Problem gambling is defined as gambling that begins to interfere and harm any major area of life including psychological, physical, social or vocational. There are seven main warning signs that a person may have a gambling disorder but an accurate diagnosis can only be made by a trained professional.

Many problem gamblers begin gambling during their youth but gambling addictions, like drug and alcohol addictions, affect people from every race, economic background and sex. A problem gambler will wager on whatever game is available, sometimes even creating bets on ordinary, everyday activities.
What are the warning signs of addictive gambling?
1 - Preoccupation
A constant fixation on gambling is one of the easiest ways to notice a gambling addiction. Reliving past gambling triumphs or failures, always planning the next excursion, and continuously thinking of how to get more money to gamble are a few examples of preoccupation.
2 - Escalation
Problem gamblers experience an actual physical reaction that is similar to a drug stimulated ‘high.’ Symptoms from this high can be an increased heart rate, dissociation from reality, among others. Also like a drug high, a tolerance to the amount of money gambled will develop.

To achieve this ‘high’, a problem gambler will need to wager increasingly larger amounts of money to attain the desired effect.

People with a gambling disorder will play until their last dollar is spent. Many problem gamblers end up in dire financial straits and need to rely on others to provide money for their gambling addiction. In severe cases, problem gamblers will break the law to finance their habit.
3 - Trying to Stop
A problem gambler may, unsuccessfully, try to control or stop their gambling. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to stop are a warning sign of a disorder.

Gambling addicts, similar to narcotic addicts, will become restless, irritable and angry during the periods when they try to control or stop their gambling habits.
4 - Escape
Although it may seem that a gambling addiction is a type of pleasure-seeking behavior, the origin of an addiction is to compensate or cover for some type of loss or pain. A problem gambler will use the addiction as a way to forget or escape from the pain.

Emotional pain can also cause a person to feel numb and block out other emotions in the process. Gambling and other addictive behaviors cause a rush of excitement and pleasure that allows the person to get a rush and escape from numbness.
5 - Chasing
If someone is constantly trying to win back losses with more gambling, this is considered ‘chasing.’ A problem gambler will become fixated on trying to win back the money they have lost which often leads to severe monetary problems.
6 - Lying
Lying to friends and family about the amount of time and money spent gambling is a definite warning sign of a gambling disorder.

Problem gamblers will sometimes feel guilty about lying where they have been or how they have spent the money. The guilt adds to the emotional pain and can, in turn, lead to even more gambling to assuage the guilt.
7 - Alienation
When gambling begins to alienate a person’s friends, family or career, this is clear sign that someone is in trouble. Problem gamblers continue to gamble despite risking or losing significant relationships or aspects, like school or career, of their lives.
Ways to break a gambling addiction
Stopping a gambling disorder
The National Council on Problem Gambling provides a ten-question test to self evaluate whether a person may or may not have a gambling disorder. The test is not a substitute for a face to face consultation with a trained professional but can help a person realize that he or she may need to consult a professional.

Like any addiction, problem gambling can be stopped. There are an array of options for help and support, depending on the level of treatment a person needs. Counseling, group therapy and inpatient treatment programs are a few of the traditional means of support. Alternative treatments include residential, private-care facilities, psychotherapy and hypnosis.

The first step in breaking the addiction is acknowledging the problem and seeking help.

To take the self-evaluation quiz, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling
Further Resources for Problem Gambling
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ - A 12-step program that assists people with gambling disorders.

http://gamblinghelper.com/ - An online support community with articles and forums for problem gamblers.

http://www.gamblingproblem.net/ - An institute that addresses the study, prevention and treatment of gambling addictions.

777 and Christianity

Before we get to the lucky connotation of the number 777 and the countless slots players who became instantly rich after seeing it appear on their machine, let’s dig a bit into our world’s history:

Did you know that a well known Benedictine monastery was built in Austria in the year 777? Tassilo III, who was at the time the Duke of Bavaria, founded the Kremsmunster Abbey monastery in the very same location that his son Gunther was supposed to have been killed by a boar.

The church fell and recovered both in its infrastructure and its prestige over the years and saw many foreign overseers managing its affairs. Today the monastery is home to one of the great libraries of Austria. The three-century-old library contains more than 160,000 volumes and 1700 manuscripts in its shelves.
Fly Away With 777

If you’ve recently been on any trip to Europe or any cross-continental destination, you must have been amazed when you saw that giant bird wheel into the direction of your departure gate. That incredible machine is Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Boeing 777 twin-engine airliner. With its noticeable wide body, this air vehicle caries up to 550 passengers and can fly nearly 10,000 nautical miles without refueling.

The Chicago-based company’s most prized possession made its debut in 1994 with its maiden flight taking off in June of that year. Since then, the company has sold the model to airline companies ranging from Singapore to the United Arab Emirates. The 777 can carry more luggage than any other commercial carrier and moves around on the largest tires ever fixed unto a commercial carrier.
To Contact the Editor…

If you lived, or have ever visited in Toronto, you may have noticed the popular newspaper, The Toronto Star line most of the newsstands. The “Star” is the most popular Daily paper in all of Canada and has been a permanent staple in all of the district of Ontario for almost a century.

If you happen to see any errors in the newspaper while having your morning coffee, you are more than welcomed and even encouraged, to call the editor’s desk and report what you see. The area code (416) of the area you don’t need to know if you’re calling from local phone. The rest of the number? You guessed it - all sevens! 777-7777. Seems like the star assured itself luck in the journalism world way back when the office received its phone number.
Up For Some Black Magic?

Edward Alexander Crowley, or as he was better known, Aleister Crowley, was once called “The Wickedest Man in the World”. Born in the later part of the 19th century, Crowley proved himself very early on in his life to be a gifted thinker, author, scientist and more. Throughout his expansive lifetime, Crowley’s writings and ideas became very influential inspirations for many cults involved in freemasonry and black magic.

Crowley composed a “hidden law” instructional book for his students titled 777. In it, he laid out for them some self-mutilating methods by which they can control their thoughts and actions. These methods involved some very painful and dangerous techniques for one to completely step out of his person and behave in completely different ways. Needless to say, a young follower picking up the book 777 those days would certainly see his life change before his eyes.
Ok, We’ll Get to the Casino

If you’ve read up your slots rules, then you know how much players are hungry for those three sevens to appear before them after they pull that lever. This often means that the entire weekend at the casino was more than worth it and that they just may be able to pay off the rest of that mortgage.

The Japanese slot machines are known to be the ones with the best statistical odds to produce a 777. They use their own brand of computer chips inside the machines that guide the frequency in which the different symbols and number appear. If Vegas is not the end of your world and if your passport has not expired, a trip to Japan in search of the 777 could be a fun adventure.

However you look at it, 777 shows itself well beyond the floors of the casino and reappears throughout human history in a myriad of forms. Almost every culture finds some significance in it. If the number 666 is universally considered to be an “evil” number, then 777 could be its opposite as the universally “good” number. Perhaps it’s just a number or perhaps it’s magical; maybe it’s plain or maybe it’s lucky. Will you find out the answer? You bet it!

Based on the book by Larry Shandling and Nicholas Pileggi, Casino was released in 1995 and was directed by Martin Scoresese. It stars Rober De Niro (who else?) as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a character based on Frank Rosenthal, who ran casinos in Las Vegas for the Mafia in the 70’s, most notably the Stardust casino.

The Mafia is backing Rothstein while he secretly runs the casino and has to set up a false front while, because of his gambling charges back East. Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, is sent by the mob to look over Rothstein and protect him but he eventually runs his own operations. Sharon Stone plays Ginger McKenna, a former prostitute and Rothstein’s love interest, who remains in love with her pimp, Lester Diamond, portrayed by James Woods.

Play Blackjack for Free!

Croupier (1998)

Clive Owen stars as Jack Manfred, an uninspired writer who works as a croupier in a casino only to find out that his life would make a great novel. Tensions begin to emerge between Jack and his girlfriend, Marion, played by Gina McKee, when he finds himself succumbing to the temptations of the gambling world. Jack begins to realize that he is becoming the hero of his novel, the immoral Jake, and is, in fact, giving in to these temptations to provide him with subject matter that will make for a memorable work of fiction.

This neo film noir movie portrays a thrilling profile of the life of a dealer and shows how real casinos operate, while telling a compelling story.

Eric “The Kid” Stoner, played by Steve McQueen, is up against Lancey Howard, a veteran card shark, played by Edward G. Robinson. The two dual it out in five-card stud, with the straight-as-an-arrow dealer Shooter (Karl Malden) forced by Slade (Rip Thorn), a poker player who was bested by Howard, to cheat in order to help the kid and humiliate Howard.

The movie has aged a bit but the epic game featured in the movie has since become a classic. In a highly suspenseful final hand, the kid loses with a strong full house to Howard’s straight flush.

Matt Damon is Mike McDermott, a New York law student who plays poker to finance his education. When he loses his savings in a $30,000 hand of poker he decides to quit the game completely until his old partner Worm, brilliantly played by Edward Norton, gets out of prison and drags him back to the game and into serious trouble.

The Sting (1973)

This movie stars non other than the famous duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as a pair of con artist trying to pull the greatest con of their lives.

The Gambler (1974)

James Caan is Axel Freed, a professor in a New York City university that ironically also teaches Dostoyevsky’s The Gambler in his course. Despite his familiarity with gambling addiction and his use of Dostoyevsky to intellectualize his weakness into tragic compulsion he has a gambling addiction bordering on a tendency of self destruction.

The film presents a gritty realism to the world of bookies, loan sharks, and their violent enforcers. This intensive and realistic presentation of the life of a gambler on the path to self destruction is both compelling and disturbing. Not many films before or since have managed to capture the thrill of gambling, the constant risk taking and living on the edge, as this film managed to do so well.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) portrays one of the legendary poker players of all time, Stu Ungar, who won 3 WSOP tournaments (the only player ever to do so) and countless other tournaments. He won many millions at the poker table but lost everything due to horse races and his drug addiction that also led to his death in 1998.

Imperioli shows Ungar’s complex personality, wild lifestyle and incredible prowess at every game he played, whether it was blackjack, poker or gin rummy (his specialty).

The movie focuses on Ungar’s relationships with his wife and those closest to him and portrays his life from its beginning, on Manhattan’s lower east side, as a gin rummy prodigy, turning poker pro in Las Vegas, after escaping there due to debts brought on by his race horses addiction and finally, his poker playing days, legendary WSOP wins, drug addiction and his untimely death in a Las Vegas hotel room.

This film is unique among gambling films because it tells the tale of a man who is not a gambler, but rather a man who brings bad luck to other gamblers.

William H. Macy is Bernie Lootz, a man with such incredible bad luck that he makes it impossible to win when he’s around. He is employed by a Las Vegas casino to “cool down” winning gamblers at the tables.

When he falls in love with Natalie (Maria Bello), a waitress at the casino he works in, it suddenly turns his luck upside down. When people start winning big simply because he stands next to them, the casino owner, Shelly Kaplow, played by Alec Baldwin (who was nominated for both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for his performance) begins to intervene and to make Lootz’s life a living hell.

Some critics claim that the plot of the film is based on Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale novel, the first in the James Bond series, which has now also become the newest James Bond film, after Die Another Day, which came out in 2002.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)

Henry Fonda (Meredith) and Joanne Woodward (Mary) are a husband and wife, who get caught up in a high-stakes poker game on their way to California. Meredith gambles all their life savings on the game, money that was meant to be used to by a farm.

When Meredith suffers a heart attack during a hand his wife takes over, even though she doesn’t know how to play. Will she be able to play against the professionals and save their life savings? The end will surprise you.

Caribbean Poker is played against the house, and the rules are quite simple to learn.

Each player places their ante on the table. The dealer will announce ‘No more bets’ just before play begins. Then each player is dealt five cards, face down. The dealer will also receive five cards, but one of his cards will be placed face up.

Each player may look at their cards, but they may not discuss what they are holding with any of the other players at the table.

Once the player has examined the dealers face up card, and their own hand, they have a choice to either fold the hand, or place a bet of twice their original ante.

Once all the players have made their decisions, the dealer will reveal his hole cards. The dealer can only play with an Ace/King or higher. If he does hold at least and Ace/King, he will compare his cards to the cards of the players, and the best hand wins.

If the dealer does not have an Ace-King or better, then the player’s bet will be returned, plus an amount equal to the ante. If he does have Ace-King or better, but a player’s hand wins, then that player will get even money on their ante, plus fixed odds on their call bet, with the odds ranging from evens for a pair or high card, to 100-1 for a royal flush.

20-1 for a Four of a Kind

If the dealer has Ace-King or better, and the player’s hand loses, then they will lose their ante and their call bet.

Under normal circumstances, the house has a better than 5% edge against your ante. This can be reduced if players share details of their hands – if you know the contents of all the other hands on the table, you can actually gain a 2% edge over the house. This is considered cheating, however.

If you are playing a version of Caribbean Stud Poker that offers a progressive jackpot, then you should remember to place your token into the progressive meter, and check that the indicator light is on at the same time as you place your ante.

The hardest task for beginning craps players to learn is not the rules, but mainly the terms surrounding the game. The most intimidating factor after getting up the nerve to approach the loud, boisterous craps tables is the fact the players seem to be speaking some type of foreign language – there are so many unusual words being thrown around. This makes it important for players to learn ‘craps slang’ after learning the rules so you’ll be able to understand, and even speak, the craps lingo.

In the two different craps rounds, there is only one basic bet.

The main objective in the Come Out round is for the shooter – the person throwing the dice – to roll a 7 or an 11. These numbers are an automatic win the first round of the game. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or a 12 then that roll is an automatic loss. The numbers 2, 3, and 12 are called craps. If any other number is rolled in the first round – 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 – it will become the Point and the game will progress to the second round.