How I blew half my bankroll today (long)

First like everybody else I'll give a brief history of my poker experience. I started in 2002 with no idea of how to play, but I saw it as an easy way to win money because I felt I was just smarter than the people that played. After about 1k down the drain I started reading books and slowly got better until just this year I turned into a winning player at the SnG's at party. I started with 50 at party and built it up to 860.

So anyways I ran into this website introducing this idea of a betting system to beat the casino war game. Yeah casino war. So instantly I was drawn into the idea of easy money, and got 300 out of my party account and started playing casino war(got I feel stupid saying that) and lost it using this "system". I felt like I could beat this game though with this system so I deposited another 100 and lost that also. By the way I found out this system I was using is the martingale system, and eventually you will go broke using it.

So I'm going to put back 250 into party and start grinding it out at the 10+1 until I can start playing 20+2 games again. I also have decided to go back to school since I'm only 22 and the national guard will pay for it. The only problem I'm having is figuring out why I have the stupidity to dump on anything that I believe I can beat without really doing research into it. I have been living on money that I made during the summer during a deployment and my gf keeps pressuring me to get a job because she doesn't believe that poker isn't a full time job. I can't really blame her I'm not exactly killing the games. So since you guys know how stupid I am know I guess I'll stop this lengthy post, and let you guys try and figure me out, because obviously I can't.

[Mens Rea]

Casinos have war?

Well Golden Palace does.

[ThinkQuick]

The fact that you've realized all this is sincere evidence that you are not stupid. You've learned not to martingale at a survivable price, and I'm quite sure you won't ever risk your very hard-earned service money on someone's system again. Yes, do your own research, like you did with poker, and good luck in the future

[Reef]

its human nature to want fast and easy cash without having to work hard. You learned an expensive lesson. No offense, but get a "real" job and have poker as a fun hobby.

just play poker, and that's it. make sure you play within your bankroll.

these are ESSENTIAL. if you don't do both of these, you will go broke.

read and participate in the stt forums if that's what you play, it will help your game immensely

edit: when i say "just play poker", i mean don't gamble on blackjack, casino war, etc. of course, getting a real job or going back to school would be a really good idea.