Passionate gambler keeps the gambling boards rolling even after retirements

[AprilioMP]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

To have fun, not to carry out a special mission, namely hoping for profit. The advantage I got was just luck and I was very prepared if I didn't win.

- snip -

What he is doing is just an event to entertain through games that will be played by players without having to spend to get a predetermined prize.
Gambling= betting and receiving results. If you win, you get a profit in the form of what was bet. If you lose you will lose what was at stake.

So, what the man did was an entertaining game. If someone is able to win in the type of game provided, then someone has the right to take home the prize.

[OgNasty]

Addiction is in the end just a word. Whether someone is addicted to gambling or they enjoy playing a game with their time is a fine line. I think as long as someone is enjoying themselves and the activity isn’t destructive to the rest of their life it typically isn’t referred to as an addiction, but not everybody has a life that can be so easily sabotaged so who is to say…

[Fivestar4everMVP]

This, I believe we can refer to as gambling in another or different dimension since as I understand it based on what op has said, the contenders or competitors don't have to stake anything in the form of betting or wager like it's done on a normal casino.
But all in all, this is still a very interesting event though, and it goes a long way to show how interesting and fun gambling can be if done properly and fun focused.

And concerning whether the man in question was or is addicted to gambling? i do not think so, for if at all he is addicted to gambling, i bet he wouldn't have the time to be organizing such an event every year, even spending thousands of dollars to sponsor and reward participants handsomely. So, let me say that, if he was addicted, then that must have been a long time ago, he is probably no longer an addict, for if he still was, he did rather be spending that money on casinos trying to win more money for himself, rather than spend it to put smiles on people's faces.

[Pmalek]

So he basically acts as a sponsor of the annual checkers tournament. He is the one giving away the rewards and doesn't make a profit for the activity. From his perspective, if he doesn't have anything to gain, he isn't gambling.

The tournament participants, though, are gambling. They are not gambling and investing their own money, but are competing against each other for a chance to win one of those prices you mentioned (motorcycles, rice, chickens, etc.). Sounds like gambling to me. Not a destructive type where you can lose your money and go broke, but one where you are definitely standing to win. It would be completely different if the tournaments had no rewards whatsoever. Then, we could talk about playing for fun amongst friends.

[Gozie51]

I learnt he usually has about $5K for this annual gaming festive.

Well this doesn't look like gambling to me. It appears like  a gifting that the organiser wants to do and allow people and the neighborhood catch some fun. They are not staking any of their money yet they would be given prices based on their performance of the games so organized.

Gambling is when you have staked money or something else like material to risk for a higher benefit but in this light it is strictly fun and no stake attachment to it . This is just like people who do annual thanksgiving and they organise different things for the public and one of such ways they have this annual event is hosting of football tournament between villages or local areas or government that winner of a team is gifted more than the second run up, it is for the fun of it.

[_act_]

Well this doesn't look like gambling to me. It appears like  a gifting that the organiser wants to do and allow people and the neighborhood catch some fun. They are not staking any of their money yet they would be given prices based on their performance of the games so organized.

In short it is not gambling but they are just having fun with someone that sponsors the competition. What the OP is talking about is that a gamblers that is retired have fun with something related with gambling but not gambling. That man is only doing that to help people to come and play game and win something for the yuletide. If you are not using money to play game, yes it is not gambling.

[Zoomic]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

There was this professional checker (draughts) gambler in my area who then spent most of his times in the checkers gambling board but I don't know if he is one of the addicted or not. For over 12 years now he has been working with one of the biggest oil company in my country.
In more than 5 years now, he has been setting up annual gaming competitions amongst his old time gambling colleagues including those who are recognized and regularly gambling in the same checkers gambling location with him.
He has always scheduled the gambling competitions annually once in a year and usually during the Christmas holidays.
He offers specific number of motorcycles, bicycles, bags of rice including livestock's (chickens) amongst the championship (winners) after screening, friendly rounds, knockout rounds til the final rounds and your winning position depends on what rewards was staked for it.
He single handedly takes responsibilities to fund this annual games but at then, the system of the game is not recognized as gambling but game of fun. This is because he doesn't want it be that he is encouraging gambling instead been sighted " a game of fun that connects people together.
I learnt he usually has about $5K for this annual gaming festive. It is also interesting to know that even colleagues residing afar comes around to pertake on the activity including those whose net worth is beyond the mentioned staked (rewards) are also pertakers because the fun of it seems exceptional.
All these are literally what passion for gambling could be but yeah, this said gambling festive organiser happens to be a retired gambler.

I see a generous old man empowering the society financially while getting entertained watching is favorite game. To him, it is all fun and nothing else. This has nothing to do with addiction, neither is he encouraging irresponsible gambling. This is highly commendable, especially in a society where Gamblers are stereotyped.  This shows that one can be a passionate gambler and still be a responsible and respected member of the society as opposed to people's opinion that gamblers are irresponsible and have nothing to offer.

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

Gambling is fun for me. I would not also deny the fact that I often hope to win too and cashout but the mindset I have while gambling matters, "enjoy the game and accept every outcome". Playing with the motive of making profit will make me invest my time more. I might not enjoy the fun because it is not just a fun activity to me but business and I must stay focused to win. I  do not see gambling as a money making source.

[Dunamisx]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

I will pick the two, yes and i mean what am saying, this will be thesame thing you're likely to get as response from the majority of gambler because many want to have the fun together with the earning opportunities that might comes through gambling, then also we could further divide these into two more groups, those that want to earn only through gambling and those only interested on gambling for catching fun.

[alankasman]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

Not a gambling board but a kind of prepared game that is similar to a gambling arena.
He carries out his hobby by being willing to spend money from his own pocket without requiring everyone who wants to participate to place a bet.
It is possible that this man wanted to move or convey that games should not be used as a place to expect profits but as a place to entertain oneself with games.

Am I playing the game to make a profit? not so that I don't experience an addiction that I don't want to happen.

[dothebeats]

That is passion right there. If he isn't asking joiners for a fee, then that is just something he'd like to do and see other people to enjoy. If he's addicted, he wouldn't even try to make it a tournament and instead, play high stakes with the money to try and win them all. Also, it seems like he has the funds to hold this annually, so I think he's just enjoying the financial he has and tries to share some of it to the people who plays the same game as him.

That's just an old man trying to socialize and spread fun around him with the help of his money, and I see nothing wrong with that.

[Slow death]

In my case I play for fun, I remember that in my first days playing I had high expectations about gambling, particularly in sports betting, that's why in my first days I kept making too many deposits of $50 thinking that with that I would I would be able to obtain high profits like 3x the amount I deposited, but as time went by and I had so many losses and although I had also managed to obtain many victories, I realized that playing with the objective of obtaining profits was not something viable, gambling They simply weren't designed so that the house would always lose, even if a person was the smartest at math, that person would still lose at gambling.

I researched a lot about how professional bettors did in sports betting, and after a long time I understood that they also couldn't make a living from sports betting, they lived off profits coming from their channels and courses. So for many months I see the game as fun and I play it sometimes, I don't play it constantly. This guy you mentioned, he doesn't seem like an addict to me and he's not a person who spends money and a lot of time playing games, so I see that he sees games as just fun. I don't see anything wrong with the things he does. he's just having fun

[Nwada001]

This thread is just similar to a story of a man in my community who does almost the same thing, but this one works with NDDC, and he is a top rank over there, and when ever he comes home, he comes out to his old local place where he usually plays draft when he was still stable in the community, and this time around he comes back in a brand new style, and when ever he sits on the board, he doesn't expect money from anyone, but he usually places a bet to pay who ever plays with him and win him for the time that they will play, and when they win him, he hands over the board to another and waits for his next turn.
 
This particular man always sets up end-of-year games around the community, but not just in draft games; he sets competitions for almost all kinds of skill work in the community, like those who are into tailoring, hair stylists, wrestling, and bicycle riding, and even extends it to schoolchildren by quizzing them in all categories with their winning price tag.
 
This kind of person shows how fake could be enjoyed with passion; there's nothing to gain from the competition aside from the fun he gets from watching others try their best to win the price; that's where the fun lies for him. This is the kind of memory that's capable of bringing people together from afar because it's a one-in-a year kind of experience.

[goldkingcoiner]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

I do not think anyone should be under the illusion that they can somehow make an income from gambling. Profits is really not a realistic goal.

Now fun, I can agree with gambling for fun. I do exactly that and I gamble with small amounts of money that I do not mind losing. I see it basically as a fee for the fun. Sometimes I do leave the casino with more money than I had going in, but I would still not call that profit. Those are winnings.

Profit is something that can be expected and planned.

[lionheart78]

If there is an entrance fee for the competition, I do not think it is the passion for the games but rather it is the passion for profiting on the game by setting a competition.  That person will never maintain such activity if he is not making money out of it.  Yes, he might have $5k  as initial fund for the competition but the registration fee of the participants may probably outweigh his initial funds and get profit from them.

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

I do not think anyone should be under the illusion that they can somehow make an income from gambling. Profits is really not a realistic goal.

Now fun, I can agree with gambling for fun. I do exactly that and I gamble with small amounts of money that I do not mind losing. I see it basically as a fee for the fun. Sometimes I do leave the casino with more money than I had going in, but I would still not call that profit. Those are winnings.

Profit is something that can be expected and planned.

Actually I have a question in mind, what is fun in gambling anyway?  One may not think to get profit but rather to win a huge amount in gambling.  I think many deceive themselves that they are gambling for fun but in fact, they are in the gambling industry to take profit from the wager.  Both the gambler and casino owner aim to win.  So what is behind these winnings? Isn't it money?  Winnig an amount of money as profit is the one major reason gamblers are having fun engaging with gambling.

[abel1337]

It's more like a fun tournament rather than gambling given that there's no money involved and the prices are physical items, I'm assuming that the games on the tournaments are gambling games given that the participants are gamblers and the host is a old gambler. The man is really generous offering prizes, it's absolutely on the fun side, recouping memories and enjoying the time that he can see his old gambling friends.

To be honest, I want to be this man someday, living a slow retirement life and enjoying the remaining time we got by doing the things that we like and spend time with the people who is important to us.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

It's more like a fun tournament rather than gambling given that there's no money involved and the prices are physical items, I'm assuming that the games on the tournaments are gambling games given that the participants are gamblers and the host is a old gambler. The man is really generous offering prizes, it's absolutely on the fun side, recouping memories and enjoying the time that he can see his old gambling friends.

To be honest, I want to be this man someday, living a slow retirement life and enjoying the remaining time we got by doing the things that we like and spend time with the people who is important to us.

A good life is the dream of every man, most especially, when we have become old and possibly can not really do much for ourselves anymore.
Achieving alot, that will guarantee us a successful life, that will also enable us have and enjoy our retirement, does require us working hard and smart right now that we are still young and can do alot for money. For Christians, there is a place in the Bible where Jesus christ said that he will do the work of He that sent him while it's day, for the might cometh when no man can work.. This is a powerful scripture and a statement I personally have learnt a lot from.

For us to retire well, we have to work hard right now that we are still young and have enough strength to work, for at old age, we can hardly do so.

For the man we are discussing about, it's also important for us to know that, he did not make his money through gambling, even though he is or was a gambler, a clear indication for us not to depend on gambling for the kind of success we want in life, if we want to retire like this man, we also get other sources of income and not rely on gambling.

[mak013]

It is good that there are such men, but i don`t think that it helps to avoid gambling. The participants are in gambling, just the other game. Someone can organize poker tournaments and it would be the same. The winners understand that they can win some prize without job and, as for me, it doesn`t matter in what kind of gambling it is.

[Outhue]

Now this Is what I accept to be called FUN, this person knows how to spend their life in happiness and generosity, gathering people together to have some fun and make money all the way, some people are struggling to be in one place when it comes to having fun in gambling, they don't know which side they are on, either its gambling for fun or gambling for money.

Some just say its for fun to get away from the question easily, how can you be struggling in life and you are gambling for fun? Those who do this are either retired or are already making a lot of money from their business.

Risk isn't going to seem too high to you if you are making a lot of money, yet you will see some people going for loans and borrowing money from their friends to gamble, the risk is already high before you start gambling, the money isn't  yours.

[Kemarit]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

There was this professional checker (draughts) gambler in my area who then spent most of his times in the checkers gambling board but I don't know if he is one of the addicted or not. For over 12 years now he has been working with one of the biggest oil company in my country.
In more than 5 years now, he has been setting up annual gaming competitions amongst his old time gambling colleagues including those who are recognized and regularly gambling in the same checkers gambling location with him.
{..snip..}

I think this is not the first time that I heard this kind of story, even in our place there was a lot of passionate chess player who we knows always plays with his friends and even uninvited guess to play with him. So I see them every weekends or even almost every day.

But suddenly, the man disappeared and we heard that he had a good job outside of the country. Nevertheless he will spent some money like in a tournament with his buddies and even other players from other neighborhood and this goes for years and years. However, I have move out of that place though so haven't heard anything from those guys anymore.

[Oasisman]

Do you still play the game to make profits? Or you plays for fun?

Depends on the game. Checkers board game is indeed fun because one will need strategy, analysis, and anticipation to win the game so, it is a different game from all other gambling games like the pure-luck based games and sports betting. Checkers is similar with Poker and other strategy based card games and it's indeed a fun game. You can never think of the profit first while you're playing, but it's the fun first before the profit or a loss.
My company before regularly held a poker tournament annually across all department, similar with that story in the OP, we did not put any money to participate, though there are only limited spots available but they pick players who are most efficient with their work.