We’ve all heard the phrase “Fool me once, shame on you—Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Someone who has been lied to and harmed as a result, will surely never fall for

such a lie again—Right?

Unfortunately, this often is not the case. Sometimes those lied to will refuse to admit they were fooled in the first place to avoid being embarrassed by friends and family. To avoid feeling stupid, they “double down.”

Double Downing (DD) in Black Jack

DD is a term used when playing the card game “black jack”. It’s a risky venture but if the player wins by having a better hand than the dealer, the player will double down on his original bet in hopes of getting back what he has lost. Conversely, if the dealer has a better hand, the player loses twice the original bet.

Fortunately, most gamblers set a limit on how much they are willing to lose when gambling. Once they reach that limit, they walk away–correct? But Don’t “bet” on it.

Double Down One

Assume the following scenario where an undisciplined gambler has lost his predetermined “limit” at the black jack table. He knows he should call it a night. Yet, he is reluctant to leave as a loser and wants his money back. Furthermore, he also feels embarrassed to those around him by leaving as a loser. To get back his money and pride, he “Double Downs!”

Double Down Two

By staying and playing, he soon realizes things aren’t going his way. He finds himself losing more, and more money. He is becoming more and more anxious. Beads of sweat begin to collect on his forehead and he becomes increasingly tense.

Convincing himself that his luck has to change, he now begins to bet twice as much and twice as fast in an effort too free himself from these horrible feelings of fear and anxiety overwhelming him. To calm himself down and relax, he begins to have a few drinks, which of course impairs his judgment.

Unfortunately, luck never came to his rescue. After draining his (and his spouse’s) checking account, he finds himself not only short of money, he also finds himself short of breath, and profusely sweating as his hearts rate rises.

Double Down Three

Panicked and now fully intoxicated, he heads to the nearest ATM to draw down from his joint savings account to risk it all in an attempt to get back to even. As his bets and drinking increase; his money decreases at an alarming speed.

When the word gets out that someone (him) is losing his entire savings, crowds begin to form around the black jack table to watch. He now becomes the entertainment for the casino. It seems the observers enjoy watching someone losing so much money so quickly. Somehow watching someone losing everything makes them feel like winners.

Double Down Four

There is no more Double Down Four. All his money is gone with no way to get it back. He finds himself being the joke to the large crowd that was entertained by him losing everything and now he tires to slip away to his room without being noticed.

All of this, because he refused to walk away after losing his initial money limit; a time he now looks back upon as an opportunity of a life time; and one which is no longer available to him. He leaves humiliated, broke and divorced.