Re: Gambler\'s anonymous
Dear Green Gambler,
Asside from the posts by "threonefour", "dustybottoms", "nut4dawgs", and "thehotspur", the posters in this thread are full of shiit. Total ignorant idiots would be a simple definition.
Allow me to elaborate on a few things from personal experience.
12 step "groups" have guidlines called "12 traditions" by which they operate so to speak. "The only requirement for GA membership is a desire to stop gambling." These principles are taken from the 12 traditions of AA, replacing GA for AA or whatever the aplicable 12 step program name is.
Nowhere does it say if you go play poker we're gonna kick you out.
Victor states: [ QUOTE ]
most in ga fail to understand gambling theory and expectation value. so, they would not be able comprehend your alleged edge and thus would certainly not accept your poker playing.
also he says; the group will not tolerate any use.
[/ QUOTE ]
Trust that there are many that understand gambling theory, expectation value, and can tell you the precise payback and EV% and hourly rate of many of the most popular video poker games with 99-100+% paybacks. As well, many know the math of every damn draw in poker far better than most 2+2ers.
Knowledge of these things does not mean one is NOT a compulsive gambler.
as for the 2nd statement of his. Refer to the "tradition", a "desire".
Freehat states: [ QUOTE ]
Listen to Victor at GA they don't want any forms of gambling at all, so they would not approve of your poker playing and would not want you to attend their meetings evn if you planned on continuing playing poker but stopped playing the table games.
[/ QUOTE ] Again talking crap. They would never NOT want you to attend their meetings. Refer to traditions, "desire". You think drunks and dope fiends get kicked out of AA or NA because the got loaded or had a drink? If that were the case it's doubtful more than 10% of their respective memberships would EVER have gotten sober.
Bascule writes; [ QUOTE ]
My mother counsels people with alcohol problems. She disagrees with the AA approach of trying to stop *all* alcohol consumption.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, it's hard to agree with the success of 2 million+ sober and recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.
I suggest to you there are no "rules" GG, as you mention in your initial post. If you feel like you have a problem go check them out. Most of all be honest with yourself and those that you meet there. Trust that you are not unique in any way shape or form and they have "been there, done that" no matter what your story is.
It is not for us here to say whether you are a compulsive gambler. Thats for you to decide. You would not be the first successful poker player that was however. There are many broke successful poker players that are most certainly compulsive gamblers. Just look around the sports books and table games of any major tournament. Many are firing hard at negative expectation games.
I wish you the best in your efforts to make a change.
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