What do gamblers spend their money on when they hit a jackpot?
Good question, even though I am patting myself on the back. Now there poker players in this world, of which I am one, and gamblers who may or may not be of a different cloth.
I have known of many gamblers who went from being near broke to sitting on a mountain of cash. When it happens, it happens fast. One minute you're broke, the next you are a king.
In his book, 'I Want To Quit Winners,' Harold Smith Jr. tells of a casino friend who was addicted to heroin. One night this friend won a lot of money shooting dice, over $120,000.
He excitedly met Harold and said, 'Harold, you and I have often talked about going to the South Pacific on a cruise. Now I can afford it. Let's go together and I'll pay.'
Harold loved the idea. He called a travel agent and set the plans in motion for their South Pacific adventure.
That evening, Harold's friend decided he needed a little action. He took his new-found fortune with him to the casino and began shooting dice.
About 2 a.m., Harold found his friend in the parking lot. He was whimpering with fear and shame. He had lost all the money and needed cash to buy a dinner.
Now I hope that doesn't happen to you. Roy Cooke is a friend of mine who is an above-average poker player. He is a long-time columnist for 'Card Player' Magazine where he discusses poker strategy. He also sells real estate on the side and has made sizable investments in real estate for some of the world's biggest gamblers.
Phil Hellmuth or Annie Duke might win a fortune in a poker tournament. What do they do with their money? While they would certainly keep some of it in action, how would they spend the rest of it?
I found myself on the winning end of around $42,000 14 years ago. This was the largest amount of money I had ever possessed at one time, and I planned to have fun spending it.
Eddie Rack was a family friend who owned two golf courses at the time of his death. His favorite pastime, along with dancing that he enjoyed with his wife, Jeannie, was flying to Las Vegas for a gambling adventure.
There Eddie, who was in his 90s, would play blackjack or poker. Then winner or loser, the millionaire golf course owner would walk around the casino, throwing out green $25 chips to porters, waitresses and shoe shine boys as tips. When a horrified friend asked him what he was doing, Eddie smiled.
'Harry, money doesn't have handles on it. Money is meant to be spent. At our ages, we're lucky enough to be able to walk around. To these people, a $25 tip is real money. Think about that.'
Anyhow, there I was, sitting on a stack of $100 bills that totaled over $42,000. How was I going to spend it"
I first disbursed some of it to my children and other family members. Then I bought a good looking used car.
When a friend told me the world's most beautiful women lived in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, I booked a cruise out of Miami to the Dominican Republic. And then I scheduled a flight to Costa Rica.
The Dominican Republic turned out to be a hoot of adventure. The beaches were miserably dirty, but the women were sweet and attractive. I also enjoyed the dining in the tropical restaurants.
Costa Rica was loaded with gambling casinos that featured poker. The owner of Europa Europa made me an offer: If I played poker in his casino at least four hours a day during my stay, he would give me a complimentary room and pay for my food, drinks and flight. That was an offer I found impossible to resist.
The women in Costa Rica were as beautiful as the ones in the Dominican Republic and I had some wild experiences that I have written about on this website.
Like Eddie Rack said, 'Money doesn't have handles on it.' Right now I am at the low end of the cash reserve. But isn't that what poker, money and luck are all about?
Let the games begin.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to [email protected] ).
