Do I have a gambling problem?

[TheCroShow]

As many of you already know I went to Las Vegas for a week and had a blast playing poker. I am now feeling the downsides of that trip. Part of the plan was to build up my online bankroll, cash out then go down to Vegas, make more money, come back and put the money in...SIMPLE RIGHT?? WRONG! All my winnings went to "entertainment," beer, food, tux rental, limo ride (times 2!), taxis, and of course poker (i had 2 losing sessions!) oh wait and i must have dropped 30 on slots and oh about 40-50 on blackjack....ok MY FAULT for losing! NEVER EVER PLAY SLOTS, NEVER EVER PLAY BLACKJACK!!

Now I am here without any money in my favorite poker site Party Poker. I have to build my RL (real life) bankroll first, so I have to work some more shifts at the arena and hopefully I can put some money into online poker and start earning again. I cashed out close to $400 USD from Party Poker, Pokerstars and Tiger Gaming. Not a lot of money and I DEFINATELY could have AND WAS building on it, but I have zero regrets. my little bro got married, I experienced Vegas, a small price to pay! (btw I did have other money on the trip, that was merely my online poker cash, i will not disclose how much i actually took down, but if you are reading this thinking CRO?!?!?! YOU CANNOT GO TO VEGAS FOR ONE WEEK ON $400 USD!! haha)

Does this mean I have a gambling problem? I hosted a game last week and I wanted to play like 2 days later, I even tried to scrounge up some guys! NO DICE. Do I need professional help for this? Is it a problem that I sit here and think about the good ole days when I was earning money playing poker while maintaining a few msn conversations, surfing the net, listening to music and enjoying some dinner?

I'm going to take the easy road and say no I do not have a problem. What if an athlete suffered a career ending injury and could not play basketball again? Would that be an issue? Does that athlete have problems? How about the athlete that is injured in his final year at high school? Does he have issues? Does he need professional help? I think not so let's not get carried away here. (Yes I did sprain my ankle and tore my ankle to shreds and missed half of my senior year)

I love playing poker, I get a lot of joy just from playing. It helps a lot to win (and I win often) but whether it's sitting at a table or signing in to play some hands, I love it. I love calling my LAGgy friend when he tries to bluff me out of a pot (thanks for doubling me up Yoshi!), I love making those huge laydowns, flipping over top pair good kicker and my opponent shows a dorky set of deuces. (thank you for the free information by the way) I love getting away and concentrating on one thing, WINNING. So when I cannot play it really hurts. It kills me to watch my friends play poker and I'm thinking GOD DAMN I'D BUST THIS TABLE UP! It kills me when I have to turn down a poker game because of a miscommunication and my supervisor "misplaced" my paycheck (paycheque for you CANADIANS out there!).

I will be back and watch out, when I get back I will be out for blood. To badly quote Samuel Jackson from XxX (Vin Diesel movie) "Have you ever seen a wild lion in a cage? You can tell the ones that were taken out of the wild, they have that crazed look in their eye. After spending too much time in a cage, they lose that hunger they lose their wild streak and after that they might as well be dead." HORRIBLE paraphrase but that is basically what he said. I am the wild lion in a cage, hungry and determined to get that red meat. My master (THANK YOU NEXT PAYCHECK) is coming to my cage with the key and I am ready to let loose and DESTROY everything in my path.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate it. Please message me sometime and let me know your thoughts. Do not hold back, if you feel I have a gambling problem, tell me straight up! If you're feeling my pain, tell me! If you do not have an opinion that is all good as well.

thoughts? opinions? e-mail me or add me to msn messenger thecroshow@hotmail.com

[Bodhi]

No gambling problem. Just plain nuts.

[TheCroShow]

as in THE NUTS? to misquote phil hellmuth, something i like doing at the poker table when i roll over my hand "I like showing people my nutz"

[KidPokerX]

You're the wild, action-packed, junkie at the table, aren't you? You know the one. Always talking, always cracking lame jokes. Sounds like you.
For now my advice is to keep working hard at the arena. If you're smart you would take about 20% of your bi-weekly paycheck and invest in something less wasteful such as an IRA. I'd start looking into something like that. Honestly.
I hope you're the lucky one.

[TheCroShow]

Junkie? Yes I crack a lot of jokes at the table amongst friends, but buckle down when I'm playing amongst strangers. I only talk trash when someone starts with me first.

You suggest that me playing poker is a waste? Interesting. You do not know me and do not know the success I have enjoyed in the 6 or so months I have played poker. No I have not won thousands and thousands of dollars, I started out with a limited bankroll and built on it. My poker game has allowed me to pay off some bills (MAJOR for a college student), helped with my trip to Vegas (airfare, food, poker, etc) and pick up a few gifts and such along the way. I did not pick up this part time job at the arena until about 2 or 3 months ago. I only work 10 hours max per week (lol) and the place is literally outside my front door so it's perfect for me. Put in the odd shift here and there and you get the picture.

[LINES]

haha. Your comment reminds me of the commerical for some beer, "I'm all-in... 21 BABY, BLACKJAC!" "Congratulations sir, but this is Poker" -Rich, but not smooth-.
It's true what KIdPokerX said... And as for your gambling "problem". I just think it was completley your fault. Not a "problem", well, maybe a problem with something else that happens to be at the top of your body.

It's all love, baby!

[TheCroShow]

haha I think I have seen that commercial, funny stuff!

[Bodhi]

If I were a psychologist and read your post, I could diagnose you with all sorts of big words. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[b0000000000m]

The best way to figure out if you have a gambling problem is the same as the best way to figure out anything:

Imagine you're in the show Dawson's Creek. Imagine that it's after school, and you're chillin' with Dawson and Joey. Now you tell them everything about your situation. How do they react? What do they tell you to do?

Therein lies your answer.

[TheCroShow]

Joey would tell me that I need to seek help, Jen would be too drunk to comprehend my situation and Pacey would be like hey man how do I sign up for poker online? and dawson would be all "dude you are taking unnecessary risks." so about 50/50 there...

i'm curious which "big words" can be used to describe my situation. i came here for thoughts and comments and am curious what others have to say. i asked you not to hold back. one guy already called me crazy and he may not be that far off!

[d10]

Well if you really don't want anyone to hold back, here's what I'm getting out of your post:

Your personality as conveyed by this post has a lot in common with typical loose aggressive poker players. I would take an even money bet that says you are also a loose aggressive player. Although you may have shown a profit so far with this style of play, it's not a style that will make you a winner in the long run. Of course you may be disciplined enough to hold back your natural tendencies at the poker table and play solid poker, but again I would bet that you don't.

First of all you're playing slots and Black Jack, not that there's anything wrong with that if you're doing it for entertainment value and fully realize that you must expect to lose money playing, but given your statement it doesn't look like that was your motive for playing. If you don't have the discipline to avoid -EV games it's hard to believe you have the discipline to avoid -EV situations at the poker table. And in poker it's too easy to be a losing player, you can't afford to play anything where you don't have the edge, so again I think most people reading your post will have a hard time believing that you play poker in a way where you can expect to win.

Second of all, if you're waiting on a single pay check before you're able to play poker again, you either don't understand the concept of bankroll management, or you don't care. And if you don't care, you probably don't fully understand the short term variance involved in poker. So either way I don't believe you have a solid understanding of all the concepts necessary to be a winning poker player.

Not to mention you're taking every chance you get to justify your most recent losses and trying hard to convince everyone you're a winning player. I think you have doubts about that, you won't admit that to anyone, but you do wonder sometimes if you actually are winning at this game, and you want some validation from us. So this post is probably not what you wanted, but you asked me not to hold back, so I wont.

So do you have a gambling problem? I don't know, there's really not enough information in your post to make a conclusion. I think it's unlikely that you're a winning poker player. But that has nothing to do with a gambling problem. If you use all or even a good percentage of your next paycheck to play poker, then I would think you have a gambling problem. If you choose to ignore what this post and others are telling you then I would think you have a gambling problem.

[bkholdem]

Taken from gamblersanonymous.org

I will provide my own answers so I don't sound condesending lol.

TWENTY QUESTIONS
1.Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling? Yes. I have blown off work and called in sick several times to go to Foxwoods to play poker. I have also left early on many many occasions and went home and played poker online. (I could go into justifications but the questions DO NOT ask that.
2.Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy? Yes. My girlfriend resents the amount of time I spend playing poker.
3.Did gambling affect your reputation? No
4.Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? No
5.Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties? No.
6.Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency? No
7.After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses? No
8.After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more? No
9.Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone? No
10.Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling? No
11.Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling? No
12.Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures? Yes
13.Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family? No
14.Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned? Yes
15.Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble? Yes
16.Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling? No
17.Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping? Yes (I am quite preoccupied with poker and think about it constantly...including when going to bed)
18.Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble? No
19.Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling? No
20.Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? No
Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

So I come pretty darn close. I took this test about a year ago and actually scored 7 of 20 (18.Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble? used to be a 'yes' but I do not play my best when disappointed, frustrated, etc and am actively working on minimizing my play at these times while also working on developing better coping strategies so that I can play through these times and make fewer and fewer mistakes).

I could have justified a lot of my answers:

I skip work for other reasons as well.

Reluctance to use poker money for other expenses is bankroll management,...

etc but the questions do not provide for exceptions. They say 7 is the number so if you come close it is something to be aware of.

I am addicted to poker. I have been addicted to many, many things in my life. Poker is gambling. I am addicted to this form of gambling. I am a winning player but this does not change the fact that I am also an addicted player.

[TheCroShow]

thank you for that j10, hardly anyone has hit me with an honest answer, with the exception of a fellow 2+2er (private message) and you. my most recent losses? well, a trip to Las Vegas for my brother's wedding I would hardly call "a loss." Any vacation one might take will cost a lot of money, add to the fact that I'm still in school.

I am not a loose aggressive player, heck I may not even fit into the tight aggressive category, my friends jokingly refer to me as weak tight or as i like to say conservative wise. if someone bets into me i'll fold! it's that simple! haha i exercise discipline at the poker table and it's something i am proud of. i have the ability to change gears as they say in every poker book and every poker tv show, and that causes confusion with some of my opponents.

as for blackjack and slots, i was happy to lose my money. i was playing for entertainment value, i was not expecting to double my money but i had a lot of fun. my previous statement was probably misleading, and in my LV journal I made note of saying only play if you want to be entertained, I had some extra winnings and thought heck, I'm in Vegas I might as well try some different things. I have no regrets about trying some slots and blackjack.

my bankroll management may not be squeaky clean, but it has taken me a good distance. when i started playing poker it became a part time job. play once or twice a week, get a decent little payday for having fun then go home and pay the bills. i have no clear numbers, but would estimate i cleared around $2,000 from a combination of online poker and local games. not a lot of money at all, but it helped me with my bills and kept my poker game going.

for now i am going to keep working hard in school, take any shift i can get and keep grinding it out at the good ole micro limits. embarassing story, but i get a kick out of it. my bankroll started @ $5 (courtesy of Tiger Gaming hooking me up with free money! haha) So I turned..well absolutely nothing into some decent cash.

Thanks again for reading and responding. To get a better idea of who I am and where I want to go in life and in poker, here are a couple of links.

Cro's Vegas Journal (http://www.604poker.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1106)

Poker Goals (http://www.604poker.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=962)

[TheCroShow]

here goes!!

TWENTY QUESTIONS
1.Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling? Yes and my prof bugged me about it the next day. "Late night on Party Poker?"

2.Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy? No

3.Did gambling affect your reputation? Yes, some people tend to believe I would sell my TV just to play poker, obviously they do not know me that well. If I cannot afford to play, I will not play, that simple. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

4.Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? No

5.Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties? No.

6.Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency? No

7.After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses? No

8.After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more? Yes

9.Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone? No

10.Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling? No

11.Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling? No

12.Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures? Yes, like buddy said...bankroll management. Do I REALLY wanna go out tonight with my buddies and drink at some bar? Maybe I'm just a cheapskate, I do not see the point of spending ridic amounts of money at a bar when it can be used for other things!


13.Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family? No

14.Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned? Hmm I do not plan out a time frame for the games I play in.

15.Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble? Nope, I don't play when going through personal troubles.

16.Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling? No

17.Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping? Yes, online poker BAY-BEE, some late nights in there man!

18.Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble? No

19.Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling? No

20.Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? No

5 out of 20 I answered yes.

[SittingBull]

U are NOT ADDICTED in the REAL sense of the word. U are a POKER WORKAHOLIC. If U were really addicted,U WOULD NOT be a long-term winner at poker. An addictive poker player plays for the sake of just playing. He exercises NO discipline and patience--essential traits of winners.
He will play ANY hand and EVERY hand.
This is the true POKER ADDICT.
U are similar to a businessman who is so engrossed with his work that he neglects the emotional needs of his family.
Hence,there is a fine line between addiction and workaholism.
SittingBull

[Wozza]

[ QUOTE ]
If I were a psychologist and read your post, I could diagnose you with all sorts of big words. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I few shorter ones sprung to mind. Head, complete and dick were the first three. You can re-arrange them yourself...

[SittingBull]

chose to use all of ur current poker bankroll to finance ur entertainment. That's fine because u have a recurring bankroll from ur job. If U had NO regular job and relied strictly on poker winnings,U would be in serious financial trouble.
SittingBull

[Jacob_Gilliam]

When poker starts to affect your life outside of poker (no time or money for family, friends, other activities) then you do have a problem. Being addicted to your job or poker or whatever is always a problem if you can'tfind a way to balance your life.

[TheCroShow]

a friend of mine suggested adding extra activities outside of work, poker and school, activities such as: rollerblading, biking, college courses (he plays poker full time), jogging, painting or whatever comes to mind. i think that is a good idea and i used to jog quite a bit, then i got lazy and stopped. i also used to paint and that was always therapeutic.

[TheCroShow]

[ QUOTE ]
I few shorter ones sprung to mind. Head, complete and dick were the first three. You can re-arrange them yourself...


[/ QUOTE ]

ah yes i've had a few confuse my confidence for cockiness. there is a fine line there and perhaps i dance a little too much on that line. i approach everything in life this way, you should see me in class! when it comes to anything competitive, i'm in there to win and i'm a little more....vocal than others. that is an entirely different conversation though!

[USGrant]

I disagree. You can be an expert player and still be an addict. Losing money and playing with a lot of "gamble" doesn't define an addict. Obsessive/compulsive behavior that negatively affects health, finances, relationships, etc. defines addiction.

[IndieMatty]

hahahhaha

[Bodhi]

No, being a work-a-holic is just socially sanctioned addiction. Take off those rosy lenses and have a real look at our society.

[KidPokerX]

Well stated.
Cheers.

[CaptSensible]

Here's a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous 20 questions quiz.
Substitue the word "Drinking" for "Gambling". Not all the questions apply perfectly to gambling but you can get a general idea.

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
6. Have you got into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
19. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?



If you have answered YES to any of the questions, there is a definite
warning that you may be alcoholic.

If you have answered YES to any 2, the chances are that you are an
alcoholic.

If you have answered YES to 3 or more, you are definitely an alcoholic.

How many questions did YOU answer YES to?

[TheCroShow]

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking? no
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy? no
3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people? no
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation? in between
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking? no
6. Have you got into financial difficulties as a result of drinking? no
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking? no
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare? no
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking? no
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily? no
11. Do you want a drink the next morning? no
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty sleeping? yes
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking? no
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business? no
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble? no
16. Do you drink alone? lol no
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking? no
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking? no
19. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence? no
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking? no

the funny thing about the whole has your ambition lowered question(s) is that i am more motivated now. with school, work, friendships and especially poker i feel pretty good. i am more motivated for all of the things i listed above.