Do You Tell People You Play VP?

[doris13]

my friends all know i play vp here for fun and in AC or Vegas for real.when i make my gambling trips i bring just what i feel i can afford to lose and once i'm checked in my credit card gets locked up.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=doris13]i bring just what i feel i can afford to lose and once i'm checked in my credit card gets locked up.
[/quote]Good idea.  I never ever use an ATM card in a casino.  Take what you can lose and leave.  I'm nervous about ATM cards anyway, much less in a casino.  My wife has had her credit card number pirated two times in casino gift shops.  I can only imagine what would happen if someone used a debit card with serious money in their account... 

[Chicagoan]

Phil, my ATM card is tied to an account that only has a small amount of cash in it. I use it when traveling, which I do for business, so I have to be very careful. My main checking account does not have an ATM card. Secondly, I only use a designated credit card with a very low limit at gas stations. Gas stations are the worst offenders in terms of phony card readers, crooked employees, etc. Third, if you use a credit card at a drive-thru window, DO NOT take your eyes off the card while the employee swipes it, not even for an instant.

[doris13]

i don't have an atm card and don't want 1.i have 2 credit cards and i barely use them.they swipe my card at the caesar's property in AC and i give them the $10 i'm being charged for my 2 nights.

[Lucky Larry]

Phil,
I've enjoyed your question. Yes, we do tell people we gamble. All of our family knows and most of our friends. its a joke with many of the family. They will call and ask , "Are you at home or 'sheltering in place'." (casino).   Sometimes their first question is, "How are the machines playing?" Smart aleck kids! We remind them we're spending their inheritance and they better hope we win big.

While it is no one else's business I can understand someone's concerns. And, those who judge for religious or personal reasons are free to have their opinions. I was confronted once by a very religious person. My response was that I'd let God pass judgement and that I'll try not to judge them in return.

Here are a couple tips on how we handle the situation.
1) We talk about our trips all over the US and Canada and the wonderful casinos we've stayed at. We usually mention they are cheaper than the hotels and we often have our rooms comped, We also share about the great meals and shows we get to see free of charge.
2) We share that I returned to part-time work after retirement at 56 to continue to contribute to my profession and to earn travel/gambling money.
3) With someone new we always mention that we only play video poker which has a high return (98-99%) versus those slot machines with their low returns.
4) Sometimes someone asks how much we've won. While none of their business. I just sly say my largest hit was a 5 figure amount. They eventually close their mouth.

[FloridaPhil]

We have much in common.  Our son and our close friends know we play video poker. They also know we stay free at some pretty nice places.  I also retired early and returned to work part time in my consulting business.  When you like what you do, it's not work.  As long as it doesn't interfere with my video poker days, I don't care.  My personal relationship is with God, not religion.  I believe we are put on this Earth to help other people, not judge them.  I also do not try to help them if they don't want help.  Playing video poker the way we play it is a harmless recreational activity.  Like everything in life, it can be turned into a vice if it's not controlled.  We hate losing so much it's not a problem for us.  We see this as a good thing.

[farc]

Yes I am reluctant to share with many people when I go to Ac. There is a stigma and many of my friends would never frequent casinos. I love it and feel that everyone views money differently and spends it in their own personal way. If someone asks I will tell truth. If I can get away with not telling I will. Nature of the beast

[lucky1988]

I don’t like to hide and sneak around; also, I do not think that gambling is something bad. That is why I do tell people that I play video poker and even advise a few nice casinos with video poker like Royal Diamonds Video Poker I found at www.casinoz.club . In this Video Poker there are a few versions of the game. I like it a lot!

[Lucky Larry]

We have friends who host big parties and spend $ thousands for food and drink. Others tail-gate at the professional football games paying $thousands for good seats and tail-gating costs for food and drink. Their choice.

I consider gambling to be entertainment. Our choice. Besides. our choice does give us a chance for a nice return.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=Lucky Larry]We have friends who host big parties and spend $ thousands for food and
drink. Others tail-gate at the professional football games paying
$thousands for good seats and tail-gating costs for food and drink.
Their choice.
I consider gambling to be entertainment. Our choice. Besides. our choice does give us a chance for a nice return. [/quote]My wife and I were talking about this last weekend. Over the years we have had all kinds of serious hobbies; fishing, race cars, airplanes, you name it.  Each and every time we jumped in with both feet.  If we fished, we bought a boat (or two or three).  As our boats grew bigger, we bought a house in the keys to dock it.  We just had to have a race car.  I don't even want to talk about the cost of that airplane!  Some people find enjoyment in great food and wine, sports, travel or even big houses.  Video poker is flat out the cheapest most enjoyable entertainment we have ever had.  At our age we can't go running around the planet or racing up the highways.  VP works for us and like Larry said, you just might walk out a winner....