Due to the "be honest" factor I had to vote yes.
I was young, poor and surrounded by easy marks. That was 15-20 years ago. Am I proud of it, absolutely not, am I ashamed by some of it, absolutely. Did it assist in feeding, clothing and sheltering me, absolutely.
Did I leave that life behind the first chance I got, you bet your ass I did and never looked back (got a real job outside of the poolhall/bar scene). I had become what I despised and it made me sick to look in the mirror.
I grew up surrounded by compulsive gamblers, seen every side of it. I know first hand the pain, fear of the unknown and feelings of abandonment that come hand in hand with gambling (and other related issues as well). If you think for a second you can do it and not affect anyone close to you (wife, children etc), you're lying to yourself and you believe it....!!!!!!!!!!
I have my own family now, I'd rather jump of a cliff than to subject them to even a moment of any of that nonsense.
With that said, I'm not talking about friendly dollar/drink games or the occasional grudge match with a fellow competitor for $50-100 or more if you have it to spare. I'm talking about the day-in/day-out gambler, the guy who has 2 grand in his pocket one day, and $3.50 in his pocket the next. Then can't understand why the old lady left with the kids and he's the one crying the blues how life has treated him so wrong. I lived it, all 97% bad and the 3% good, and it sucked being the child in that situation.
I'm not here to try and tell anyone how to live, this is just the side of it most never talk about. I don't judge or look down on anyone who chooses this lifestyle either, after all they have to choose their own paths and pay the price if/when it comes full circle.
Oh, and that guy that just got done telling you how he's knocked everyone in town off for all their cash and then asks you for $5 for a pack of cigarettes, he's lying to you and he's broke for a reason.
Dopc.
I know this is not going to be a popular post around here with all the barking and glorious stories and how everyone around here is the winner (and, I hope for everyones sake thats' the case). But there is a brutal other side of this coin, and I almost never hear anyone talk about it. So, I thought I'd be the one to tell it and catch all the flack for it for being the loser chump for which I had no choice of as a CHILD!