I love poker, but I have a gambling problem (Long).

[ChicagoTroy]

That you win at poker is not the issue. It takes up an unhealthy amount of your time and energy.

[cianosheehan]

I would seriously recommend joining a martial arts class. Doing something physically and mentally demanding and completely different to poker/gambling will help your situation a lot. Also you will be meeting new people, getting out of the house etc. I say martial arts as opposed to other activities because martial arts is excellent for teaching self discipline.

to be honest, it sounds like you need to get out of your head...less thought more action. Do it...do it!!

[galahad_187]

I had a similar problem a while ago. I had a lucky weekend and won 2grand playing roulette using this 'system'. Pretty soon i'm playing these -EV casino games non stop acually believing these 'systems' are true. Long story short i had put a total of 4grand for online gambling(about). and was down to (about) 500 bucks from another decient few days. then i switched to poker. I first read several books in B&N and kept at it. I went down to about 200 bucks where i stayed for quite sometime, then i rose up up up. Now i make about 18-22$/hr 8 tabling 25nl 6 max games, and i'll have my 4grand fully recovered within 2 weeks (assuming no severe cold deck)

I know the sting of gambling, it was a total high thinking i was set and could rape casinos, i did the exact same things as you. 'common baby get back to 500 and i'll walk 500 and i'll walk' 550 hits and im saying 'common just 150 more and im done.'

its a horrid cycle. I blasted all the casino software from my computer and kept at poker. Poker is a gamblers best friend if you can be well disciplined about it. I know 2 things helped me a great deal along the way. 1) my gym time. I had been going toa gym for 2 years at the time and with out it i would ahve probably broken things. 2) my girlfriend. While it doesn't need to be someone of the opposite sex exactly, just going away somewhere that doesn't have anything to do with gambling or your money in general is a great thing.

godspeed to you

[Johnny123]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Svar till:</font><hr />
That you win at poker is not the issue. It takes up an unhealthy amount of your time and energy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. I need to get more balance in my life. I seriously do not think that I need to quit poker, but maybe I should take a break from it. That would probably be a good thing to do. In any case, I should find more non-gambling things to do and spend less time playing and thinking about poker.

I have always liked poker as a strategy game, and am not very carried away about the money/gambling aspect of it. I believe that is because I can never win or lose a lot on one single hand, or one short session. It's not at all like blackjack, where you can win or lose any set amount within seconds.

As for casino games (blackjack etc), they are the devil. I don't really like playing them, it's more that I sometimes can't get away from it when I have started. It's a completely different feeling than poker (at least for me). I like the highs and hate the lows, but hate the lows A LOT more than I like the highs. It's just not worth it. I'm quitting all those games. I realize that I can't just "play for fun" or "occasionally clear a bonus and then quit" or anything like that when it comes to such games. My life would be better without them. So, no more blackjack or other casino games for me.

Poker is different. I never feel "damnit, I gotta make a big score... it would be so great to win lots of money fast!" or something like that when playing poker. I just try to make the correct decisions. Sure, I sometimes deviate from that due to frustration and have a tilty session. And that is a problem. But I think I know myself good enough to know that this might get better. With experience, will to change and a more balanced life. And perhaps some therapy. In anyone here has any experience from cognitive therapy, feel free to drop me a pm about it (or post here).

[Johnny123]

About physical excercise: It's a great thing to do. I used to exercise regularly, and it made me felt better. I am taking it up again, starting today.

I like the thinking behind recommending Martial Arts. But I'm not really... well.. it's not really my type of thing to do. I'm too much of wimp, I guess. I used to practice Karate when I was younger and it really wasn't my cup of tea.

[Johnny123]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Svar till:</font><hr />
It's not what you want to hear, but you have a gambling problem, so you should seek help from people who are experts in treating gambling problems. If you don't like GA and 12 Step programs, there are cognitive behavioral pscyhologists that can help with addiction, as well as other therapy approaches. Maybe down the road you can take up poker, but if you are now lonely, at serious financial risk, depressed and tilting like Pisa architecture, the advice will always the same: quit playing, everything.

But if you don't want to get help, at least do yourself a favor and never play a casino game again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I know I have a gambling problem. And I have come to terms with the fact that I really need to never play casino games again. But it's really not the same feeling with poker (see my previous post).

I will probably go to therapy, since I don't know how to obtain sufficient self-disicpline on my own (this is a problem in other areas than gambling as well). I'm just not sure if I should go back to my old therapist, or find a new one who is more oriented towards cognitive behavioral therapy.

But perhaps you got the impressions that my situation is a bit worse than it is.

Lonely: Well, I do have friends so that is not a problem. It's more that I have too much spare time. I need to socalaize more and meet new people, since my friende are a lot more busy with work/school than I am.

Depressed: A bit depressed, yes. But I have previously suffered from more severe depression and that was a lot worse than what I am feeling today. I still take anti-depressives, although a lower dose than I used to. I see a doctor for this, but only meet him about every six months or so.

Serious financial risk: No. I have my savings in the bank, I'm not touching those, neither for spending, poker playing or anything else that is not a long term investment such a a car or an apartment. Basically, I have been gambling with my original deposits at poker rooms (which was money I did not need) and my poker winnings.

Tilting like Pisa arcitecture: Well, that happens. And much more often than it used to. A break from poker seems like a good idea.

[kyzerjose]

Yes, but......
The instant sign of denial &amp; delusional thinking.
I'm a master at both. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Hey addictive personality disorder is a rush isn't it?
Moderation, man that's for light weights.
I ran for health. Nope marathons were in order. Not healthy!
I drank to relax. Nah, that wasn't very much fun. It was more fun to get toasted.
I drugged it up to experiment with my 60's surroundings. Became a twitchy meth freak that hung out with a very dangerous crowd of Angels. But..... they did have the meth.
BJ, no harm in that. Well unless you can count the X number of K's I blew.
Then poker, ah yes, poker. One of the best rushes outside of IV coke.
Intellectually stimulating. Very good at filling the voids inside.
You have two choices:

1. Accept who you are and live with the consequences. (That's where I'm at now.)
2. Find out what's eating a hole in your soul.

APDers can't have it both ways.

Best of luck

[Johnny123]

Interesting post. I guess I'll go for no. 2.

But could you elaborate on "That's where I'm at now"? Do you mean that you have an addictive personality and accept that, not trying to change it? If so, what consequences does this have for you? Obviously you don't have to answer if you don't want to, I'm just curious.

[kyzerjose]

Yes, Mr. APD here!
Consequences you ask?
Financially none. I'm blessed with enough disposible income to feed this particular addiction. Sort of like when I dealt meth to pay for my crank.
I get enough of the rush playing SSHE against the usual rabble that frequents my local card room and ll online sites.
Ah but the mental fatigue is almost crippling some days.
I get by with Nefazondone HCL. Keeps the corners rounded off. Like Fung Shuaing the interior of a house.(sp?)
Yeah, it's a diagnosed clinical depression with and underlying APD.
Home life is good. My wife is a saint and we have regular therapy sessions.
My APD is a frequent topic and I have the therapist shaking her head sometimes. She says she's never seen another addict like me.
Not really a compliment I guess.
For now, I am what I am. No more no less.
Eventually I'll tire of the battle to keep things in check and find something else to try.
Who knows, maybe I'll go demon hunting.