Same reason most people’s savings disappear in casinos.
This is NagaWorld in Cambodia — the degeneracy capital of Asia.
The lift skips floors 4, 14, 24.
Apparently, 4 sounds like “death” in Chinese, so casinos just… delete it.
Can’t go broke if the floor doesn’t exist, right?
But here’s a confession.
In all my years of traveling to casinos across the world — from Goa to Europe to Phnom Penh, I’ve never played a single game against the house.
Except once.
I was deep into a tournament in Goa.
Busted late at night. A friend dragged me to try Blackjack.
I already knew the house edge was ~1%.
Still, I sat down. Played a few hands. Lost ₹1,500.
And I still remember the sinking feeling in my stomach.
Not because of the money — but because I knew better.
That one moment made me feel like I had betrayed everything poker taught me about discipline, control, and positive EV decisions.
Since that day, I’ve never touched a house game.
Poker feels like gambling to most people — because it’s mostly played in a casino.
But it’s the only game where you play the players — not the house.
And if you have the edge, the grind pays you back.
P.S. Superstition might save you from floor 4. But only self-awareness saves you from repeating bad decisions.
What’s one moment where you knew it was a bad idea — but did it anyway?
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