Do you ever wish you were innocent??

[2283]

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It seems to assume that people who don't believe in a God will somehow be punished if they turn out to be "wrong" in the afterlife.

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you don't have to assume that, you have to assume some possibility of that.

[Fitz]

This is an interesting topic because I just had this discussion with my best friend who is a craps dealer at one of our riverboat casinos. We were talking about the days when we went to Vegas together and had a blast playing craps. It was before I played poker seriously and before he became a dealer.

Even then, I realized craps was a -EV game, but I was, and still am, a devotee of the line bet and 2 come bets with odds method of play. You can never turn a -EV proposition into a +EV proposition, but by using that method at the crap table, and raising your bets systematically as you win, you can do quite well when the swing is in your favor. In a 10x odds environment, the house edge is cut to ~.18 of a percentage point. Since they supply a game, dealers and free drinks, this isn't too bad.

To address your question directly, I am glad I know and understand these things so I am spared the temptation to make really huge -EV bets in the casino. Does that mean I never fool around with a slot machine? No, I've got a close friend, beautiful blonde girl(still not sure if this is + EV or -EV), who loves the Monopoly slot machines. Have I ever pissed away a $100 bucks there to make her happy? I have found this -EV play can often lead to a ++EV situation later in the night.

My point.... it's a trade off between our knowledge and having some fun, and occasionally, you have to say what the...

Good luck all,

Fitz

[astroglide]

very insightful, homer. it only looks worse now.

[Homer]

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very insightful, homer. it only looks worse now.

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Don't worry, everyone here already knows that I have a big ego.

[astroglide]

the primary issue is the laziness

[ScottTheFish]

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It's pretty much a recognised fact, that god (or all religion) is a tool of the state created to manipulate the masses.

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Don't know where you got that, but there was religion and/or a belief in a higher power long before there were states or governments.

It seems to me that religion rose out of immutable human nature, the need to try and explain and understand the world around us. Before the advent of science only a few hundred years ago, all of nature was prety much an unexplainable mystery.

I agree that in certain cases religion was used as a tool of government, the Anglican church for example. But I think it's quite a stretch to say God or religion is an invention of governments.

[playemlikeAA]

Sorry.... I stand corrected. Of course I meant no offence towards UK members... only the previous poster. haha

[playemlikeAA]

I didn't make myself clear in the previous post

A) I personally do not believe that we are insignificant and nothing matters. I was speaking hypothetically. If the poster whom I was responding to believes unwaveringly that there is no God and no purpose in life (not even 1/1,000,000), then it does not make sense for him to brood about it for the rest of his life and be miserable. If one is a steadfast existentialist, then why not get out there and enjoy what little time is provided?

I am familiar with Pascal's wager. Personally I firmly believe in one religious principle only. If one lives life helping others and being a good person, then that is all any God expects. I believe that good works mean much more than homage based on fear of possible hell.

[bernie]

At times, yes. I've actually mentioned this type of thing to some of my friends when we go out to a casino and have fun. I just don't get a big charge out of the risk factor.

I see people on the craps/BJ/Pai gow tables having a blast, whooping it up. I can get into it sometimes, but not even close to that level at all. I just know too clearly in the back of my mind that it's a losing proposition.

Maybe it would help if i had 2 hookers with big cans on either side... [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Interesting post.

b

[Homer]

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the primary issue is the laziness

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But I use capital letters...