Marijuana and Poker

[MikeNaked]

All over party and skins, you'll see people with herb-related handles, such as stickyDANK, t3hKiNd, or Greenie420.

Do you get high before saddling up for a poker session?

How does marijuana use affect one's play?

[SNOWBALL138]

There should be an option that says "I smoked pot one time, and played but it made me play so weak that I will never do it again. Booze EV > Pot EV

I could be wrong, but I believe that Phrozenfish is a stoner.

[AZnuts]

If you happen to be searching for some justification, rationalization, or tacit approval for smoking pot and playing poker, I'd say you'll find it here on 2+2 as long as you tell us what table you're at.

[The Don]

I play drunk a lot. I am up well over $1k in my life while doing so too. Most of it is getting lucky in MTTs. One time I made it to the final table with half the chips in play while 10 beers deep (playing ultra LAG style) only to have the cops come and accost me because my roomates were listening to Journey too loud in my apartment. I was blinded out and finished 5th for $750 while they questioned me and gave me a citation (why this took over an hour is beyond me). I have played high twice... don't think it affected my play as much as the alcohol though.

[The Don]

[ QUOTE ]
There should be an option that says "I smoked pot one time, and played but it made me play so weak that I will never do it again. Booze EV > Pot EV

I could be wrong, but I believe that Phrozenfish is a stoner.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha... I think I am too weak-tight when stoned but too LAG when drunk.

Solution:
Play drunk while in MTTs.
Play stoned in low limit NL and PLO cash games (nutpeddling).

[Autocratic]

I don't regularly do this, but on occasion I end up being high at the table, online or live. I actually don't mind it - I tend to operate much more on instinct, which can be fine (they often seem accurate, too). The math is so second nature that I don't have too much trouble with it.

[silkyslim]

[ QUOTE ]
only to have the cops come and accost me because my roomates were listening to Journey too loud in my apartment.

[/ QUOTE ]
why did you let them in!! Get "surviving the drug war" its a great book

[poker-penguin]

I voted No, and "I smoke regularly and win >2bb"

Regularly is not the same as frequently. Haley's comet is regular, rain is frequent (most places).

Personally I smoke once a week, when playing a BS home games that doesn't matter. I usually crush em (but that might be because we're all stoned and more about looking into people's souls than playing optimal three or four handed NL).

My roommate is a stoner, and I think he's a slight winner overall, doesn't really play much online though.

i sometimes play 1-2nl at foxwoods, and sometmes get stoned. usually o.k, except a few months ago, i A10, flop AA10, i'm BB, check the flop, checks around, i bet the turn, one call, i bet the river, some sap raises, and i just call trrying to get him on "the river". i was so stoned, i forgot about the flop check (and i guess was so keyed on nailing him on the river that i neglected to see five cards on the board)and thought the river was still to come. He had AK, and i could have taken him to the cleaners. That was some good sheet.

[MikeNaked]

You're correct about the semantics. My bad.

Reason I ask is I have two friends who will smoke frequently WHILE playing. One is a successful 4 tabling SNG player, while another is a better-than-average ring player who is mistake-prone. The former claims "it keeps it interesting".

Also, at the local cardroom I sometimes frequent, you'll walk outside for a breather during the break sessions and herb smoke will waft from a couple different groups. Usually you can take advantage of these stoners as they often seem befuddled or distracted.

[neorab]

I can play stoned at my same winrate at omaha/8, but only at one table at a time. I can't multi-table stoned, but it makes playing one table pretty easy, keeps me patient. Also, it's fun to play live o8 while stoned since it's so slow and the old guys aren't exactly super exciting to talk to.

[bobbyi]

I've tried it and it definitely hurts my play. In a good enough game, I could still do fine, but it is still a handicap.

[The Don]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
only to have the cops come and accost me because my roomates were listening to Journey too loud in my apartment.

[/ QUOTE ]
why did you let them in!! Get "surviving the drug war" its a great book

[/ QUOTE ]

My roomates did... they are a bit slow.

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

this is misleading. is it "i smoke pot WHILE playing?" or "i am a stoner AND play poker (not at the same time)"

[pokerjoker]

you can play ok but its a handicap.....its not like it makes you totally retarded. I usually multitable 200NL...if im high i play 2 $11 SnG. Its fun and im still one of the better players...but u cant get high and expect to make max profit or be at the top of your game doing anything really.

[Bodhi]

Yeah, the question isn't phrased well. If I'm going to puff, I try to do that after a session, not before (obviously). But if I somehow end up playing stoned, it's not that big a deal.

FWIW, playing stoned is way more +EV than playing drunk.

[mockingbird]

[ QUOTE ]
If you happen to be searching for some justification, rationalization, or tacit approval for smoking pot and playing poker, I'd say you'll find it here on 2+2 as long as you tell us what table you're at.


[/ QUOTE ]

I know people who smoke pot "socially", enjoy it and it doesnt seem to do any harm.

But if you think that being high or drunk on anything while playing poker is not -EV then I think you are in denial. Like maybe you are remembering only the times you won when stoned or drunk and not being honest with yourselves about how many times you lost.

Why not keep some records and find out. If it turns out to be +EV ( and I dont think it will ), I'll light up myself.

[CaptSensible]

Interesting post. I used to be a HARD CORE stoner. I used to do a lot of other drugs as well. Been sober for almost 15 years now. From time to time as I run into people with stoner handles online I wonder "wtf is it like to play poker stoned" lol.

I can't even imagine it to be honest with you.

[MikeNaked]

[ QUOTE ]
this is misleading. is it "i smoke pot WHILE playing?" or "i am a stoner AND play poker (not at the same time)"

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I intended for the poll to mean "while" playing...but the way it's worded, it probably reflects the "not at the same time" line...stupid! stupid! stupid! ::slapping self::

S'alright...I mainly wanted to see how many 2+2 stoners/detractors there were out there and maybe score some juicy "I-played-stoned-and-I-thought-I-had-the-nut-straight" or "It gets me in the ZONE" stories and stuff.

[TomCollins]

http://www.gankowns.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/gankowns.jpg

[BluffTHIS!]

If all of you who play drunk or stoned are just playing poker online for fun and really don't care if you win or lose, then that's fine. It's just recreation. But if you have any serious long-term desire to play fulltime or as a part-time income supplement, then you are being degenerate. Even if you don't lose for a long time or even enough to go broke playing high/drunk, you will eventually. And if you are playing pot-limit or no-limit games then it shouldn't take that long. Get ready to redoposit again and again on your favorite sites.

[Autocratic]

Just wondering, have you ever played while high? My winrates when high have been basically identical to my sober state (and I am a winning player).

[BluffTHIS!]

Yes years ago before I played seriously, and I play full time now. If you think you can make quality decisions all the time while high because you are currently winning, then you are fooling yourself and probably just running good. I have played with lots of stoners and drunks over the years in private games and casinos. Only two of them were winning players, probably because they didn't get stoned until very late at night when they knew the game wouldn't run but for another couple hours or so. They never started out playing like that. If you maintain that you can play winning poker all the time while stoned, then you should also believe that you can drive all the time like that with no possibility of ill effects. Good Luck, you'll need it.

[hellite]

I think if I drank a six-pack and smoked a joint while playing party 2/4 i might only be good for about 1 1/2BB/100. Of course, i believe a large portion of the players on there are either drunk, drugged up on something, or straight retarded. At least then I would understand why I am being raised when bottom card on the board pairs on the river and I am raised. IT takes quite a bit of alcohol or bud to get me thinking on these clowns' level (i.e. not thinking)

pot = +ev? No. You can still have fun and be a winner.

[hellite]

Matter of fact, I am currently attempting this experiment right now. Table 27567 at Party.

Side note: anybody ever notice the similarity between dried up shake and fish food? LOL

[21times20]

i smoke about 4-5 times a day, basically once i'm no longer high i smoke again and it has not stopped me from winning consistently over the past year as i've learned to play...but still in the back of mind i keep wondering if being stoned pretty much 75% of the time i'm awake might be significantly hurting my ability to progress as a player, even though my poker aptitude under the influence is still well above average

i wish if i stopped smoking for a few months i would have some solid evidence to show whether it really makes a large difference one way or the other, but since i've been playing for a little less than a year i don't think one could say for sure whether a winnings increase after stopping should be attributed to a drug-free lifestyle or continued improvement due to greater experience

still i can't help thinking i'd have the motivation to play more hours and that there might be a slight possibility of drastic improvement if i could live sober 24/7...but really i don't know if i could manage, if i don't smoke all the time i usually end up drinking all the time, poker has at least helped me with my alcoholism...now that i think about it, just exercising the willpower not to be substance-dependant would probably be such a mental breakthrough for me that it would improve my poker playing regardless of any physical improvements so really i don't think my specific case would really prove anything

however, even if i will not be able to contribute any scientific evidence on the effects of marijuana and brain, i really can't think of anything i have to lose by going a few months completely sober, as much as i love weed the chance of seeing a significant improvement in my play seems to be infinitely greater than the chance that i'll become a worse player or even advance in skill more slowly

all that being said, conquering a substance-abuse problem is a little bit more difficult than just thinking it is a good idea to stop, i really do pretty much turn into an alcoholic whenever i don't have any weed