Compulsive gamblers?

[6bet me]

Online poker addicts may not be aware of the huge dents they are making in their savings. Where they once played for real dollars, they now see only “credits” in a browser window. An addict can spend hours on end at the keyboard, losing track of time and forgetting to sleep or eat. Loved ones are ignored in the process. Nothing seems to matter but the game.
But online poker addiction does not happen overnight—one day fine, the next day dependent. It is a process that takes over a susceptible player gradually, almost imperceptibly, until certain signals emerge to announce trouble ahead. Interest is turning into obsession. Others begin to notice changes, such as the following.
• Unable to differentiate between money used for gambling and used for living.
• Inability to take a day or a weekend away from online poker rooms.
• Borrowing money from friends, relatives or financial institutions to play poker.
• Lying to family about amounts of time spent online and money lost playing poker.
• Loss of job interest and instead thinking about game strategies at the workplace.
• Mood swings characterized by sullenness, short temper, anxiety and/or depression.
Observing one or more of these symptoms, in one’s self or in someone close, should trigger concern. It could be time for an intervention. The situation may warrant immediate action to stop a growing compulsion from becoming full blown addiction.

SOURCE:onlinepokerrealmoney

So let's say someone is a successful semi-professional poker player. They work a part-time job and they play poker about 30 hours per week. They follow strict BRM and only play at stakes where they are +EV. They have a huge interest in the game and think about it all day and night, but they lie to others about how long they play because they know that their family/friends are ignorant about poker and won't understand their passion. They do have mood swings on occasion, like feeling happy/excited during an upswing and feeling upset and low on motivation during a downswing. On occasion, they sell some action to play at stakes they wouldn't normally be rolled for, like playing in the wsop for example.

The person described above fits every symptom you gave about being a compulsive gambler. But is that really a bad thing?

 

[joe777]

So let's say someone is a successful semi-professional poker player. They work a part-time job and they play poker about 30 hours per week. They follow strict BRM and only play at stakes where they are +EV. They have a huge interest in the game and think about it all day and night, but they lie to others about how long they play because they know that their family/friends are ignorant about poker and won't understand their passion. They do have mood swings on occasion, like feeling happy/excited during an upswing and feeling upset and low on motivation during a downswing. On occasion, they sell some action to play at stakes they wouldn't normally be rolled for, like playing in the WSOP for example.

The person described above fits every symptom you gave about being a compulsive gambler. But is that really a bad thing?

IMO,even though the person you described fits 85% of the symptom,I won't labelled him as a compulsive gambler/addicted.There is actually a very thin line that would differentiate between passion and addiction in poker.

I would describe him as a passionate Poker player,because in order to became successful in poker you do need to have the passion.A good/passionate poker poker player will devoted time to learn and improve and most importantly only gamble with the money they can afford to lose and stay within strict brm.

You might want to check out my other thread titled>Poker-Passion or Addiction?

 

[Dorugremon]

Where they once played for real dollars, they now see only “credits” in a browser window. An addict can spend hours on end at the keyboard, losing track of time and forgetting to sleep or eat. Loved ones are ignored in the process. Nothing seems to matter but the game.

I do all of those things. "They now see only “credits” in a browser window": if you think the right decision is to barrel off, you can't be thinking: "Holy F***! I just bet a new car!" The only way to think of it is: "I raise 30BB". Doesn't matter if you're playing for nickles and dimes for pots that amount to stray pocket change, or that you could find more change if you just check under the seat of your favourite TV chair, or whether you're playing on Poker After Dark and contesting a million+ dollar pot. If you're not playing for BB's, you're not gonna be successful.

"An addict can spend hours on end at the keyboard, losing track of time and forgetting to sleep or eat". If the game's rich enough, then play it until you drop.

"Loved ones are ignored in the process". Use part of your winnings to take 'em out to dinner. They'll forgive you.

"Nothing seems to matter but the game". That's concentration, getting a line on the villains' play, reading tells and determining if they're genuine, or if someone isn't trying to put one over. Let the fish play with their MP3 players and smart phones. These electronic toys are the best damn things to happen in Poker in, like, decades.

But online poker addiction does not happen overnight—one day fine, the next day dependent. It is a process that takes over a susceptible player gradually, almost imperceptibly, until certain signals emerge to announce trouble ahead. Interest is turning into obsession. Others begin to notice changes, such as the following.
• Unable to differentiate between money used for gambling and used for living.
• Inability to take a day or a weekend away from online poker rooms.
• Borrowing money from friends, relatives or financial institutions to play poker.
• Lying to family about amounts of time spent online and money lost playing poker.
• Loss of job interest and instead thinking about game strategies at the workplace.
• Mood swings characterized by sullenness, short temper, anxiety and/or depression.
Observing one or more of these symptoms, in one’s self or in someone close, should trigger concern. It could be time for an intervention. The situation may warrant immediate action to stop a growing compulsion from becoming full blown addiction.

SOURCE:onlinepokerrealmoney

One bullet point is conspicuous by its absence.

* Losing all the time.

No one ever had a gambling problem. They have a losing problem.

So let's say someone is a successful semi-professional poker player. They work a part-time job and they play poker about 30 hours per week. They follow strict BRM and only play at stakes where they are +EV. They have a huge interest in the game and think about it all day and night, but they lie to others about how long they play because they know that their family/friends are ignorant about poker and won't understand their passion. They do have mood swings on occasion, like feeling happy/excited during an upswing and feeling upset and low on motivation during a downswing. On occasion, they sell some action to play at stakes they wouldn't normally be rolled for, like playing in the WSOP for example.

The person described above fits every symptom you gave about being a compulsive gambler. But is that really a bad thing?

Click on the link. They cite Gamblers Anonymous as their source. This scam is an offshoot of an even bigger scam: Alcoholics Anonymous. Click on this link: Orange Papers and see just how crooked this outfit really is. Anyone citing this as their source either is ignorant or disingenuous. In neither case, are they to be trusted.

 

[joe777]

As you put it, some people are weak and simple including children and that's who the companies exploit. They prey upon peoples weaknesses. Simple things like putting candy next to the tills

On the other hand some people are very intelligent and still fall prey to the temptations whether it be food, alchohol, drugs gambling etc so what chance have the weak ones got.

Shouldn't people be encouraged or helped if they have a problem or do you just abandon the weak and simple.

Yeah,I agree we must not abandon the weak and simple.

 

[Dorugremon]

Yeah,I agree we must not abandon the weak and simple.

Certainly, we should exploit the weak and simple.

 

[joe777]

absolutely not - in fact i believe the biggest problem in this world today is mental health issues - which lead people to do all things bad - but as I stated - it should not be the burden of a company that knows nothing about it - it should be the burden of society and governments - social programs and healthcare - people who know how to and have the means to make a difference - but I bet no one wants to pay for it - they never do - they always try to push it on to someone else

at most a site should just post warnings and provide information on how to get help - not seek out troubled people and try to fix them or force them to behave properly- its not their business - plus if they cut someone off, they are just going to go somewhere else - fixes nothing

Couldn't agree more.