DaveUK - New Diary

Hi Dave,

No-one EVER wins on these evil things in the long term. Why do you think bookies are thriving in business and not closing down?

Anyway, back to reality - Happy New Year to you and may 2011 be a prosperous year for us all.

GT

Cheers GT - HNY to you to my friend.

You make a really great point - we have been through a recession and are still probably in it but I haven't seen any bookies going bust. In fact, a couple in the area have closed smaller shops and opened bigger ones! I would imagine the FOBT's more than keep them afloat.

Now at day 25 - have started to miss playing the roulette machine if I am honest. Am intriged why I am drawn to playing in the bookies but am not at all interested in the online version - all a bit bizarre. They obviously know how to get inside my head!

Thanks for you thoughts today Dave.

In the end I decided to relax and watch the BDO Darts. It's not something I would've bet on (in my gambling days) 🙂 But I must note that had I had £10 on the four games that I watched I would be £40 worse off now...:P

I sat and watched for a good two hours (Ted Hankey was awful!) and I realised that I hadn't actually sat and watched the darts for a good few years. Then I realised why! Most bank holidays/Christmas time/New Year I would be staring at those dam roulette wheels all day! Often it wasn't all day though! I once put £1000 cold hard cash into a FOBT (winnings from previosu day). Ten £100 spins later I had nothing. So when I got home I wasn't in the mood for the darts!!

It was nice to take time out like that...I may do it compulsively from now on though. 🙂 Is there a section for compulsive couch potatoes? I think I'm trying to say that the things I used to enjoy, before this vile FOBT addiction hit me, are slowly coming back to me. I'm a Liverpool football fan - but seem to stop watching the games - because there was always gambling to be done. I think I'm going to get ** *** etc next week - get back into it.

I've also just committed to the Wolverhampton Half Marathon in November...I must be mad...not ran the streets for six months or more

Matt

Day 16

Hi Dave

Read a post elsewhere where you wanted a copy of my book but were concerned about the wife's thoughts. If you want to give Gamcare the address of a "safehouse" or work address I'll happily send you a free copy from my folks place, as I'm not in UK currently.

Hopefully after you've read the book you might want to sit down with the wife and get it all out

Let me know

Best regards

Deeds

Deeds - you are a true gentleman.

Really appreciate the offer and am really OK to buy the book rather than take a free one and will ask Amazon to deliver it to my work address.

I can't express enough how much I appreciate your gesture, you are a really good guy.

I will let you know once I have read it.

Regards

Dave

Now closing in on a month.

Although we like to stack up the days since we last gambled (me more than most) all we have to target is just one day - TODAY - and the rest will take care of itself.

Its so much easier to think 'I must not play the roulette machine today' as opposed to saying 'I must not play the roulette ever again'. By doing the first it will take care of the second!

Three bizarre things I am considering:-

1. I am attracted to the roulette machine in the bookies but have no interest in the online versions whatsoever, and never have been.

2. I would use money from my current account to play (including using my card) but NEVER considered using my credit card. For some reason the credit card is out of bounds even though its in my name an nobody would know if I used it.

3. I was only intertested in the roulette feature on the FOBT, none of the others even slightly interested me. That said horses, dogs, football and other sports have no appeal either from a gambling perspective.

Strange..........answers on a postcard please lol.

Hi Dave

Good to hear you got over the Christmas/New Year break intact. I hope you have a peaceful and prosperous 2011.

The three points you raise are interesting so for what it's worth here's my take.....

1. Perhaps it's as well that you've no interest in on-line roulette as the amount that can be lost in minutes is truly frightening and leaves FOTB's well in the shade on that score! Could it be that you like the actual ' betting office experience ', which, although pretty rank, does give a kind of ' I was there ' edge to proceedings as your money inevitably disappears? Also you are of course using ' real ' money which heightens the tension. Maybe a good analogy is that I would much rather go to the cinema to see a film rather than rent it out at home as I like the feel of a real auditorium even though it is much more expensive.

2. I suspect the reason for you not using a credit card to play is that the card companies treat gambling transactions as a cash advance ? Nearly all companies charge a hefty up-front fee, plus, in most cases interest is charged from the minute you draw down the funds. Bit of a no-brainer really.

Like me I suspect you deal with all the family finance but I would still never use a debit card to gamble partly because all transactions appear on a statement and the other half might start asking awkward questions! Also I am loathe to leave a gambling trail with the bank because should i ever need a loan they might think I was too ' flaky ' if my account was riddled with payments to gambling companies.

3. Haven't a clue here other than to say you're lucky that no other form of gambling interests you. Sure, roulette is not an ideal vice but at least you've only one thing to concentrate on. Perhaps the main saving grace is you're not interested in football betting. Being a LIverpool fan right now is not an ideal base from which to shovel money on them to win ( lol )

Please forgive the answers not being on the required postcard.......you'll have to make do with this cyber version ( lol )

Regards

Blackjack

Happy New Year Blackjack and thanks for your thoughts.

1. I think you are right with point one - it does add the grim experience being in the bookies and at least handling the money for a while.

2. Spot on - I deal with all the family finances and always have. We don't have a joint current account - if we did I would have been rumbled years ago lol. It is expensive using credit cards as a cash advance so reckon that helps me not to use it (what with being Mr Thrifty) 🙂

3. I agree - only one vice means just one thing to have to move away from. I bet with my heart and would back Liverpool every game so as you say, just as well I do not take a punt on the footy. Big game tonight - I am going for Blackburnn 0 Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 2). See told you!!

Thanks again. Out of interest do you have a diary at all as I would love to post on it if you do. Hopefully you don't need one !!

Dave

Hey Dave

I can tell you from my experience that I only EVER played roulette on the FOBT because so so so many people always seemed to be playing roulette in the bookies - and so it was natural for me to follow suit. I think this is what happens with most folk. When the machines are 'full' and people watch (even if they don't actually play them) then they become accustomed to that specific game. When the inevitable happens and the non-player thinks "I'll have a go" -- they play the game they have seen most often.

I was pondering over this myself several weeks back and then noticed, first-hand, that a guy who said he hadn't been in a bookies for twenty years (he was quite drunk and had left the pub over the road to have a sneaky f*g - when he noticed his mate in the bookies and came in). He was amazed that there was a machine in there that accepted notes - rather than the coins in bandits of yester-year. Anywho, he put in a tenner and asked his mate to put the fruit machine game on...

I think it was his preference based on past experience. It's only an idea Dave - but I think, just maybe, if everyone in your bookies had been playing Black Jack - and that you decided to have a few hands etc etc...then you may be called Black Jack Dave on here...:P

I switched to BlackJack having been annoyed with roulette. It's the same notion in effect. £100 maximum hand as opposed to 'spin'...when the machine decides enough is enough you get QQ, AK, AJ --- and Mr Dealer gets BlackJack -- pot gone!

I wouldn't mind betting (oops) that ALL of the games are cleverly designed to be highly addictive (in nature, playing and graphics etc). It just depends on which one takes your fancy and which one you quickly become accustomed to. I don't know if you have ever smoked? But I can assure you that no one (including me) 'enjoyed' their first cigarette...in fact it makes you feel quite sick. But there is a compulsion to have another and before long the addiction has taken root.

I don't think you were addicted to them before playing them...so I'm guessing that it is merely the practiced habit that has re-enforced it.

Also, one more thing I find interesting. With FOBT BlackJack - no one thinks that there is actually a dealer. With FOBT Virtual Horse Racing - no one thinks that the horses are real. The list goes on... But, with FOBT Roulette there is a BALL! Well we all seem to think so. It spins round the wheel just like the real thing. Well, there is no ball at all. I think that ball plays a huge roll in the addiction.

I've rambled enough. To sum up...I that FOBT Roulette is your thing because you made it so. Probably due to becoming familiar with it before playing...who knows. But in playing and playing and playing again you have installed it firmly between your Dave ears 😛 If you had done it with Black Jack etc...I think you would be in the same boat.

Peace to you buddy

Matt

Day 18

Very interesting Matt - and I think you are right that you are drawn to what you see others doing /playing.

I also agree that the FOBT roulette is very clever as the imaginery balls helps build the excitement and anticipation of a win (well until you are sad enough to know where the ball will end as soon as you hit spin - which I sadly am). In fact I used to look away or briefly close my eyes when I hit spin so I did not see where it came out - thats value for money for you lol.

I wandered in the bookies yesterday, not sure why as but did watch a few people playing roulette. First man came in and I heard an almighty 'yeeeeees' as his number hit. Within 5 minutes he was dipping in his wallet and within 10 had put more in then left empty handed. Another couple of guys came in, same again, heard that awful buzzing sound of the money being sucked in (which sounds just like the self-service Tesco machine when you put money in there) and left without a sniff of a win.

I was in a the bald ones shop (calls himself the bonus king, conceited little man and also has the nerve to put himself on some of the reels I noticed). An old guy in his 70's started talking to me - 'I make my living out of those machines' he said 'if I was in LB I could tell you what number is coming next every time'. I just smiled and said 'Ah right' (you t**t) but did not say that bit. I wanted to say 'well why are you not in there now you k**b?'.

Everytime someone had a losing spin he had gave a sharp intake of breath and murmured something as if to say 'I knew that would happen you should have put it on whatever' and then gave me a wry 'arn't I clever' smile. I am suprised he did not wink and tap the side of his nose as if to say - 'I know the secret'. He then sidled up to an oriental lady and started talking to her. I think she was winning but is a regular so no doubt will be giving it back any day soon (if she hasn't already later that day).

Very P****d off with the footy. I would imagine RH is off today - granted the squad was not the best he inherited but they have got worse and the style of 'kick and run' football is miserable. That said, the media play a huge part in it all - they are all over Liverpool when things go wrong but when Chelsea, Spurs or MU have a bad run its just 'one of those things' - how bitter do I sound lol.

Anyway - onwards and upwards.

Who would you back for the job?

Ancelotti?

I wish we could bag Martin O'neil. He doesn't let ego get in the way of the 'correct' team sheet...

Hey Matt - Martin O'Neil is a good shout but from listening to the phone-ins on TalkSport he is not popular.

To be honest I think he would be good and get the house in order. I did once think Alan Curbishley would have been OK when he was doing well at Charlton but wonder if it would have just been RH all over again. Hodgeson just has not understood that expectation at Liverpool is much higher than that at Fulham and this has been his downfall - shame because I would imagine he is a good bloke.

My choice would be Phil Thompson - a no nonsence guy who did an excellent job when he stood in for Houlier. Can't see it though and my guess will be Kenny till the end of the season and if he does well will then get a longer contract.

Kenny?

Ken Dodd? He can tickle-stick them into shape 😛

I think Kenny may be a good shout - but not sure if he is a bit 'too liverpool' to do a good job. It's going to be a thankless task for anyone... except him or Phil Thompson! It need scouse blood (you know what i mean) behind the wheel - that's the only thing that will ease the crowd when we lose to soddin' Blackburn but some how manage to make the best teams look ordinary.

I think that Liverpool like to know how to play before they step on the pitch. They like playing United, Chelsea, etc...because we know how they play. But with patchy football...like Blackburn, Blackpool (dear god!), they don't know how to compensate.

Are you a fan of Only Fools And Horses? If not you may not get me here...but I'll try. In one of the last episodes Trigger is awarded a medal for keeping the same broom to sweep the road for twenty odd years. Del, Rodney and Boyce look confused. "Are you sure that's the same broom, Trig" - asks one of them. "Yes" says a defiant Trig. "It's all about Broom maintenance you see"...he continues..."This broom has had fifteen new heads and fourteen new handles in it's time". Del responds "How is it the same bloody broom then?" Trig picks up a photograph of himself, the broom and his medal and says "well here's a picture of it...what more proof do you want". Makes me laugh every time. But I think that may sum up LFC at the min! What made us great back then...I think it may be quickly disappearing...if it hasn't gone already. If were honest, we haven't been a serious contender for the premier league...ever?! Two years ago we had the best second half of the season than any premier league side in history and narrowly came second. Since then we have set the clubs worst records in loads of departments. Time to change the brush and handle again...lol.

I went to the Hillsborough memorial last year. Kenny looked like he bore the guilt of what happened - and he cried through the whole event. If he can't inspire passion into our boys then nothing can.

Matt - you are a class writer.

OFAH is my favourite comedy - I have seen them time and time again and never tire of them. Trigger's broom is legendary - as I recall he got a medal from Councillor Murray!

A big problem with Liverpool is the fans we have been spoilt. I started to support them in 1977/8 and just expected success. That said I love them and whether they win lose or draw always will. First or fourth division they are my team.

Its 4 weeks ago today at this time I was sitting in my hotel room totally dejected - funny how time makes us feel better. The overall loss was £185 but because I lost £800 in that session it still feels like £800 regardless of the fact it was mainly past winnings. I know you will understand as you describe a similar feeling in your very first post. Even if I have got back to just being £615 down I would have still considered nyself out of pocket overall- silly really.

Ah well - Thursday night is soap night and before anyone says it I know I am a sad b*****d lol.

Honesty time - I really want to play the roulette machine!!

Won't give in - this is part of the cycle that needs to be broken!