Poker machine hypnosis - special on telly Thursday

I'm not a poker machinist myself. I think they're horrible things that turn people into anti-social zombies when you just want to go for a beer and a chat at the pub. 

I had a mate years ago who was just hopeless with them. Had no control of himself. His female partner used to give him just a little bit of money for a drink at the pub, because whatever she gave him it'd end up gone; $50 or $500, same thing. But as soon as we'd get to the pub he'd go off to the machines and chuck in $50. Then it's "Can you buy me a drink?" and suddenly my shout for the whole pub visit. He didn't last too long as a friend.

I decided one time to see what all the fuss was about and put $10 in a machine at a local pub a while back. The machine went bananas and paid me $110. I thought that was pretty good. But over the course of the next couple of weeks I continue to put in $10 or $20 only to see it frittered away to nothing, in the end realising I'd put back all I'd won. *pfffft* That was it for me. I don't play the things at all now.

David is rather a unique case. He's about the only person I've ever met who manages to get money out of the things. His secret is that he was taught by a pub owner how they work, and when to pull away from them. Limit the amount you put in, bla, I dunno. But sometimes at a pub outing he's put in a bit and won hundreds, much more that what he's put in over time. He does have a strong personality and doesn't let himself be hypnotised into zombieville by them.

So here's the add for the special on Thursday this week on the telly. These machines destroy lives and are a blight on our society. It's shameful that the gov uses them for revenue raising.