Military Gold | Poker, Casino & Gambling Lounge

Mansi Aggarwal asked:


The coming age has brought with it numerous new pathological addictions, one of them being addiction to gambling. Pathological gambling was conferred with the status of a disease by the American Psychiatric Association back in 1980s. Robert L. Custer, M.D., is a pioneer in this field of problem gambling.

People who fall prey to this addiction are usually those who secure an income by means of blackjack, poker or other gambling activities. They are professional players who visit casinos not for fun sake, but to employ their skills and earn.

Based on their way of playing and the driving force behind it, gamblers can be categorized. For example, while professional gamblers are skillful and good in their game a casual gamblers plays merely for recreation.

The symptoms of gambling addiction are usually hard to identify. Since this disease is different from other substance related addictions like drug or alcohol abuse, the indications of this sickness are subtle. The nearest possible way in which the symptoms of this addiction can be stated is through the “Custer three Phase Model”. According tot his model, the gambling addiction can be characterized by three phases: the wining phase, the losing phase and the desperation phase.

In the wining stage, the compulsive gambler is ecstatic and overexcited with this earnings and is unwilling to quit gambling. Therefore, the addict usually increases his intensity of gambling . However, losing being the other half of gambling, his wining streak is short-lived. Nonetheless, recurrent losses do not deter him as he wants to win again and get his money back. Addicted gamblers suffer from financial stress, loss of sleep, and mental fatigue in this phase. They face problems at the family front. The patient also tends to borrow huge amounts or avail some money making schemes. As the gambler continues to face loss on every alternate day, he finds it difficult to stay away from gambling. Compulsive gamblers may resort to any means to raise funds for their obsession. They become desperate, with their debts becoming unmanageable. Loss of jobs, fight with friends and family, committing crimes or suicidal tendencies define this phase.

The question as to why does one gamble, can not be answered in definitive terms. One of the dominant reasons is the mental health of the gambler. For some people gambling serves as a n escape route from their lives. A compulsive gambler plays for kicks. He is just unable to stay away from it. Many researchers also blame the easy accessibility to casinos. The government and its lottery fund is also widely condemned.

Treatment programs and centers exist to treat this disease. Regular therapy and counseling is an effective and a widely used technique to cure this disease. Various support groups have also cropped up, where the addicts share their experiences and strengthen each others desire to quit gambling. Some groups that fund such programs include casinos and state lotteries. Some casinos lay stress on responsible gambling and have taken steps to make the people aware about his addiction.

However the first step, before undertaking nay treatment would be to acknowledge this disease. With very slight symptoms and effects this addiction is difficult to catch and acknowledge. Hence it helps to be aware to act wisely.

Gallen Ho asked:


The gambling business has always been a big business with high turnover of millions of money involved. In the United Kingdom, the annual turnover, or the amount wagered, on gambling activities is estimated to be in the region of 42 billion. Base on research, in 1998, the expenditure was around 7.3 billion.

At present, online gambling addiction has become a very common problem for many people of different ages. The presence of over 1700 gambling websites on the Internet, through interactive television and mobile phones, have caused a significant increase in online gambling addictions. In other words, the convenience of gambling at home and the ease of setting up a gambling account, have given online gambling an extremely seductive and attractive nature.

Generally, gambling habits that begins as a recreation will eventually turn into a harmful gambling addiction. Gambling can be for leisure and entertainment, however, where money is involved, greed will be formed. And addiction often derived from the root of greed.

When you have online gambling addiction, you will eventually be numb to your feelings, putting you in your own world and preventing you from being authentic and honest with yourself.

The symptoms of online gambling addiction?

Low cash flow Loss of interest Less contact with the outside world Loss of motivation Absence in work Anti-social Dishonest Debts Begging for loans

How To Stop Online Gambling Addiction?

Online Gambling addiction is widely common in the world today. Many has tried but failed in quitting the addiction. It has been made so easy to access into the Internet today that convenience has made quitting extremely difficult for gamblers. Self help books aren’t great quitting tools as well because they take a one-size-fits-all approach and words on a page aren’t taking you anywhere. One of the effective approaches is by prohibiting the ease of access to gambling online. It can be done by installing an effective web filter, so that you can block out betting websites from your computer. Apart from this method, there is a new method through audio programs. This allows user to quit gambling progressively and it has been proven effective through tests.

One of the effective approaches is by prohibiting the ease of access to gambling online. It can be done by installing an effective web filter, so that you can block out betting websites from your computer. Apart from this method, there is a new method through audio programs. This allows user to quit gambling progressively and it has been proven effective through tests.

Barry Lycka asked:


There are more and more gambling opportunities in the world than in the past. With the advancements in technology there have been more opportunities on the internet in forms of online casinos, or gambling rings. Gambling addiction starts with the individual. There are many who will say that it is not their fault they became addicted, but they are only searching for a scapegoat. Gambling addiction is defined as the inability to restrain yourself from gambling causing you to reap the consequences personally and sometimes professionally. However, there is treatment for such a cause. Some treatments to help with gambling addiction are:  

1. Gamblers Anonymous- This is a program that is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a twelve-step program and is free to obtain recovery from the gambling addiction. The program allows you to rely on a “higher power”. With the extra help, the gamblers anonymous course helps gambling addiction victims conquer their addiction in a healthy manner.  

2. Treatment Centers- For those who are unable to stick to the gamblers anonymous program, there are treatment centers that isolate you from the initial threat of gambling. In the treatment centers, you can get rid of your addiction in a less conventional way. With the different methods that treatment centers offer will allow you to see the addiction side of your problem.  

3. Environment Withdrawal- The final method in the gambling addiction treatment is without treatment centers and gamblers anonymous. This is through withdrawing yourself from the temptation of gambling. When you do this treatment, it is hard on you. Quitting at once is not always the best method to take. There are times which this is the last resort.  

Gambling addiction is not to be taken lightly. It is an addiction that can cause dire consequences that are not always easily mended or not even at all. When you have an addiction, you need to remember to have a support team that is there to help you along the way. Surrounding yourself with people who support your addiction is never the best idea for you. Have people who know how to stay away from that certain type of addiction and introduce other alleys for you to do. When you overcome your addiction, you can feel better about yourself. Overcoming anything not only makes you feel good about yourself, it also boosts the way you view others. Get down to the problem of the gambling addiction and find the right treatment that works for you. In doing so, you will not lose those who you feel close to.  

Matthew Donaldson asked:


If you play poker then you’ve probably had poker nights with your friends, where you and the gang sit around the dinner table and pretend you’re professional card sharks, playing for high stakes. But suppose you think your poker stills are good enough to compete with real professional poker players? Well, then you log on to the Poker Stars web-site and set up an account in order to try your playing expertise.

Pocker Stars is the world’s largest online poker site, where you can play ten varieties of the game, including Texas Hold’Em, Five Card Draw and Omaha. You can hone your skills at the free play-only site before logging in to the main site, where you play for real money. Pocker Stars hosts weekly tournaments, which attract thousands of online players and are open to everybody as long as they can afford the buy-in. Pocker Stars also hosts the World Championship of Online Poker, the largest online poker competition on the planet.

But before you set your sights that high, you need to develop a strategy. What is the best strategy for winning at online poker?

One problem with playing online poker is that you can’t see your opponents’ faces. Poker is as much about bluffing as it is who has the best hand and thus, being able to read the other players’ expressions and body language is a vital part of a winning strategy. But you can’t do this in an online game, so you have to rely on other clues, or “tells”, as to how strong or weak your opponent’s hand is. One way you can do this is to use “betting tells” or reading how your opponent bets.

There are three types of such tells: how long your opponent takes to make his bet, how much he bets, and his use of the ‘in-turn’ box (used by players playing more than one game at a time). For example, if he pauses before he makes his bet, he may possess a weak hand. If you play with particular opponents long enough, you can detect patterns in their tells that you can exploit.

The most significant of these tells is said to be the use of the ‘in-turn’ box. There are three boxes he can pick: the check box, the check/fold box or the check/call box. Which of these boxes he uses reveals information about him which you can exploit. Your opponent also reveals information through his insta-bets and insta-raises when he is not in the blinds (forced bets placed in the pot to begin bidding).

Of course, experienced players are aware of this and will try to manipulate you by giving false tells, so you should also be wary. Study each player’s style carefully and eventually idiosyncrasies in their playing styles will emerge that will alert you if an opponent is trying to trick you.

Learning how to read tells online may be one of the most important tools in your strategy box apart from mastering pot odds. Perfecting the skill of reading tells is a big step towards guaranteeing that you will do well in online poker games and tournaments like those on the Pocker Stars site.

Mike T Johnston asked:


Poker hands are always five cards. They are the first thing you have to learn if you want to play poker. They fall into one of several categories, such as flush, straight, or two pair. Poker hands win or lose according to their strength (assuming you get to the showdown) so knowing where various poker hands appear in the official poker rankings is essential.

The winning hand take all the pot. According to those who are knowledgeable about poker, poker hand rankings may affect the position of players in a game. Their strategies may also be based or dependent on the cards that they have so it is advantageous for players if they are well-informed about poker hand rankings. According to the strict hierarchy of card’s value we differentiate the ranks of poker. Only five cards make a poker hand, it always consists of 5 cards.

Ace is the highest ranked, followed by K, Q, and J down to two, which is the lowest, ranked. Single cards play an important role in deciding the winner among players when no deciding combinations are possible. Aces are always a ‘low’ card when considering a low hand. Please also note that the value of a five-card low hand starts with the top card, and goes down from there.

If two players have Two Pair, the hand with the highest Pair wins. If they have the same high Pair, whoever has the second highest Pair in their hand wins. Since suits have no relative value in poker, two hands can be considered identical if one hand can be transformed into the other by swapping suits.

Poker hands fall into one of several categories, such as flush, straight, or two pair. The player whose hand is in the higher category wins. Poker hands decide who wins and who loses. Poker hands are the first thing you have to learn if you want to play poker.

Frank Benjamin asked:


Shortly after the advent of the internet, the question of the legality of online gambling followed. Until the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that was attached to the Safe Port Act and signed into law October 2006, the government had done little to stop it. However, the UIGEA is a far cry from eradicating an institution that is more accepted and popular then ever, and one that so many enjoy.

We can all see proof that the perception of gambling is shifting towards tolerance through the increasing number of states that have laws allowing slot parlors and casinos. Other states are working on new legislation to allow card games to make up for lost revenue as neighboring states finally open slot parlors. Poker is now televised as a sport on multiple channels throughout the year.

“Judged by the dollars spent, gambling is now more popular in America than baseball, the movies, and Disneyland-combined,” said Timothy L. O’Brien in his 1998 book “Bad Bet.” Gambling has actually been part of life in America ever since the colonial days. As long as the game was regarded suitable for gentlemen, gambling was considered a proper diversion from life.

The Virginia Company of London was the first to use a lottery to raise money for its venture in the New World. Later all 13 colonies were running lotteries, usually more than one. Colonist felt obligated to play, like buying your son’s raffle tickets. Some of these lotteries assisted in the establishment of several of America’s oldest and most prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth and William and Mary.

From riverboats to saloons during the gold rush, gambling thrived as entertainment as well as a way for the establishments’ owners to earn an income in the Wild West. Gambling has similar aspects one could easily associate with those laying the outline of our country on the frontier: risk, opportunity and essence of adventure.

The rise of professional sports during the 1900s, along with the popularity of college football and basketball, increased the popularity of sports wagering in the United States. Today football (NFL and NCAA), basketball (NBA and NCAA) and Major League Baseball all have major television contracts. These contracts assisted in the transformation of the sports wagering industry into a one hundred million dollar a year business. Now the NCAA and some members of congress would like to make wagering on all amateur sports illegal no matter the state.

Their supporters say it is necessary to protect the student athletes and the integrity of the games. To validate their position on gambling, the NCAA released part of a study called the National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risk on Wednesday May 12, 2004. The study surveyed 21,000 college student athletes nationwide. According to the NCAA’s study, 35% of male student athletes and 10% of female athletes had wagered on college sports in the previous year. It goes on to state that gambling money has influence the outcome of collegiate games.

According to the survey, 2.3% college athletes were asked to manipulate games, 1.1% of football players have accepted money for a sub par performance, and 1.4% actually acknowledged that they altered their play on the field to affect the outcome of a game.

In 2004, Bill Saum, director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities for the NCAA, was waving this survey as proof for the need to make wagering on college sports a thing of the past. Saum was not alone. In two separate bills to be introduced in 2003, Sen. John McClain, R-Ari, and Rep. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., tried to make it law by amending the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. All involved believed it was needed to protect the athletes and the integrity of college sports.

This legislation, which would have been practically unenforceable, would have done nothing to eliminate the 1.1% of football players that reportedly accepted money. This law only penalizes the legit sportsbooks. Las Vegas sportsbooks are not the ones confronting these students. Obviously, these players were working with a bookie, sometime also a student, which in itself is illegal. No matter if Senator McClain or Representative Graham would have gathered enough support for one of their bills to pass successfully through congress, one would have still been able to call his local bookie or use an offshore sportsbook to place a bet.

Congress has tried many times through out America’s existence to criminalizing gambling through some form of prohibition. These attempts have never eliminated gambling. It only obliges it to flourish underground where it is estimated most of today’s sport wagering exists. These new bills will only encourage the same outcome.