"I've had three stretches in my life where my gambling has helped support me."

I'm a cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan and the Emory University School of Law (yes, I'm a recovered lawyer). I've taught at several colleges and universities, mostly law or business law classes, but I also taught a class called "Surviving the Casino" at Kennesaw State College in Atlanta, Georgia. I've had three stretches in my life where my gambling has helped support me. I was a professional backgammon player in the mid-1980s, and a professional poker player for a couple years in the 90s. Blackjack helped pay about half of my college and law school tuition.

My current employment is President of Casino Conquests International, LLC, a gambling seminar and book publishing business dedicated to helping what I call "the great gambling middle class" (non-professionals and non-beginners) defend themselves better against casinos by teaching them how to play their favorite games better. We don't promise to make everyone a winner--that's not realistic and I think an unethical promise--but we help people improve their results.

1) They assume that if they are lucky they will win, and if unlucky they will lose. While there is certainly some truth in this statement, it hugely oversimplifies the situation. An inexperienced casino visitor will probably play many of the big house-edge games, like roulette or the money wheel. To win at one of those games, you have to get VERY lucky, and that's what the inexperienced visitor doesn't understand--that you have to get much luckier at some games than others. It's a lot easier to get a little lucky than a lot lucky.

2) They "bring X$ to lose;" e.g., "bring $400 to lose"-- a very good news/bad news kind of attitude. I like the loss-limiting aspect, but someone who "brings $400 to lose" will almost certainly reach that goal; because if you're planning on losing, there's no need to search out the better bets offered in the casino. A much better approach is setting a daily loss limit. It might sound like the same thing but it indicates a very different attitude.

3) They increase bet size during a losing streak--a sure way to go broke in a hurry!

"It amazes me that people will risk hundreds or thousands of dollars, but won't invest $15 in a book that will give them a much better chance to win."

The same as for any new activity: prepare a little before you start! It amazes me that people will risk hundreds or thousands of dollars, but won't invest $15 in a book that will give them a much better chance to win, or at least which will reduce their losses. (It's just a coincidence that "Casino Gambling the Smart Way" costs $15.) I first figured this out in poker, when I realized that most poker books cost much less than one pot. It seemed incredibly silly not to spend the money on the book if I were going to play.

On the other hand, spending money on a book does you no good if you don't read it, or if it's the wrong book. That's why I put a lot of effort into making "Smart Way" as easy-to-read and as funny as possible. Gambling is recreation; most people don't want to work hard preparing for it.

There are two huge differences. The obvious one is the easy access to online casinos: no driving, no hotel bills, etc. The other side of the same coin is that the online casinos don't have the casino atmosphere that makes playing such an enjoyable fantasy. The less obvious difference is that with a land-based casino, you can be 100% sure you'll get paid when you win. With an online casino, you can't be quite so sure. 99% of the time you're probably fine, but that last 1% really stinks. Since I like every conceivable edge going for me, I prefer land casinos, at least at the moment. The online casinos will be fine, eventually.

I also think there's a big difference between www betting online and playing craps or blackjack online. The payoff risk aside, www betting online is fine; it's no different from calling your bookie or making a bet in a www book. but playing blackjack or craps for money online strikes me as a warning sign of a problem gambler.