My friend is terrible at poker....should I do anything?

splashpot · #1 12-14-2005, 06:03 AM

My friend regularly asks me to transfer her some money on Party and she pays me back with cash. This is fine with me since it saves me the trouble of cashing out, but it seems that she always loses.

Like just the other day, she asks me for 50 bucks. I send it to her. She messages me about 20 minutes later and asks for another 50. This continues for a couple hours and she ends up borrowing 300 total. All in increments of 50 dollars.

And it's not like she plays just for fun either. She gets pissed off that she loses. She's always telling me about hands. Every hand that she tells me about she loses set over set...or her top 2 pair loses to a gunshot straight. Other pretty rare things seem to happen extraordinarily often for her. At least if I were to believe what she tells me. I watched her play for about 20 minutes once. It was .50/1 no limit 6 max. She played pretty horribly. I suck at cash games but I can still tell she sucks. It is very clear that she doesn't understand basic poker concepts.

I've given her tips, pointed her towards books and this site, but it's like she has no interest in studyig the game at all. She doesn't want to study it, but she gets really pissed that she loses so much.

I'm not worried about her not paying me back, I know she is good for the money, but I am guessing that she's borderline gambling addict. The bad kind of gambling addict. Should I say something? Should I stop transfering her money over Party?

lehighguy · #2 12-14-2005, 06:40 AM

Tell he transferring her money is becomming a hassle.

On a related note, you can't stop those people, so don't try.

chisness · #3 12-14-2005, 07:59 AM

a very similar situation has happened to me with someone who is not really a close friend. he's been very good about paying and even pays MORE than we send, often something like $60 for $50. then when we say we're getting tired of sending we get unresistable offers like $140 for $100!

i think it's good to talk to them to tell them that there are better things they could be doing (but there are also worse things they could be addicted to). if you're not benefitting at all and you know that they're getting killed, just say you don't have enough to send or it's too much of a pain, etc.

bernie · #4 12-14-2005, 08:32 AM

You've already said something. Nothing happened.

[ QUOTE ]
but it's like she has no interest in studyig the game at all. She doesn't want to study it,

[/ QUOTE ]

If you think she's going to be the bad type of gambling addict, either cut her off fundwise or get the money up front before you transfer it. Personally, I'd cut her off saying you don't like to see her pissed all the time. If she goes apesh*t at being cut off, she's in pretty deep.

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bernie · #5 12-14-2005, 08:34 AM

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then when we say we're getting tired of sending we get unresistable offers like $140 for $100!

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I got about this same exact offer the other day in the cardroom. For about 20 mins str8. I was about to call the floor. God it was pathetic.

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MuckerFish · #6 12-14-2005, 09:09 AM

HU freezeout?

Just kidding- tell her party contacted you about the "frequent suspicious transfers" or other such BS, and say you're not going to be able to do this any longer.

mosdef · #7 12-14-2005, 09:09 AM

[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, you can't stop those people, so don't try.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bad attitude, especially if she's a friend. And he should definitely stop implicitly approving her gambling by transferring funds to her.

Xhad · #8 12-14-2005, 10:12 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
then when we say we're getting tired of sending we get unresistable offers like $140 for $100!

[/ QUOTE ]

I got about this same exact offer the other day in the cardroom. For about 20 mins str8. I was about to call the floor. God it was pathetic.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had someone doing this follow me into a restroom to plead his case after I said no the first couple of times. I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] B&M's.

To the OP: No, you can't convince people that don't want to put the work into learning the game. I have a friend who's not an addict but plays atrociously, doing things like open-limping 57o UTG and then going to showdown with bottom pair even though he claims to read books and try to play at least reasonably correctly. I've long since learned not to comment. And I find excuses not to loan him money either.

Songwind · #9 12-14-2005, 12:43 PM

Sorry for the small thread hijack, but why would someone offer you extra money for your money in a B&M? I mean, they can just go to the cashier. Or were they offering to pay you back later?

Back on topic - is this friend someone you're close enough to that you can make unpopular suggestions? It honestly seems like maybe she needs to see a counselor about her gambling.

uncleshady · #10 12-14-2005, 12:48 PM

If she really is a gambling addict, there is no way to stop her...but remember if you dont give her the money, somebody else will, and alot more and maybe exploit her in the process. Crappy reality.

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry for the small thread hijack, but why would someone offer you extra money for your money in a B&M? I mean, they can just go to the cashier. Or were they offering to pay you back later?

[/ QUOTE ]
Usually they want to borrow your 40 bucks or whatever and play it on the spot and try to get a profit and give you the 40 back once they win. But they usually dont win hence buying into a 4-8 game with 40 bucks..