poker addiction... what to do?

I am 18 years old and a freshman in college. I started playing poker when I was 16 (illegally, on partypoker). I initially deposited $200 that I had saved up as a busboy and lost it all, but then a few months later I deposited $50 and ran that up close to $2,500. I cashed out $1,600, bought a cheap old used car, and lost the rest. Since then, I haven't really won significant consistent money. I typically buy in, double/triple that buy in, cash out either the initial buy-in or less, and then lose it all.

I've noticed that there is a big difference in my mindset when I first cash in. I tend to be optimistic and plan to play every hand as well as I am able to. In this mindset, I usually win very quickly and very consistently.

The problem comes after this. I start to envision a $1000+ cashout again and move up to bigger levels and play noticeably worse. I tend to lose a big pot or two on a bad beat or bad read, and then start tilting. I want to get back to the peak I was at and do everything I can to get there, which usually results in me losing all my money.

After keeping track of my records, I've noticed this type of pattern even within my sessions. After a nice session, I often play in some absurd turbo or move up a level and lose back a significant portion of what I've just made.

I've considered quitting poker overall, because it consumes so much of my thought, makes me cranky, keeps me cooped up in my dorm, and has been a losing venue over the past year or so.

But I can't bear to stop playing. I know I am a very strong player when I am focused. I don't have this tilting problem when I play live, and of the 50+ games I've played live, I've come out short three times. Three.

I make all my money playing poker, and lose most of that money playing online poker. I know I can beat just about any game I'm in, but I have to be in the right mindset. I am consciously aware of it at the time, too. If I am off my game, I'll know it, but be so compelled to play that I'll be unable to help myself.

I don't know what to do here. I need to play poker to make money, but I have a serious problem here. There's no way I'm bussing tables again.

by the way, i am a strictly NL, shorthanded player, so losing all my money very quickly is very easy. I don't have the patience for a 7+ handed NL table, let alone fixed limits. This tells me something about my character.

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by the way, i am a strictly NL, shorthanded player, so losing all my money very quickly is very easy. I don't have the patience for a 7+ handed NL table, let alone fixed limits. This tells me something about my character.

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I think you have answered yourself whats wrong with your play. You have no patience. To be a successful player you have to be very, very patient. Dont rush into winning all the time, take your time to make the right moves and money will follow eventually, good luck!

I already know that I am impatient. My question is what to do about this addiction?

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I don't have this tilting problem when I play live, and of the 50+ games I've played live, I've come out short three times. Three.


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You are either insanely good and playing with insanely weak players, or you are running extremely well.

WELL, I buy back in if i lose, and usually can make back what a lost and then some. Also, yes. My live competition is particularly weak, and because I know all the players I play with, I can adjust to each of their individual playing styles rather easily.

EDIT: Mostly I win live because I'm very good at judging when people are going to fold, and for how much. If they fold, the cards I get don't matter at all.

[Al Schoonmaker]

You have said that you have an addiction. I honestly can't say whether you have one or not. I am going strictly by what you have said. If you are truly addicted, there is only one thing to do: STOP.

By definition, addictions are not controllable. You may appear to be in control for a brief time, but the addiction will take over and destroy you.

If we combine the addiction with your impatience, we have an extremely dangerous pattern.

I urge you to attend a few meetings of GA. Or go to gambleranonymous.com. If you really are an addict, stop now before you mess up your entire life.

Regards,

Al

[dan123]

I hope you come to my table fiend.

[calmasahinducow]

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I hope you come to my table fiend.

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Nice mature reply. Jackass.

[dan123]

an even better rejoinder pecker head.

You understand you have an addiction, which is really good. Now you have to do something about it. Addictions have levels, yours seems to be fairly high. All poker players have some level of addiction, but you see that you cannot control yours. You see your faults and want to do something about it. But the solution is not the answer you're looking for. If it was, you would have found it already because you've been looking for that answer. There's no quick fix, no magic pill, no patch or gum, no methadone shot. The only way to fix this is to find self-control. Therapy, meditation, GA, Scientology, or whatever. But this definitely seems like a problem you can't solve without help.

Try renting "High Roller - The Stu Ungar story". Try seeing if you can find patterns in your own situation. It might be helpful.

P.S. I just threw the Scientology in there incase one of them reads these forums. I didn't want someone going Tom Cruise on me for saying therapy.

[theweatherman]

i didnt read the thread but the answer to most of these "im addicted" threads is stop being such a pussy. you can either

1)play poker right and make money.
2)play poker inccorectly and lose and whine
3)quit poker like a bitch and get a job

there is no option to whine about being "addicted" to a freakin game. Get over yourslef or get a real addiction them come back and not post your mental issues about being a 5 year old girl on the inside.

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Get over yourslef or get a real addiction them come back and not post your mental issues about being a 5 year old girl on the inside.

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You have no concept of how serious gambling addictions are.

[theweatherman]

probalby not, but i have questions as to the existence of such "addictions"

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probalby not, but i have questions as to the existence of such "addictions"

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Have you ever played semi-regularly at a casino? After 2 weeks, you know who the hardcore gambling addicts are.

[calmasahinducow]

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I hope you come to my table fiend.

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nm, I read your post history and it's pretty funny /images/graemlins/wink.gif

sorry bout my post

I don't know if you're addicted or not, but the solution is to stop doing all the bullsh1t that you're doing. Especially, stop moving up levels. Stay at one level where you know you can win and keep playing there until you are ready to move up. Follow proper bankroll management, don't try moving up to the next level until you have the bankroll to do so.

If you 1. play at a higher level than your skill allows, or 2. play without enough of a bankroll, you will lose all your money.

Stop doing these 2 things, that's all there is to it.

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i didnt read the thread but the answer to most of these "im addicted" threads is stop being such a pussy. you can either

1)play poker right and make money.
2)play poker inccorectly and lose and whine
3)quit poker like a bitch and get a job

there is no option to whine about being "addicted" to a freakin game. Get over yourslef or get a real addiction them come back and not post your mental issues about being a 5 year old girl on the inside.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did anyone see the movie "Half Baked"?

"Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke. Now that's an addiction. You ever suck some dick for marijuana?"

[BIGRED]

I haven't read any of the responses, but I'm sure patience has been mentioned. For me, having a rake back helps with maintaining my patience during bad times because even during a down streak I know I'm getting something for my effort. I know that as long as I do no worse than staying even or slightly negative, then I still come out way ahead at the end of the month. Knowing this helps prevent the urge to make a big move or do something over my head to try to get back the minus 200BB swing I had last week.

[vexvelour]

Jobs aren't fun. Its understandable that you want to stick with poker to make money. But right now, you're not making money with it. Go get a shitty job for a while, and try to forget about poker. Once you're steady, venture back into the poker world by reading the books. Buy-in with what you can afford, play within the limits of your bankroll, be patient, and build up your BR.

If at any time during your poker break you NEED to play poker, don't play poker ever again. Best of luck to you.

[Unabridged]

1) smoke some weed, calm down
2) 4 table $25 ring until you are a consistient winner
3) get pokertracker, mine tables
4) consider switching to PLO where VPIP 30% is only semitight

Every day this week, do the following:

Before each session you play, spend 15 minutes evaluating why you want to play today and highlight why you shouldn't play today. Are you bored? Are you tired? Are you going to be discplined? How long can you play for? Are you looking to hit it big and run, or grind it out playing solid poker?

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN (bonus points if you post them here). After a half hour of play, take a 5 minute break and answer the same questions again, in addition to: how loose and how aggressive am I playing? Do this every session this week.

[greatwhite]

I think trial and error will teach you a lesson eventually. Unless you thought about suicide because of gambling I can't see it being that much of a problem. I don't want to name names, but there are many top pros who are degenerates. However, you should stay within your bankroll and avoid tilt which often many pros can't do.

if you would like to play some heads-up, i'm always available..

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i didnt read the thread but the answer to most of these "im addicted" threads is stop being such a pussy. you can either

1)play poker right and make money.
2)play poker inccorectly and lose and whine
3)quit poker like a bitch and get a job

there is no option to whine about being "addicted" to a freakin game. Get over yourslef or get a real addiction them come back and not post your mental issues about being a 5 year old girl on the inside.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bah, you're right. Addiction is just weak-mindedness. I need to just be disciplined about bankroll management and stop whining. Thank you.

Where is there a site with good shorthanded NL tables (preferably 1-5 handed) that I can get rakeback?

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Go get a shitty job for a while, and try to forget about poker.

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shitty job for me = $10 college campus tourneys

what are PLO and VPIP?

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Before each session you play, spend 15 minutes evaluating why you want to play today and highlight why you shouldn't play today. Are you bored? Are you tired? Are you going to be discplined? How long can you play for? Are you looking to hit it big and run, or grind it out playing solid poker?

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS DOWN (bonus points if you post them here). After a half hour of play, take a 5 minute break and answer the same questions again, in addition to: how loose and how aggressive am I playing? Do this every session this week.

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Dude that's genius. I think part of why I play so well when I buy in again is because I've thought about my play beforehand.

What is addiction anyway? I mean, I always have the very real choice of wether or not to play poker. I'm not sure I beleive in the concept of addiction. For example, I smoke cigarettes. I haven't smoked any in about a month. I feel compelled to, but I decided that I should take a break to test my willpower. Cigarettes are supposed to be chemically addictive, in that my body will actually yearn for them when I don't smoke. But I feel much, much more addicted to poker. In a very different way. Cigarettes don't consume any of my thought or change my moods as far as I can tell. But poker does.
However, I am sure I could stop playing if I really wanted to. I just don't. Is that what addiction really is? Not wanting to stop?

Anyway, I think I'm going to keep playing, but get stricter with myself in terms of mindset. If I catch myself daydreaming about making assloads of money, I'm not going to play until I get a hold of myself. That's going to be tough.