he "won" me in a card game!) We made

I keep forgetting you originally hailed from Indianapolis. I'm
surprised the game wasn't euchre (though I'm not sure how you would
bet on a euchre game).

I was born in Indy, and was raised on the far Southside, not far from
Southport Rd. and Meridian.

···

--
Pat O'Connell
Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but vandals...

#4

<<I'm
surprised the game wasn't euchre (though I'm not sure how you would
bet on a euchre game).>>

I did play euchre too - but just socially - and it almost made me swear off cards. It was the first card game I learned and I was still trying to learn the 4 suits. Now they were telling me that a diamond was a heart if it was a bar (bower?), or something like that! It's been so long since I've played euchre that I almost forget how. Tonk came much more naturally to me.

There were euchre tournaments at the Moose Lodge - not exactly gambling but you could win money, I think. I never played in them - too busy raking in the money at Tonk.

···

____________________
Jean $cott - "The Frugal Gambler"
Order autographed book, cassette tape, and the new
   Frugal VP software at http://www.frugalgambler.biz
Read Frugal Fridays at http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]