Casino gambling and the Tao

It may seem strange to equate casino gambling with Taoist philosophy, but it may be because gambling is part of Chinese culture and widely accepted.

The earliest recorded history of playing cards dates back to the 9th century in China, which makes sense since they were the inventors of writing paper. The first book written with reference to playing cards dates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) called Yezi Gexi. In the 11th century playing cards could be found throughout Asia featuring many of the 108 Lan Shun heroes found in the Chinese classic “Water Margin”.

In the 16th century, playing cards arrived in France and it is there that they began to use the card suits with drawings that we know today based on figures of the French nobility.

Taoist philosophy is said to be nearly 6,000 years old and rose to fame with the teachings of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, the first emperor of China. With many of his scientific discoveries, such as mathematics and astronomy, there was also a deep connection to astrology, symbology (a science of symbols and their effects), numerology, and many forms of mysticism.

In the Seventh Pillar of Taoism, “The Tao of Mastery,” the symbol for water is K’AN and it says, “To be successful and lucky, you must take the risk.” Luck for the ancient Taoists was a form of control and synchronization.

Clearly, in all games of chance, timing is an important factor. Regardless of the type of game, all its forms tend to run in cycles, both winners and losers. It is the ability that one navigates through these cycles that the player conveys their level of control over the outcome.

The first serious studies of gambling in the 20th century were conducted by economists who expressed confusion that gambling is a losing proposition and, indeed, irrational behavior. In 1945, William Vickery, a leading economist, came to the conclusion that gambling should not be measured by expected winnings, but by money a player does not have and which appears to be more valuable to him than he does have.

The typical view is that gambling is self-destructive, undermines the work ethic, and eliminates money that could be better used in the economy. The idea that most people tend to gamble beyond their means remains unproven and was challenged in a 1966 research in “Economics of Gambling” published in London, England. In this study it was found that it was an affective outlet for frustration, a relief from loneliness and a leveler of inequality between economic classes.

Many psychologists see gambling as a normal form of recreation and destructive only for addicts. They stated that the solution is to treat the player, not to condemn the game as a whole.

The casino patron is wooed by opulent surroundings, pools, shops, shows, nightlife, and “comped” amenities. The attraction is undeniable as an escape from tedious and purposeless occupations. Facing the myth of success, when faced with insurmountable economic and social obstacles, makes the entire casino experience that much easier to understand.

My own opinion is that people who bet solely on excitement and excitement, without worrying about financial results, would do better to find a more satisfying and less expensive hobby. Gambling is an isolated activity. It will not replace a meaningful relationship or counteract feelings of alienation or loneliness. These are not reasons to gamble.

Using any type of game to fill a void in your personal life, something you cannot do, is the type of game that can have devastating consequences.

If you’ve ever been to a casino, there’s one thing you’ve probably noticed more than anything else … that it’s one thing to see people lose money. This happens because the amateur player enters this competition without a basic understanding of game odds, a game strategy, or even a thought about proper money management. It is a sloppy way of handling money and does little to change the inevitable outcome.

Casinos love this type of player and spend a fortune to attract their business. With the odds in their favor, casino operators know that while there are highly effective gambling methods that can convey those odds to the player, very few of them will invest the time or effort to use them.

Common sense tells us that if everyone who gambled at the casinos lost, they would cease to exist. To attract losers you must have winners and it is just as easy to win in many casino games as it is to lose.

I’m not writing for weekend punters desperately looking to have a good time at all costs. Winning is not even in his vocabulary. They consider the chance of winning to be remote, as if left completely to chance.

It is the individual who is determined to win at any cost that I feel is most like me. It is to these people that I offer the following. There are many ways to achieve your goal. Decide that you will learn everything you have to do to win consistently when you risk your hard earned money gambling at the casinos. Nothing else makes sense to me.

In the words of the ancient Taoist Lao Tzu

“Fortune favors the prepared.”