It's Vegas Baby!!

[markinca]

Professionals screw up our brains by telling us the only thing that
matters in VP is making money.  I like money, but I play for relaxation
and VP is cheap recreation as far as I'm concerned.  We all want to be
better at everything we do, but our scoreboards are not the same.

Serious question - do you want to be better at video poker?  And if so, to you, what would 'better' even mean?

For me, doing better in a sport or a game against another player would be to maximize my chances of winning.  Doing better in a video game or solitary activity (e.g. video poker) would be to maximize my score.  The thing with video poker though, is that the 'score' is kept by your money. 

Personally I don't see the point of even learning a new game/hobby/etc if you're not going to try to play your best game possible.  You say you just play for fun, and that's great.  For me, having fun in a game means I'm getting better and better at it, and learning new tips and tricks to improve myself even more. 

Like, I used to bowl semi-regularly and I was pretty decent (about a 190 avg).  I'd go bowl with friends who just bowled casually, and they'd be happy if they hit 100.  They'd get super excited after a strike, and I'd ask them why they didn't practice more and get more strikes.  Their response - because they just didn't want to put in the time, and I totally understand.  If you don't want to put in the time to get better at something, that's as good a reason as any to not improve.

But not improving because you know what the correct moves are, but you consciously just choose not to do them, and that that's somehow more fun, is just something I have a hard time wrapping my head around.  No judgments, I'm just saying I'm not wired that way and can't comprehend that.

[alpax]

Serious question - do you want to be better at video poker?  And if so, to you, what would 'better' even mean?For me, doing better in a sport or a game against another player would be to maximize my chances of winning.  Doing better in a video game or solitary activity (e.g. video poker) would be to maximize my score.  The thing with video poker though, is that the 'score' is kept by your money.  Personally I don't see the point of even learning a new game/hobby/etc if you're not going to try to play your best game possible.  You say you just play for fun, and that's great.  For me, having fun in a game means I'm getting better and better at it, and learning new tips and tricks to improve myself even more.  Like, I used to bowl semi-regularly and I was pretty decent (about a 190 avg).  I'd go bowl with friends who just bowled casually, and they'd be happy if they hit 100.  They'd get super excited after a strike, and I'd ask them why they didn't practice more and get more strikes.  Their response - because they just didn't want to put in the time, and I totally understand.  If you don't want to put in the time to get better at something, that's as good a reason as any to not improve.But not improving because you what the correct moves are, but you consciously just choose not to do them, and that that's somehow more fun, is just something I have a hard time wrapping my head around.  No judgments, I'm just saying I'm not wired that way and can't comprehend that.

Mark, I try to carry the same mentality. I feel that you will get farther in life that way.

If you have not been around this board long enough, Phil uses the "I am recreational player" title as an immunity to criticism. Some folks here cannot handle constructive criticism well so just do your own thing.

[markinca]

Mark, I try to carry the same mentality. I feel that you will get farther in life that way.

If you have not been around this board long enough, Phil uses the "I am recreational player" title as an immunity to criticism. Some folks here cannot handle constructive criticism well so just do your own thing.



Ah, understood. Also just from my brief personal experience it seems there are quite a few of those types on this board.

[Lionqueen]

Ouch!

[notes1]

[QUOTE=alpax]
Mark, I try to carry the same mentality. I feel that you will get farther in life that way.
If you have not been around this board long enough, Phil uses the "I am recreational player" title as an immunity to criticism. Some folks here cannot handle constructive criticism well so just do your own thing.

Ah, understood. Also just from my brief personal experience it seems there are quite a few of those types on this board.[/QUOTE]

I have read this crap long enough.

alpax, you are a dancer wanna be. you are not dancer.

markinca, I put you in your place once before. I will ask the question again, are you guaranteeing better results for each player, with perfect math play, over some small deviation?

neither of you have the VP credentials, play history or record of achievement to be finding fault with how anyone plays with their money.

and, didn't one of the most prolific users of math stats on this site recently say ' 99% of VP decisions are obvious and the ones that aren't, typically do not cost the player much'.

I would guess that many on this forum have a multiple of the net worth of any of you and if they wish to spend their money the way they want, it is none of your business. they play for entertainment, they are not telling anyone else to play their way and they are not holding themselves out as some kind of expert.

[markinca]

markinca, I put you in your place once before.

Oh, jesus christ, shut up already. NO ONE IS EVEN TALKING TO YOU. You seriously might have some mental issues.

If you actually think that a game where a player has a negative edge can not only be beaten in the long run (i.e. millions of hands), but beaten by making non-optimal plays, then frankly you're even dumber than I thought.

You actually remind me of a student I had a few years ago who would go up to random people having conversations and demand, "What?? What?? What'd you say about me??" and try to start fights. It turned out that kid actually DID have a mental issue.

Stop. Just stop. You're embarrassing yourself, dude.

[notes1]

this was my first post on this thread, how many have you made? when you insult one person for playing how they want to play, you insult everyone who chooses to play, as they wish, with their money.

you may be used to an environment where your students can't disagree with you, but you are not in command of this forum.

[markinca]

this was my first post on this thread, how many have you made? when you insult one person for playing how they want to play, you insult everyone who chooses to play, as they wish, with their money.

you may be used to an environment where your students can't disagree with you, but you are not in command of this forum.

I'll just take your sentences/questions one by one.

1) This is literally so stupid I can't even wrap my head around how you thought this actually made sense to you as you were typing it. Yes, I was having a conversation with FloridaPhil, so it would stand to reason I'd have a lot of posts in this thread. Crazy! Meanwhile you're lurking in the background and explode on me and alpax out of nowhere like some headcase.

2) Ok, well when you find a single spot in this thread where I actually insulted FP, lemme know.

3) I actually enjoy when students disagree, because unlike you, they have solid reasoning skills. It's exhilirating. Dealing with you, on the other hand, is like dealing with a 5-year old who keeps asking 'why? why? why? why?' even though they never actually listen to any of the answers. It's tedious.

FP and I actually had what I thought was a pretty productive discussion and I at least understood where he was coming from. That is, until you felt you had to butt in out of nowhere and give your 2 cents. Actually more like half a cent.

Anyway, like the other thread that you derailed, I will not respond to you any further. I guess that is, until you decide to come in and derail another thread I decide to post on. I've never had my very own stalker before. It's kinda gross.

[OTABILL]

[QUOTE=alpax]
Mark, I try to carry the same mentality. I feel that you will get farther in life that way.

If you have not been around this board long enough, Phil uses the "I am recreational player" title as an immunity to criticism. Some folks here cannot handle constructive criticism well so just do your own thing.



Ah, understood. Also just from my brief personal experience it seems there are quite a few of those types on this board.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with Lionqueen, ouch. Enough said.

[alpax]

I've only mentioned truthfully what having a disagreement with Phil will be like. Mark was not here during the exchanges that occurred between Mr. Dancer and Phil a few months back; as well as the good players who left.

Phil will eventually do what is best for his own needs, and will block off facts that might even be helpful saying that he does not intend to play video poker professionally. Nothing more.

I truthfully do not know any person who was successful rejecting constructive criticism during their path to greatness.

I am not offended what some other person said. Mr. Dancer is highly intellectual and successful no matter what others think of the shrewd comments in the past. I will just be myself and I am confident in all that I do to a point where I will not trade my knowledge, skill, and dedication with anyone else here.

I've never blatantly disrespected the person, the person just chose to be the enemy. So like Mark I do not care what that scrub has to say either, I am not going to waste my energy.

Not going to further participate in this thread.