# I'm a frequent and sometimes foolish gambler from the midwest, ask me anything! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 17, 2024, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391 "2024-07-17T17:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/1 "2024-07-17T17:14:48Z")
Minnesota. Iowa. Kansas. Missouri. Illinois. Wisconsin. Michigan. Indiana. Ohio. Oklahoma. From tiny smoky storefront casinos to large new leed certified casinos to musty riverboats, I love them all. I’ve visited national casinos such as Horseshoe, tribal casinos, and statewide lottery casinos. Ask me almost anything you’re curious about. You can call me Midwest Degenerate Gambler or Midwest Degen, if you’d like. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/2 "2024-07-17T17:24:22Z")
What, no horse tracks? Are you sure you are a degenerate gambler? ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/3 "2024-07-17T18:02:08Z")
Nope. You need a very large bankroll to handle the downswings and variance associated with horse racing. And horses smell. I have dabbled in it, of course. Isn’t my cup of tea. I have however fooled around with simulated horse racing. The D in Vegas had a toy-like racetrack about the size of a craps table, upstairs. I would pick one horse and let it lose many races from previous patrons, and then i would hop on and do my betting. That strategy worked well for me. It was an older game and I assumed it had a weak pseudo random number generater. Don’t take my name _entirely_ literally. I occasionally operate outside of the midwest and I consider myself an educated gambler. I tend to _behave_ more like a degenerate. Like pulling an all-nighter playing a soft poker game and not changing clothes the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/4 "2024-07-17T18:30:05Z")
Do you have a immediate family? Spouse, kids? Is your rent paid on time every month? Is this a fun way to live? Are you addicted? ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/5 "2024-07-17T18:41:08Z")
What are your preferred games? Do you depend on gambling as a source of income, or is it just a hobby? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/6 "2024-07-18T11:25:58Z")
Do you “play the numbers” (illegal betting)? Do they even have that in the Midwest? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/7 "2024-07-18T11:29:51Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > The D in Vegas had a toy-like racetrack about the size of a craps table, upstairs. I would pick one horse and let it lose many races from previous patrons, and then i would hop on and do my betting. That strategy worked well for me. It was an older game and I assumed it had a weak pseudo random number generater. Sigma Derby. The one at the D is the last one in Vegas since MGM Grand retired theirs. It’s neat. There are now modern imitations of it that work on the same cash slips as other games instead of being coin-op. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lddPn2pSXsw/maxresdefault.jpg "Sigma Derby- The D Casino Las Vegas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lddPn2pSXsw) ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/8 "2024-07-18T13:32:52Z")
No kids. On/off long distance relationship in one of the cities I “hustle”, for the last decade. Right now, we are “off” lol. I don’t have to worry about rent. I live in casino hotels. Comped rooms are super easy to get. Either from my own comps or friends comps. Certain casinos will shower you with free or reduced-rate rooms even if you give them small amounts of gameplay. And when i’m out of town, there’s no shortage of people who will offer me THEIR comped rooms. Since they live in town, there’s no use for those rooms unless theyre doing a staycation or something. I have noticed a pattern though. I usually have disclose the good games and smart strategies I know before they offer anything. Such as life though. Isn’t there something called “the social exchange theory”? Feels good to bring something to the table and being of use to people, so it’s all good. It’s a fun way to live for the most part. My wins have afforded me good things that I probably would not have gotten by other means. If it weren’t for women and my family bitching, it would be 100% fun. And, sustainability/longevity I guess. There is some uncertainty about what my win/ losses will look like in the future. I’m not addicted, but my gambling does trigger some problem behaviors at times. Whenever I lose money, I sort of lose my mind. I binge eat, watch too much porn, and im tempted to consume larger amounts of alcohol. And i’m a grouchy motherfucker. Fortunately, I don’t lose often and they tend to be smaller loses. But, I have been losing more often within the last year, compared to the rest of the years. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/9 "2024-07-18T13:54:57Z")
I prefer poker and certain slots. With poker you compete against people and not the house. The only way the casino makes money from poker players is the “rake”. The rake is money taken out of pots. It’s usually just a small amount, but it can be an issue in the lower limits. I like to play slots that have progressive jackpots. Again, i’m playing for other peoples money there. All progressives start with a “reset” number. Say a jackpot starts at $50. That’s on the house, but everything added after that is from the customers. So if that jackpot reaches $200, $150 was pooled in by players. Odds are now greatly in your favor. Also, any money that is added to a progressive cannot be removed by the casino, it has to stay on the floor. Even if they shut down a game with progressives they have to move that money to another machine. Things can get interesting under these circumstances, that money can be moved to machines that has a “low barriers to entry”. You can be betting small amounts for huge ass jackpots. I have a “day” job with a flexible schedule. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/10 "2024-07-18T13:56:58Z")
Nope, I do not engage in illegal betting. Im not familiar with that practice, so I don’t know if it exists here. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/11 "2024-07-18T13:57:57Z")
Yep, that’s the game! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/12 "2024-07-18T14:02:47Z")
> [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > All progressives start with a “reset” number. Say a jackpot starts at $50. That’s on the house, but everything added after that is from the customers. So if that jackpot reaches $200, $150 was pooled in by players. Odds are now greatly in your favor I get what you’re saying (and you probably know more about this than I do) but I doubt the odds, while perhaps improved, ever are “in your favor.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/13 "2024-07-18T14:07:24Z")
Who do you like in the National League East and how much you willing to put down on it? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/14 "2024-07-18T14:14:02Z")
Which Michigan casinos have you been to and which do you like/dislike and why? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/15 "2024-07-18T16:16:00Z")
Fascinating existence! So, if I hear you correctly, you have no residence of your own, and live entirely in comped hotel rooms? Is that correct? Do they also comp food? What sort of “day job” accommodates your flexible schedule? How long are you able to stay in a comped room before having to move on? And how regularly must you gamble to retain that comped room? What is a regular “work” schedule? How frequently do you relocate over a month/year? Do you own a car and drive from location to location? How much effort do you have to put into “planning” your schedule? Or do you just decide it is time to move on and look for who else has a comp to offer you? Do you identify a permanent residence for tax and other purposes? If you are able to describe generally: How old are you? How long have you been doing this? How long you you anticipate keeping it up? What (very broad range) is your average yearly income? My personal experience is that I find casinos - um - depressing environments, seeing so many folk losing money they clearly can’t afford to lose. Or, if I DID have a fun stretch - say at a craps table - I wouldn’t exactly want to come back and do it again the next day and the next… If you would, what is your general attitude toward casinos/and fellow gamblers - as where you spend large amounts of your time? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2024, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/16 "2024-07-18T16:32:04Z")
I guess I always thought of comped rooms as more of a Vegas thing with the big names than casinos in non-destination towns like Joliet, IL. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/17 "2024-07-19T12:01:06Z")
Why not? We both could be right, and wrong depending on the circumstances. Yeah, the progressive amount isn’t the only factor that influences win-rate. But that’s a different discussion. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/18 "2024-07-19T12:02:24Z")
Sportbetting is the one form of gambling I haven’t dabbled in…yet. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/19 "2024-07-19T12:04:50Z")
I’ve been to Gun Lake, Firekeepers, Soaring Eagle, MGM Grand Detroit, and Motor City. I like them all. Michigan is probably the second best state to gamble in the region. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391/20 "2024-07-19T12:08:25Z")
Good questions, Dinsdale. But very specific questions, maybe. I think some of them may go beyond the scope of gambling and casinos though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-frequent-and-sometimes-foolish-gambler-from-the-midwest-ask-me-anything/1004391.md?page=2)