Why is Recreational Play Different?

[FloridaPhil]

I was asked this question on the Recreational Forum and I think this discussion is important enough to have it's own thread where everyone has a chance to discuss it openly.[quote]Pray tell, why a recreational player, would or should, play different?
[/quote]1. A
professional player only has one motive...profit.  All recreational
players want to win, but they also have limited budgets and may want to
maximize their time at the casino.  In other words, they may want to play
longer on the limited money they have.  2. A professional player would
never play a less than 100% overall game.   A recreational player must
play the games they have available to them or not play at all.   When
playing negative games, the amount you lose is often more significant
than the amount you win. 3. A recreational player's primary goal of going to a casino is to be entertained.   Playing a game they don't like just because
the return is better is not something they are interested in. 
Conversely, they may chose to play a game they like even though the
return is not the best.Recreational strategy is not in
conflict with professional strategy, it's different if the player's
motivations are different.  There are more than two kinds of players in
this world.  Everyone is somewhere between the extremes of a
professional and a purely recreational player.  In my opinion, the biggest losers are players that play like a professional without the skills, bankroll and/or opportunities of a professional.Professionals have given us many tools and insights that are beneficial to recreational video poker players.  As long as recreational players know and understand the "whys" of professional strategy, we can make our own decisions about adopting them for our own use.

[faygo]

#1 should be the goal of every player, agreed. Don't believe #2 is an absolute. Don't see how losing can be entertaining. What you are describing sounds more like a hobby.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=faygo] What you are describing sounds more like a hobby.[/quote]Exactly!That's the whole point of this discussion.  There are many players in the world (most) who will never play an overall 100% game and have limited recreational budgets. Leaving them out of the discussion, marginalizing them or insisting that they must follow professional strategies or they are losers ignores the environment they play in and the desires they want to achieve.  This is not to say that we should throw mathematics out the window, but it doesn't always answer every human question.  It's all good, just different.

[FAA]

+EV is basically a LV phenomenon. 99.5% plus the standard casino crumbs won't cut it. We should not get distracted by those discussions. It's news I can't use. My ultimate goal is to make a profit. But my practical goal is a break even scenario. I'll just clench my teeth, tip my hat to the casino gods and come back next week. It was worth the trip cost to do battle.

[FloridaPhil]

Here's an interesting point. There are a lot of players on this forum who will risk playing big denomination games just for comps or to achieve a high comp status.  How is overpaying for free food, show tickets or a hotel room any different than deciding to play single coin to save some money?  If the comps are worth it to you, it's a good decision.  If playing all day and breaking even is what you want to achieve, it's just as good.  At the end of the year when you tally up the cost vs. gain, that's when you know if you are making the right personal decisions.

[FAA]

Ah, the players lounge! Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. I'd rather escape the environment and likely prolonged losing by going out to eat nearby.