Ever been in a casino or at a horse race? Got stocks and bonds? Lost money? Me too. But I stumbled over an old book on the famous 20th century gambler, NickTheGreek, and it's got me thinking there may be smarter ways to risk your dough:

	* PlayRational; watch out for GamblingAddiction
	* TestTheWater
	* PlayWithHouseMoney
	* KnowYourGame


more to come ...

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Some more sound advice:

	* Offer the odds. If you're the bookie, and you're smart, you don't lose.
		* ''This ain't gambling. It's business.''
	* Play with ''other peoples'' money, for a percentage. This technique used successfully by stockbrokers for years.
		* ''This ain't gambling. It's touting.''
	* Fix the race/stack the deck/bribe the pugilist. Be careful to avoid the law. 
		* ''This ain't gambling; it's theft.''
	* Give up smoking, gamble what you save. You might not get rich, but you'll live poor longer, and you ''will'' end up a little richer than you were when you smoked.
		* ''This ain't gambling; it's a public service announcement.''
	* Don't race horses, dogs or pigeons. They can all go faster than you and some of them bite.
		* ''This ain't gambling. It's veterinary science.''
	* Only gamble what you can afford to lose. Because you will. One day.
		* ''Already covered in the patterns above.''
	* If you can't spot the sucker at the table, it's you