The "GAMBLER'S TRANCE". A TwoCat rambling...........

[TwoCatSam]

Dear Friends......

While attending an anger management class, I heard a man speak to the psychologist/instructor.  The conversation went something like this: 

"I hit my wife without even knowing I'm going to hit her.  If I knew I was going to hit her, I would leave the house.  It happens with me knowing it.  It happens so fast."

"Jim", the psychologist said, "You know you're going to hit her.  You just don't know you know your going to hit her.  I will teach you how to know two minutes in advance you are going to hit her."

By now you're asking what was a peace-loving man like Sam doing at an anger management class and what does this have to do with roulette?  Read on......

Think on these things:

We move in the direction of our predominant thought.........unknown to me.
All we are arises with our thoughts........The Buddha.
Thoughts are things........someone on this forum.

Before there are actions there are thoughts.  (Unless you have moved into the area of reflex action like jerking back from something hot.  That requires no thought.)  The thoughts before the actions are called "triggers".  Learn to recognize your triggers and you will control your emotions.

Control your emotions or they will control you...........unknown to me.

An alcoholic who has been sober for ten years has the crazy idea he can have half a glass of wine.  What does he do?  If he's smart he'll call his sponsor and tell that person the thought.  You see, that first thought is the step onto the slippery slope that will take him back to alcoholic's hell.  Not the first sip of wine; the first thought about a sip of wine.

And all of the above is one reason I'm the perfect loser.  I once told Victor in his post about perfect losers that I abandon what I know works and chase what I know doesn't work.  I thought I had it licked a year ago.  I didn't. 

So the question becomes why do I abandon a working idea and chase a loser?  While I am not rich I am comfy, so it's not for money as such.  Winkel once referred to the "gambler inside of me" and that's the demon.  Trouble is, like the guy who hits his wife, I never know when the demon gambler will surface.  Until now.....

Like the hitter, I know a long time in advance he's going to appear.  How?  I start thinking wrong thoughts.  I'm running the bot making about 100 Euro a week after losses.  I set it and walk away.  But I don't walk away.  Good Lord!  There's nine blacks in a row.  Start a Martingale with a dollar.   Won!  By then, I am on the slippery slope.  I ran up 1,000 Euro doing this over about two weeks.  But I went from dollars to fivers to twenty-five Euro bets.  25 50 100 200 400 ........get the picture?  Had I stayed with dollars, I would have never lost.  And that, dear friends, is a perfect example of wrong thinking.  What I'm doing there is laying the ground-work for going back and doing the exact same thing.  With a Martingale, you will always loose.  That is correct thinking.

It seems to me I go into a trance.  Suacebook called it that first.  I'm calling it THE GAMBLER'S TRANCE.  It when you step on the slippery slope and you absolutely cannot get off until your money is gone.  Then you sit there asking, "Why did I do that?"  You were in a trance.  You got into the trance by thinking the first thought.  When you think the first thought, walk away.  Counsel yourself.  Realize you are about to--hit your wife, take that drink, play the damn Martingale or even hit the kid.

I have researched my mind for every major loss I've had while on this forum and all but a couple are simply because I did not do what I was supposed to do.  I jumped on the slippery slope.  How shall I learn from this?  The above thought in red came to me while writing.  By the time I wrote it, I knew the demon gambler was speaking, not me.  So I will learn, like the wife-slapper, to look for the triggers and when I find one, I will counsel myself.  Should I get the urge to play a Marty I may ask some of you to slap ME around—verbally of course—so I will come to my senses.

So in closing let me sum up.  I never intended to play a Martingale.  I thought about it and that was the first step on the slippery slope.  That was the trigger. Then, when I started the loosing trot, I was in a trance, The Gambler's Trance.  I could feel it in my breathing and my heart beat.   I vow for the rest of my life to be as wary of triggers as the slapper.  I won't go to jail like he did, but I will be in a mental jail suffering just as I am now.  Believe me, the low is not worth the high.

So why was I in anger management?  I cooked a chicken and rice casserole for some "friends".  They were to be there at seven.  When they were half an hour late, we called.  They were in the back yard sunning!  By the time they got there, the meal was ruined.  One of them called it "rather dry".  I didn't manage my anger well, but—as far as I know—they are both still alive!

TwoCatSam

[TwoCatSam]

P.S.

Spike has ever right to pop in and say "I told you so."  He did and he was right. 

Sam

[mistarlupo]

Sam,

I know what are you talking about. I think every human being on this board can understand you very well. The Gambler's Trance. That's lack of discipline; that's greed; that's simple human stupidity and so on... It can ruin your whole life; a mental jail, as you said. This is the reason why I gave up gambling for a while, until I learn how to deal with it.

You never seemed to me like a guy who would have such a problem. But it's normal, I don't know you...

It is not my job to give you advice or tell you what to do... Simply because you're older & more experienced than me... But consider taking a bigger break between sessions. Just more time to relax & think. There's a lad at GG who posts his trip reports every week. I don't know whether his method is good or not; OR whether these reports are real or baloney... But he has almost whole week to analyse his play & prepare for next session... And when start a session you know there's not enough time for sh!t, you just focus & play your game. Maybe that's a good practice against the gambler's trance. Who knows.

Regards,
/

[kav]

 It is a much deeper thing than it sems on the surface.
This is what you are talking about.

[Spike]

Spike has ever right to pop in and say "I told you so." >>

About what, the bot? It didn't fail, you did.

My wife has a gambling problem on the slots. She won't quit when she's ahead, she won't quit when she's behind. She only quits when she's out of money. It drives me nuts. I can't make her stop, I used to take her bucket of money and now I hit the payout button and take the ticket. She's always furious with me but thanks me on the way home. Its a form of insanity, I'm convinced of it. Its self destruction, without any real threat of destroying yourself.

[Spike]

Last week in the casino I saw 15 odds in a row, so in my mind I ran a Marty, just for fun. It went to 23 in a row, I kid you not. I said 'whew', sure am glad I don't use progressions.... I'll never see that many again in my life, and I picked it to run a Marty. Thats the nature of the game, you never know.

[TwoCatSam]

mistarlupo

Thanks for that.  Listen, part of the reason I posted that was to scold/shame myself for being such a dope.  I really am a pretty smart person until the demon gambler gets hold of me.  I'll accept advice criticism from anyone.  Thanks again for your imput.

Kav

I can't watch the movie yet as I'm on a computer with no speakers.  Later on that.........

Spike

You told me not to play a Martingale.  Damned if I'll touch the hot stove again!

Sam

[TwoCatSam]

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