Why I Don't Gamble Anymore

I used to play some $20 poker but had to give it up due to the vicious emotional cycle it always put me in.

Phase 1: "I can afford to lose twenty bucks this week. It won't really put a wrinkle in my budget.

Phase 2: I'm winning! Well this is rather enjoyable. That's a decent amount of money in the pot. I may just decide to spend my winnings on these on these losers as a kind gesture. After all, I wasn't really expecting to come into this money in the first place.

Phase 3: "NOOOO!!!!!! How did I lose? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?!? Someone obviously cheated! I was planning on putting away the winnings for my kid's college trust fund. Wait, that means this guy cheated my kid out of a good education and a prosperous life. I bet he's gonna blow the money on something stupid like printed t-shirts of 80's "hair bands" or lots of booze. That selfish near-sighted cheater ruined my life!"

...which is why I don't gamble any more.