My grandfather played poker professionally during the depression. He did OK, was better than most and made a enough money to survive until the work came back, not like guys do now of course (that money's from television so its juiced), but his advice? "Never bet on cards, if for stupid reason you do, always play the odds".
I play the lottery 3 or 4 times a year. I actually won $150. I maybe won $3 two other times, but I think I'm about $89 up.
I watched a guy in Blackhawk playing 3 card poker against the house. It was a $5 bet, and he was losing 5 out of 6 and the draws were about every 30 seconds. It was pathetic.
People watch those tournaments on TV and think they can go into a casino and win. Advice from Grandpa "The house always wins" - "what? what part of always don't you understand?". They'll pay guys like Ivey to come in (they call it comping), let him play against a few people with more money than brains, let him walk away with a million bucks, and take everybody else's money that's in the house, and everybody walks away thinking they were winners 'cause they got to see Phil Ivey. "The nice poker player guy on television".