Reply #4: The most recent episode of the Sopranos is an excellent example. [View All]

[teamster633]

Tony has always been a compulsive gambler but he has led something of a charmed life. His luck has held up until now. As he proceeds through the worst losing streak of his life, however, he is incapable of cutting his losses. Every new bad turn of luck compels him to raise the odds, but the losses continue. He keeps digging himself further and further into the hole. And, of course, his problems are everyone else's fault: the "greedy" Jew who lent him money, the "timid" wife who won't give him money to cover his bet on "a sure thing". After all, he's the boss and cannot make mistakes. The only difference I can see is that Tony is a far more interesting character than Little Boots, if only because we don't suffer the consequences of his fictional exploits.