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Meet Jerry, the
Award-Worthy guest writer
Dear Mark,
A long overdue note to tell you how much I enjoy your
column. While I agree 100% with your gambling views, I
would offer another take on Keno. Having been gambling
in Reno since 1948 and as a long time Nevada resident, I
consider gambling to be entertainment. Here is my take
on Keno. I meet three friends two or three times a week
and we each play two games of Keno progressive at $1.25
a game. If we win, we split the winnings. Herešs the
math: Two games at $1.25 and a buck for the Keno writer.
Another $1.00 for our "free" drink for a total
of $4.50. We take turns playing, so we stay longer. In
three years, our biggest win was $65.00 for 5 out of 6.
$5.00 for the Keno writer and a whopping $20.00 for each
of us (only three of us that day). So we are not making
any money, right?
Now, letšs look at it another way. If we met at
Starbucks, do you think we could get out for $4.50? Do
you think we would be welcome to hang around as long as
we like? Do you think we would ever make any money? Also
we have friends who spend several hundred dollars a week
playing golf, or what about
fishing, hunting, bowling... well, you get the idea. We
enjoy ourselves and COULD win something. Reno has to be
the best place in the world to live. We drink, eat and
see shows for next to nothing and are welcomed every
time we visit. Flash: I delayed writing you for so long,
but we finally hit a solid six for
$4700.00! Two hundred dollars for the Keno employees and
$1500.00 each of us (three again). Keep up the good
work, and I especially enjoy your "war"
stories about gambling. Jerry L.
Who am I, Jerry, to fault you on your philosophy? Your
gambling coterie is betting money they can afford to
lose, and you have set loss limits ($4.50) and win goals
(free drinks). Your impeccable reasoning calls to mind
the violet-haired Reno beauty who borrowed $5000 from
her bank for a two-week trip to Bermuda, leaving her
$250,000 Rolls Royce in the bankšs underground parking
level as collateral. When she returned, repaid the 5
grand along with $15.41 in interest, and started toward
the parking area, a bank VP approached her discretely
and said, "Please forgive my curiosity, but why
would anyone leave a car worth a quarter million as
collateral for a loan of $5000." She smiled at him
and asked, "Where else could I park my car, under
guard, for two weeks for $15.41?" Understand,
Jerry, that keno is a tough beat because of the enormous
casino advantage the house holds on the game.
Consequently, table games and selected casino wagers,
played intelligently, offer the greatest hope for the
player, unlike yourselves, whose dominant purpose is
walking out of the casino with the casinošs loot. But I
do tip my fedora to the "entertainment factor"
of gambling, especially with games, keno included, that
are enjoyable to play on a modest bankroll (under $5). I
canšt be critical of any player whose strategy limits
his or her gambling to under five bucks, maintains total
bankroll control, and who enjoys casino the R&R
aspect of casino gambling. I think I will just muffle my
claptrap and quietly endorse the proceedings of your
cadre of green felt gamblers.
Online Gambling quote of the week: "Mastering the inherent
unpredictability of any game or art form can trigger
overpowering "pleasure," and this dopamine
rush gets deeply embedded in the memory of some of the
most talented practitioners." James McManus,
Positively Fifth Street
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