Infomercial

Infomercials are long-format television commercials, typically five minutes or longer. The distribution of Infomercials is via paid programming. This phenomenon started in the United States where infomercials typically shown overnight --outside of peak hours. Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of sign-off. By 2009, most US infomercial spending is during early morning, daytime, and evening hours. Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures. Over $150 billion of consumer products in the U.S. sold through infomercials. Infomercial is sometimes misapplied and used to refer to direct response television advertisements of 60 to 120 seconds in length. However, the term describes program length advertisements. In the US, they are typically 28 minutes and 30 seconds in length. In the US, DRTV advertisements of 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length are typically called "short form" or "DRTV spots" and are not included in the advertising industry's use of the term "infomercial". Note that in the US market, a small amount of media can be purchased for 5 minutes length advertisements, although this time is quite limited. Outside of the US market, lengths depend on the lengths allowed by television stations and government regulators. Infomercial was originally applied only to television advertising; it is now sometimes used to refer to any presentation with a significant amount of information in an actual, or perceived, attempt to persuade to a point of view. When used this way, the term may be meant to carry an implication that the party making the communication is exaggerating truths or hiding important facts. Often, it is unclear whether the actual presentation fits this definition because the term is used in an attempt to dis-credit the presentation. In this way, political speeches may be derogatorily referred to as "infomercials" for a specific point of view.

Problem Gambling

People sometimes call problem gambling ludomania. Problem gambling is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or personal desire to stop. Problem gambling often means that the gambler hurts other people. Severe problem gambling is clinical pathological gambling if the gambler meets certain criteria. Although the term gambling addiction is common in the recovery movement, pathological gambling is an impulse control disorder and is therefore not an addiction according to the American Psychological Association.

A study by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, called the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007, found that approximately 0.6% of the adult population had problem gambling issues, the same percentage as in 1999. The highest prevalence of problem gambling is amongst those who participated in spread betting 14.7%, fixed odds betting terminals 11.2% and betting exchanges 9.8%.

Research by governments in Australia led to a universal definition of problem gambling, which appears to be the only research based definition not to use diagnostic criteria. Problem gambling involves many difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others or for the community. Most other definitions of problem gambling can usually be simplified to any gambling that causes harm to the gambler or someone else in any way. However, these definitions are usually coupled with descriptions of the type of harm or the use of diagnostic criteria. According to DSM-IV, pathological gambling is separate from a manic episode. When the gambling occurs independent of other impulsive, mood or thought disorders is becomes its own diagnosis.

Available research seems to indicate that problem gambling is an internal tendency and that problem gamblers will tend to risk money on whatever game may be available, rather than a particular game being available. However, research also indicates that problem gamblers tend to risk money on fast paced games. A problem gambler is much more likely to lose a lot of money on roulette or slot machines, where rounds end quickly and there is a constant temptation to play again or increase bets, as opposed to a state lottery where the gambler must wait until the next drawing to see results.

Most treatment for problem gambling involves counseling, programs with steps to recover, self help, peer support, medication or a combination of these. However, no one treatment is most efficacious and the United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved medications for the treatment of pathological gambling.

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps reduce symptoms and urges related to gambling. This type of therapy focuses on the identification of the thought processes, mood and cognitive distortions that increase the vulnerability of the gambler. Additionally, cognitive behavioral therapy approaches frequently utilize techniques that build skills geared toward relapse prevention and assertiveness.

Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players with some three-player variations found in Korea and Japan. The four player table version should not be confused with the popular Western single player tile matching computer game Mahjong solitaire, which is a recent invention and completely different from the table game. Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and calculation and involves a certain degree of chance. In Asia, mahjong is also popularly played as a gambling game though it may just as easily be played recreationally. The game is played with a set of 136 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations use a different number of tiles. In most variations, each player begins by receiving thirteen tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the fourteenth drawn tile to form four groups melds and a pair head. There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, stolen from another player melded, the use of basic numbered tiles and honours winds and dragons, the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. However there are many regional variations in the rules; in addition, the scoring system, the minimum hand necessary to win varies significantly based on the local rules being used. All tiles are placed face down on the table and are shuffled. By convention all players should participate in shuffling using both hands moving the pieces around the table, loudly, for a lengthy period. There is no fixed rule on how to deal or how to treat tiles which flip over during shuffle, though possible solutions include turning back over the pieces at the moment they are seen, turning over all revealed pieces at intervals or doing so at the end of the shuffling and forming of the wall. Each player then stacks a row of 18 tiles two tiles high in front of him for a total of 36 tiles. Players then push each side of their tiles together to form a square wall. The dealer throws three dice and sums up the total. Counting counterclockwise so that the dealer is 1 or 5, 9, 13, 17, so that south is 2 or 6, 10, 14, 18, etc., a player's quarter of the wall is chosen. Using the same total on the dice, the player then counts the stacks of tiles from right to left. Starting from the left of the stacks counted, the dealer takes four tiles to himself, and players in counterclockwise order take blocks of four tiles until all players have 12 tiles, so that the stacks decrease clockwise. Each player then takes one last tile to make a 13-tile hand. Dealing does not have to be this formal and may be done quite differently based on house rules. Each player now sets aside any flowers or seasons they may have drawn and takes replacement pieces from the wall. The dealer takes the next piece from the wall, adds it to his hand. If this does not complete a legal hand, he then discards a piece throwing it into the middle of the wall with no particular order in mind. Local play on the street in Lanzhou Each player takes a turn picking up a tile from the wall and then discarding a tile by throwing it into the centre and, if desired, announcing out loud what the piece is. Play continues this way until one player has a legal hand. At this point a player will call out mahjong and reveal their hand. There are four different ways that this order of play can be interrupted which is mentioned below. During play, the number of tiles maintained by each player should always be thirteen tiles meaning in each turn a tile must be picked up and another discarded. Not included in the count of thirteen tiles are flowers and seasons set to the side and the fourth added piece of a kong mentioned below. If a player is seen to have more or less than thirteen tiles in their hand outside of their turn they are penalised.

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Playing Cards

 

A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, or thin plastic, figured with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games. Playing cards are typically palm-sized for convenient handling.

A complete set of cards is called a pack or deck, and the subset of cards held at one time by a player during a game is commonly called a hand. A deck of cards may be used for playing a great variety of card games, some of which may also incorporate gambling. Because playing cards are both standardized and commonly available, they are often adapted for other uses, such as magic tricks, cartomancy, or building a house of cards.

The front or face of each card carries markings that distinguish it from the other cards in the deck and determine its use under the rules of the game being played. The back of each card is identical for all cards in any particular deck, and usually of a single color or formalized design. Usually every card will be smooth however some decks have braille to allow blind people to read the card number and suit. The back of playing cards is sometimes used for advertising. For most games, the cards are assembled into a deck, and their order is randomized by shuffling.