mea culpa - things I sortof have wished I didn't say.....

mea culpa - things I sortof have wished I didn't say when I was in Vegas....

.....if I hadn't been a drinkin (ok, just call me Mickey C.....)

a) To a 30-ish woman (with her husband at 1st base at a BJ table off-strip):

She had obviously had a drink or two (apparently I had as well), and she was kindof proud when she announced that she had a couple of kids and was still a fairly attractive blonde, and she had been saying that she was double-checking the dealers' sum of the players cards vs the dealer's:

So I said: - "You look like you would be good at Arithmetic".

I see NOW how that could be misinterpreted as a "dig" on her appearance. I didn't mean it that way (honest). I think I got back on the husband's good side when I asked the young-ish woman if Texas A&M had a football program. I don't regret that so much, it was kindof funny, and he went to the UofT or somewhere NOT Texas A&M. Fist-bump.

ANYONE ELSE ?

Come on M146, I know you have one. Or not, I still remember it being hilarious.

Almost everything that comes out of my mouth or that I type I regret. I think it is better to not say anything and just listen and observe. Perhaps talk when asked a direct question but it seems that talking always gets me in trouble. I really wish I could small talk better. I am horrible at small talk but that is what people seem to want and understand.

I hate small talk

Nothing wrong with talking to other people about unimportant subjects.

Were it wrong, there would be damned few internet forums and no facebook.

Most folks don't have the mental ability nor the inclination to discuss deep, important subjects all the time; we're not all physicists, rocket scientists or brain surgeons.

Heck, I bet even Einstein liked to shoot the breeze and discuss such vapid subjects as sports on occasion.

Which leads to the inevitable question: what subjects are in fact worth talking about, i.e. not categorized as "small talk?"

Health care (should be the #1 issue in America today and I think most people feel like single payer will be the best way to go, eventually)
The weather and climate change
Guns
Race relations
Tipping (apparently)
Kids these days (actually a good one depending on who is at the table)

Small talk can be fine. When I was younger I didn't really know how to do it. I learned so meh.

I prefer banter if a person is funny or at least capable of getting jokes. Especially once I ascertain that the person is not easily offended.

Shop talk is nice. Playing poker and doing customer service I found the best way to kill time with someone was often to ask about their work. This will usually be something they know a lot about and you know little about. They will often have some decent stories.

In general, getting people to tell you their best stories is max ev. Also, an area of expertise, even outside of work.

Talking about serious topics... Politcs, religion, is only good with a small minority. Too often it leads to butt clinching awkwardness. If a person is not too delicate, it can be interesting to try to find out why they think what the do. Especially if they are some kind of extremist. It's pretty uncommon for people to have much real knowledge or insight in these areas. It's sort of the antithesis of talking about their jobs in that they have done little research or work yet believe they know all about it. Usually they either just believe everything msnbc or fox tell them, or they watched 4 videos on YouTube and now know with total certainty that we don't need any form of government.

Regrettable statements are too many to count. I met an attractive girl at a party once and told her about this great and very funny video I'd recently watched via interweb in which a man had sex with a horse and died. You know how in cartoons, someone leaves so fast that there is this dust version of themselves left behind?

Quote: MrV

Nothing wrong with talking to other people about unimportant subjects.

Were it wrong, there would be damned few internet forums and no facebook.

I'm one of those people that thinks human interaction was much better off before the invention of internet fora and social media.

Quote: TigerWu

I'm one of those people that thinks human interaction was much better off before the invention of internet fora and social media.

Agree that sitting at a table and intersecting with other people make for the best EV. When you face adversity in opinion face-to-face you find that people are generally gentler and kinder then what's scribed on their t-shirt or posted on their social media.

There are great life stories out there to be heard. Even from die-hard Trump supporters ;)

Quote: boymimbo

When you face adversity in opinion face-to-face you find that people are generally gentler and kinder then what's scribed on their t-shirt or posted on their social media.

Whilst this is a truism, I avoid interaction with other players unless I am in the islands. I'm interested in speed. More hands per hour. Interaction tends to slow the game. And if they get pissed at me for not interacting; perhaps they'll leave. Which is fine with me.

darn this mouse.

Quote: Rigondeaux

I met an attractive girl at a party once and told her about this great and very funny video I'd recently watched via interweb in which a man had sex with a horse and died.

Who is your favorite serial killer is a great opening line when you meet an attractive woman at a mystery writers convention in other circumstances its not quite such a good opening gambit.

People on the cocktail party circuit in Washington, DC often get verbal briefings on the days news and alternative theories so that their conversations are seen as witty and intelligent.

Or you can start with: "Don't you hate it when you panic and kill a hooker?" :)

Good conversation or banter at the table goes a long way towards distracting a dealer.

And distracted dealers are +EV.

Quote: gamerfreak

And distracted dealers are +EV.

All dealers are +EV; its the players who are -EV.