Depression and poker

Poker is a rather intense game that requires not only specialized skills, but mental preparation. Many players, who often exaggerate their losses by becoming depressed, deepen their wounds even more through a negative attitude. Depression can lead to aggression and loose play, which as a result can be the reason for your loss. Aggression makes it difficult to concentrate, removes the "blocker" of emotions, it becomes more difficult to hide your feelings, so if bad cards fall into your hands, there is a risk of emotionally betraying yourself. At first glance, an ordinary person may not notice the manifestation of aggression or grief, but experienced players read faces.

working with someone in a tilt condition is mandatory in poker

Proper bankroll management and long breaks. As someone who is diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder/Clinical Depression), that's really the best advice I can give you.

Holy moly… yes I agree. I play 3 rooms- GG, PS and 888. My last tournament that I played on GG - my pocket JJ’s were beat by AQ. I was deep in the tournament and decided to shove preflop. I couldn’t believe I was called.. what a surprise that the I was beat. It happens all the time when I play tournaments on GG. So annoying!

In my opinion, you should not play poker when you are depressed. After all, poker is a gambling game. And excitement implies a heating of passions, a surge of dominant feelings within yourself. Now see what happens. When you are depressed, you sit down to gamble - you warm up depressive feelings. Depression does not bring joy anyway, and here you also add. This is very similar to masochism. Try to get away from depression in some other way. For example, eat a chocolate bar. Go to the pool. Travel. Etc. But not gambling!

what do you mean by depression ? depression is a mental illness . do you mean you get "depressed" by playing poker when you run bad ? because thats not actual depression ....

vadimcs1495 said:

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I write a lot on various forums about how to deal with depression, but I myself cannot overcome it.

I play in three poker rooms : pokerstars , partypoker, 888 and for the last two weeks of the session more likely negative than vice versa.​

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The strangest thing is that I play very carefully but bad beats cannot be avoided. In almost every tournament I get to ITM and something happens.

Am I winding myself up and soon everything will pay off or does something need to be changed? ...

Give advice​

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Bad beats can never be avoided is true! and if you are getting more than you feel is fair, then losing at Poker could send you into a deeper depression, get used to losing because even the best players will at sometime get a losing streak.
Look at Poker as a reward, to be able to play at the end of the day after working hard all day, shrug off minor losses and say to yourself " hey! that's Poker" Get over it and try harder the next time.
Remember that every time you make the money, that is a win! Regardless of how big or small the amount is, I still remember my first cash in a freeroll as if it happened yesterday, it was only 32 Cents but as they say mighty oaks grow from acorns. My Bankroll today is in the hundreds of Dollars, (not bragging) but it can happen.

cornedbeef said:

i get depressed from all the bad beats.i seen some bad one's and i'm sure a few people on here have too

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Everyone...

depression is perhaps one more label or characteristic of the human personality , in my entire life I have been very depressed , I think that depression is the only way to live with it , poker is an emotional game it is very difficult to remain profitable in a serious depressive state , I already realized that at some time of the year I get better results in poker, I realized the relationship between emotional condition, depression and results at the tables, I think that poker helps me with emotional control and I manage to spend a long time away from alcohol and drugs that are aggravating depression

online poker drives you into depression much more often than playing live, I advise you to take a break from playing online.

I think you just have a losing streak that will soon pass and you will start winning more and reaching the final table and you will win

Best time is NOW.. Depression comes from past and anxiety comes from future.. less overthinking.. past and future isnt here in the NOW😉 Now is the Present -try to enjoy it

In the month of December, I had a strong downstick... I could hardly keep myself from quitting poker. There was severe depression. But I told myself that soon the situation will change ....

depression sucks, if u play poker for money only and it´s the only income it´s hard cause sometimes u won´t win anything

The two things don't go together, depression and poker are different things, if someone has depression problems they should avoid playing poker, because poker is a game of emotions, where happiness and sadness go together.

1° Depression is not from playing poker, I think you are already depressive in itself.
Depression has a cure. His healing is based on faith, hope and love.
If you have faith your life will change. There will begin the hope that everything will turn out better, and those days when they are not so good, you will hope wisely and calmly that the future will be much better.
But the most important of these is love. Without love you are nothing. When I speak of love I do not speak of the love of a relationship with a woman, but of love in its entire spectrum. Giving without asking for anything in return. Giving until it hurts. Knowing that you help someone and it will please your soul and heart to have done so.
If you live for these 3 causes, the depression ends.
2° I see that you are a good poker player. You have goals so you hope to achieve that goal.
Here are several aspects to follow.
In the beginning you must study, learn, there are different ways. They can be videos. The courses are very good in general. There are interviews in which players explain about strategies at tables or MTTs, and various other learning methods.
But you must understand, that in this game luck exists. There may be many mathematical probabilities and so on, but luck exists.
This is not chess. In chess there are no bad beats.
In poker you play badly and you can win, The famous "bingo players". In chess this situation does not exist, you play badly and you lose.
For example a play from yesterday in an MTT. One player against a 7BB raise goes all-in with 23s and the other player calls with AA. Result....2 and 3 at the showdown, for a double and the story is over for AA.
Next hand, the same player calls with 89s of spades an all-in raise of 56BB to a player showing KK. Result the one who played badly in theory, put in the showdown a straight 6 7 8 9 10 and the other player on the flop had put the set with the K.
Although seasoned poker players always say that in the long run knowing how to play prevails, what I mean by this is that these hands disappoint you.
Yesterday I read one of our friends who entered the millionaire Sunday of the weekend that happened, that with a KK hand another player paid him with an 82s and put the flush in the showdown.
With this I tell you, that all your illusion can go away in a matter of seconds against a barrel player who, because he has chips, pays you and puts you in a game at any time with junk cards.
For me, the solution to this is to have a large bank and that allows you to play many tournaments in the long term, and to enter tournaments that allow you to overcome the multiplicity of badbeats and bingo players that you have in the diversity of rooms.
In this way, your depression regarding the game of poker will be sustained, at least, until the great moment arrives in which you will always overcome the barriers that the game imposes on you.
For that, your bankroll should never be at zero, but should be a sustained bankroll that has increased over time to overcome all obstacles.

Depression is overcome brother by being optimistic. Overcoming the unpleasant obstacles to which life submits us, and enjoying the moments in which life gives us happiness.

Always with Faith, Hope and above all Love.

A hug brother, and may God bless you always

Exercise is the only evidence-based depression treatment that has an immediate positive impact on mood.
Dr. Julia C. Basso and Dr. Wendy Suzuki, two neuroscientists, claim that a variety of workouts have demonstrated rapid impacts on mood,
focus and stress levels. In fact, a quick power stroll will probably do the trick. Contacting a trusted friend is another option you have.
In this mindset, playing poker is counterproductive. Also, you're running poorly, which makes things even worse for you.
I'd suggest taking a break and seeing a doctor. Perhaps you are lacking in vitamin D or some other mineral.
A check up with the doc could definitly help fighting the depression.

I didn't quite understand your case. If it is a diagnosed depression or a depression for not getting results.
I'm diagnosed with bipolar depression and poker helped me get out of depression. Even my psychiatrist recommends playing to have moments of distraction.

The idea of playing ANY games is to have a good pastime. If you hate what you're doing, then it's time to take a break, obviously.

Try to reread some materials about poker, try to play only when rested and positive, try to play short session freerolls and enjoy the game.

I've lost 2 good friends to depression, not poker related. Both were on meds, both had a great group of friends and all sorts of support. Both took their lives.

If you're down because of variance, find something to pick you up.. If you do seriously need help, go seek it out!

I used to be so aggressive when I ran that I had laptops and phones, but now I'm just surprised! menche began to tilt because I know tomorrow I will come in and fight back and I don't care how much I lose! I already forgot when I deposited money

poker is to relax and if you doing it in depression , thats very unfortunate. you need to think all as a fun , if poker cant make you relax then have to take a break mate. Poker is not going anywhere , you just need to come back fresh .

Hello, vadimcs1495! May be Poker isn't for You?.. Or You need to be more aggressive for the Poker tables, because Poker is a Game,
where more often winning more agressive players by my opinion... Think about this!.. And Good Luck, of course!

You need to calculate your game and understand what you lack, try to buy suppliers, try to rest so that no prerequisites affect your game.

Here's the thing, if you recognize that poker is giving you depression, avoid it then. Or take poker less serious, and just enjoy the game and its quirks. Much more pleasure when its just for fun.