Like any other hobby that also lands on someone’s deal-breaker list, it can be hard for friends

and acquaintances to broach the subject of gambling. Tell the wrong person, and then everyone

at work knows that you gamble. Be too subtle or discreet, and spend your free time gambling

alone. Picking out the gamblers in a group of friends and then getting involved can be an

awkward process, but it is ultimately rewarding.

1. Create an In

The first step is all about creating a comfortable setting where open talk can happen. The goal is

for everyone involved to feel comfortable and like they can safely speak openly about

themselves. The key is to keep the head count low, since few people are willing to say they

gamble to a room full of people. If there is a friend or couple of friends who seem like gambling

folk, the best option may be to invite them to dinner and games in your home. Bringing the cards

out is a good opportunity for the question, “Have you ever played poker?” Most people have at

least one story around the game, but a real gambler will have plenty to say about it. A shared

love of gambling introduced over good food and clean fun is a safe way to break the ice, though

it does take an awful lot of prep time.

2. Bring out the Jargon

There are some people out there who turn their noses against gambling as a hobby or as an

institution, and they can make a gambler’s life miserable when the beans are spilled. Luckily,

people who snub gambling also don’t know very much about it. When talking with a group of

friends or acquaintances, try dropping a few terms in conversation. See if anyone knows what a

croupier is, or if they can tell the difference between a layout and a table cloth. When the ears

start perking up, that means there are gamblers in the room.

3. Invent a Friend

There are very few occasions when a person is willing to speak their mind about something, and

one of these occasions is gossip. Instead of talking about your own gambling, bring up someone

you know (who also doesn’t exist) who recently had a winning streak and paid you back the $20

they owed you, or some such story. Even better, bring up an actual person who you actually

know and gamble with. If anyone is impresses by the story and seems interested instead of acting

bitter or awkward like others might, then you have yourself a new gambling buddy.

If you were waiting for the greatest breakthrough in gaming immersion, here it is. No joystick,

no “press X to select,” just walking around and reaching things like you are inside the game.

Sure, the system may come with two controllers, but they quickly become part of the

environment. They become your sword, your gun, your key, your torch, or your hand.

The biggest hassle is watching out for the cord on the ground. At present, the virtual reality

headset must be plugged directly into the system, and a thick cord is running along the ground.

Unless you are standing perfectly still, you are going to need to learn how to step over the cord

on a regular basis, preferably without tripping and taking the whole headset with you.

With that little death trap out of the way, virtual reality is finally ready to bring an entire casino

into your living room. You will be able to walk around the halls just like in real life, pick out a

machine or a table, and play almost like in real life. Multiplayer in this sort of environment is

still years away, but there’s no reason there can’t be NPCs running around.

Another thing we can’t have quite yet is lifelike interaction. The xbox one might be able to pull it

off, but the Vive does not support voice commands. This means you cannot walk up to a

blackjack table and say, “deal me in.” Rather, you can but it won’t do anything.

The most overwhelming thing about the Vive is how natural moving around is. You can crouch,

look up, lean back, and sprint as far as the system will let you go, and it will track your

movements perfectly.

When it comes between sitting in a chair to play and getting to experience (almost) everything

just like real life, the choice is easy. Of course, it might make sense to wait a console generation

or two until the gambling experience is truly immersive. The wish list might be shrinking, but

true VR is still not here. If you want to experience the real thing, you will still have to pull into a

casino parking lot and go inside. If realism isn’t that important, however, playing casino games

with a headset at least means no waiting in line.