Your second question is a bit unspecific, so I am having trouble to understand what you would like to hear. I already wrote a lot about intentions, how it all started, about the fun/money relation and all those things. Maybe scroll a bit through this thread and see if that answers your question. If not, just come back 
This thread has a lot of anecdotal information and you make many references to the world of gambling that a new person would find not identify. I get that someone will need to actually be immersed into it to get all the references. My question was aimed at getting a bird's eye view of what the "Gambling world" is like. How would you describe it to someone in a way that they can decide if it is for them or not, the triumphs and the tribulations?
I understand that it is a pretty open ended question and someone could probably write a book on that. Your experience is mostly in sports betting and you are doing a great job in eliciting interest. I think the line that best summarizes it for a newbie to the world are in just your last reply:
In betting you will always have to compete with the best of the best. There are no markets for newbies or not so skilled people. You compete with all the sharks right from the get go.