Ever hear those words? Ever hear anyone who is in a casino somehow work up the courage to spell out their activities at the machines to you in quite that way? Well I have - and more than once. Just this past week I heard it twice, and if you read through the video poker forums you’ll find that’s it’s a whole lot more common that you’d think.

But why would anyone who plays video poker make such a claim anyway? First, let me make it clear that regardless of how often I’ve travel to and from casinos over the past 10-12 years playing video poker for profit, you’ll never hear me claim that I am not a gambler. The fact is, anyone who plays a casino game -- whether professionally, for recreation/a hobby, or out of total boredom with life, absolutely IS a gambler. There is no way out of that being the total truth. Any other depiction or twisting of the facts is for feel-good purposes only, and the ones caught up in such denial are always those leading depressing lives to begin with anyway.

I have many acquaintances all over Nevada, and yes, a good many of those folks are people who believe they’re squeaking out an edge from the video poker machines and slot club benefits combined. These are also the players who’ll vehemently deny that they gamble, because in their minds – and obviously in order to justify the fact that they play FAR more often than they should – they believe they know how to creatively manufacture a winning year out of a loser with all that slot club hocus-pocus. And this always leads to not only a denial that they gamble, but also to an even more adamant denial that they are not addicted to the machines. Their comfy blanky? That they do it to “make money”.

At the end of the day these “advantage players” as they like to be called, are as transparent to players like me as they are to every casino manager in the state. They think they’re somehow “flying under the radar” because they’re not gambling at the tables but in fact, no gambler’s activities are more traceable and watched than a video poker player’s are. Ever hear of that little “slot club card”? Well, guess what happens the moment you insert one into your favorite machine...and guess who’s reviewing your results and evaluating your every move? AP's are not quite as smart as they think!

I know I know, the AP’s try their best to pretend that the reality is that slot club cards are only there for them to be showered with comps, gifts, cash back, free-play and more. After all, how’s an AP supposed to claim they’ve had a winning month or year if they’re not allowed to apply their own overwhelming value to all the slot club benefits anyway?? Which way would they turn if they didn’t receive cash back for the gas home and groceries the next day, after constantly emptying their wallets chasing after casino promotions like little puppets on a string? And just how could they explain where they wasted so many hours away the night before to their better halfs, without at least SOMETHING to show for it all?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years involving the casinos and gaming industry, is there are a whole lot of people walking the streets of denial all over Nevada. How do I know that? Because I was one of them from 1990-1996, and being able to admit that fact has helped me enormously to not only become a consistently successful player – it’s helped me understand how to easily recognize the people who struggle and how to instantly become aware of those who live their lives in a constant state of denial...denial of what they do; denial of how they do it; denial of what drives their lives; and of course the TOTAL denial that they’re involved in a very serious gambling addiction.

Whenever I run into or train players who I feel need a serious talking to, I offer my help based on having been there and having done that. And because I’m not basing my income on having a squeaky clean history in order to make people want to buy all the products I’m selling all over the place, I’m able to be honest and up front with everyone. The others? They’re only in it for themselves folks, and in many cases because of their OWN problems with gambling – so desperately so.

Why do some players like to claim they don’t gamble when they obviously do? It’s said out of fear….a fear of them finally having to come to grips with the fact that all those wasted hours sitting at the machines instead of doing things far more productive and healthy, is defined as just that. And of course the biggest and most overwhelming fear is in how they’ll be able to deal with their addiction once they’ve admitted having one in the first place. Yes, it is a very vicious circle and yes, it can be dealt with. The problem lies in being motivated enough to own up to all of it.

No...I am not a gambler...A sad & pathetic mumble if ever there was one. Don’t let this be you.