It’s Zyngo, not Zynga, Silly...

Dear Gudrun -

I was going through a really rough time in life a few years ago, and I found solace in a few things...   Drinking and gambling seemed to ease my pain and dry my tears. But then somehow things turned ugly. My pain in certain areas disappeared, but I created new struggles and aches in other areas. I began to feel like an idiot. I felt stupid and guilty and helpless. My enjoyment didn’t last for very long, and I lost the ability to have much of a say in my habits. My habits slowly drained all of my energy and took my life away from me.

Well I’m here to say that I shook that all off I am ready to live – and that includes feeling my feelings instead of running away from them.  My drinking is under control. And I still enjoy playing games, but prefer not to risk money.  I am a Second Life resident.  I see Zyngo everywhere, and I see people bet small amounts and win a lot.  Is it simply one of those fun social games, or would it reignite the fires of my gambling addiction?

Sincerely, Loser

Dear Winner –

Zyngo is a cross between a slot machine and Bingo, and it is ubiquitous in Second Life gaming parlors.  It has nothing to do with the social gaming developer Zynga, which has created such narcotically addictive gems as Farmville and Bubble Safari.  There are contests, but most Zyngo games are non-social... they are player vs. machine.  This is not to say that Zyngo is not narcotically addictive as well.  All gambling is addictive.

Oddly, Zyngo is still permitted in SL.  This is because Linden Labs considers it a game of skill.  The game creator (Aargyle Zymurgy) pursued this issue with LL.  He had 5 experienced players play 5 novices…  Surprise!!!  The veteran players got higher scores.  But what has that got to do with a single player trying to achieve a set score?   There are a few contests between players...  but most machines are set up for single players trying for an instant pay-out.

Zyngo IS gambling; it is not a game of skill.  As in Bingo, attention span and method CAN increase your score, but is a slot machine a game of skill?  No, it is pure probability.  In the past, Zyngo even had an “auto-play” setting on many machines, which both pulled the handle and covered the squares for you.  In the end, this was too egregious even for LL, and has been outlawed.

There are a lot of variations on Zyngo.  I only play actual Zyngo, and I prefer the "No Devil" version.  (In the "Devil" Classic or Wyld versions, a devil randomly appears and takes part of your score :-<)  I have lost lots of Zyngo games, but I have won lots.  I don't kid myself, and I don't bet large amounts, but my bigger wins have been L$50K,  L$30K, L$20K, and L$10K, and I have had several of those L$20K and L$10K wins.  I don't keep track of lesser wins, but I DO keep souvenirs of the bigger ones, one of which I include herewith to establish my credentials.  Of course, part of the beauty of SL in general is that the Linden is only worth 4/10 of a cent (or 4.108 mills).  The only other places besides SL that "mills" are used today are gas station prices, grocery store coupons, and tax computations.

If anyone tells you they make a living playing Zyngo, they are lying, possibly to entice you into Zyngo parlors they own.  If they do own a Zyngo parlor, they may actually be making money on Zyngo, but not by playing it.  Like all games of chance, Zyngo is set up so the house wins (unless the owner screwed up his setup).  Of course, the players do win a certain percentage of the time, but they don’t win more than they (or someone else) have lost.  The game actually has a “stop-loss” setting to prevent the house from losing, so if you find a disabled machine, that’s why it's disabled.

Each game is an independent event.  What does this mean?  Within the realm of large numbers, you will win a certain percentage of the time.  However, if you have a 1:2 chance of winning, you won't necessarily lose one and then win one.   You might lose 50 before winning the next (if you have any money left to bet).  Or, if you have lost 10 games, the next player on that same machine may win, instead of you, or may not.  I guess you hafta keep playing, otherwise you won’t know, LOL.

Independent Events

When two events are independent, the occurrence of one in no way affects the probability of the other occurring. An overly discrete example of two independent events is as follows: say you rolled a die and flipped a coin. The probability of getting any number face on the die in no way influences the probability of getting a head or a tail on the coin.  But events don't require that kind of physical separation to be independent.  If a "fair" coin (whatever that is) is tossed two times, the probability that a head comes up on the second toss is 1/2 regardless of whether or not a head came up on the first toss (unless, of course, the coin isn’t really fair at all, which is probably the case since probably none are).

Dependent Events

When two events are dependent, one event occurring directly influences the likelihood of the other event.

For example, there are 4 aces in a deck of 52 cards.  If you were to draw a card from the deck and it was an ace, the probability of drawing a second ace would be greatly changed, and for that matter, the probability of drawing any other card would also be changed.

Within a Zyngo game, there is some dependency within the game itself…  For example, in “No Devil”, there is one spider and two multipliers.  The longer you keep your multipliers, the better, whether you get them before the spider (which then reduces them), or after, which leaves them intact for the whole game.  Obviously, it is advantageous to get multipliers early on, whether the spider comes first or later in the game. 

But the outcome of any entire game is independent of the outcome of any other game.

Gamblers Fallacy

A coin is flipped five times and comes up heads each time. What is the probability that it will come up heads on the sixth flip? The correct answer is, of course, ½ (unless it is a loaded coin, or maybe just a normal totally uneven coin). But many people believe that a tail will be more likely to occur after throwing five heads. Their reasoning goes "In the long run, the number of heads and tails will be the same, so the tails have some catching up to do."  The gambler's fallacy involves beliefs about sequences of independent events.  Believers in the fallacy argue correctly that in the long run, the proportion of heads will be something like 0.50. Or, stated more precisely, as the number of flips approaches infinity, the proportion of heads approaches 0.50. Doesn't this imply that there must be some natural adjustment occurring, compensating for a string of heads with the later occurrence of more tails?  Uh, yea.  But how long you gonna live?  More to the point, how long is your money gonna last?

Zyngo is run honestly.  Does the Mafia control Zyngo?  If it does, Zyngo is at least as honest as Vegas.  Many of the big parlors have a Middle Eastern flavor (or at least clientele).  Maybe Al-Qaeda controls Zyngo.  In any case, the numbers are generated randomly by servers operated by the manufacturers of Zyngo machines.   

The machines themselves have a variety of settings managed b y the machine owners.  These include the price of the game, the winning score, the devil's appearance or lack thereof, and a stop-loss setting.  If you find a disabled machine, it was disabled by stop-loss because it was in danger of paying out more than it took in.

Zyngo can involve no money or huge bucks.   There are free-to-play machines.  There are machines that take tiny bets.  There are also machines that pay out 100X your investment.  And there are machines where you can bet L$25,000 and win L$500,000.  Payout percentages are high because the parlors have figured out that it is more profitable and better for traffic to hold small percentages of large amounts than large percentages of small amounts.  They would rather you bet 1000 and they keep 20% than have you bet 100 and keep 50%.  In the short term, anything can happen.  In the longer term you may win.  But eventually, the house will profit.

At one of my favorite spas, which seems very successful, the following scores will produce the indicated payouts on bets of $L1000:

Score     Payout

69222    20000    20X

54333    10000    10X

48888    6000      6X

46888    5000      5X

41333    3000      3X

34333    2000      2X

29333    1500      1.5X

If a score of 34333 allows L$1000 bettors to win a L$2000 payout 40% of the time, the parlor will make about L$2000 every 10 games.  You figure out the rest, LOL.  Of course, a bet of more or less than $L1000 will increase or decrease the house determined payout accordingly.  And higher scores are harder to achieve, so there are far fewer winners.  I have seen projected win rates for various scores, but none of them make sense.  Nevertheless, the owners no doubt have a good handle on it based upon experience. This same parlor pays L$695 per month in advertising costs and L$295 in land fees, so they are probably not losing money, and are probably making far more than the typical SL business.

Anyone who tells you Zyngo is skill- based with the player using math, deductive reasoning, memory, etc, is uttering nonsense.  There are only 3 factors here...  The amount paid, the winning score, and the amount to be won.  You are now armed with vast knowledge.  

The main strategy I recommend is simply discipline.  Set limits, don't bet more than you can afford to lose, and quit while you're ahead :=P

If you are truly addicted and want to gamble with dinner, you might try this: 

http://www.spinarecipe.com/#  

I vouch for NONE of their recipes.

Note:  This item also appeared in the January REZ Magazine.

Michele and Gudrun Wish You a Happy New Year

The Birth of a Breakfast

Vienna, July 1683 - After the fall of Constantinople, the Ottoman empire was expanding.  Its armies overran Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia. Ottoman rule covered most of central and southern Hungary. They plundered cities, took slaves, turned churches into mosques, and converted many thousands of Christian captives to Islam at the point of a sword.

The Ottomans had designs on Vienna, which they had last attacked in 1529.  King Leopold had fled, leaving only a small garrison (11,000) and a few thousand volunteer citizens ( about 5,000) in control of the city.  Civilians, of course, were there to do the necessary...  like bake bread.

This tiny garrison was no match for the army of 140,000 that surrounded them, but the Turks decided to starve the city into submission rather than attempt a frontal assault on its defenses.

When the King John III Sobieski of Poland set off for Vienna in early September, the Viennese garrison was in desperate straits. The people of the city were starving, and the city had suffered serious damage from the Turkish bombardment.   The relief forces had already arrived as the Turks attempted to tunnel under the walls and set off a bomb  that would throw the city open to the Turkish forces once and for all.  Unfortunately for the Turks, the Austrians within the city had mounted a counter-tunneling operation.    Bakers working through the night heard the tunnelers and raised the alarm.  Austrian “moles” then entered the Turkish tunnel, found the bomb, and defused it.

At about the same time the Polish King, in the vanguard of his fearsome Winged Hussars and with 20,000 men behind him, led a cavalry charge down a hill into the flank of the Ottoman army. The hussars were one of the most formidable fighting forces of the time, and the sound of the wind through the feathers of their artificial wings was said to unnerve the horses of the enemy and drive superstitious soldiers into a panic.   Their wings fluttering and zipping like ferocious, spear-wielding birds of prey, thousands of hussars plowed into the Turkish force, driving them back, plundering their supply train, and driving the Turks from the field.
 
It would be the furthest west the Ottoman Empire would ever advance.

Amongst the supplies the Turks abandoned were tons of coffee...

The bakers celebrated the victory by copying the symbol from the Turkish flag and baking the kipfel (or crescent).  Kipfels turned into croissants when 15-year-old Austrian princess Marie Antoinette arrived in France in 1770 to marry the future king.  Parisian bakers started turning out kipfels in her honor...

The Viennese bakers commemorated the Polish cavalry charge with a bun called the bügel (stirrup).  We know it as the bagel.

Hmmmm.....  Viennese coffee houses and a continental breakfast...  :=)

Totally unrelated to New Year's...  :=P

Merry Christmas from Gudrun and Michele

Vampires?

Dear Gudrun -

I want to be a vampire!!!!  This has been my dream for so long...  Some girls see movies and want to be vampires cuz the guys are "hot."  Lots of girls, for example, want Edward to bite them. This is not what I'm talking about.

I can smell blood even if I can’t see it.  I notice just a little taste of it...even my own.  I went to a vampire movie with one of my boyfriends.   Watching portrayals of vampires makes me want to be one even more, but it’s because just the thought of tasting blood sends a chill throughout my whole body.  I told the boyfriend that the movie made me want blood.  I’m fairly attractive, and guys want to please me, so I ended up getting it.  He let me bite him hard enough that I broke the skin and got a little bit to come out on its own, and then I sucked more of it out of him.  

I wanted to drink it badly, but I couldn’t let myself do it to him, even though the whole time it was he who was encouraging it...  I had never had to fight so hard with something like that in my life.  Another friend of mine once let me drink his blood. Now every time I see him now I just want to bite him and drink his blood.   As weird as it may seem, the blood is so sweet to me that I can hardly resist the urge when I smell that breathtaking fragrance.

I realize there are serious issues with real life vampirism: health, safety, moral, and legal, not to mention social and psychological.  I have learned to suppress my desire for human blood.

I won't let my bloodlust turn me into an evil, sadistic, seductive, bloodthirsty sex fiend in real life.  But the cachet of the vampire is attractive.  Anyway, is SL the place for me?  Will it help me with my problem?

                                                                        Sincerely,

Bloodthirsty

Dear Bloodthirsty –

Second Life may not be “the” place for you, but it is definitely “a” place for you.

I have had many vampire friends in SL, but almost NONE of them claim to be Real Life vampires.  Quite a few, on the other hand, are into BDSM in RL, which is a much safer thing to be into.

There are huge problems with RL blood-drinking.  There are pretty much only three ways to get blood:  (1) tap another human, (2) drink menstrual blood, or (3) drink slaughterhouse blood.  Though the risks by method vary, the common factor is that there is NO risk-free way to procure and drink blood.  There are major threats, both physical and mental, to both you and any "donor" you may come upon.  What goes for sex applies here as well, and the only true safety is, even more so, to abstain.

The donor may die from infection or bleed to death.  You may overindulge.   Moderation should always be paramount: two to three drinks per week is the maximum suggested.  (Unh… Who makes these suggestions???  Well, the ancient Roman playwright Terence suggested “Moderation in all things,”  Two or three cocktails per night, not per week and mostly alcohol, would be moderate for me.  So maybe…  Oh, never mind.)

There is a risk of drug interactions through "donor" blood. The chances are pretty good that at some point your "donor" has taken one or more "medications," legal or illegal. You may be allergic, may not be able to handle it, or it may even interact with your own drug “regimen.”  *Sigh

With menstrual blood, an array of additional issues may arise.  Likewise with slaughterhouse blood.  You can figure these risks out on your own.

There are also non-physical problems that may arise: ethical, religious, or moral. In general, drinking blood is hard on the psyche.  When it is REALLY done, not done mystically, symbolically or rhetorically, it is not a "normal" thing to do, It can cause ostracism by friends, loss of loved ones, mental anguish and

pain to others, depression, alienation, and anomie.  For some, this isn't a big deal.  Some are loners by nature; but most need validation by others.  Sometimes it is better to be human, and be like everyone else...

Vampires’ attractiveness usually is directly associated with their menace and amorality. They're a version of the typical "bad boy" (or “bad girl”) erotic type, elevated to supernatural proportions.  Many of us would like to be THAT way, too.  But, it's not at all like in the movies or books.  The trend of making formerly evil creatures and characters into good creatures and characters is driven largely by the publishing industry's desire for novelty and innovation.  Making a vampire a “good guy” is a logical impossibility…  They prey upon the young and old, drink their blood, and often kill them.  Alternatively, they condemn them to a demonized immortality.

You are young; you have the whole world open to you. You can be anything that you choose if you apply yourself and try hard to work toward that goal. But being a vampire is not what it seems. It's a life full of the same frustrations, complications, stress, and worry as any life.

Vampirism in SL

Anyway, in SL you can be a vampire without any of these risks.  And you can be romantic and fashionable, rather than scary.  You can be a good vampire who goes to church and protects humanity.   Or you can be a scary bloodsucker.

What vampire communities exist in SL?  Lots.  There are lifestyle ones, that don't play role games, and RPG vampires as well.  A search for "Vampire" in groups reveals 857 results.  But you needn’t follow the crowds - you can be independent.  Or you can join a “family” or set out on your own.  Whatever.

How do SL vampires look?  They come in many shapes and sizes. From Nosferatu (who are irredeemably ugly) to suave vampire playboys and glamorous vampirettes, gothic dress to modern gowns, and even jeans and t-shirts.  Some who could pass for human, and some who can't. Many have red eyes, though.  Male vampires are unusually handsome, strong, confident individuals... charismatic, self centered and vain.  They usually force their will on their victims.  Female vampires radiate an unearthly beauty, are usually quiet, and can command the attention in a room by just walking in without saying a word.  A female vampire usually has victims throwing themselves at her, begging her to bite them.  (I think you have already had experience with this, hun.)  There are very few who look scary and epitomize the 'horror' aspect of vampires.

How does one become a vampire in SL?  That depends on many factors. Some just buy skin and some fangs and declare themselves vampires, and who's to say that's not alright to do.  Others become vampires through the games they play.  But, it takes commitment to the lifestyle. You have to figure out what your parameters are, and work to stay within them.  Some join vampire clubs and groups. Others are invited into a family and given the blessing as a reward for serving that family.  Basically, you do what feels good to you.

Does one get the turn-on in SL?  Of course.  Where do you bite?  Necks (One confidante loves to start in the hollow of the neck, just under the jaw line... teasing, working her way down to the hollow of the neck just above the collarbone. The turn of the neck just at the trapezius muscle is the place she likes to bite the most.)  Wrists and thighs are also good.  Most anims reflect the preferred places.

Are there issues finding donors in SL?  No.  In SL, there’s no compulsion to find victims…  Many vampires don't feed regularly at all. Instead they feed when they find a host who piques their interest.

Assuaging the Bloodlust

I know you like blood…  Most people are familiar with blood sausage, which is really good as a grilled tapas.  But here are a few recipes that might help you out.

STEAK TARTARE

 

Buy a lean steak...  It can be cheap, but the better the meat, the better.  Top round or eye of round is fine. You need two to four ounces per person.

Never use pre-ground meat.

Bacteria don’t exist on the interior of meat so you only need to deal with the exterior. First, wash your hands, then rinse the meat thoroughly under running water.  Then give it a thorough coating of salt (a uniform coating - you can’t use too much) and refrigerate for an hour or so.  Then rinse it, grind it or chop it (ribbons, then teensy cubes), season it, and prepare to serve it.

Taste it and add salt (if necessary), pepper, and olive oil.  A shallot and some vinaigrette may be used as well.  Other possibilities are Worcestershire, brandy, or hot sauce, depending on your tastes.

Shape it into a disc and put it on a serving piece. 

A steak tartare must have egg with it.  A raw egg yolk on top, a big yellow sun, acts as a sauce after you make the first cut. Use pasteurized a egg (for example, Davidson's). Or it can be soft poached.  Serve some accompaniments with it: toast, pickles, red onion relish, mushroom duxelles, or just some mustard and cornichons, or nothing, just beef, toast, egg yolk and minced shallot or red onion macerated in a little lemon juice.

“PITTSBURGH” BLACK AND BLUE STEAK

 

Get the best bit of steak you can: filet or sirloin, the thickest cut you can, at least 1 inch.

Leave it out for a few hours to bring the center up to room temperature.  This will help given the quick cooking time.  

Salt and pepper to taste.  Add seasonings you enjoy, such as rosemary or marinate, if desired.

Heat some (extra virgin) olive oil in a large (preferably cast iron) frying pan on HIGH ‘til it’s HOT.  Add a pat of butter.

   

Place the steak in the pan.  Do not prod it or poke it or press it.  Turn.  (A thin steak will take 1 minute per side… A thicker steak 1.5 minutes.)

Ensure that no part of the surface of the steak is still uncooked. If you have a particularly thick steak, it’s possible the sides aren’t cooked, so manipulate the steak to slowly roll it round on its side.

This, of course can also be done on a grill.  The idea is the very high heat. Pittsburgh steak is often called "black and blue." It should be practically charred on the outside (black), while the center remains cold and rare (blue).  A traditional rare steak has an internal temperature of 125F.  A Pittsburgh black and blue rare, 100-110F. Pittsburgh steelworkers made ‘em for lunch on the blast furnaces, LOL.

CZARNINA

 

Czernina  (from czarny "black"; sometimes also Czarnina or Czarna polewka) is a Polish soup made of duck blood and clear poultry broth.  In English it can be called "duck blood soup" or simply “duck soup.”

Serve with kluski (dumplings or noodles).

Ingredients

    1 average (4 pound) duck, cut up

    2 cups duck blood

    ½ cup vinegar

    10 cups water

    2 cups half and half

    ¼ teaspoon marjoram

    5 whole allspice berries (optional)

    2 whole cloves (optional)

    2 cups dried fruit (prunes, raisins, pears, apples)

    4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

    1 tablespoon white sugar

    salt and pepper to taste

  

Directions

Mix fresh blood with vinegar so it won't clot, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Or you can buy the blood already mixed with vinegar at some European specialty stores.

Place dressed duck pieces in a large pot. Cover with at least 10 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add a stock sachet, if desired: marjoram and other spices, if using.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.

Add the dried fruit and cook another hour. Remove meat from bones and return to the pot. Let the soup cool and refrigerate to make skimming off the fat easier, and prevent curdling once the blood and half-and-half are added.  

When ready to serve, in a large bowl, cream the soup by fork blending flour into half-and-half. Add 3 ladles of cold soup and blood-vinegar mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer to pot with remaining soup and heat gently until soup is thickened and the raw flour taste is cooked out, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, vinegar and sweetness, if necessary.

Serve with kluski (dumplings or noodles).

Note:  This item also appeared in the November REZ Magazine.