Re-directing gambling impulses to poker, healthy/unhealthy?

[talkinghead]

Just because you are winning money from poker does that mean you have got rid of a gambling problem you may have had. Or has the problem just taken a different form.

I used to have a gambling problem. Betting mostly online at casinos using silly systems, and sports bets when i didn't even watch the game. Had my finger in every pie, blackjack, roulette, video poker. I even tried poker once but rejected it because it the action wasn't fast enough for this junkie. Wasn't able to readily double bets, etc.

Eventually, after running out of money, kind of twigged that I might have some sort of problem.

Having reached this conclusion by myself, it was up to me what I did about it. Possible solutions I considered did not include the thought of stopping gambling in some form.

So I learned how to play poker, thinking that, if I got good, I could at least break even, thus keeping me able to satisfy my addiction without having to inject money which I didn't have.

Two years on, happy days. Playing $15/$30 about 25 hrs a week, making good money, got myself a house and the girlfriend moved in. Or is it happy days?

I never really dealt with the gambling problem the cold turkey way, just re-directed it to poker, I have occasional weekly breaks and I'm fine but I can't honestly imagine a life without it, does this mean I have a problem, or do I just like poker?

[burgi]

I totally know what you are talking about!!! I basically experienced the same thing. Gambling like a maniac in everything there was, just throwing money out the window. And not just a little bit, but a lot.
Then, I also came to the conclusion by myself that I have a problem and avoided gambling for probably like 2 years. Now, about 2 months ago, started playing poker, but actually studying the game. I'm not an awefully successful player, but in the last 2 months, I have won more than I have lost, so I think that I'm doing ok (playing 50NL on party).
I don't think that redirecting your gambling impulses to poker is necessarily a bad thing, if, and only if, you don't start going on tilt and start playing stupid. But, if you financed a house with poker, you must be winning, and can't really be taking too many -EV gambles.
So, I think that you are doing just fine releasing your gambling impulses to poker.

[bicyclekick]

The only question I have is if you tilt easy and hard...because of the gambling problem...like if you run bad do you start playing a good chunk worse? That is my only concern. If not, while poker will not get you over this 'habbit' or 'addiction', it will at least solve the biggest problem of the 'addiction' which is money. It's still not 'good', but it's definately better than other forms of gamblign and a helluva lot more fun than no gambling at all.

[Bluffoon]

I am a poker player not a gambler. Gamblers, no offense, are losers. I am a winner. Winning makes me feel good. I play for entertainment and for the financial rewards. I like to buy things for my girlfriend , for my son and for myself from poker winnings. So poker is good.

If poker made me feel bad about myself, if I felt bad about losing money or felt like a loser I would say it was a problem. If it affected my job performance, negatively impacted my relationships or caused me financial difficulty it would be a problem.

I think it is important to ask yourself why you gamble, or play poker, or drink, or do drugs, or any other potentially harmful activity. Be honest with yourself, and approach risky behaviour with a healthy respect for the dangers and pitfalls that exist.

Knowing yourself and why you do the things you do is key.

[talkinghead]

I don't tilt bad at all, If I go down 50BB in a day, I take the following day off. Just in case tilt ever does rear his ugly behind, I find this method keeps it at bay.

My question to others is this, you have to answer honestly as I have.

"Would you be able to give up poker, can you imagine your life without it?"

My answer to this question is no. Although I live a full
life outside of poker, I see it playing a big part in my future as I've been winning 1.77BB/hr over the last six months since I started $15/$30.

Does winning mark the difference between an addict and a player? They both have to play.

[emonrad87]

To me, poker is not gambling. It is a job. (I'm not a pro, so its a little part time job). This is because for me, as a winning player, it is +EV.

Gambling = -EV.

[mmcd]

Gamblers, no offense, are losers.

Only the 95% that suck at gambling.

[talkinghead]

So I am not a problem gambler. Just a winning poker player.

After reading accounts of what some unfortunate souls troubled with the aforementioned affliction had to undergo to conquer it, I can't help but think what an easier time I had in my poker novicehood instead.

Wouldn't dream of playing any online casino games now. Thousands of hours of trying to squeeze the most EV out of games has drilled that into me.

I guess I'm just really thankful I found poker when I did, without it I'd be a degenerate broke gambler with none of the luxuries I now take for granted.

Poker - The cure, not the cause!

[jdl22]

I would reccomend posting this in the psychology forum. There are a lot of people there that are quite knowledgable.

I think it's good, just keep a very close eye on it. If you start to get to the point where playing poker is causing you harm you need to stop - even if you are a winning player.

[umdpoker]

"Wouldn't dream of playing any online casino games now. Thousands of hours of trying to squeeze the most EV out of games has drilled that into me."

seems like learning to play poker may have helped quite a bit. if you can stop yourself from playing obviously -ev games, you have made progress.