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Comment by Joker_vD | Hacker News Reader

I've played enough poker (and similar games) on computer (against bots, no real money) to know that 1) I am quite bad at assessing the expected value of my moves; 2) I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English? Anyhow, I do know quite well that were I to gamble with real money, I'd very soon go broke and it's not a difficult observation to make, even for someone as bad at self-reflection as myself. So, I don't gamble.

And yet apparently there is something about gambling with real-life consequences that is very attractive to oh so many people who (again, apparently) can not replicate the similar experience in a less life-ruining way, so they return to gamble again and again?

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> I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English?

Does the word have to denote (literally mean) that the person is emotionally excited and engaged at the same time? If so, then perhaps "a daredevil", "hotheaded", "impetuous", "impulsive" or "rash".

There are a lot of close words like "reckless" or "irresponsible" which are often used when the person is excited, but technically they don't require it. Someone can be quite reckless while also half-asleep doing something they don't personally care about.

> what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it, but I don't think "hazardous" has that sense in English?

The best I can come up with is "adrenaline junky", but that isn't specific to gambling; I feel like people use that to refer to people who like base jumping or something.

Well, since we're all already in pedantic grammarian territory: That would be "junkie", since it is a noun identifying an addicted person.

In contrast, "junky" is an adjective to describe a generally bad state or quality. "Junky adrenaline" is probably medical waste.

Ex: "It's not safe to travel in a junky car driven by a junkie. Worse still to sail on a junkie's junky junk."

Poker players would label you as being strategically too "aggressive", but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with emotion, it's just what they would call the way you play.

> what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution? "Hasardeux" is French for it

Is this ‘a gambler’? Addict, risk taker or similar?

There are several terms of art in poker that describe various versions of this:

action player — This is fairly neutral, and describes what I think you mean. Someone who likes to gamble. Sometimes these players are really bad, sometimes they are only sort of bad. These players make bank when playing against weak players who overfold and aren’t willing to gamble.

VIP — This is a polite way to say “donator”. Many/most action players are VIPs. Their attitude is that they can gamble in the pits or gamble at the poker table, and often times the poker table presents less bad (or even good) odds when compared to the house.

LAGtard — LAG is short for “loose aggressive”. LAG can be a very profitable style, especially when deep stacked. That said, LAGtards tend to play the style badly.

spewy — describes someone who puts a lot of chips into the pot, often times in questionable spots. Noun form is “spewtard”.

“with reckless abandon” might be an equivalent phrase, e.g. “he played poker with reckless abandon”.

> I am quite... what's the English word for someone who gets way too excited from the thrill of gambling and forgoes the caution?

I think degen is the common term that used here. It's short for degenerate.

> I think degen is the common term that used here.

Sir, I think you mixed up your HN account with 4Chan...

"degenerate fuckin gambler" is a common term predating 4chan

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/degenerate#Adjective

>(of a gambler) Addictive or compulsive.

I guess you're getting downvoted because people think you mean HN by "here", but you meant amongst gamblers. And you're right, it is the most apt term gp was looking for.

I definitely was not. "Courageous", "adventurous", "risk-taking", "reckless", "impudent", "bold", "daring", but with something that would mean "...almost and even to a fault or own peril", but without an inherent negative moral connotation is what I was looking for.

It doesn't have an inherent negative moral connotation when used amongst gamblers. It's been reclaimed, so to speak. But I suppose we're not amongst gamblers here, so, fair enough.

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