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Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

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Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#31

Post by MaxfordAndSons »

mateo411 wrote: post #19
Joker_vD wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've played enough poker (and similar games) on computer (against bots, no real money) to know that 1) I am quite bad at assessing the expected value of my moves; 2) I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English? Anyhow, I do know quite well that were…

> I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? I think degen is the common term that used here. It's short for degenerate.

I guess you're getting downvoted because people think you mean HN by "here", but you meant amongst gamblers. And you're right, it is the most apt term gp was looking for.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#32

Post by Joker_vD »

smaudet wrote: post #21
Solvency wrote: post #17

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

I posit that its due to hardship - not to suggest all Australians are super hard off, but it is certainly true that acronyms/shortened words are more common in rural (think high intensity physical labor) or speed-sensitive contexts (think Wall Street, engineering jargon in a engineering context, such as software, or SMS text-messaging). Given their origins as a prison labor camp, coupled with a legitimately difficult…

And finally I've seen the (variation of the) argument usually applied to the Russians, about their slavish nature ("During the Stalin's reign, half of the country was in jail and the other half was the jailers" etc.) leading to the impossibility for them to form a civilized and liberal society, which is usually retorted with an example of the Australians... being applied to the Australians itself.

No, one doesn't need to be of good breed to be freely able to speak multisyllabic words.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#33

Post by Joker_vD »

MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #31
mateo411 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? I think degen is the common term that used here. It's short for degenerate.

I guess you're getting downvoted because people think you mean HN by "here", but you meant amongst gamblers. And you're right, it is the most apt term gp was looking for.

I definitely was not. "Courageous", "adventurous", "risk-taking", "reckless", "impudent", "bold", "daring", but with something that would mean "...almost and even to a fault or own peril", but without an inherent negative moral connotation is what I was looking for.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#34

Post by ryandrake »

gregw134 wrote: post #30
ryandrake wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a non-addicted, casual gambler (I recreationally play 1-2 no limit poker at casinos once in a blue moon), I'd hate to see casinos simply disappear, but yea they tend to be kind of sad places full of the people who can least afford to lose the money in their pocket. Don't know what the solution is. If you outlaw it, you're getting rid of a benign source of casual fun for folks like me who can keep it under control,…

I found a local poker club, fortunately. $40 buy in tournament, no rebuys, every week, with the same 30 or so people that show up. Way more fun than playing at the casino with sad addicts and sad poker pros grinding $40k annual salaries.

Yea, I mean I do this too, including hosting my own home games. Our local club even hires dealers to help keep the games moving.

My fear is that there's no great way to outlaw predatory casinos that pick the pockets of the poor, that still allows responsible home games and private clubs. A lot of US states try/tried various ways, with rules about who can take a rake and so on, but it's difficult to make them ironclad and casinos are highly motivated to find loopholes and operate a millimeter from the edge of the law. And if you get too strict, suddenly you've criminalized grandma's $0.25 bingo game with the ladies.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#35

Post by saghm »

Joker_vD wrote: post #11
beckthompson wrote: post #5

Man this article is sad. Being addicted to gambling really does suck the life out you.

I've played enough poker (and similar games) on computer (against bots, no real money) to know that 1) I am quite bad at assessing the expected value of my moves; 2) I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English? Anyhow, I do know quite well that were…

> what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English?

The best I can come up with is "adrenaline junky", but that isn't specific to gambling; I feel like people use that to refer to people who like base jumping or something.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#36

Post by satori99 »

jddj wrote: post #4

Some real australiana here. To paint the picture for those who aren't familiar, the industry is enormous and, in NSW in particular, extremely powerful. For a while (still? Not sure) in Brisbane, for example, you couldn't enter a bar after 1:30am unless it was a casino. In NSW the sports clubs, of which there is one in every midsized town, have busses which circulate the retirement communities and bring the elderly to…

NSW is home to the largest number of gambling machines anywhere outside of Nevada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling_in_Australia#New_Sout...

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#37

Post by _dain_ »

Terr_ wrote: post #20
mateo411 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? I think degen is the common term that used here. It's short for degenerate.

> I think degen is the common term that used here. Sir, I think you mixed up your HN account with 4Chan...

"degenerate fuckin gambler" is a common term predating 4chan

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/degenerate#Adjective

>(of a gambler) Addictive or compulsive.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#39

Post by brainwad »

Solvency wrote: post #17

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

Because it's fun to have diminutive version of many words. And because it differentiates us from boorish Americans - or as they are also known in Oz, seppos.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#40

Post by richardw »

jddj wrote: post #4

Some real australiana here. To paint the picture for those who aren't familiar, the industry is enormous and, in NSW in particular, extremely powerful. For a while (still? Not sure) in Brisbane, for example, you couldn't enter a bar after 1:30am unless it was a casino. In NSW the sports clubs, of which there is one in every midsized town, have busses which circulate the retirement communities and bring the elderly to…

Recent immigrant to Australia here. Love the place, but the power of the gambling industry is alarming. Very interesting episode on the link with sports, and increasing earnings:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2023/may/10...

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