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You could say I enjoy the odd game

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Hello my name is Erica and I like to gamble.

Some of you reading will hate everything to do with gambling but for me it’s my way to relax. I rarely drink, I gave up smoking well before I had my daughter so a game of poker, a flutter on the horses, a spin of the wheel (or reels) is my way to unwind.

I think gambling is like most other vices, if it’s kept under control then it’s a great pastime. The problems arise when addictive personalities and the need for money drives the gambling. I have my own rules whether I’m playing at an online casino or whether I’m at my local casino (yes, I’m a member and a semi-regular).

My rules are;

I never gamble when I’m in a bad mood.

I never gamble to win money.

I count my gambling money as money spent on entertainment. Money won is a bonus.

I never deposit or take more money than I can comfortably afford to lose.

I never set monetary limits on when I’ll walk away ie. “I’ll leave when I’ve won ?200″. I set time limits and I’ll leave at a certain time regardless of my financial position. This ensures that it doesn’t become about winning money but remains about the pleasure of playing.

My Gambling History

I started gambling about twenty years ago when I was 8. My grandad had this red nescafe coffee tin full to the brim of coppers. Every so often he’d pull the tin from his cupboard and a deck of cards from the drawer and we’d play ‘pontoon’, otherwise known as ’21′ or ‘blackjack’. In the beginning we’d both gamble with his money. As I got older and we progressed to ’3 card brag’ (3 card poker) I’d gamble with my own pocket money, a good lesson in managing your wins and losses!

It wasn’t just about gambling though. We’d play card games for fun and by the time I was 11 I was able to play a range of games like rummy, beanie, cribbage or ‘crib’ as my nan called it.

In my teens I liked the slot machines and for a while I lived across from a travelling fair where there was an arcade with tuppenny slots. At that time I had a part-time cleaning job and I’d often sneak out to the fair with my ?5 wage.

When I was old enough and we had the internet I signed up for online casinos and got into playing texas hold ‘em and internet roulette. The summer before I got married was a particularly lucrative one and let’s just say our wedding fund was helped along significantly

After I had Erin I went through my ‘poker phase’, I went through a stage of playing poker every day albeit for small stakes. I’ve had some wins and losses, my biggest win was over the new year of 2009 when I won enough to buy a new laptop.

Nowadays I don’t have as much time for gambling as I’m studying full time and running a business but I still enjoy the odd game of texas hold ‘em or 3 card poker. I had a Grand National day recently where I gambled on the horses all day and ocassionally I’ll play slots online.

Writing this post has put me right in the mood for a game of poker so I must dash

Photo by Flickr user Maorix