--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Frank" <frank@...> wrote:
>
> As a book author and now VP radio personality I'm worried (terrified actually) that I could be promoting negative expectancy and or problem gambling in any way. What is profitable for some and simply fun for others, can be a life ending addiction for many sad individuals.
>
I can accept that you don't want to inadvertently condone negative expectancy gambling, but I'm afraid you might have missed a/the major point of my reply. Mainly, statements like:
> And playing regular FPD is not worth anyone's time
are just not absolutely true. While it might be true for you, there are many people for whom that is not true. You evaluation of what is a waste of your time is based on your experiences, goals, mental constructs, situation, etc... Other people should not necessarily conform to your value judgments as others all have different experiences, goals, etc...
A large percentage of FPDW players are retirees who enjoy having a hobby that provides entertainment, extra income, and (because a lot of those players are daily regulars) social engagement. FPDW is a great fit because it is a low variance game with an extremely easy strategy to learn. It certainly is not a waste of time for those people.
> I think you need to ask yourself, "If you are gambling and making less than you would at your regular job, why are you doing it anyway?"
>
> Except for it's income potential, it is a completely pointless endeavor.
>
As most statements that are absolute in nature, this over-simplification makes it untrue when applied to a lot of specific situatons.
For me, when I started out with a small bankroll, grinding out $25/hour playing quarter deuces two machines at a time, I was making less than I did at my previous job. But getting to set my own hours, never having to punch a clock, ask for days off, or set an alarm made the pay cut worth it (to me). Although I never quantified what those perks were worth to me per hour, I knew qualitatively that I was happier than I was in the rat race.
I know you also value such intangibles because you explained how you were willing to skip opportunities in order to have less stress in your life. That stress reduction was worth a cost in money and time to you. In much the same way, there are abstract benefits that make FPDW worth its opportunity costs to others.
And even if we talk from only a monetary POV, even though I was making less per hour when I started grinding FPDW, it gave me the experience and allowed me to build a skill-set that enabled me to move beyond it. I've netted 7 figures from vp in a fraction of the time it would have taken for me to do that in my old job. So I can say with certainty that FPDW wasn't a waste of time for me.
All in all, I feel that you are entitled to make the judgment that FPDW is a waste of time. I even welcome you to state it publicly. I'm not criticizing you or your evaluation.
But I do feel compelled to stress to the readers that such a statement is not an absolute truth, it is an opinion. Unfortunately, the opinions of experts are often taken as facts especially by the novice or completely uninitiated. I make it a point to discourage people from blindly accepting a statement just because it comes from a place of authority. I find that I am much better off studying as needed and then forming my own opinions as I am the only one who knows my particular sitation.
