That which we shall not speak of - or shall we?

TheAmp · #1 02-28-2005, 07:46 PM

Irieguy's and gigabet's posts inspired me to write about my relationship and experience with random events, what is sometimes referred to as "luck", "un-natural forces", "god", or whatever you want to call it.

This is my story. And it's real. Or unreal. I "really" don't know. I am going to tell you how a miraculous event changed my life, and how I became a gambler at the age of 9. This is not a story about choice or free will. I didn't choose "it", and I don't believe "it" choose me. "It" just happened. And I happened to be there.

When I was 8 years old, my family moved to the United States. I fell in love with baseball, hot dogs, and American music. After one year in California we moved to New-York. I listened to WNBC radio all day long. 1977. Boston's "More than a feeling" drove my dad insane. He almost broke my radio because of that song. Foreigner hit the charts with "It feels like the first time". It sure did. Reggie Jackson led the Yankees to an amazing World Series victory. I was lucky enough to be in Yankee stadium for game 2. The bleachers were fine with me.

WNBC had this promo, inviting listeners to call the station, two or three times a day, at a specific time, and take a shot at free prizes. The sixth caller would win a stereo set, sofa, whatever. Every time, they had a different prize. So I took a shot. The announcer said to call and win 100$ cash. Cool. I wanted a catcher's mitt and a mask. Like Thurman Munson, my hero. First try, the line is busy. OK, I can't complain. Only a hundred thousand people (or more) are trying to win one hundred bucks. Why me? But I tried again. And the line was not busy. No answer this time. I wait, and wait. One more ring. That's it, I am about to hang up. My big brother jumps on me and saves the phone, as if he knew I was going to win. And I did. "Congratulations, you are our sixth caller and you win 100$ !!" I was shocked. Speechless. What can I say? And even if I could talk, I barely knew any English...And it was broadcasted all around the big apple. I won! I hit the jackpot...Unreal.

But wait, this is only the beginning. A few hours later, my big brother decided to take a shot at it too. This time, a new radio tape was up for grabs. He said "If a dumbass like you can win, it should be a piece of cake". I don't know why, but I was nervous, really tense. As if the odds that he will win are only 2 to 1 against. What did I know; 9 year old kids' don't attend statistics class.

But he won alright. It was easy like taking candy from a baby. He got out of his room with his annoying smile. A 'big brother' smile. "I gotcha again!". I didn't believe him. Would you? Even when I heard his voice chatting with the WNBC announcer, that had to be a dream. A bad dream. A bad beat.

What are the odds against such an event, two events that is, on the same day? I don't know, and it doesn't matter. I was never a religious person, but that was an act of god. From that day on, I had my own religion. I would roll the dice for hours, just to see if I can guess the numbers. I played cards, backgammon, yatzee...any game that involves random mechanism.

I asked my father, a distinguished professor, how can he explain what happened. "There is a saying, son":
" It is impossible that the improbable should never happen !!"".
This can be proved mathematically, he explained.

Thus, "that we shall not speak of" is not only probable, it is a certainty. It HAS to happen to me, you, and everybody. It's just a matter of time...

Oh, and I forgot...My brother and I never stopped trying to win another prize. We thought WNBC is easy money. Fish. Our allowance. Two years later, we left the states, without any more prizes. Now how could that be ????

Irieguy · #2 02-28-2005, 07:58 PM

I wish I had started gambling when I was 9. I didn't start sportsbetting until junior high, and didn't start playing poker and counting cards until college.

My +EV craps system (the only one of its kind) wasn't perfected until 18 months ago.

If only I had started when I was 9...

Cool story, Amp.

Irieguy

ZebraAss · #3 02-28-2005, 08:01 PM

Great story AMP, thanks.

PS: make a new post fast irieguy...you are at 666.

Gigabet · #4 02-28-2005, 08:02 PM

I was once dealt 83o 7 consecutives times. 100% certain I wasn't cold decked as it was HU, and I was dealing half the time. It felt like the universe was caving in on me. The chance of that happening is akin to winning powerball every week for a year while you are in a movie theater getting struck by lightning. Or something like that. True Story, 83 7 times, wtf was going on in the universe that day?

skipperbob · #5 02-28-2005, 08:09 PM

I heard about a guy once that has a crap-shooting system that involves "spinning" the dice (as opposed to throwing them like is required in all casinos)...Last I heard he was tossed (for good) from a LV Strip Casino for cheating when, actually, he was stuck a couple of grand...Same guy (& goofball pal) then headed-out for Mesquite, Nv. where they turned their case $$$ into a fatroll with the "Spinning" System, then, sadly,aided by alcohol-reasoning, dedided to try a field modification called "reverse spinning" which, predictably, had a reverse impact on their fatroll....Know him?

Irieguy · #6 02-28-2005, 08:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I heard about a guy once that has a crap-shooting system that involves "spinning" the dice (as opposed to throwing them like is required in all casinos)...Last I heard he was tossed (for good) from a LV Strip Casino for cheating when, actually, he was stuck a couple of grand...Same guy (& goofball pal) then headed-out for Mesquite, Nv. where they turned their case $$$ into a fatroll with the "Spinning" System, then, sadly,aided by alcohol-reasoning, dedided to try a field modification called "reverse spinning" which, predictably, had a reverse impact on their fatroll....Know him?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. But he sounds cool.

Irieguy

PS- My current system (coincidentally also called "spinning") was unleashed at the MGM on Saturday night with great success, and many disdainful glances from the floormen.

Daliman · #7 02-28-2005, 08:22 PM

Daliman thinks the +EVness of any craps rolling system is dubious at best, and Irie will admit his results are decidedly short-term, but the fact that Stanford Wong is now getting involved completely changes my outlook. I will now state unequivically that there is definitly a possibility that a nebulous connection between +EV and craps may exist.

But I don't want to get nailed down to a position here... [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

That said, It is DEFINITLY +EV. I personally won $110 in 15 minutes at the table with him. No further evidence is necessary.

skipperbob · #8 02-28-2005, 08:33 PM

I'm stuck $8 Mil at Roulette which is (-)EV 5.26%...Which means that I wagered $160 Million...I never had that kinda dough, so, ergo, I'm on a bad streak [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

skipperbob · #9 02-28-2005, 08:36 PM

Is Daliman now speaking of himself in the third person. SkipperBob doesn't suffer that nonsense lightly [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

The Yugoslavian · #10 02-28-2005, 08:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Is Daliman now speaking of himself in the third person. SkipperBob doesn't suffer that nonsense lightly [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

That's your funniest post all day (see, someone *is* paying attention, [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ).

That being said, The Yugoslav pities the fools who get stuck 8 mil playing roulette not according to Irie's 'quasi-dubious +EV' spinning system.

Yugoslav
PS The Yugoslav would love to see this roulette system in person as long as it's not with his own money, [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].