The Gambler's Diary `Disclaimer:` `Originally written in black and white years ago by "the gambler" himself - my husband. The article contains minimal profanities and drug issues which is not suitable for very young readers. Strict parental guidance is advised.`
This is a true story written by my husband and before I'll proceed, he wrote this article when our daughter was still a baby. We were renting an apartment somewhere up in the mountains in Baguio City, Philippines. We were and it was another noisy day that day. Hammers and saws banging and buzzing from the home renovation next door, and it was only 8 am when we first woke up to it. The landlord's baby was screaming so loud and we could hear it in our bedroom. So anyway, my mental wheels of inspiration are not rolling too well yet for writing. I figured that I would just write one in favor of **Gambling** since I have been seeing some bloggers "somewhere" around social media posting against it. I will begin with a little **"my husband's history"**, and below is what he wrote that day.
The Gambler: *"You guys may, or may not know that I was born and lived most of my life in Las Vegas. Do you know those stories about losing everything in Vegas? This is NOT one of them! $$$!"*
*"I was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the"Sin City" and pretty much lived most of my life there. I was about ** years old the first time I gambled. The game was Blackjack - also known as 21, that I first started having fun with. I was pretty good at it. I even got a tattoo on my left hand of an Ace and King of Spades on fire lol. I was good! I didn't count cards, I managed bets and timed my win/loss bet amounts to be in my favor. Kind of hard to explain really, but it was very effective. After some time kicking butt all the time, I got bored and began drinking when I played, which caused me to not stick to the strategy, and lose later in the night. This is the point where I did what any gambler should do - Walk away from gambling.*
*A couple of years later, I found a bar near the house that had great food and some really cool bartenders so it became a bit of an after-work spot. Well in Las Vegas, in the bars, they have countertop Gambling Machines, and if you sit long enough, eventually your curiosity gets the best of you, and bzzz you slide in a $20 bill and say "what the heck".* *My game of choice - 4 card Keno. I did what everyone does. Picked random numbers and bombed! Looks easier than it is. I am very competitive and more competitive against my own abilities than anything so that $20 bill was followed up by another $20 bill and a strategy began in my head. I played with it a little, mixed up my ideas, and then after about $100 had been absorbed into the machine. It happened. I hit 6 out of 6 for a win of $400. Now, thinking I was pretty awesome at this point, I stayed and played on the winnings and lost about half of it back and decided to go home. Math time - I started with $100 and lost most of it, won $400 and lost half of that. Meaning, I was $100 ahead. I got my original $100 back, and left with one of theirs.* *I found a new hobby! Now, I know you guys what you're thinking, "Oh boy! Here we go! Here comes the horror story!" Uhmmm,Wrong! You see a SMART GAMBLER does not let his game change, he always tries to improve it. He never loses control letting his emotions play the game. He knows very well when to stay and when to go. HE ALWAYS REMEMBERS "It is only entertainment or occupation" and never turns into an auto button-pushing robot whose brain has turned off. This is me today, telling all of you. I did it right, I did it so well, people paid me to do it for them too! I developed patterns to the game that would give me up to 5 wins a night sometimes of $400-$1,700 per win.* *I did so well that an hour playing on my lunch break at work would pay more than that months combined paycheck, and that's when I decided "Why go to work?" So I required 2 long a very long time off from working, and I upheld myself by playing Keno. I traveled from America to the Philippines several times, did all the touristy things on my trip, paid my bills, and had a ton of fun!* *I have been seeing posts that depict Las Vegas as "HELL" and it is not, hell is something you create yourself. I saw these references "full of homosexuality, prostitution, gambling addiction, drugs, STDs, violence etc".* *PUHLEASE!!!*
*Tell me one place that doesn't have all those things? The only difference is Las Vegas doesn't hide it lol. Do you know what makes all those things matter? YOU and what YOU do with them!* *As for me, I don't gamble anymore. I took advantage of not being locked down and still had some travel money left and moved to the Philippines with no cravings for gambling at all. Also, let me add - I am not a homosexual, have no STDs, I am not an alcoholic or a drug addict (I had been and it started long before living in Las Vegas), I do not have violence issues, nor am I addicted to gambling.* *Weak people allow weak things to happen, not the environment."*
**Now, speaking on behalf of my Filipino friends, "WE" are dreamers** (not all, but some are crazy motivated and I respect that) some are doers, even against the odds. Doing something here in the Philippines that will be big is like gambling in Las Vegas. It is something I cannot, nor am I trying to do. I give credit to anyone willing to fight that hard for their future and for their family. Much respect. Good afternoon, my friends, and hope everyone is working smart enough to get through the struggles we face every single day. One love @Bloghound https://read.cash/@Bloghound/ July 27, 2021 4:27 pm Philippines (All photos are my own unless stated otherwise - gambling/vegas photos were taken by my husband)
109 comments
Nasa Vegas pa rin po ba si hubby?
Uu, Iyan. Hirap pa nagun kasi. Pag umuwi magbakasyon, sayang din yung quaranine time plus $$$ din. Di bale at may internet naman :)
Honestly, I felt jealous about those gamblers with a luck hahaha.. I never yet tried winning any kind of gambling practice, even betting. That's my weakness LOL.. Specially raffle ticket(not gamble thou), I pay too much for ticket ended always zero haha
Same, kabsat. Hanak pat nangab abak ti kakasta uray rafraffle hehe
Thank God he quitted gambling and didn't get into drug addiction, homosexual, or get STD. Parents most really guide there children against gambling because it can destroy their futures
Thank, God indeed, momma.
Life is like a gambling indeed .minsan panalo minsan tao..pero kailangan hindi mawala ng composure mo upang magpatuloy ..kasi kung hahayaan mong mabasag iyon..papaano ka mananalo sa susunod mong laro.😊
Tama ka jan, Jerome. Habang maaga, pa go tayo sa "real" job. Good afternoon.
True po..Goodaftie din po
Las vegas sa US? Yung kinakasama ng lesian kong auntie nalunod sya sa gambling, umabot ng 300k usd yung utang nya. Ngayon yung tita ko namomroblema kase dagdagan pa ng renta sa bahay pero parang walang akielam yung kinakasama niya. Buti talaga huminto sya, kinakasama ng auntie ko utang daw ng utang sa mga kasamahan para dyan
Yes, sa Vegas, sis. Taga dun si hubby. Naku nakakaadik talaga yan lalo na pag naumpisahan mo ng manalo. It's all about perspective talaga.
I never tried gambling ever in my life. The only card game I knew is lucky 9 in which I'm also unlucky. I'm not a fan of gambling but I love to watch those people who play. It also a matter of luck because it involves money between two choices, gain or loose.
I am with you on that, Code! I don't even know any card game myself hehe
For me, I don't see gambling as a bad business, it all depends on how you make approach to it, if you are in control of your emotions and game, you will be at the winning side always.... That's the game for you
Pretty much, my friend!
Ayaw ko sumabak sa gambling mc ayoko maadik lol.. Pero panu pla kyo nagkakilala ni hubby mo? Not sure if na share mo na na hndi ko lang nabasa 😅
Hehe nasulat na namin yan sa Bubblews nun, sis. Work, seest! I was a ghostwriter then and he stumbled on my blogs on the internet lol.
Baka gusto mo ishare panu kayo nagmeet sa isang article 🤣
Hehe ry naten, sis. Baka madiscover tayo sa Magpakailanman. Madrama kasi :D
Minsan Ma'am naadict ako sa sugal, kahit talo na ako taya pa rin ng taya kaya ayaw ko ng subukan ulit baka kasi diko mapigilan sarili ko eh hindi pa naman ako swerte diyan..hehe
Parang read.cash lang yan, ading. Nu marugyam, narigaen pumanaw hehe
Kunam pay Ma'am uray di kayat ni Random rewarder ti surat ko ket cge latta haha
wen, ading. syak tu pay inabot manu bulan before nak inupvoe hehe.
Buti pay kanyam Ma'am nalaing ka agsurat hehe. Kawalan ni Bot Ma'am ni di na manotice ti surat mo Ma'am hehe
alla, han met, ding. bats push lang ta amin met narigat ket agrugi ti umpisa :) kayam dayta!
😂Trying hard Ma'am hehe
Parang sugal din naman talaga ang buhay natin Ma'am eh.. Minsan masasabi natin na winner tayo sa isang bagay, minsan naman yung isa. Hmmm.. Pag-isipan nalang talaga natin kung pupusta ba talaga tayo, at syempre, hindi naman siguro natin pipiliin yung side na ikapapahamak natin db? May mga panahon lang din talaga nga kailangan natin mag take nang risk din, kumbaga sumugal, magbabakasakali na maipanalo ang laban..☺️ God bless po!😇❤️
Well said, ren. Life is a game. Play it well. God bless you too!
🤗🤗🤗❤️❤️❤️hihi..😁
Las Vegas a city of sin they say. But every city is like that. It's just that the Vegas didn't hide any like other hypocrite. Once a song says "ang umaayaw ay di nag wawagi ang nagwawagi ay di umaayaw" I saw a comment downs here saying life is like a gambling and his true. Once you bet on something you love go for it don't stop till everything pay off
Amen to that, Snail. You just have to play life smart enough....or lose! Our choice.
Quit gambling when you are ahead is the best advice Mrs P
You bet, uncle Ed. And no, I don't know how to gamble hehe. I don't even play online games :D Good morning!
I think gambling is for the strong person and the intelligent who knows when to stop when needed. I don't want to get into that coz I know I am weak. 😁
Mejo mejo weak din ak pagdating jan, ate.
..."it's always best to go out when you're on top" - Kevin Spacey (from movie 21) ... Hanggang slots lang ako .... olats pa parati ahhahaha. .. had few luck but had to stop din siyempre. aside from it got boring. We never tried card games... hanggang pusoy lang kami hahahaha .. . Would be nice to try vegas though...🤔 maybe your hubby's luck can rub off on us... on a serious note gambling is one of those I see as "neutral". You can use it to your advantage or ruin yourself doing it. It is addicting no doubt whether losing or winning. Every time you would want to beat the house. But control is always yours. Winner winner chicken dinner...
Ang galing. Pang Miss U and sagot eh. Hehe. Pero syempre, dun tau sa sure winner :D Anong dinner? hehe
ay hala! ang haba nga! lols. kare kare te..tara yum!
Gambling is nakakaadik talaga sis.. minsan you need to take a risk Kahit di ka sure na mananalo ka.. ganyan din life natin kailangan natin sumubok para matuklasan para magiging lesson learn din natin...swerte kung mananalo ka pag Hindi lesson learn, nakakasama na din yung sobra... God bless you sis...🙏❤️
True that, sis. Swertehan din talaga. Good evening!
Wala talaga akong amor sa sugal. Kahit sa lotto, hindi ako tumataya kahit pilitin pa. Para sa akin kasi, walang magandang maidudulot yan lalo na kapag nalulunod ka na. Mahirapan ka ng kumalas. Buti yung asawa mo sis nagawa niyang huminto.
Ako din, sis. At never pa ako nanalo kahi yung mga paraffle hehe. Oo nastop naman na nya magsugal. Mga kapitbahay lang kasi nya dun mga casinos eh.
I am interested with your husband's point of view. He won lots of games in gamblings WITHOUT getting addicted to it, which is a good thing. Yung iba dyan, msmadami pang talo kaysa panalo, sila pa ang naaadik. Anyway, gambling ain't my game. Baka ako ang maadik. (Sabay ganon 😂)
Hehe onga po eh. Ako din po :D
Pde bang sa las vegas tayo magkape? 😂😂😂
Pedeng pede, sis. Kelan ba? Mgbus na ba tau?
Mag grab na lang tayo para safe 😂
tumawag ka na ba, sis???
"Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps" to be honest, it's one of the places that I really wanted to visit. But luckily yung husband mo po nagawa niyang ma control yung sarili niya when it comes to gambling unlike sa iba na nagiging addicted na sa pagsusugal
your husband is a good writer too. i like it when he said, "Weak people allow weak things to happen, not the environment" that shows his attitude in the writing. he once gamble but that doesn't mean he will do it forever.
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