and you, in front of your computer, glancing through the window; those pathetic people, laughing together with their friends, if they only knew there was a world beyond that
You would shit bricks if you saw me playing blackjack:)
There's only two ways to win at gambling.
A) Don't do it.
B) Buy something with the money if you win.
I'm quite successful at playing actually (the few times I do and only cos its infrequent) but what bothers me is if you keep that money and try again, you will lose.
You really need to apply longterm thinking to gambling, and the house will always win the war, so when you win the battles, make sure you spend the money on something worthwhile minus your original stake.
Its the only way to win at games like 21 and Roulette.
A longterm strat in any of those games will lead to a loss.