Archive for July, 2011
SCRABBLE: and Gambling
I just got back from Las Vegas. The primary reason for the trip was to visit with my son, Marty. But if you know anything about me and Blackjack, you know that it calls to me. Blackjack is most likely number two on my list, right after scrabble.
I’m not the same kind of gambler that I was 20+ years ago. Back then I always seemed to have some extra sheqels in my pockets and was unafraid to risk them on a double-down. The results sometimes proved to be big winnings; other times there were big losses. Now I’m retired with a part-time job and I can’t even imagine risking Benjamin.
I also consider myself to be very observant. I watched my cards as I played but I also keenly watch the other players and the dealers. The dealers were not saddled with emotion. They played by the house rules that instructed them with a recipe to follow. (The house recipe at each casino may differ slightly, but each is designed to assure the best odds for the establishment.)
Players on the other hand sit with their adrenalin perking. You can see it in their eyes and under their skin. Almost 80% of the time they have to make a decision whether to HIT or STAY. A very large number of players whom I observed did not have a recipe of their own. They played by the seat of their pants, from gut reactions. At times they beat THE ODDS and won a particular hand; most time they lost their bet and the house ate them up.
Ask most people who are going to Vegas and the might tell you something like “I am taking only $xxx to lose.” Even in the way they tell you about their protective limits, they indicate their expectation that, at the end of their stay, they will be a loser.
Believe that you CAN’T and I promise that you WON’T
Being the observant guy who I am, I noticed the parallels to scrabble competitions.
So many players take pause when they sit down to play someone who has a history of being a winner and they tell themselves ‘I CAN’T’. And guess what? They lose.
When you tell yourself ‘I CAN’ and you play like ‘I CAN’, you still may not win but IT ain’t over until IT’S over.
There are recipes for winning at Blackjack and winning at Scrabble. If you want to become a winner at one or both of those games it behooves you to study the recipes and apply them without emotion, without deviating from the formulae. CLICK HERE
P.S. I walked the walk and was able to win enough to pay for two tickets to BLUE MAN GROUP and a delicious dinner.
