FloridaPhil wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:10 am
Tedlark wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 2:42 pm
Um, no; you have not answered all my questions as best you could. I am still awaiting an answer to my question: "Phil, what casino hospitality are players enjoying? At a fraction of the cost? Please be a tad more specific."
I will do my best.
During my life, I have had a multitude of leisure time activities. Fishing and boating have taken up most of my time. I have traveled all over the world in pursuit of game fish. I have fished in some places where few people have ever been. I have a USCG Captain's license. In my application, I documented over 3,500 hours behind the wheel of marine vessels from a 20' skiff to a 65' sport fishing yacht. I fished many tournaments and won my share. I can no longer fish or ride in a boat for longer than a few hours due to problems with my spine.
In my youth, I built and raced cars. I gave that up when I was burned in an accident back in the eighties. For a time, I was a competitive hand gun silhouette shooter. I also dabbled in model airplanes. I enjoy classic cars and have written about my TBird. My business interests consumed most of my thoughts during the day. My hobbies are a way to relax and escape from stress.
I first discovered casino gambling at a computer convention in Reo. I liked the excitement. I tried roulette and won $6,000 in one night. I gave it all back the next day. When I got older and my body aged, I couldn't race cars or ride up and down ocean waves. I had to give up bass fishing too. I started looking around for a hobby I could do that wouldn't be physically painful. I went back to a casino. A friend suggested video poker. He told me some people make money at the game. Like everything I do in life, I jumped in with both feet.
To answer your question specifically, there are many good things about playing video poker. I enjoy going with or meeting up with my friends. They are all about my age and we have much to talk about. We meet up every few hours and talk about our experience. My friends play slots as small as possible. I play video poker small because my money lasts longer. None of us goes to the casino expecting the make money. All we want is a pleasant atmosphere and a good time. The casino is a day's escape from the boredom of everyday life. I like puzzle games too. I play Candy Crush on my phone. My wife thinks I am addicted to the game and she may be right. I don't drink and I don't smoke, so I guess it could be worse.
There are some bad things about playing video poker. For me, the worst is losing money. I started out with nothing and worked hard all my life. When I lose money in a casino, I feel like I've been robbed and lied to. I was told the game was profitable, so why am I losing 9 out of 10 trips? I found out later that losing is part of winning. That fact doesn't make me feel any better.
When you hit your first $1,000 royal flush, it's exhilarating. One of the most exciting things I can remember was hitting my first $4,000 royal. That was the day I walked away with a $12,000 profit. Since that day back in 2008, I quit counting royals. My computer is full of royal photos. The problem is always the same, it costs more to hit one than you win. When you hate losing as much as I do, you start to look for a way out. I eventually learned to have fun while playing smaller.
I can afford to play $5 games. Aside from my losses, my biggest expense would be psychotherapy. There is a couple who used to play at the Hollywood Hard Rock when they still had 9/6 Jacks. We often sat next to them when we played. They played triple play dollars all day. I would occasionally ask them how they were doing. Most of the time, they were down many tens of thousands of dollars. I am sure they got a better parking place than we did and their lunch service was better. I imagine they had offers from casinos all over the country, were picked up and driven around in limos and went to free shows. The casino could give me a new Mercedes each year and I wouldn't suffer through those losses. I don't know if they were long term winners and I didn't care.
To me the casino is just like any other entertainment choice. I can go to a movie and eat dinner for the same money it costs me play single coin quarters all day. Do I miss hitting a big jackpot? Occasionally I do. To quench that thirst, I save out a few dollars at the end of the day for the dollar machines. This has worked out better than I expected.
Perhaps you can see how someone could enjoy a casino without taking big risks? It works for me and my friends.
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