Do professional poker player take study drugs and is it cheating?

[blix177]

Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, increases alertness, energy, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure for a short time. It is used to treat ADHD, but others take them illegally as a study drug for exams to prevent mental fatigue.

Do you think this type of doping is consider cheating? When you do a 12 hour tournament the final hours is a battle against fatigue. It is hard for most recreational players to go 12 hours without ending up in mental fatigue.

 

[DS3]

A number of players have been somewhat open about taking drugs of various kinds.

Obviously quite a few smoke pot to relax - the joke being at any given time during the wsop you go outside an exit and find yourself in a cloud of marijuana smoke as many take a hit on break.

However, others such as Charlie Carroll have discussed periods using various stimulants.

I do not think it should be illegal because such drugs affect everyone in different ways. One drug might focus one players attention but it might render another confused and distracted (whether speed or pot its user dependent). You can only have a general idea of effect and a not precise measurable one.

Besides which, I feel at this point we have become accepting in our overall take on drugs. After all, some get frenetic on multiple cups of coffee and others down alcohol to the the point of getting messy at the felt and no one is going to pull either of those.

 

[timegambler]

I think it all becomes pointless when you think about the rampant use of stimulant in colleges, sports and other areas of competition.. If there's an edge to be had, people will go all-in.

 

[mitroff]

Accepted with high probability.

 

[Newzooozooo]

Hi.
I believe that true professional players will never use stimulants, drugs, or doping. I am convinced that the question of endurance depends only on the physical shape of the player and his experience.
Good luck.

 

[1nsomn1a]

It is possible that players use such stimulants, but I do not think that this will be strictly prohibited.

First, poker is not yet a sport to establish doping control, and second, it has a different effect on a person, there is no guarantee that this will have a positive effect on the player.

Third, even if someone is mentally fresher than the others, this does not give them a great advantage, since poker is not chess, then the cards that you are dealt and the element of luck are more important. Even the smartest one can't do anything if the opponent gets aces.

 

[Phoenix Wright]

Hi.
I believe that true professional players will never use stimulants, drugs, or doping. I am convinced that the question of endurance depends only on the physical shape of the player and his experience.
Good luck.

I agree with this. In many things that are mentally competitive like poker (chess comes to mind), the best players usually value nutrition and stay in good physical shape. I think drinking water and trying to remain focused on the poker would do more than substances.

 

[seraxel]

I don't know that the lens through which to view any form of cheating is, "can it make someone better than the top professionals?"

Instead:

Can it give someone an unfair edge vs rec players, who are important to the poker economy?

Does it create a "keeping up with the Joneses" rat race?

And ultimately:

Is it good or bad for the game?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But they are worth considering.

 

[freeisfun]

Coffee and sugar are drugs so your saying drinking redbull is unfair?

 

[Hemified]

Probably yes but not as much as sum would think. I would assume sum of em are on cloud 9 just make a final table and sum are on the 💰 high getting amped up just because of winning and adrenalin. To each his own I guess, good luck and have fun..


Hey, hey, hey, im on vacation every single day because I love my occupation..

 

[WellAA]

Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, increases alertness, energy, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure for a short time. It is used to treat ADHD, but others take them illegally as a study drug for exams to prevent mental fatigue.

Do you think this type of doping is consider cheating? When you do a 12 hour tournament the final hours is a battle against fatigue. It is hard for most recreational players to go 12 hours without ending up in mental fatigue.

Don`t know if it could be forbidden, but then the natural drugs as ginkgo biloba, maca peruana, ginseng, should add to the list.
Yoga and meditation should be avoided as well.

 

[DS3]

Hi.
I believe that true professional players will never use stimulants, drugs, or doping. I am convinced that the question of endurance depends only on the physical shape of the player and his experience.
Good luck.

It is not a question of your belief.

Numerous professionals openly admit to smoking marijuana (Bryn Kenney etc)

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/secret-history-cannabis-world-series-poker

Further I am sure many take stimulants as detailed by Charlie Carrol. Each one to his own. Some people fail to grasp that certain drugs enhance others mood and play. On top of that there is zero regulation so if someone wants to play as high as a kite, so be it.

For what it is worth I do no drugs myself but have been acquainted with some hyper individuals who seriously imbibe just to chill themselves enough to undertake complicated tasks.

 

[thunder_road]

Hi.
I believe that true professional players will never use stimulants, drugs, or doping. I am convinced that the question of endurance depends only on the physical shape of the player and his experience.
Good luck.

i agree lets start wide spread drug testing of both live and online players. (SARCASM)

 

[MishkaZL]

In general, I believe that taking any stimulants, especially drugs, while playing in a tournament is a scam. I do not mind if players who play online, drink alcohol, or smoke marijuana, but while playing live, I think that this behavior of players is unacceptable.

 

[recerveau]

Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, increases alertness, energy, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure for a short time. It is used to treat ADHD, but others take them illegally as a study drug for exams to prevent mental fatigue.
Do you think this type of doping is consider cheating? When you do a 12 hour tournament the final hours is a battle against fatigue. It is hard for most recreational players to go 12 hours without ending up in mental fatigue.

I believe it depends on the imposed rule. If it is determined that it is possible to use, that's fine.

 

[acemenow]

As I see it we are all made up of chemicals in one sense or another. That is why we are given prescribed drugs to adjust or treat an illness to balance the chemistry in our bodies or brains (depending on the issue).

Couple things people will usually roll their eyes at is the fact that sugar for example is a widely accepted drug.

A highly cited study in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that sugar—as pervasive as it is—meets the criteria for a substance of abuse and may be addictive to those who binge on it. It does this by affecting the chemistry of the limbic system, the part of the brain that’s associated with emotional control.

ref: https://www.healthline.com/health-n...ans have confirmed that,those who binge on it.

Most of us realize caffeine is a drug as well and nobody questions its use in the form of coffee or tea for example. But it clearly helps some of us with alertness and focus.

My problem with banning "drugs" is how to you draw an actual line and define what is "acceptable".

As someone in his late 50s whom has smoked marijuana for pain since the 80s (when it was a "Conspiracy theory"). I have little trust in what the FDA. CDC or WHO use as definitions given their blatant political backlash against marijuana this past century.

I think this is a personal decision that needs to be made by the individual. And have no problem with it regardless of what form it's taken in.

Just my opinion, but I highly doubt it can be properly enforced anyway

 

[JOHNNYROD143]

This is kind of a silly question

Taking drugs at the poker table for an edge for a mental game does not constitute cheating in my mind. Your job at the poker table is to find every way in which you can gain an edge over your opponents. If drinking helps (alcohol is a drug) then by all means drink responsibly and win some hands and I don't think this is cheating. Similarly, taking Ritalin or even other drugs doesn't matter because it's about how you can get an edge mentally. I definitely know a lot of players that play under the influence of something. I never bat an eye at it because my game stays constant regardless of the influence others may be under.

 

[VikyGia]

Opinion

Any type of drug is illegal, and under no circumstances should drugs be taken, I don't think they will, maybe to stay awake, those vicious gamblers, however they can take painkillers to maintain good decisions, but it is something which would not be advisable to do.

 

[okeedokalee]

Meditaion and mindfulness would probably work better. Staying relaxed and calm leads to better decisions.

 

[lukovnikofff]

Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, increases alertness, energy, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure for a short time. It is used to treat ADHD, but others take them illegally as a study drug for exams to prevent mental fatigue.

Do you think this type of doping is consider cheating? When you do a 12 hour tournament the final hours is a battle against fatigue. It is hard for most recreational players to go 12 hours without ending up in mental fatigue.

Hello, I agree with many here that drugs and some stimulants will not give you an advantage, and I agree that they act on everyone differently! Poker is a distance game and you just need to train your perseverance and patience, and on drugs and stimulants you will not last long, as this will affect your health! I don't think a lot of professional players use drugs for the benefit of poker, if anyone uses it, it's just for entertainment! And by the way, poker is not considered an official sport, in order to do doping control in it, but if it were included in the Olympic Games, then I think I would tighten the rules! Do not judge me strictly, this is just my opinion! Good luck to you!

 

[GARCIA PABLO DANIEL]

hello

each one with his own ... who are we to judge people for those acts ... if it is good for them to play well for them ... for my part I do not use any kind of doping nor would I use other methods like coffee or mate that is used a lot in argentina, best regards !!!

 

[LetterRip]

Performance enhancing drugs are likely common.

Probably the two most common are those that increase alertness/concentration (drugs targeted at ADHD and narcolepsy, possibly those targeting cognitive decline - but those are less readily available); and those that target anxiety/nervousness tells (benzodiazapines and beta blockers).

Some will have legitimate prescriptions for diagnosed conditions, others will be acquiring them in countries where dubious prescriptions are readily available, others will be purchasing them illegally.

See this research for details,

https://www.slideshare.net/kclauson...rmance-enhancing-medications-in-poker-players

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100601171840.htm

 

[Argonaut]

Well, I guess if your chip stack get's too big, you might need to take steroids to lift them...

 

[Spielkind]

You should sleep enough, eat healthy, and drink Water or fruit juice--- NOTHING ELSE if you play Poker---- This Dirty Acting with drugs is not Professionell and will kill you later--Have a good game!

 

[Luvepoker]

Not sure i would consider it cheating. I know stimulants may help in the long days but is it really a help to there game? I dont know. When I play in a big tournament like this I usually dont play any poker a few days before hand and attempt to get a lot of sleep in prior to the tournament. While the long days are exhausting, I never seem to lose focus or get tired. Maybe I am lucky this was or it because I took care of myself prior to the tournament.