drinking and gambling

[mikelow]

How many of you drink at the table? I'm not talking about those free bottles of water.

How many of you drink after you play?

And how much do you drink? Do you get drunk?

As for me, I don't mind having a nice 24-ouncer after I get down on the games or before going to bed. I like the relaxation. But I never go overboard. Do you?

Actually, I think you can drink (if under control) and gamble.
Thoughts appeciated.

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Babe drinks H20 and green tea (black) at the table. I have a glass of wine when I get home almost every day after I play. I never go overboard, because alcohol makes you LBPB. /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif Babe /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

[Josh W]

I have more than one drink in a night maybe once every two months.

I never drink at the table, unless its low limits, and even then I've only 'drank' at a table one time.

Occassionally, if I'm playing higher buy-in tournies ($1000 or above), I'll have a drink or two just to try to relax me...sometimes I get timid when in the presence of too many big names.

But when I'm playing, I don't drink. See, I know I have to drive home.

Josh

[Jimbo]

I drink like a fish when I play craps, it is the only chance I have of breaking even. While playing poker I may order a drink (Jack & 7) towards the end of my session but rarely earlier. When I gambled at pool I would drink Budweiser for hours on end, I usually had the mortal nuts anyway so a little loss of coordination was no major loss. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[Mike Gallo]

I wont play if I have drank any alcohol. I do not believe in mixing the two. I don't like playing if I have drank too much coffee.

However thats just me.

[Vehn]

I have one corona when I sit down at the table and usually have one after I cash out.

[Clarkmeister]

There are few pleasures in life that compare with getting drunk and gambling simultaneously.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I don't touch alcohol at the table, and except for an occaisioal Pepsi, I try to avoid caffeine as well. After I play, it's an hour home from Mohegan and a bit less from Foxwoods, so I don't drink afterwards unless I'm staying over.

[mobes]

My play does suffer though if I have toooooo much.

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Yes, and I know what that other pleasure is /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Hey, why are you, D, and D.Andrew leaving the Babe all alone this week? Fine...be that way....just more chips for me to rake in here with the 3 of you in Cali. /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif I know YOU will LG, hopefully the other guys will PG. Have fun and drive safely. LGPG, Babe /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

[Rick Nebiolo]

once in a while if most of the table is drinking i'll go along a bit but at the limit i can take. Daniel Negranue (sp?) had some interesting thoughts on this on rgp a while back. You might want to Google his posts.

some people might play pot limit or no limit well with just enough of a buzz to give then good feel and the necessary courage.

party

[timmygsw]

I do at times and boy has it cost me. I've booked three $1,000 plus losing sessions this year alone and by the end of every one of them I had a good buzz going. Also, I've turned a couple of significant winners into average sessions. This has cut into a really good year so far, but I could have had a phenomenal start.

As a side note, I play in some of the best private 10-20 games in the world. There is a real drinkin' and gamblin' atmosphere and sometimes in an effort to keep the image up and make sure everyone doesn't start thinking too hard, I go just a bit overboard. If I played with a better field I would never drink as I would have a hard time breaking even playing my "A game" all the time.

[scalf]

/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif there is the theory that one drink or so calms and gives "liquid courage" to high limit/nolimit players...i feel that one drink is too many, and more than 2 drinks is financial suicide for the vast majority.

one other thing..if you really do not play cards very well; then drinking will not have as much a negative effect...gl /forums/images/icons/club.gif

[PokerBabe(aka)]

"You might want to Google his posts."
Indeed I might! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/grin.gif /forums/images/icons/smile.gif /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif Babe /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

[Clarkmeister]

You know people, its OK to relax and have fun at the table. Step down a few limits and knock back a half dozen cold ones. You'll be amazed at how fun life can be. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

[oddjob]

not normally, but that's usually because once i have one, i want another, and another, and another. which is fine, i have a high tolerence, but if i drive up to the casino, then i have a very windy road to come back on.

[HDPM]

I agree with this, but I also agree with Scalf. It is suicidal to think you can play better, or even the same, while drinking. But I have sometimes played lower limits and had several drinks when I don't really care how I play and have had fun. Playing with KJS and his friends on KJS's bachelor weekend was not a teetolaling affair. It was fun. Playing O/8 at 4am with Orleans regulars while drinking was a lot more fun than plaing that at 4am sober. But these activities are not bankroll builders and should not be regarded as such. Also as Scalf said, I don't play too good to start with. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

[mobes]

If the only reason you guys play poker is financial, then don't drink. If I am playing in a tough game at stakes that mean a lot to me, then I don't drink. But there are plenty of games that I sit just to have fun and we drink and have a blast. I think some of you guys take poker too seriously all the time. But then again, I love to drink and I have a lot of gamble in me.

[Acesover8s]

I'll have a few drinks before a session if I'm playing anything above my cringe limit. Usually 5-10 PL Omaha or anything over 20-40. Can't keep my heart in my chest otherwise.

I used to have my girlfriend bring me O'douls two at a time from the bar if I was in a game where I knew people would take shots at "the drunk".

[Mark H]

I gave up drinking about 2 years ago when i started playing regularly. Thinking i wanted to be on top of my game all the time. I used to drink 1-4 beers or mixed drinks a day. I dont know if i play any better but i cant believe the difference in every other part of my life. Who ever convinced everyone that in order to have a good time was a marketing genious. I bought it big time for almost 20 years. Here take 2 shots of depresants and call me in the morning you'll feal great NOT!!!!! It was one of the easyest things iv'e quit and took about a month too get it all out of my system. Try it you'll like it. PS mayebe youd like to join the new religon iv'e started its based on Temprance,disipline,logic, and hard work its not selling very well to the masses. TheReverend Mark H /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

[mickblueeyes]

I am no stunning poker player by any means, but I study it and I love playing it. For most people, drinking and playing is a bad combination. If I have to many, I lose focus and don't play my "A" game. However, as an amateur/semi-pro beer and spirits taster, I have a much higher tolerance than most. I have sat in 10-15 hr tasting sessions which are exhausting and often buzzworthy.

The bottom line is if you need the courage, you probably shouldn't be playing at that limit. Instead of knocking one back, knock yourself down a level.

In response to Mark H, I don't think anyone has marketed that the only way to have fun is with alcohol (to my knowledge). However, I personally drink wine with dinner every night and rarely don't have at least a beer (one of my homebrews) a night. Alcohol is certainly beneficial for your health in moderation (see FDA, AHA, NEJM, JAMA, etc, etc) and is a pleasant stimulant. Depressant is an overused buzzword spread by anti-alcohol nuts like MADD (who aren't really anti-drunk driving, but anti-consumption, period). Education is the best solution to any problem, whether poor gambling, drinking or drug use.

[mojolang]

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

yes drinking is great at the table..im buying boys and girls..........drink up......its those $%^&*() n cigars that i cant stand....

[scalf]

/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif only those good-looking umbrella drinks for the babe...drink good..play good....gl /forums/images/icons/cool.gif /forums/images/icons/diamond.gif

[Mikey]

usually I don't but when I play in my home game, 3-6, 4-8, I'll have a beer or two to be just like one of the boys, somtimes I have more, it's good sometimes because it becomes easier to raise the turn and make the others fold.

[Baltimore Ron]

Babe,

Alcohol might make me LBPB, but it makes all female-type persons LG and all human-type opponents PWTI (play worse than I.) Or, at least it seems that way. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

BR

[Fishy]

[exeph]

And then of course major wilt sets in /forums/images/icons/smirk.gif

[Toro]

During home games I would always have drinks while I played but upon taking up casino poker never did since all the books, etc say it's a bad idea. However I just returned from my 1st trip to LV and on the last night I said the hell with it, I'm in vegas and I'm going to have a good time, so I had some drinks while playing. Played some of the best damn poker and had one of my most profitable sessions ever. Of course, also getting some incredible cards didn't hurt.

[balt999]

I almost never drink when I'm playing poker....But one night...I threw it out the window and paid a big price...I was playing 10-20 at the Mirage while I was waiting for a couple of friends to meet me there so we can go hit the nightclubs...I wanted to get a nice buzz...but nothing overboard, but as I kept getting bad cards, my temperment changed, and I continued to have one drink after another after another (Screwdrivers and Long Island Ice Tea)...by the time my friends arrived, I was absolutely drunk, I was down 500 and calling 3-bets with Q10off...I was definately the live one that night....I even chastised an opponent when he caught a inside straight after I raised with a 72off preflop.... /forums/images/icons/smirk.gif

Just one of those lessons I had to endure....

[Toro]

What an amazing coincidence. We both decide to drink while playing for the 1st time at the Mirage and mine was also in a 10/20 game.

[DPCondit]

I only drink and gamble if I am out of town, like Vegas or something, and then only about 30 to 45 minutes before I leave the table. I actually usually win more for 30 to 45 minutes after I start drinking, and then get too loose and start losing, so I always go by the 30 to 45 minute rule, and the drinking never costs me any expectation that way.

Don

[jasonHoldEm]

I'm a big fan of water, but then again I only play in front of my computer (Oh no! Don't spill it on the keyboard!)

jHE

[Fitz]

I couldn't agree more. I play poker to have fun; I'm a winning player, so I must be doing something right. I never play in a game that is out of my comfort zone limit wise or talent wise. I like to have a couple of drinks over the course of a session, but I'd never play drunk. I think most of us who have lived a little know where the line is; the trick, of course, is not crossing it.

Good luck all,