will i ever be a gambling addict?

i can say for sure that i will not be one, even with the integrated resorts at our doorstep. i must admit that i do buy the ocassional 4-d and toto, but i am not one of those regulars who will place bets every weekend. i have also learnt to try my luck, once in a while, placing bets on soccer games.

if i was to be a gambling addict, i would have been one long ago. in my younger days, illegal gambling was rampant. in the kampong where i lived for nearly 30 years, there was organised gambling of some kind which went on for a number of years before the syndicate was finally busted by the police. they had lookouts, and there must have been someone providing the capital and also taking the lion's share of the winnings.

they would spread a piece of big plastic sheet on the floor outside the compound of one of the houses. on this sheet were the numbers 1 to 12. there was no shortage of players/gamblers. most were the kampong folks but there were also outsiders, people from the neighbouring kampongs and beyond. for all the time they were around, i had never ever placed a stake.

when i play mahjong, i treat it like what it should be - a pastime. whatever format that is used to play, i will always employ the same strategy.... to game as fast as possible. i do not play with the aim to 'build' as many 'doubles' as possible. with my strategy, i usually end up losing or winning a little.

all said, i am inclined to think that certain card games had helped me in (my) mathematics when i was younger. not all games are dependent on luck when it comes to winning, you still need to plan and to have a good memory to win in certain situations.