Breaking Vegas is a great television show that I record on my TIVO every Tuesday night on the Discovery Channel. (A good overview of the show and it’s upcoming titles can be found here) This show highlights some of the most novel cheaters in the history of Vegas. Of the three I’ve seen, I’ve been really suprised to see how they get out of the business. You’d expect that most of these people get black-listed using the well-known Las Vegas blacklist but in actuallity these people usually end up quitting!

Sure, they get a little heat from the pit bosses but at the end of the game, it ends because they’re tired of it! I’ve spoke with many poker players at casinos that play to make a living! They usually look about 20 years older than they actually are, black lungs, grey hair, and see day-light every 3 days… it’s rediculous. I’ve got freinds that would die to gamble everyday for the rest of their lives, but stories and life experiences have taught me that the grinders live no life of envy.

I love to gamble and hate to lose. That’s why I continue to play the game. I hate playing games that I lose at. So, I either keep trying until I get better or give it up all together. In January of 2005, I lost at the casino for a record setting 3 times in a row. I realized that I wasn’t getting any better so I decided to give it up. Not give up gambling, but at least give up learning consequences at the casino.

Since leaving the casino I hope to find a couple of tips that will allow me to win at gambling more consistently. This usually means taking advantage of other people’s ignorance or human error. But, always remember that a life of gambling is no life to desire. Even the people who win on a consistent basis end of leaving it.