Is Online Poker Addictive?

Debi

Debi

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Here's a tough question for you!

We all love to play poker or we wouldn't be here. But do any of you think you take it too far? Do you think you might be addicted to online poker?

Read this article and let's discuss poker addiction:

Online Poker Addiction

I think that 7-8 years ago I was bordering on addiction - because I often put playing poker before spending time with my husband. After Black Friday we agreed that I would play primarily live poker so that when I play I can focus on it - and when I am home I can focus on work and family. It has worked out very well for me.

Now I only play CardsChat games from time to time.

Let us know about your experience with playing too much.
 
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neptun1914

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Well i am relatively new to poker so for just several months of play i am not expert but topic is definitely interesting. I think that we have 2 different situations here.

Situation 1 - you play poker as a hobby. Most people have several hobbies so you should check if you put too much money and/or time
compared with other hobbies lately. If answer is yes you may have a problem.

Situation 2 - poker is job for you. As a job it is normal for you to play much more poker than if you take it as a hobby but if it starts to take so much from your time that you don't have time for your family, friends or hobbies you also have a problem.

I personally am not gambling person. I hate to put my earned money on something which entirely depends on luck just for the thrill. That's why i do not play lottery, casino games, sports bets or something like that. I like the element of thinking and psychology in poker but frankly if there were no freerolls i am not sure if i would jump to the bandwagon of playing in any tournaments with real money in them. If though you are a gambling person you should be more careful.
 
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Addictive yes to the action and the game. When I was younger pre Black Friday I played way to much. BF helped me in a lot of ways.
 
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CryptoBlood

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Online poker is really addictive because if you lose nobody cant see who lose,so if you are bad sometimes nobody cant saw you.Also if you win you can show your balance,so you can pretend that you are always winner.Also online poker have more funny tournaments,promotions,then poker in real life.
 
Colbefc

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I think online poker can be addictive. Like Debi a couple of years ago I was near to being addicted but took a few months off and now I play nowhere near as much as I did, but enjoy it a lot more.
The thing is that poker gets this reputation as addictive, but so are a lot of things, alcohol, cigarettes, food, sex, anything can be addictive if you let it. I guess it depends on if you have an addictive personality, luckily I do not.
There are, I think, two different kinds of poker addiction, there is playing too much and there is playing for too much. Although I have done the former, playing too many hours, I have never done the latter, playing with money I cannot afford to lose.
I am lucky, I enjoy playing poker but I get the same buzz from poker for micro stakes and the few times I have played for bigger (although still small ) stakes, I did not enjoy it at all.
 
carli

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The addiction symptom is a passion we can not control, which manages with us. The addict does not stop playing either when he loses even when he gets. He can not resist that passion. He loses control of his own life. This disease negatively affects him in all spheres of life.
It can negatively affect the family as well.Most of us watch poker as a game.It should be aware of potential risks.
 
carli

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Each individual should make the minimum effort and be educated on this topic.
 
ribbybruno

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I love poker anywhere any time! Winning is the part that is addictive! Once you gain confidence and win your 1st tournament or end up on a Final Table. Watch out! :)
 
FastOne

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I think it depends on the individual.

I've been playing online poker for about 10 years and never have I felt addicted to it, really.
I can play for days in a row and then not play for a couple of days and not miss it, meaning I've never felt like I need or have to play. I enjoy it, not more than that.

Now, I've been addicted to caffeine (coke and black tea) and sugar and have felt the need to have them both and what it feels like when I'm hooked and not haven't eaten in hours. I'm guessing poker addiction must "feels" kind of like that, but I'm not sure.


BTW, maybe if I didn't feel like I do, like I'm always getting bad beats, maybe I'd get addicted to it? :laugh:
 
carli

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I think it depends on the individual.

I've been playing online poker for about 10 years and never have I felt addicted to it, really.
I can play for days in a row and then not play for a couple of days and not miss it, meaning I've never felt like I need or have to play. I enjoy it, not more than that.

Now, I've been addicted to caffeine (coke and black tea) and sugar and have felt the need to have them both and what it feels like when I'm hooked and not haven't eaten in hours. I'm guessing poker addiction must "feels" kind of like that, but I'm not sure.


BTW, maybe if I didn't feel like I do, like I'm always getting bad beats, maybe I'd get addicted to it? :laugh:
I agree with you.It's a personal matter that has to do with a personal character.
 
Hackerosito

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Poker in all its facets is addictive, I believe in that there is no discussion, the point is to know how to control schedules, circumstances and even banking. :joyman:
 
hugh blair

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I do not drink smoke or take drugs but I have a big gambling Gorilla on my back
love poker.
 
Jockerist

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I don't spend much time on poker. So I'm not dependent on him. Poker is fun for me. My main source of income is my job.
 
nopainnogain

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Well, I'm spending 5 hours daily playing poker so I consider myself addicted so I think I need to take a break because my body pressure is getting too much high.
 
vov4ik

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I play poker for a long time, I do not consider myself dependent on poker, but it's very good for me when poker sometimes brings me extra profit, sometimes I take poker breaks to rest with my family - if poker brought me good money all the time - , I would quit the job and was dependent only on him, and so for me this is entertainment and sometimes a small profit!
 
Comdemn

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Here's a tough question for you!

We all love to play poker or we wouldn't be here. But do any of you think you take it too far? Do you think you might be addicted to online poker?

Read this article and let's discuss poker addiction:

Online Poker Addiction

I think that 7-8 years ago I was bordering on addiction - because I often put playing poker before spending time with my husband. After Black Friday we agreed that I would play primarily live poker so that when I play I can focus on it - and when I am home I can focus on work and family. It has worked out very well for me.

Now I only play CardsChat games from time to time.

Let us know about your experience with playing too much.



Hi, I'm Ivan. I play online poker for 2 years and 6 months. The first year of the game I was very interested in how online poker works. I did not notice how very much I was drawn into it and to my regret I became somehow detached. In the beginning, I started spending less time with friends and family. Then I almost stopped doing household chores and it's very strange, because the whole year I was at home and played online poker and nothing else I just did not have enough time ... I do not know if I'm too gambling ((But I I'm glad that I thought about this and changed my approach to the game.Now I work and play, but I began to devote much less time to the online game, I started to live like normal people!
 
oleg plugaru

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I think that poker can become addiction ... It all depends on the person ... When you play 1-3 hours a day just for the sake of amusement, you can not become addicted ... But if you want to make money with poker. then it will take a lot of time to spend at the computer (play, learn, analyze your game, etc.)
 
MrPokerVerse

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Would have to say it was an addiction the first few years. Played most of the time when off from work. Many times when I should have been sleeping. My schedule was worked around certain tournaments making this the priority. I did a bankroll challenge on GR88 that was about 9 months with different levels. When that completed, it left me really burnt out. Not to long after that, Black Friday hit and my favorite sites were gone and my money.

Recovered the money but lost the desire. Play very little to this day and the majority of it is during the weekends. Playing is more eventful with less being better in this case.
 
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Yes, gambling and addiction.
From all gambling it's at least sometimes profitable, but still a very big problem.
If you think you're not addicted - try not to play ))
 
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I have had the hallmarks of addiction. I've done all of those things in the article...chasing losses, spending more than I can afford, playing compulsively to the point it damaged relationships, choosing to play poker instead of family or social engagements. But for me, it's a little complicated because I also have chronic fatigue. so I stay home a lot because of my health.

I do think online poker is problematic for a lot of young people, especially socially disengaged young people with few friends. It's easy to get sweet up in the challenge, the constant action and reward. Although for many, constantly losing will scare them away in the end. For some though that won't be until they've lost their house, wife/husband, etc.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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Life is multifaceted and it is foolish to spend it only on poker. Poker is a great game and I like to play, but there are things more important.
 
wagon596

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I'd have to say YES I'm addicted. I play several hours per day. Probably somewhere 340 days per year. Of course I'm old and live alone, so my playing all those hours doesn't affect anyone. In the last 13 years there is know telling how many millions of hands I've played.
 
bablovod

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8 years ago, it was like a drug to me. I sat in the evenings at the computer, ignoring my wife and child. in the family of frequent scandals and friction. I never drank, smoked, and almost all day playing. and of course that things were not all bad, I went shopping. it was a terrible time. but at some point, I was offered a job. after that, my brain switched. the work took a lot of time, had to travel to another city, sometimes for a few days. I should have forgotten about poker. but the main thing was to keep the family. the break was 6 years. so one day on email. the mail I received a letter, dear, blah blah blah, here is your ticket to a smashing tournament, join. again established itself poker rooms (well that still not all, that before), and began little by little play. because of that, I finally got to this beautiful community and here I am with you. thank you for being here. I'm pleased. and now there is no such need not to get out because of the computer, but at night it is long.
sorry for my English Russian :D
 
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I think that if you have to have some control, in the times when you play poker, spend some time, but that is not excessive.
 
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