2a. Re: worst vpplayer ever
Date: Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:22 pm ((PDT))Heard a story a couple of days ago that a player in one of the high limit rooms
in LV was playing $25 10/play and was dealt a flush with RF3. Yup, he tossed
the flush and went for the royal. The result wasn't pretty but I guess he was
having fun, too.
Shucks, even if he "whiffed" and hit nothing, he only threw away $37,500 (I think I figured that correctly). That can't be that much for someone who is getting a W2G on every single paying hand!!
A friend of mine used to wonder how people could be smart enough to make large amounts of money in their "real" life (as judged by the amount of money they were wagering) and then not take the small amount of time need to learn basic strategy for gambling games that have such a strategy, and to apply that strategy, e.g., blackjack and VP. The only answer I could come up with is "this is for fun, it's not their job, so they don't want to WORK at it". I still don't like my answer, though, but we all know people who BELIEVE what we tell them about these games, and still like to vary their play on a "hunch".
Interesting "instinct" he followed -- maybe the money he might lose by poor play didn't mean much to him, but the money he might win if he hits a royal (I figure that at a half million for each one hit!) would be significant (doesn't make sense to me, but...).
When I first learned to play VP, and wasn't very good yet, still using a card for a lot of my decisions, I enountered a progressive royal that I though was "high" (since I didn't know what I was doing, I don't even remember how high). I had no idea how the amount of the progressive should affect my usual strategy, but I figured it must be different, and I am pretty certain I over-played the "go-for-the-royal" options, perhaps not like the person described, but now we're just talking "how much".
Even now, with greater knowledge and skill, for me, I'm just the opposite of this player - it always "hurts" to toss a made flush for RF4, and a four-flush for RF3, since I've never hit a RF on a single-card draw, and in spite of the fact that ALL of my RFs but one have been on RF3 draws. "Knowing" the right play still doesn't make it feel good, because the reward for the correct play doesn't come very frequently.
2b. Re: worst vpplayer ever
Date: Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:21 pm ((PDT))Who's the "world's dumbest player" in the scenario below?
A) The player (using very poor stragegy) who drops a couple quarters in a VP
machine, likely for the first time on his/her life, while having a few minutes
of fun in a casino on a cruise ship.or
B) The player (using semi-optimal strategy) who sits and plays hundreds, if not
thousands, of hands of $1 8/5 DDB on the cruise ship. This player then admits
to having to give the spouse the winnings because of a lack of bankroll
management ability.
Sounds like we all need to become more delicate in our choice of words: neither player should be called "dumb". Both have made bad choices with their gambling money and could spend it better for recreation, in my opinion, but if they're not concerned about the cost of their recreation, who are we to judge. Of course, the question of whether or not they understand the cost of their recreation comes up, but again, it's their decision how to spend their money.
If I choose to see "O" for $170 a ticket (actually, I passed, but my wife and daughter went at that price in May, and of course I paid for the seats), is that "dumber" than skipping "O" and seeing about fifteen movies at the theater instead?
We're all allowed to make whatever choices we want with our money. If we all were ONLY trying to make money, I suspect that a lot of us can find a better and less risky way to do so. I'm sure there are a few, however, whose skill list consists ONLY of the ability to master a VP strategy table, and this is what they HAVE to do for a living -- but not very many, most have made a choice to do it.
Most of the rest of us are making choices when we play games that are just under or barely over 100% return, especially when we include "comps" to stay at hotels that we wouldn't want to stay at if we weren't going to gamble, and to eat meals that we might never pay the menu price for if they weren't comped. Part of our decision is usually (1) we enjoy playing, (2) we feel good when someone gives us stuff, even stuff we really don't, or shouldn't, value that highly, (3) sometimes we win a lot and that's fun, and (4) we enjoy playing.
Those factors are pretty much the same for all the other less-knowledgeable gamblers out there, aren't they. Very few, "smart" or "dumb", choose to play because (1) we really are counting on making money in the long run.
If that's what I wanted, I'd just play the lottery 
(and if I ever hit it, I'll be almost even this year).
--BG
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