Can A "Gambler" Be A "Fan" ?

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by joeydb

Compare the excessive gambler to an alcoholic: the alcoholic needs a fix, in a pinch the alcoholic doesn't care if it's beer, wine, scotch, or tequila -- he needs the alcohol, the active ingredient. Similarly someone with a gambling problem likes to wager, if possible on their favorite game, but otherwise on any speculative enterprise offering the possibility of winning and adrenaline in the playing of the game. This sort of gambler is not likely to be a fan of any particular game but more of the right to wager and the availability of legalized gambling.

It's a good analogy, and I'd say the horseplayer is someone who likes beer or wine or a specific type of liquor, but won't drink just anything to get smashed. I consider myself a horseplayer and a fan. I don't play poker or go to casinos much or bet harness. I play thoroughbred racing and the occasional sporting event, because I feel like it's what I know.

And I watch races all the time without wagering on them, simply because I feel like I can learn things from watching a race from an objective point of view. There are sometimes nuances that I notice while watching races with no 'action' that I can then apply to my handicapping. You can never know too much IMO.