Hi all!  Just picked up the new Pete Rose book. One line, about gambling, struck me as being applicable to our hobby:

"According to David E. Comings, M.D., director of medical genetics at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, gamblers experience something called risk-craving and sensation-seeking behavior. I can't speak for anyone else, but those words sure describe how I felt when I placed my bets."

That describes my feelings when I partake of "the hobby" as well.  Not that it's necesarilly a bad thing.  I'm just saying...

~~~ INVADER

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I'm glad the allure of gambling never tempted me. God knows I couldn't afford it AND the hobby.

For many years I was a professional gambler, and I just could never even think of walking into a casino unless I knew I had the best of it (yes, folks, such opportunities do exist, but that's for The Compulsive Gambler Review). Otherwise, it's just a big scam.

Short answer is that human beings are self destructive by nature. We do things (gambling, smoking, drinking) which we know are bad for ourselves, but we do it anyway. Makes no sense to me.

Gambling, hate it, maybe a cigar now and then with a shot of bourbon. But certainly hooked on Asian babes in or out of the hobby.

is based primarily on the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the risk/reward cycle that all sensation-seeking "addicts" partake in (one which they're often powerless over)

the primary brain area involved in this and nearly all related addictive behaviour is the nucleus accumbens (the "pleasure center") which is stimulated into releasing dopamine (with a serotonin "chaser") -- which results in the "rush" or "high" of betting

it just may be that those individuals with addictive tendencies are simply people whose neurotransmitters are badly regulated (eg. genetic causes) ... this then translates into the difference between an occasional "dabbler" who drops few dollars into a slot machine during an occasional visit to a casino and walks away amused and the hopelessly addicted gambler who blows his lifesavings in one week and is still not fully gratified

of course there are other more complex psychological factors as well ... but then some scientists would argue that all psychology is neurochemistry

Maybe Pete shouldnt bet on his own team, but hell, I dont care about point spreads unless I am doing a sportbook.  National news sportscasters give them, and they are in newspapers.

So make our hobby and gambling legal!!!  

Kinda of a stretch huh.