Addiction ??

ripptyde

ripptyde

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Ya know, the weird thing is that I know deep down I am addicted to poker...but in a self absorbed kind of way, I don't care...I've put over 5 years and 1.5 million hands of blood , sweat and tears into fine tuning my tourney game....and I will be god damned if I'm going to give up now.

In my own private way, I feel that my love/hate relationship with poker is almost a healthy addiction because I know deep down what the naysayers don't. That poker is, and always will be....in the truest sense of the word, a skill game.

I won't deny that poker has made my life worse in some ways...I've walked away from lucrative jobs, broken up with girlfriends (well poker was part of it...but she didn't like Winnie...so she got the boot) And my bankroll goes up and down like > (insert clever metaphor here: ____________)

but there is something about poker that makes me challenge and push myself and never want to quit. Why ? Because I truly thrive on the psychological warfare aspect of poker...and the element of intellect...outplaying your opponent because you made a great read....I mean sometimes I find myself daydreaming about strategy ...but is that really a bad thing ??

There is just something enormously satisfying about out-thinking your opponent, and becoming a true predator...getting into peoples brains....I mean I just thrive on that aspect of holdem......and then there those few fleeting moments of glory...when you take down a big tourney....that undeniable feeling of elation...that moment when it all comes together.

If you think about it...isn't that what life is all about ? The endless pursuit of excellence ? As long as you have a true passion for your pursuit, who can tell you anything really. Life is not a rehearsal so do what you love to do...but be prepared to live with the consequences for better or worse.

I will never forget the 1st major tourney I won. It was the evening $10.00 r/a . I sat on my bed on my 'company issued' laptop and I think I had something like $75.00 in my account....it was just one of those days...ya know ? When everything goes right and you can do no wrong. I was struggling for $$$ after relocating to L.A and had car trouble etc (you know the drill) and despite all this adversity...poker was a welcome sanctuary.

Without going into detail about the actual tourney...mainly because it's irrelevant to the theme of this rant....is that when the final hand was dealt and I had every last chip and was $10,000 dollars richer.....well that was one of the sweetest feelings of accomplishment I'd ever experienced in my life.

When people talking about poker being an 'addiction'...I emphatically agree. But I believe that for some people...this addiction is healthy for state of mind....provided you can keep reality in perspective, I don't think its altogether a bad thing to pursue a dream and always be trying to grind away for that final table.

Thats the beauty of poker, is that anyone can sit down and play 2 cards and strive to be the best they can be.

After a while I started to realize how hard I was working on my poker game....and decided to use that same knowledge in taking steps to improve my life.

Playing poker is an epic, neverending struggle, and thats putting it mildly..., emotionally and physically draining, heartbreaking on levels that literally suck the life out of you ...and our 'peers'...quite frankly aren't exactly pillars of the community.

With that said....I will always play poker because it's the purest form of human competition than I can think of....the ultimate test of psychological warfare, self analysis, ego and intellect.

I can't imagine a better way to spend my time.
 
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tnt72

tnt72

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Though I am no where near your level of play ripptyde, I'm addicted also.I haven't won a big tourney(but it will come in time) But every tourney I cash in or SnG I win it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I work on my game everyday and it seems the more I learn the more frustrating it becomes. But thats why I keep playing because I love it. Poker is the best and worst thing that is in my life....lol.Good post bro:D
 
reglardave

reglardave

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There's a lot of like-minded company pn this forum, and we all appreciate your words. Well said.
 
roulettedares

roulettedares

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here here rip,, There is more to poker than life." "I'm a poker player. Some might call me a gambler, but I draw a distinction. A gambler plays when the odds are immutable and against him. I don't. That's why there is a large coterie of professional poker players, but not a single, solitary, professional roulette or craps player. In poker, good players win and poor players lose." ~ Lou Krieger
 
pokernut

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Very well said. I am addicted in the truest sense of the word as well. Thankfully i've been able to incorporate poker into my life and not my life into poker, but it's not an easy merge considering I absolutely love the game, and don't have many things i'd rather be doing.

It's kind of like the saying work to live, don't live to work. That's been the hardest line for me to make sure I don't cross with poker in my life, but my wife reminds me a lot because I tend to straddle that line sometimes.
 
4Aces

4Aces

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I have to admit i am also addicted to poker, but also like you not in a bad way. Nice post!
 
heatfan03

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I used to be addicted to A video Game and when you talk about in the beginning of this how u need poker for ur mind i remembered thinking about that being me on a video game. Once i found poker though i truly realized what a healthy addiction was and how bad for me The video Game(world of warcraft) was. I'm a Tennis Player looking at going Division 1 and Poker has improved my tennis game dramatically. (yea sounds crazy) The thing is one problem i had in tennis was my ego. The ego to not hit the big crowd impressing shot when i didnt need to. To me that was alot like Making a lay down in poker when u've put money in the pot and you know you are beat. In time i was able to make those laydowns and go for the simpler shot.
Poker has definetly being healthy. As long as people are in it for the right reasons.
 
V

vike king

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so true!! so true!!

I agree with you on all accounts ! But I tell you addiction ! Those damn pokerstars freerolls with 10,000 people every time! I`m from the U.S. and am forced to play these damn freerolls all the time! But thats ok. 6 hr tourneys take true dedication ! I only wish I could play some of you in real money games. But until then see you in a freeroll !!! lol!!! p.s. right now `Im playing on full tilt see ya there!
 
E

Eltanin

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Well said. A healthy addiction (usually I call it an obsession just to avoid the negative connotations of "addict") can be useful thing. Anytime you can learn doing the things you love to do and apply it to the things you need to do is a great thing.


Sometimes though, I think that for a purely intellectual challenge, I need to go back to playing chess. No bad beats, never lose to someone making random or non-sensical plays and it's still a very deep psychological game. I like to think that I play poker with a chess mentality (I'd probably have more success if I started to play like a poker player though :)
 
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