2020
'Jeremy' (of 'A Street-Wise Journey' blog fame) had been taught to play online poker by one of his neighbours - resulting in him also introducing me to the same online site later on...
I had never played poker before - and had little interest in it actually...
However, i later did find myself becoming interested in pitting myself against others ('seated' at tables of either 5 or 10 people, if my memory serves me correctly) - it became a somewhat interesting pass-time...
Some of the other members of the 'Jeremy clan' had become convinced that such a website was using 'bots' to help rid fellow online gamblers of their money - a consideration that intrigued me actually (as well as also cautioning me of course)...
I remember when 'Jeremy' initially turned up at my place one evening - laptop in hand, and a knowing smile on his face...
His intention seemed to be to take some 'easy money' off me - and then perhaps to go 'crowing' back to some of his other mates...
However, i saw such an opportunity somewhat differently - somewhat to 'Jeremys' seeming initial disappointment actually (what a 'give-away' eh)...
For statistically speaking, we had a rather obvious presumed advantage over the other players at any table we chose to be 'seated' at - but only if we played with, rather against each other...
...Resulting in us letting one-another know what cards each of us had - and thus each of knowing in advance when to 'fold' our cards in favour of the other (stop playing that particular game of poker)...
It worked pretty well actually - especially at tables where 5 players were 'seated' rather than 10...
Although eventually i began to 'sense' that certain other regulars had gotten 'wind' of our rather often-time 'coincidental' regular presence at the same tables - from my own personal perspective at least of course...
It didn't continue for very long though - as i eventually stopped playing...
For i had, rightly or wrongly, come to the same conclusion regarding such presumed 'bots' - which sort of took the fun out of such a by then regular pass-time really...
Initially i was somewhat reluctant to become involved in such gambling - for i am not a gambler by nature...
However, i decided to limit myself to spending/'investing' £5 per month - which i had decided was a small amount to spend/invest for such a rather regular pass-time...
Eventually, as i improved, i found that such a £5 monthly spend/'investment' lasted longer than a month - and upon one occasion for around /up to 3 months if my memory serves me correctly...
...So it seemed like money well-spent - considering the time it passed away anyway...
Being an honest sort of guy though, i openly 'bragged' about such a thing to others 'sat' around the same table once - via the 'chat' facility...
...Which rather 'coincidentally' perhaps, resulted in my account seemingly rather quickly being returned to zero...
...Hence me deciding to 'call it a day' regarding such a pass-time...
Twas sometimes fun whilst it lasted though...
Like the time i found myself with 4 aces...
...When i rather deliberately took the longest time possible/allotted to decide whether to 'fold' or to match the 'raise' of one of the other 'seated' players once again - before eventually 'risking all' by going 'all in' sometime after the last card had been dealt...
...An occasion that brought rather a 'titter' from certain other 'seated' players may i add...
So, as you can possibly see, it can be rather good fun, upon occasion at least - as long as you play well-within the financial constraints/circumstances you find yourself in of course...
Something that certain people (with an addictive nature perhaps) seem unable to do unfortunately - especially if they are 'chasing losses' or trying to make a/an fast buck / 'easy killing' perhaps...
...Something i have observed first-hand with others actually - whereby they can end up becoming rather emotive/frustrated / unpleasant company...
...As well as increasingly debt-ridden of course...
So, my advice, especially during this 'season to be merry' perhaps, would be to limit the amount you spend/'invest' per month to well-within your means / financial circumstances - and simply don't have any expectations of emerging as the 'victor', in a financial sense...
For as the question goes - 'have you ever seen a 'bookies' going out of business???'...
(https://www.ourquantumparticulates.org/videos/a-poker-journey)