Hello,
I have been reading through the forum and I think that it is great, a lot of the information and support is really helpful.
What I haven't seen is a great deal about Poker and I would be interested in setting up a section just for people who have found this their downfall. If there is already a spot for this, my apologies, please direct me to it 🙂
I have never been interested in roulette, blackjack, not even really sports betting (I have dabbled). Poker is different. The game has so many levels, if you spend your time studying the game you can swing things in your favour. You don't play against a 'House', but other players just like yourself. Poker without doubt is gambling, but skill has a major factor and some people make a living from the game, which cannot be said for roulette and most other gambling formats.
Sadly this can result in Poker being the most destructive form of a gambling problem in my opinion, and probably one of the hardest to overcome.
I have a massive love for Poker and it went from a hobby, to something I felt I could make a living from, to finally realising I have a gambling problem.
I know a lot about Poker. I sit down at a table online, not knowing who my opponents are, but thinking I can crush them all. I'm sure everybody that sits down has this Poker ego and it is the reason people continue to play after losing.
In Poker you have to have a "Bankroll", only sitting down at a table with a small percentage of your funds at any one time, to reduce variance. Sadly this is something I could never stick to. Whatever I have in my bankroll gets shoved all in to one game and is eventually lost. This has resulted in me self excluding and losing touch with the game I loved so dearly. I would love to be able to play again one day without it hurting me financially when I lose - I do not know if this can ever happen right now.
I am still in the early stages of my recovery and I will appreciate any support, but this is a call out to all Poker players to provide their opinions, experiences, and guidance.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Ryan
Hi mate. I too have a poker addiction. Your post could have been written by myself. I have had gambling problems with slots and roulette in the past but have put these demons to rest and now poker alone can satisfy my gambling needs. I think if I could stick to only poker tournaments I would be a winning player. But is ALWAYS end up putting my roll into some crazy PLO cash game and loosing. I too love the game be it live or online, which makes it harder to quit. I have been playing for about 8 years and have lots a fair few k in the process. I used to sit in front of a screen for like 18 hours at a time. I have not played any poker for over 2 months now and it's starting to do my head in to be honest. I have banned myself from most sites permanently. good luck with giving up I will write a better post when I'm at my computer as I wrote this on phone.
Regards Jon
Hi Ryan,
I don't think I've read a post on here I can relate to so much as his one. My first forms of 'gambling' came though playing cards, namely Texas Holdem and probably Omaha hi. But reading this, it also come across as you don't want to stop playing, but to play within your means using a bankroll management system?
I could go from 0 to 500 to 0 within a few days. And if I could stick to bankroll management, would of been a different story big time. But that's something I can't do. I'm a compulsive gambler. And as a compulsive gambler, I don't have the discipline to leave a table after losing my 5% bankroll, or sit and play for 10-12 hours in one tournament.
The thing I remember just before I stopped playing poker and went into roulette was I'd spent about 6 hours in an online tournament, winning a few hundred . I saw the casino link so had a go, and I won in the casino more in 5 minutes than in the 6 hours I'd spent grinding the tables. Then that was it. I was hooked.
In my opinion, if you consider yourself to have a problem, then no, you will never be able to play the game in the way I consider it to be 'profitable'. I know I will never be able to, which makes me sad because I loved that game. I'm probably about 4 months poker free and only 5 days completely bet free but you have to start somewhere!
There's not a better feeling knowing your another day free, with your wallet a bit fatter 🙂
Charlie
Hi guys,
Just checked in and it's great to see that people are in the same boat as me or understand where I am coming from, I was beginning to wonder!
I have many times over the past 5 years stuck a value of money in to my account (usually around $200) and said to myself this is the last time I will ever need to deposit because I will treat this money like it is my last. I'll slowly grind it up for a while, and then get greedy, break my own rules and stick the majority of it in to one stupid Cash Game or Sit and Go and it will be gone. Part of this may be boredom and wanting a 'thrill'. I will deposit more and try to win it back and all of a sudden I find myself in financial difficulty. As you can see, it is a clear gambling problem and unlike many poker players I am willing to admit that.
I want to continue to play the game so bad. I have spent a large part of the last 5 years studying the game, reading books, purchasing poker software (Hold'em Manager, Sit&Go Wizard and others). I don't have many other hobbies and have a lot of spare time.
I have self excluded for a month and will force myself to take some time off whilst the World Cup is on but Poker has always been a big part of my life and I want to still be involved with it. Sad situation.
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