Weakness or an addiction

Zvezda kz · Nov 29, 2019

pac818man said:
Have you ever heard of anybody getting the shakes because of missing gambling? Calling gambling an addiction is not fair to people with real addictions.

Perhaps this is not as much addiction as drugs or alcohol. But I saw a lot of people who were losing their entire business, apartments, cars and all because of their penchant for gambling. And all this did not happen simultaneously (which can be explained by the influence of affect or the only loss of control over emotions), but within a few years. How else can they be called so, if not addiction - but everything was in the slot machines.
In my opinion, poker is a soft gaming addiction mode, but the conclusion is not accurate.

Ronaldo7 · Nov 29, 2019

It is real adiction

satcitananda · Nov 29, 2019

pac818man said:
Have you ever heard of anybody getting the shakes because of missing gambling? Calling gambling an addiction is not fair to people with real addictions.

Not all addictions or obsessions, which are similar and both are detrimental to one's health, give you the shakes or are drug/substance related. Some are just a dominating attraction towards something. Be it a game, a person, or a substance.

terryk · Nov 29, 2019

If you can use self-control,,,gambling can be very fun and lucrative,,,it's attainable for most,but not for some.

redmast · Nov 29, 2019

In most cases, this is neither the first nor the other. For me it’s so accurate.

Bluffzone68 · Nov 29, 2019

Hey
Gambling is an addiction,
Gambling is Not addiction.
It's ones mental strength to decide how much one can control.
The weak minded can't control the gambling and end up becoming Addicts.
Those who can control the urge to gambling enjoy it as recreational games.

chilindrodolar · Nov 29, 2019

In poker, the best players earn money and the worst pay for it. In fact, the money influences decisively in the results. In other games is the meeting of points or tricks what decides the outcome. In poker, it is the money you have on the table, often in the form of chips, which ultimately determines who is the winner and who it is expired.

What will never change are the basic principles to make a good game, based on the laws of probability. A thorough knowledge of the theory of poker is the first step anyone who wants to become a good player, regardless of the variant of the game you can choose to play.While there are definitely people who have addictions to the game and should get help to do this, for many or most of those who play, it is not a weakness or addiction.

Poker Orifice · Nov 29, 2019

rayrc said:
Everywhere, and this forum is no exception, people always say that gambling for fun, that it is a hobby, that it is no addiction and may be true in many cases. Yes, it is very fun when you can control it, but if not, it becomes a serious problem, ludopathy. In my case I thought that, that I could control it, I tried to pay my family's expenses before playing and just playing the money that was "left over", I never really had any money left over, suddenly I am so in debt that I cannot with the expenses from home, I owe to banks, stores, loan houses. The worst bad beat of my life. It's like a drug, when I made money I only thought about using it in the next game. Anyway, I don't think I'm the only one, there must be millions around the world, but people keep saying it's just a hobby, I hope that's the case...

Thanks for sharing & thanks for your honesty.

I don't like to gamble but I do like the game of poker. Many years ago I had a gambling problem.... sports betting, betting on the horses, craps, blackjack & poker (30yrs. ago).. but for the past dozen years of playing poker, I've never again been bitten by the bug. I'm a huge bankroll nit & have never gotten caught up in it. BUT one could say I've become addicted to the game.... studying.... competition... striving to get better, etc. etc. It's just never been about the money for me (which again is kinda weird for me imo).

I'm well acquainted with addiction. And have even had family members not believe me when it comes to poker (some are sure that I'm betting the house, car, etc. every week)... & have seen other close friends & family get all consumed by it. I'm grateful it hasn't taken me down that road (yet?).

I'm sure there's many members on here who play poker & are totally addicted. And the rest... well they're just still in denial

Poker Orifice · Nov 29, 2019

pac818man said:
Have you ever heard of anybody getting the shakes because of missing gambling? Calling gambling an addiction is not fair to people with real addictions.

This is totally FALSE! Gambling is as much of an addiction as heroin... food.. sex... booze (or what have you).
'The Shakes'??? I never got 'the shakes' from a $400/day heroin habit. You might want to research what makes up an addiction. ... I'm pretty sure having the shakes isn't a prerequisite.

Addiction is a mental obsession, a spiritual malady & in the case of some substances... 'a physical allergy'.

xxxSSSxxx · Nov 29, 2019

It depends on the person. For some, it is a strength.

wyoming4paul · Nov 29, 2019

Gambling is addictive, but only a weakness if not controlled. It is entertainment like anything else. That said, poker is not gambling, but a game of skill.

recoveryagent · Nov 29, 2019

For me its a addiction as it does try to rule my world but lately cast iron skillets and dutch ovens have taken over. I have such an addictive personality that i burn out fairly easy on things after i get past the new.

diego farfan · Nov 29, 2019

none of the two suggestions you say play is for some a way of life for others is a dsitraccion or is also a way of socializing, now what you say about weakness or addiction is when you do not control your impulses to try to win easily a good amount of money if you see the repercussions of losing such money, so you have to be well aware that you have to have limitations and control to be in this wonderful world that is poker.

pac818man · Nov 29, 2019

satcitananda said:
Not all addictions or obsessions, which are similar and both are detrimental to one's health, give you the shakes or are drug/substance related. Some are just a dominating attraction towards something. Be it a game, a person, or a substance.

What happens when a gambler has no money to gamble? What does this dominating attraction make them do? Nothing. Making excuses for people like me who cannot stop ourselves from gambling creates a myth that we can hide behind that prevents us from admitting we have a problem. But more to my point, realizing that it is not that impossible (or even that hard) to overcome. People with real addictions can have the strongest of wills but physically (literally) depend on their drug of choice just to function. Ask a junkie to choose between a heroin addiction or "gambling".

pac818man · Nov 29, 2019

Poker Orifice said:
This is totally FALSE! Gambling is as much of an addiction as heroin... food.. sex... booze (or what have you).
'The Shakes'??? I never got 'the shakes' from a $400/day heroin habit. You might want to research what makes up an addiction. ... I'm pretty sure having the shakes isn't a prerequisite.

Addiction is a mental obsession, a spiritual malady & in the case of some substances... 'a physical allergy'.

Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. What happens to you when you don't have money to gamble? Does it affect your ability to function? Does it force you to lie, steal, manipulate people around you to get your fix. If you blow your life savings just because you cannot stop yourself from gambling is on you. Do you know the ratio between drug addicts vs gambling "addicts" currently in jail? Look it up since you are so found of research.

satcitananda · Nov 29, 2019

pac818man said:
What happens when a gambler has no money to gamble? What does this dominating attraction make them do? Nothing. Making excuses for people like me who cannot stop ourselves from gambling creates a myth that we can hide behind that prevents us from admitting we have a problem. But more to my point, realizing that it is not that impossible (or even that hard) to overcome. People with real addictions can have the strongest of wills but physically (literally) depend on their drug of choice just to function. Ask a junkie to choose between a heroin addiction or "gambling".

Apparently you're the guru of differentiating "real" addictions from "fake" ones. No point in even trying to come up with a counter argument. Who is saying that ANY addiction is impossible to overcome? What you're describing as a "real" addiction is an example of a physical addiction. There are many types of addiction and not all of them are physical. Some are psychological. Their dependence on a drug is in many cases because the withdrawals from not taking the drug can be very unpleasant and in some cases, deadly. Overcoming addiction is precisely a thing of will in many cases, even in drug addiction. If there's no will there's no way. What you're describing are the levels of addiction, and saying that because one is worse or more difficult to overcome or less painful or less this or more that, the other one is not an addiction and is therefore invalidated from being called an addiction. That's what you are doing.

The question asked was not "Is poker among the top most dangerous and detrimental addictions?", it was whether poker can or cannot be an addiction or a weakness. So I don't get why you're getting so riled up about me and PokerOrifice's comments. By the way, I'd be pretty sure there's people who have stolen from others, asked for loans, lied, and manipulated to enforce and continue to feed a gambling habit or addiction. Comparing numbers about incarceration is useless in this debate. There's millions of humans that have been arrested around the world for selling illegal plants and mushrooms that can heal and help humanity, the fact that these people were incarcerated does not mean that what they did was necessarily better or worse than what you do for a living. Or that what they did was morally or ethically or spiritually or communally incorrect or detrimental.

ggteam2 · Nov 30, 2019

Idk if it's beneficial than it's non of two that things. Weakness in my mind is something bad. No one wants to be weak. Addiction in my mind is something bad too. Like addiction to drugs. Overall if you making money of poker why to call it addiction? I'm addicted to success! Or you can call it whatever you want.

VivicvrMga · Nov 30, 2019

It depends on the personality of the person. can become an addiction

Poker Orifice · Dec 1, 2019

pac818man said:
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.

There's no excuses written there... just facts. Not sure why you see it as 'excuses'???

What happens to you when you don't have money to gamble?
Me? a) I don't gamble.. I play poker b) I always have a bankroll for poker... I've never not had a bankroll for poker. Ever. If I was a gambling addict I'm certain many things would happen.... and they'd be happening whether or not I still had a bankroll at the time or not. You not seeing this is rather naive.
Does it affect your ability to function?
Is this ^ a prerequisite for addiction? fwiw, there are many functioning drug addicts & alcoholics (& other types of addicts)
Does it force you to lie, steal, manipulate people around you to get your fix.
For many gamblers I'm absolutely certain it does. If you think it doesn't, you're either in denial or just severely lacking knowledge.
If you blow your life savings just because you cannot stop yourself from gambling is on you.
Of course it would be. Who else would it be on??? Just because they're an addict it doesn't resolve them of responsibility.
Do you know the ratio between drug addicts vs gambling "addicts" currently in jail? Look it up since you are so found of research.

Tell me.. what would the ratio of drug addicts vs. gambling addicts currently in jail have anything to do with anything at all? It is no indication of addiction. You sound like you can only equate addiction to a criminal using drugs. This is extremely naive.

Poker Orifice · Dec 1, 2019

pac818man said:
What happens when a gambler has no money to gamble? What does this dominating attraction make them do? Nothing. Making excuses for people like me who cannot stop ourselves from gambling creates a myth that we can hide behind that prevents us from admitting we have a problem. But more to my point, realizing that it is not that impossible (or even that hard) to overcome. People with real addictions can have the strongest of wills but physically (literally) depend on their drug of choice just to function. Ask a junkie to choose between a heroin addiction or "gambling".

An addiction doesn't need to be one with some physical element.
What about a person who's wired to coke? They don't have a physical dependence upon it. So is this not a real addiction?

If it's not that hard to overcome a gambling addiction... then why don't they all just quit? Why do some of them commit suicide?

Denial is a common trait shared among addicts... "I can quit if I feel like it... I just don't feel like it right now"

Ask a gambler who's standing on the edge of a roof of a tall building, contemplating doing a swan dive... filled with guilt & remorse.... if they'd rather be a heroin addict at that point in time.
umm.... Why? It's not relevant.

Suggesting that one addiction is worse than another is inaccurate. I believe it's about how it affects one's soul that is most important.

So do you have a gambling problem? Maybe you're addicted to gambling (only you can be the one to decide this).

finaltable1 · Dec 1, 2019

NewinStars said:
Is gambling it a weakness or an addiction?

During first couple of months after my registration I was thinking that CardsChat is something like Alcoholics Anonimous.
- "Say 75 phrases to play the freeroll"
- "Play freeroll, instead of depositing money cause freeroll is a small doze of what you need"
- "Keep discussing your problem with community to stay in the club and play freerolls"

I was thinking that CardsChat offers a solution to those who want to get out, together with a solution to those who want to jump inside the poker world...

My poker experience was purely positive in terms of money, I think that discipline and skills that I've learned from sports, chess and programming helped me. But I've seen a lot of people in local poker clubs, casinos and have some friends who sunk in the swamp of poker, getting deeper into debts and troubles because of that river card.

One day I've asked myself - what else,except the money, what else poker is giving me? What I'm giving to this world using poker as a tool ? Is it something useful? Nope. Can I make money without playing poker? Yes. What do I like to do more than playing poker? Many things. Which one will give me more pleasure and more income? Hmm, quite a lot of things I can do. There is a chance that I will fly to the moon one day. What is probability of me flying to the moon before year 2040? Is it higher or lower than my chance to win wsop before 2040? What will be more fun for me? To spend my time attempting to do whatever it takes to fly to the moon, or to spend my time trying to win WSOP? In case of WSOP I will be sitting in a chair for a lot of time, masturbating same 52 cards again and again. Is it really useful for me and for the society if I'll waste large portion of my life for sitting in a chair and observing rotation of cards again and again? Can I quit lying to myself that it's a EV+ action? Do I live only for the money and my lifetime can only be converted with best value by watching the cards? I don't think so. I can be better than this.

I believe that today poker for me is something like a glass of red wine during a meal, but in the past it was a heavy 2 bottle doze of vodka or whiskey per day, each day. And don't lie to yourself, you can be bartender, or a visitor in the bar, or alcohol addict, or owner of the alco-company. It doesn't matter if you gain profit or lose money if you're drinking those 2 bottles on daily basis. You're only doing damage to yourself, and it won't help you to become a better human. You might think that since you win, and they lose, then you're a winner, and they're losers, it's a lie, we're all losing. You could save lives, build bridges, fly jets, plant forests, help people, but instead of this, some of us still think that it's cool to know who is the fish at the table, keep that SQL database for HUD and think that they're heroes of the day just because they've reached that final table and won that 1st place. It's just a rigged lie.

finaltable1 · Dec 1, 2019

Poker Orifice said:
So do you have a gambling problem? Maybe you're addicted to gambling (only you can be the one to decide this).

A person can decide this only in case if this person understands the difference between objective and subjective.

"I like it, It's not restricted - then I will do it..." = Person can't see the problem.

"I like it, it's not restricted - I can do it, but what for? Do I have alternatives? How will it look from a side, if an alien comes to the planet just to observe this person - what will he think?" = Person can see the problem and might find the solution.

Big problem if person objectively understands what's going on, and keeps doing it, just because this person can see but can't use a better alternative. It usually happens when person is a winning player. Such human will be stuck in his personal evolution and will be living in rewind and repeat mode, ignoring infinite ways of his personal progress. Such routine is a road to depression. Person knows that he or she is not a creator, not really a follower, person is a gamer=gambler. Person is close to the real world, but is addicted to stay in safe environment and play by the different rules proposed by poker. It's much better for this person to stay away from rules of the real life, just because the world of cards offers something that is safer and easier to understand than the reality. Also if person has stepped up at the ladder of fame and wealth inside the poker world, just once then it's really hard to ignore the chance to step higher next time. There is no real difference between gamers who play something like warcraft or call of duty and gamblers who play poker or place bets on sports.

Each gambler can ask himself a simple question.

When you observe a game and see that some other player has a royal flush - what do you feel?
Can this feeling be compared to something what Pavlovs dogs felt?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning

Can gambler control it and get rid of it like if it's a disease? I believe that many people won't even think about it and will have no chance to decide if it's a problem or not, just because they have no information about it and poker world is not clearly giving such info. So you're wrong, when you're trying to say that "you're your own doctor". Humans can feel the symptoms, can describe them, but for some it's hard to understand where this road leads to and how to turn in the other direction.

Ranish625 · Dec 1, 2019

NewinStars said:
Is gambling it a weakness or an addiction?

In most cases it is just a game, but in some cases gambling can cause gambling addiction

wagon596 · Dec 1, 2019

As for me, it's a hobby that earns me a little cash. Kind of like when I was Drag Racing.

satcitananda · Dec 1, 2019

finaltable1 said:
During first couple of months after my registration I was thinking that CardsChat is something like Alcoholics Anonimous.
- "Say 75 phrases to play the freeroll"
- "Play freeroll, instead of depositing money cause freeroll is a small doze of what you need"
- "Keep discussing your problem with community to stay in the club and play freerolls"

I was thinking that CardsChat offers a solution to those who want to get out, together with a solution to those who want to jump inside the poker world...

My poker experience was purely positive in terms of money, I think that discipline and skills that I've learned from sports, chess and programming helped me. But I've seen a lot of people in local poker clubs, casinos and have some friends who sunk in the swamp of poker, getting deeper into debts and troubles because of that river card.

One day I've asked myself - what else,except the money, what else poker is giving me? What I'm giving to this world using poker as a tool ? Is it something useful? Nope. Can I make money without playing poker? Yes. What do I like to do more than playing poker? Many things. Which one will give me more pleasure and more income? Hmm, quite a lot of things I can do. There is a chance that I will fly to the moon one day. What is probability of me flying to the moon before year 2040? Is it higher or lower than my chance to win WSOP before 2040? What will be more fun for me? To spend my time attempting to do whatever it takes to fly to the moon, or to spend my time trying to win WSOP? In case of WSOP I will be sitting in a chair for a lot of time, masturbating same 52 cards again and again. Is it really useful for me and for the society if I'll waste large portion of my life for sitting in a chair and observing rotation of cards again and again? Can I quit lying to myself that it's a EV+ action? Do I live only for the money and my lifetime can only be converted with best value by watching the cards? I don't think so. I can be better than this.

I believe that today poker for me is something like a glass of red wine during a meal, but in the past it was a heavy 2 bottle doze of vodka or whiskey per day, each day. And don't lie to yourself, you can be bartender, or a visitor in the bar, or alcohol addict, or owner of the alco-company. It doesn't matter if you gain profit or lose money if you're drinking those 2 bottles on daily basis. You're only doing damage to yourself, and it won't help you to become a better human. You might think that since you win, and they lose, then you're a winner, and they're losers, it's a lie, we're all losing. You could save lives, build bridges, fly jets, plant forests, help people, but instead of this, some of us still think that it's cool to know who is the fish at the table, keep that SQL database for HUD and think that they're heroes of the day just because they've reached that final table and won that 1st place. It's just a rigged lie.

Beautiful it's like God's voices and thoughts are inside you.

Weakness or an addiction

Zvezda kz

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satcitananda

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terryk

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redmast

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Poker Orifice

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xxxSSSxxx

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diego farfan

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pac818man

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pac818man

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