Gamblers Anonymous

The great thing about using rewards to train is that they are most effectively when used inconsistently. This is convenient because most of us are inconsistent in our behavior, anyway. I know I am. Have you ever watched a gambler in front of a slot machine? The gambler will spend a lot of time playing the machine even if the machine spits out only a few rewards. What keeps them there? The inconsistent reward. The gambler is hooked because of the expectation of the jackpot and the thrill of not knowing when the next reward will appear. As far as your pooch is concerned, using the gambler method will get your dog hooked. This is because your dog will wonder when and how she will be rewarded. Will it be….

• Food
• Praise
• Walk
• Favorite treat
• The park
• A ride in the car
• That special pet behind the ear.

Randomly rewarding your dog for behaviors you like will keep her hooked on playing the training game with you. Adding an occasional jackpot reward, one that is extra special makes the game even more interesting and fun for you both. For example: When you call your dog, if she runs to you or responds to you especially fast, make a bigger and happier fuss than usual.

Remember that attention and affection are very good rewards. They should be used for positive reinforcement. If you pet your dog when she whines and giggle when she jumps on you, you are training her to do both. All you have to do is reserve your attention and affection for times when your dog is well behaved.

Once your dog has been reward trained, she will eventually require very little external reinforcement or motivation. Because she enjoys playing the training game as much as you do.

Think about your dog as a reward slot machine, and she will be reward trained in no time.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the experts decided people and animals alike respond better to positive reinforcement then they do to punishment training.

Your pooch is no different. As reward based training has become the norm, the marketplace has been flooded with tools to help you reward your pooch. By definition a reward is anything your dog likes. Each dog, like people may have different likes and dislikes.

Here is a list of some common rewards:

• special food treats
• food stuffed toys
• squeaky toys
• going for a walk
• playing catch
• invitations into bed
• being petted
• verbal praise
• playing with other dogs

John Henry “Doc” Holliday was born in Georgia in 1851. His mother died when he was a teenager, and his father quickly remarried. His family had great expectations for John Henry since his father was an important person in town and had even been elected mayor, and so to please his parents, John Henry chose a profession – dentistry. He completed dental school, served a two-year apprenticeship, received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery, and with a partner, opened a dental office in Atlanta.

Not long after he started working, the doctors told him that he was severely ill with tuberculosis and gave him only a few months to live. He might add a few months to that death sentence, they suggested, if he moved to a drier climate. Doc quickly packed his gear and moved to Dallas, which was as far as the railway ran at that time. He tried his best to practice as a dentist but his frequent coughing spells made it impossible to be successful. It’s hard to pull a tooth or insert a filling when hacking with a cough. As his business declined, he looked for another way to make a living and discovered that he had a lot of talent and natural ability as a gambler, and he decided to make this his career.

The American West at that time lived up to its reputation of being wild, dangerous, and lawless, so in order to protect himself Doc practiced with a knife and gun until he became an expert. He traveled around the southwest buying bars, gambling, and getting into a series of arguments, gunfights, shootings and killings, which earned him a well-deserved reputation for being a nasty man with a bad attitude. You can understand his recklessness; he felt he had nothing to lose since he would be dying soon anyway. He thought it would be better to die in a gun or knife fight than from tuberculosis. He constantly ran from one town to the next, often a few steps ahead of a posse out to string him up. He excelled as a gambler and in spite of all the upset in his life built up a small fortune from his winnings.

In Fort Griffin, Texas, he rescued Wyatt Earp from an angry group of men who had him surrounded and was about to kill him. Doc’s usual troubles – fights, arguments, and killings – forced him out of Fort Griffin and he joined Wyatt and Wyatt’s brothers in Tombstone, Arizona, a booming silver-mining town. The Clancy bunch, a gang of cattle rustlers, thieves and murders according to most reports, ran freely around town. The locals tolerated them because they frequented the bars and other businesses and while in town took care to behave themselves. Ike Clancy, the leader, and his supporters resented the arrival of the Earps and Holliday who started to bring law and order to the area. They picked a fight with Doc (easy to do given Doc’s quarrelsome nature) and set out to kill him. The quarrel escalated and eventually resulted in the famous Gunfight at the O. K. Corral in 1881. It’s unclear exactly who started it and in spite of all the hype it only lasted thirty seconds and only three men were killed. Doc Holliday took a bullet in the hip, which only caused a bruise, and he survived. Many gunfights in the Old West were bloodier but this achieved the most notoriety. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were arrested for murder, but they were never tried since the grand jury said there wasn’t enough evidence.

In 1887 Doc’s health deteriorated rapidly and in November of that year he died saying, “This is funny.” What was he thinking? He was certain he would be killed in a gunfight, or hanging at the end of a rope, or by a knife in the ribs. He died peacefully in bed and to him that was funny. Friends and enemies eulogized Doc Holliday as perhaps the best gambler of the Old West.

Millions of folks head to Las Vegas, Nevada each year for vacation – and a good number of them are going for one thing – to gamble. But gambling is not for everyone – and if you don’t have the gambling itch, you may wonder if this major U.S. tourist draw has anything else to offer. The short answer is yes. There is much more to a Las Vegas vacation than dropping a few hundred dollars in the slot machine or at the roulette table. In fact, Las Vegas is often referred to as the Entertainment Capital of the World – and much of that entertainment has to do with activities other than gambling. You’ll be glad to know that the stakes are much lower when you’re not heading to the casinos.

A major attraction for many tourists on a Vegas trip are the shows, such as the Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun), which is performed in varying versions that run at (you guessed it) casinos across the city, many of which have been running for quite a number of years. Other shows are always packed, too, and many of the most popular entertainers in the world “play” Vegas at one point or another. You may have heard about Celine Dionne’s fantastic four-year stint at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas, or Elton John’s many performances as a regular fixture on the Las Vegas show circuit. You will also find a plethora of Broadway style musicals like The Producers, which is a top-grossing venue for Vegas.

Amid the bright lights and big names of Vegas, you will also find world class shopping – and shopping is a center point for many Vegas trips. And while you’ll find tons of high end shops and specialty boutiques on the Vegas strip, you’ll also find outlets galore, such as those found under the roof of the Las Vegas Premium Outlet – a conglomeration of over one hundred outlet stores, or the Fashion Outlets Las Vegas – a great place to find the big name brands that litter the chicest Vegas boutiques – but at bargain bin prices.

Non-gamblers on Vegas trips also appreciate the world’s finest cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay and more. Many top executive chefs make their homes in Vegas casinos, or operate their own dining establishments separate from the hustle and bustle of the Strip. There are five-star eateries sprinkled about Las Vegas – so many that naming just a few as the best would be somewhat difficult.

Sports fans often come to Las Vegas on vacation for the legendary boxing matches that are held there frequently. Although the biggest fights are held in the casinos, you can also chance to meet some of the world’s most famous (or should it be infamous) boxing personalities on the street – or the many celebrities who venture in from California and elsewhere to see them fight. Vegas is also home to wrestling events, speed racing and kick boxing matches, and it is not uncommon to find a basketball game or two being played by the Harlem Globetrotters.

Those who once were shocked to consider bringing their families to “Sin City” for a vacation are now reconsidering their thoughts. There are an increasing number of venues that are family-oriented that provide hours of unparalleled entertainment for even the youngest members of your group. The Mirage’s White Tiger Habitat, the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, the Las Vegas Zoo, and Circus, Circus are great places to spend an afternoon or two making memories that will last a lifetime.

So as you can see, even if you are not lured by the bright lights and fantastic mystery of Las Vegas casinos and gambling, the non-gambler has a big menu to choose from when it comes to events and activities on a Las Vegas vacation.

For me, one of the great things about the casino is that that’s where all my friends are. I know they might be sick gamblers and not the best influence on my moral hygiene but they are some of the most interesting and honest people I know. They are the people I share my highs and lows with. They are important to my social world. Anyone that’s a gambler knows what I’m talking about. Whether you play slots, blackjack or poker; you love your gambler friends.

I think this is one of the major reasons why a lot of gamblers still prefer their local casino to an online casino. Even though online casinos make so much more sense, in terms of pushing your gambling dollar. Online casino offer 100% deposit match deals and you can even find online casino rebate programs. These are things most gamblers will never get from their local casino, cause rebates and other tier one comps are reserved just for the high rollers.

But more and more online gambling doesn’t have to a lonely experience. More and more online casinos are offering slots tournaments, where you feel more like your part of a group. Plus there are more and more games where you can play on a public table with a nick, so you can play a roulette or blackjack table with your friends.

The other thing is, there hasn’t just been an explosion in the number of online casinos. There’s now heaps of communities for online gamblers. You can find casino forums, so you can make new friends with other online gamblers and share you digital highs and lows with. So more and more I think you can get a online social gambling experience.

But if you still love your old casino friends, just teach them how to MSN or Skype! So you can just chat with your friends as the action happens.