Gambling Disorders Studies

The beliefs of a society about a health condition can have a huge impact on the people who suffer from the disorder. Public opinion can influence public health policy, public and private harm minimization efforts, research funds and treatment support. At the individual level, negative public views of a disease and the stigma it creates can strongly discourage individuals from admitting that he or she has the problem and seeking treatment for the condition. There is little data available on public opinion of gambling disorders; however, a new study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies fills this void with a systematic examination of public opinion on gambling disorders.

Researchers conducted telephone surveys with 8,467 adults in the Toronto area and questioned people about their opinions of how to best understand gambling disorders. Researchers asked if gambling disorders should be treated as a disease or illness, a wrongdoing, a habit, not disease or an addiction similar to drug addiction. Researchers also inquired if people with gambling disorders can get well on their own or must seek treatment to improve and polled adults on whether people with gambling disorders can reduce their gambling to that of a social gambler or if they need to quit altogether. The survey also gathered information on the gambling behavior and demographics of the respondents.

The researchers found that most people viewed gambling disorders as an addiction similar to drug addiction, with one-third seeing gambling as a habit and 17 percent viewing gambling as a form of wrongdoing. Responses to whether gamblers needed treatment to recover showed a split jury, and three out of four thought that abstinence from gambling activities must happen for recovery. Examining the demographics, the researchers found that being female, married, younger and without gambling problems paralleled believing that treatment and abstinence were necessary. In addition, people who viewed gambling problems as a disease or addiction also believed that treatment and abstinence for recovery are necessary.

The researchers noted that public perceptions reported in their study mimic the results of a 2003 study that examined the views of the public on alcohol use, with 71 percent of respondents saying that abstinence must occur for recovery. This popularly held belief is also the view of much of the scientific community as reflected by the upcoming changes the American Psychiatric Association is making.

Finally, researchers concluded that people with gambling disorders were less likely to think that treatment and abstinence were necessary for recovery. This may be because many people who meet the clinical guidelines for a gambling disorder do not think they have a problem and even those who believe they do have a problem are unlikely to seek treatment.

Dead Money

In poker, dead money is the amount of money in the pot other than the equal amounts bet by active remaining players in that pot. Examples of dead money include money contributed to the pot by players who have folded, a dead blind posted by a player returning to a game after missing blinds, or an odd chip left in the pot from a previous deal. For example, eight players each ante $1, one player opens for $2, and gets two callers, making the pot total $14. Three players are now in the pot having contributed $3 each, for $9 live money; the remaining $5 representing the antes of the players who folded is dead money. The amount of dead money in a pot affects the pot odds of plays or rules of thumb that are based on the number of players.

The term dead money is also used in a derogatory sense to refer to money put in the pot by players who are still legally eligible to win it, but who are unlikely to do so because they are unskilled, increasing the expected return of other players. This can also be applied to the player himself: Let's invite John every week; he's dead money. The term dead money also applies in tournaments, when many casual players enter events with virtually no chance of winning.

Video Poker Slots

Video Poker Machine

Video Poker is a draw poker in slot machine form. Players Hold or Discard from five cards showing and get a second deal, or stand with a pat hand. It has become the most popular game of chance among casino players in the U.S. It seams that every machines has a different payout. Supposedly California Video Poker machines follow Nevada video poker rules.

There are important differences between Video Poker and Table Poker worth noting as follows:
1. In Video Poker the House is represented by a machine not a dealer and the video machine does not attempt to beat you.
2. You don’t have to figure out what the other player's hand could be like when playing against other players.
3. You cannot bluff.
4. You do not run the risk of being beaten by another player. If you have a strong hand, you win. In Table Poker, you could have a strong hand like three of a kind and lose to another player who has a better hand.
5. A good decision in Video Poker may be a bad one for Table Poker. What is advantageous to hold in Video Poker may prove disadvantageous in Table Poker and vice versa.

Based on classic Five Card Draw, Video Poker challenges players to build the best possible five-card hand. The player is dealt five cards and has the option of discarding any or all of the cards. New cards are dealt to replace the discards.

Payoffs are based on a scale, paying players for hands as low as a pair of tens or Jacks all the way up to a Royal Flush. Like slot machines, Video Poker machines are available in many denominations, with 25c and $1 machines being the most popular. Many casinos also offer progressive payoffs or bonuses for Royal Flushes or other special hands. Video Poker provides variety too, with versions ranging from 'Jacks or Better' to 'Deuces Wild' and 'Jokers Wild'.