Since putting a cease and desist to my hardcore online blackjack gambling ways (I hope), I've received offers from some of the online casinos. Not deposit bonuses; cold hard cash straight into my accounts. $50 here, $30 there, $25 there. All total, I have about $300 that has been placed into my accounts across all these sites, just waiting for me to:

a) play (because it's for wagering purposes only)
b) bust (because I always do)
c) redeposit
d) rinse and repeat

So insidious, these bastids are.

They tout if you have a gambling problem, to call the gambler's hotline. To bet with your head, not over it.

Yet they play into the psychology and disease of gambling by giving you money to play with, knowing it will give you a taste and, like any well-behaved addiction, tease you into wanting more.

This isn't uncommon -- years ago before deposit bonuses and comp points were the norm, the online casinos would try to duplicate land-based casinos and lavish you with gifts to keep you playing. I didn't get anything of great value -- a $50 Macy's gift certificate that I gave to grammagrub and some garish clothing including a nice terrycloth robe -- but one casino gave me $500 for me to wager. And when that was gone (and after a few more deposits), they gave another $500.

To put it another way and to show how bad off I was back then, this is the casino where I was playing slots and got two royal flushes within three days (I've never gotten a royal in slots since). One paid $8,000. The other paid $3,500. I didn't celebrate, because these wins did not break-even for me.

I continued playing.

Both were gone in a week.

It seems a lifetime ago, but in reality it was only six or seven years. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm still the same person. Yet not the same person that I can't think of better ways to put $11,500 to use (like Party's 15/30... just kidding).

So. I'm leaving the online accounts inactive, at least for awhile. At some point I'll methodically go into each one and bet the whole amount on red, then withdraw and move on to the next one. My NETeller is down to $65.80, preventing the temptation into another deposit and again going overboard.

It's a constant struggle.

Is there a worse place for me than Vegas?

Thank goodness for poker.


Grubby's Hand of the Week #5
for Monday, May 17, 2004

Prize: $20
Post your guess in today's comments section. The first person to correctly guess my opponent's hand before noon on Thursday wins. Suits do not matter. One guess per person, please. Winner will be declared here on Thursday. If there's no winner, the prize will roll over to next week plus $5.

If you're signed up to Empire Poker or Absolute Poker through me (use those links to sign up), the prize is doubled for you.

You can leave a comment as Anonymous without registering through Blogger, but do include your name so I know whose guess is whose.

If you don't include contact info and you're the winner, email me after the quiz is over.

Good luck and good skills,

---

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: grubby is UTG+1 with A Q.
UTG folds, grubby raises, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: (7 SB) J 2 Q (3 players)
SB checks, grubby bets, MP1 calls, SB raises, grubby calls, MP1 calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) Q (3 players)

SB bets, grubby calls, MP1 calls.

River: (9.50 BB) A (3 players)
SB checks, grubby bets, MP1 calls, SB calls.

Final Pot: 12.50 BB
Main Pot: 12.50 BB, between SB, grubby and MP1.


Okay, some analysis.

Although I won this hand, I played it badly.

I first blew it by not capping the flop. I needed to get heads-up with SB and by not capping, it let MP1 through, who could be on a straight draw. He could also have a King, which wouldn't be a friendly card on the turn/river. And if he had a 2 or a J and one of those cards came on the turn/river? I'd be crying bad beat, when in fact it was my fault for making it cheap to call.

The turn gave me what I thought was the best hand, and I tried to be tricky. That was a mistake as well. By smooth-calling, I figured I could get MP1 in for one more bet. But the flush developing isn't worth the risk. If I'd raised and MP1 was on a flush draw, he would've called anyway. I needed to make it as expensive as possible, and I didn't.

By not raising the turn, I also couldn't determine what SB had.

Going into the river, I'd planned to raise no matter what the card. Alas, it gave me the nuts (I didn't give SB credit enough for drawing to a royal) and I'm checked to.

So I won, but not the biggest of pots. I can forgive myself a bit for the turn deception, but on the flop there's no excuse not to cap.

You know what I had, and I'll reveal what SB had: A J.

What did MP1 have?