Games Effect On Health

[StandardDeviant]

well said:joker::whip:

Not really.

A certain amount of stress is required for optimal performance. When the stress gets so great that it causes performance to suffer...then stress is bad. However, up to that point, stress is a good thing.

 

[blackchipjim]

definitions

I concur to the stress level but, with reserve to distress. A person that raises their stress level to a point of distress then it becomes detrimental to one's health. Hence, keep your game within the level of betting that is comfortable and don't use funds that you can ill afford to lose.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Leaveawinner,

You made me smile when I saw that your post had referred to:

" … those 2.5 hour marathons"

Naturally, everyone of us is unique in some ways.

Years ago I was prone to playing 24 hour stretches without so much as
changing my seat. I drank a lotta' coffee and took pee breaks as needed,
but many many times I would play very very long sessions, betting black...

I used to be like that too, in many endeavors. Once I drove for 40 hours straight.

Then I learned what not sleeping does to your cortisol levels and immune system. No thanks!

 

[Billy C1]

Marathons

About five years ago the LV Hilton had a bank of $1 vp machines with a progessive jackpot at roughly 14k which made it around a 105% game with the exceptionally high jackpot.
I was lucky enough to get on it after a wait of an hour. Played it for 30 hours straight, losing about 4k which was all I had on me. Since I had to get more cash and I was DEAD tired, I decided to get a couple hours of sleep which turned in to 4 or 5 hours.
When I returned it had been hit at something like 17k but this bank had the "follow up" jackpot that reset at over 11k which was still a + game. Couldn't pass that up with an inviting open seat. Roughly 3 hours later the guy next to me hit it.
Another grand lighter and almost blind again didn't feel good but vp APs don't pass up games with that value.

Billy C1

 

[creeping panther]

Billy

About five years ago the LV Hilton had a bank of $1 vp machines with a progessive jackpot at roughly 14k which made it around a 105% game with the exceptionally high jackpot.
I was lucky enough to get on it after a wait of an hour. Played it for 30 hours straight, losing about 4k which was all I had on me. Since I had to get more cash and I was DEAD tired, I decided to get a couple hours of sleep which turned in to 4 or 5 hours.
When I returned it had been hit at something like 17k but this bank had the "follow up" jackpot that reset at over 11k which was still a + game. Couldn't pass that up with an inviting open seat. Roughly 3 hours later the guy next to me hit it.
Another grand lighter and almost blind again didn't feel good but vp APs don't pass up games with that value.

Billy C1

I see that same VP situation very frequently at "Dream Shoe".

Of course there is always the health risk of some other extracuricular activity you often find in the casino environ that calls for some safety measures

CP

 

[daddybo]

not everybody "Tracks" as successfully as you CP! :whip:

 

[Billy C1]

C'mon CP, you're giving away all of my secrets!!!!!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Billy C1

 

[Leaveawinner]

I still see it as a "hit and run" game. Go often and play for lessor amounts. I only have to invest 15 bucks to get to a Riverboat and back. 90 miles round trip. I've left with a 20 dollar win once this binge/winning streak. 3 times over 100, and 13 times 40-85.

As for health issues. Other players have been getting on my nerves. After about 20 minutes, I get irritated. Not so much that I might be down, but other players actions. Guys pounding the table every other hand. Groups of people "freezing". Dealer becomes counter-productive by basically playing out the hands using BS.

And when they want to strike up a conversation, I get irked. Last night after a short lesson on how to play the hand from a player because of a slight pause and standing on 13 vs. 8, then I hit a 15 vs. 6 busted a "hit me". He won the hand and said I saved him. I think I blew his mind.

I've had people pay me to finish out the shoe. People have paid me because I saved them. Guys playing $450 at a $15.00 table expecting everyone to play by the common knowledge rules. If I had a stack of hundreds like the one he had, I wouldn't be wasting no time at the casino.

My God! We're lunatics out there.

Oh, was that out loud. I thought the doctor was in...

 

[aslan]

Voodoo doctor :laugh:
Move it to Zzone if he wants to debate allopathy vs, Holistic. Or, whether the flu vaccine is good for people. zg

I know I am raising the dead (2009), but I think it would be great if BJINFO had a health thread on the Forum. Nothing is more closely related to being at one's best in any field, and that includes blackjack AP, than good health. I for one need to lose weight desperately, but nothing seems to work. Health is a controversial field, no doubt, an it will raise some hackles, but not IMO to the same degree that religion and politics have in the past. You would be an excellent moderator for such a thread. :1st: Don't hurt me, Ken! I'm just saying! :whip:

PS: What put this thought in my head was a phone call to my brother this evening. He once had a weight problem--weighed 295 pounds. He is now at 192. I asked him how he did it. He said he follows Dr, Mercola on the net. That immediately reminded me of another advocate of Dr, Mercola, zengrifter.

 

[flyingwind]

Getting sick from casinos

I agree with the need to keep in good physical condition to continue AP play. I've noticed that when I started playing more, I exercised less, gained some weight, and over all felt worse. I've become more balanced now, keeping the amount of play time balanced with time outside enjoying the weather, spending time with family and friends, and exercising. It's improved my sleep, reduced my stress levels, and improved my energy and concentration.

I noticed I was getting sick more often after after frequenting casinos. I wondered if casinos created an environment that made it easier to catch a cold or the flu. Perhaps it's the sitting in close quarters with many other players - similar to the kids going to school and bringing back colds with them. Perhaps it's all the smokers I sit next to - I'm not a smoker myself. The smoke gets to me. Finally, I wonder if the stress of playing changes our hormone levels and makes us more susceptible to getting sick.

In any case, I wish you all the best of health. Without good health, you couldn't be playing BJ or enjoying life.

 

[tensplitter]

In places like AC or Vegas you get exercise walking from one casino to another or walking the length of the boardwalk/strip.

 

[aslan]

In places like AC or Vegas you get exercise walking from one casino to another or walking the length of the boardwalk/strip.

In Vegas, what seems like a short jaunt can turn into an ordeal. Distances are deceiving.

 

[Bojack1]

In places like AC or Vegas you get exercise walking from one casino to another or walking the length of the boardwalk/strip.

Yes and No. It all depends on the factors of age, weight, and degree of fitness. While walking is never bad for you its benefits are very different based on the individual. A basically sedentary person with a low degree of physical fitness may benefit greatly from a good walk. While a person in fairly good shape may barely experience a rise in heart rate with walking. Aerobic exercise is fine and is a good supplement to ones overall well being, but in terms of weight loss and it being permanent, building lean muscle through resistance training is the best answer for most. Also with building more muscle your body burns fat and calories constantly, unlike aerobic excercise that once you stop so does your calorie burning, which in turn gives you a little more leeway in diet once you have established better health.

Aslan, not knowing you I can only give an opinion about your situation based on what I see and hear about in the majority of those trying to lose weight. Most of those who find that nothing works for losing weight, short of those with medical issues such as thyroid problems, are not actually pursuing it with the best outlook. Good health and fitness is not something that comes easily, or quickly especially if you are very out of shape. Just like card counting is not a get rich quick scheme, good health should be thought of similarly, long term and not just as I need to lose X amount of weight. Good health is a lifestyle and doesn't end when you lose a few unwanted pounds. Thats why adopting a healthy workout and diet plan should be realistic. One that you can actually live with everyday, not something that deprives you to the point its never going to be an everyday part of your life.

I am a very busy person, and have in the past let my health and weight suffer because of it at times. But I also realize that my quality of life in general is better off when I take care of myself. I am a bit extreme in my fitness now because I generally do enjoy it, but being healthy need not be that way for everybody. Slow and steady works too, as long as it becomes a way of life there is no race in being healthy.

 

[aslan]

Yes and No. It all depends on the factors of age, weight, and degree of fitness. While walking is never bad for you its benefits are very different based on the individual. A basically sedentary person with a low degree of physical fitness may benefit greatly from a good walk. While a person in fairly good shape may barely experience a rise in heart rate with walking. Aerobic exercise is fine and is a good supplement to ones overall well being, but in terms of weight loss and it being permanent, building lean muscle through resistance training is the best answer for most. Also with building more muscle your body burns fat and calories constantly, unlike aerobic excercise that once you stop so does your calorie burning, which in turn gives you a little more leeway in diet once you have established better health.

Aslan, not knowing you I can only give an opinion about your situation based on what I see and hear about in the majority of those trying to lose weight. Most of those who find that nothing works for losing weight, short of those with medical issues such as thyroid problems, are not actually pursuing it with the best outlook. Good health and fitness is not something that comes easily, or quickly especially if you are very out of shape. Just like card counting is not a get rich quick scheme, good health should be thought of similarly, long term and not just as I need to lose X amount of weight. Good health is a lifestyle and doesn't end when you lose a few unwanted pounds. Thats why adopting a healthy workout and diet plan should be realistic. One that you can actually live with everyday, not something that deprives you to the point its never going to be an everyday part of your life.

I am a very busy person, and have in the past let my health and weight suffer because of it at times. But I also realize that my quality of life in general is better off when I take care of myself. I am a bit extreme in my fitness now because I generally do enjoy it, but being healthy need not be that way for everybody. Slow and steady works too, as long as it becomes a way of life there is no race in being healthy.

Read, noted and appreciated. Too often I do focus on the short term, like when I look in the mirror and say, "OMG, I have to do something drastic now!" Your points are well taken.

 

[sagefr0g]

...... Most of those who find that nothing works for losing weight, short of those with medical issues such as thyroid problems, are not actually pursuing it with the best outlook.....

all i dotted out makes sense Bojack.
seems you know quite a bit about this stuff. my wife has thyroid problems and diabetes.
you didn't mention any game plan for those with such medical issues.

 

[Bojack1]

all i dotted out makes sense Bojack.
seems you know quite a bit about this stuff. my wife has thyroid problems and diabetes.
you didn't mention any game plan for those with such medical issues.

Well sage I'm no doctor so I wouldn't want to give exact medical advice to anybody relating to potential serious conditions.

I will say that some conditions of adult onset diabetes and hypothyroidism in many cases can be controlled and eliminated by proper diet and exercise. Many of those with these conditions and many more such as high blood pressure, hypertension, high cholesterol, can heal their bodies the same way they hurt them, with diet.

I have no idea about your wife's situation, but consulting a doctor would be a much better idea then consulting me. I would just recommend consulting a doctor that is open to the idea of proper diet analysis and not one that is just hell bent on prescribing medication. Sometimes meds are the best answer, but its nice to know if there are options.

 

[kewljason]

I have seen a number of members make comments concerning weight issues which surprises me a little bit. I am sure I am not in the same situation as many of you being somewhat younger. I know weight tends to become an issue as you get older, which I am not looking forward too and certainly spending time in casinos or more precisely many of the fine restuarants and even worse, the not so fine buffets is a major danger. Plus the travel and getting away from normal routines. I myself put on 5 pounds in the first 6 months of the year, which was mostly spent in LV, before I got back into my summer routine and lost it.

So while I can see how this lifestyle even for a frequent parttime player can be a danger, the reason I am a bit surprised is because discipline is probably the number one trait of any reasonably successful AP. I would think that discipline should spill over into other areas of one's life, but judging from the comments it doesn't seem to.

I know this post sounds judgemental and I really don't mean to, nor is it directed at anyone in particular. Just expressing some thoughts.

 

[BJgenius007]

Gambling and exercising are two separate things.

In places like AC or Vegas you get exercise walking from one casino to another or walking the length of the boardwalk/strip.

Gambling won't affect people to find or not to find time to exercise. I have been jogging 5 days a week since I was high school. I run 2.5 miles on weekdays and 5 miles on weekends. Normally I run on the trail in the park, but I run on boardwalk in AC and streets in LV when I travel. There are also gyms inside the casino spa in case of bad weather. Gambling is not an excuse not to exercise. Also, I try to avoid 2nd hand smoke as much as possible. This includes going to casinos with non smoking section and sitting on 1st or 3rd base that you can turn away from the smokers. If there is someone smoking like chimney at my table, I will leave when the true count turns negative.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I have seen a number of members make comments concerning weight issues which surprises me a little bit. I am sure I am not in the same situation as many of you being somewhat younger. I know weight tends to become an issue as you get older, which I am not looking forward too and certainly spending time in casinos or more precisely many of the fine restuarants and even worse, the not so fine buffets is a major danger. Plus the travel and getting away from normal routines. I myself put on 5 pounds in the first 6 months of the year, which was mostly spent in LV, before I got back into my summer routine and lost it.

So while I can see how this lifestyle even for a frequent parttime player can be a danger, the reason I am a bit surprised is because discipline is probably the number one trait of any reasonably successful AP. I would think that discipline should spill over into other areas of one's life, but judging from the comments it doesn't seem to.

I know this post sounds judgemental and I really don't mean to, nor is it directed at anyone in particular. Just expressing some thoughts.

My advice: eat, but avoid buffets when you're playing because overeating is a stress reducer, and playing can be stressful. Don't eat crap; order something you like so you can get enjoyment from it and not feel you're being cheated if you don't overeat. I can play BJ for 24 hours straight and pig out in a buffet for 24 hours straight, and guess which one would be more fun for me. We AP's enjoy taking things to their limits. Same theory for alcohol & the other drugs- if you're the type who relaxes with substances, watch out for that.

Wash your hands thoroughly and splash your face (it helps get rid of the smoke smell) as you leave the casino. Drink enough water, easy to not do if you are drinking alcohol or playing in a hot climate. Keep your eyeglass prescription up to date to reduce eye strain and improve accuracy when you are going beyond counting. Get your vitamin D- evidence is piling up how many health problems are associated with not getting it, especially for dark-skinned people living north of 40 degrees, and nobody who doesn't spend all their daytimes outside or is a nudist gets enough.

Also- do a good leg stretch routine before/after a session. It'll speed up your gait as you're Wonging around- the only health advice likely to increase EV!

 

[Billy C1]

Simple logic

Not trying to be a wise A-- but no one has ever gained weight OR even maintained same weight with jaws wired shut!
I know metabolisms vary and many other things factor in (excercise, etc.) but it's no secret that no (or even just less) intake results in weight loss, is it?
Unless you have physical limitations that make excercise impossible, weight loss should be attainable and not that difficult with proper diet.
Majority of people cheat on one or the other (or both) and won't admit it even to themselves.
Smoke is by far the biggest problem in casinos for health concerns. Many compulsive gamblers smoke 2-5 times as much when gambling and the second hand smoke cannot be totally avoided in casinos.
There used to be a non smoking casino across the strip from the Stardust (Silver City or something like that) but it's been history for years.
I think it's impossible to do a lot of AP without inhaling lots of second hand smoke. Sure, you can change tables or machines when somebody next to you lights up, but many times that means leaving opportunity behind.

BillyC1