Ruus7y: Well, as many people have seen, I am a mere beginner in Poker and a beginner here on the forum, however, I will tell you about my experience that happened to me today.
Anyway, for the last 2 months, I started playing Poker at a friend's house, it wasn't worth anything, just fun, drinking, etc.
It was then that I really liked the game and I kept playing, playing, playing.
Until I ended up here on the Forum to learn even more about poker, to try to make a living in the career.
That's when the following happened: I was playing a SnG tournament on Everest, US$0.25, I was doing well at the beginning, then at the end I started to lose, and lose badly.
I played and lost, I was in a considerably good position for a beginner, 53rd out of 120 players.
When I realized, my relationship with my girlfriend was almost over, where I gave my life to build what we have today.
I realized that I was getting addicted to poker, I would get home from work and go straight to play, I would only leave the game at 2 in the morning to sleep, the next day at 6 I was already up and about to go to work.
My performance at work dropped, I stopped practicing my sport, Motocross, because of Poker, and most impressively, I stopped having fun with my girlfriend to play.
That's when I decided, this isn't the life I want, this isn't what I expected, that's when I decided to stop playing, you have to know how to interpret Poker, and I interpreted it the wrong way.
I thought that by being good and earning money, I would achieve much more glory than I already had, and I would be able to impress a lot of people.
But in reality, what I got was a fight with my girlfriend, which I'm still trying to apologize for.
I decided to stop playing Poker, but I didn't stop completely, I'm just going to play now for free, without betting anything, just fictitious, because that way I can play a good game, without losing my life.
I will continue to be on the Forum, asking questions, and if possible, one day answering questions for those who have them, and I will continue to be here, always present with these wonderful people on this forum.
I hope someone reads this post and follows the example if something happens. Wow, it's really cool to deposit to play, but when you lose, stop, don't try to win more, that's how I ended up losing.
Today I can say that I am free from the addiction, but I will still continue playing, like a formal card game like truco, blackjack, tranca, etc.
If anyone disagrees with what I said, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to please anyone, I just shared my experience.
I hope you understand.
Big hug;
Gabriel Altran
TSawyer: It's great that you shared your experience, but I'll share my thoughts.
I also play poker daily, I'm married and have a daughter. I've had bad moments playing poker, the famous "bad run"... but that's all part of the game. Every poker player who wants to be taken seriously needs to study the essential concepts. The first of these is bankroll management.
Nowadays, only those who are unaware of this principle fail at poker.
I have never deposited money into poker accounts. I always play with money from promotions and freerolls. Like anything in life, you need balance and discipline, and poker is no different. When I'm not in a good phase, I've learned to play less and study more. Buy books, discuss on the forum, talk to anyone you think is relevant.
I see a lot of poker players wanting to get results right from the start and they always ask how much you earn per month, etc.
I always answer, man, if you think you're going to become the Phil Ivey of poker because you won a tournament or won a lot of money one night, forget it. This is all about training, discipline and a lot of effort. People don't want to read the articles, terms, mathematics and psychology behind the game... they think you just have to be aggressive and get lucky in the coin flip. Not like that... and what you're describing is happening.
In poker you need to know how to “discover” yourself, that is, how you feel and how you behave in certain situations. Then you need to understand your opponent’s behavior… it takes many hours of play to understand the behavior patterns in bets or other tells… man, I’m no one to give advice, I’m just writing because I’ve been through the same situation and I saw that the biggest mistake wasn’t in poker but in the way I was playing.
Self control and balance are things I'm looking for and I know my game improves every day with these exercises…:happy34:
Vadiu: Poker, like any other type of game that costs money (bingo, blackjack, scratch cards, animal games, horse racing) is addictive. Some people say it isn't, because they've never been addicted. I don't consider myself an addict (yet), but I know that poker is more than just a hobby for me. I'd say I spend about 20 hours a week playing poker (not just playing, but studying, browsing pokerdicas, +ev and 2p2, analyzing my hands with pt3 and wiz, and talking about poker on Skype or MSN). During the holidays, those 20 hours a week go up to about 70 hours, which is a lot.
I have never put a penny of my own money into gambling, and I think that is the most important thing, as I have read articles that state that what is addictive is the feeling of defeat and not victory (as incredible as that may seem!)
When you start to study the game in depth, it stops being a game of chance and becomes a game of skill, and I think this is a factor that contributes a lot to me not getting addicted. Another factor is the understanding that the same game will be there today, tomorrow or thirty days from now.
The last factor to understand (and this is one that I haven't yet controlled) is tilt. When I start a session and due to lack of skill or because of the variance itself, I lose many tables in a row, I start wanting to finish quickly, so that I can start a new zero table. This is part of the human mind, and I have to try to fight against my own mind at these times.
Another important factor in poker is that it is like hunger or thirst. It causes satiety, and if you go a while without playing, the desire increases.
If you go too long without playing, however, the desire to play will gradually decrease, so I don't think it's difficult to give up the 'addiction'. You just have to decide to stop playing.
I believe that there are indeed many people who are addicted to poker, but it is necessary to make a distinction between those who enjoy poker as they enjoy a cigarette and those who enjoy poker as they enjoy sex.
The first is related to addiction, it releases dopamine in the nervous system and the lack of it causes anxiety and bad mood. The second, like sex, we do because doing it feels good, and not because not doing it is bad. The neurotransmitter is endorphin, which causes the feeling of reward when we win a good pot and norepinephrine, which is that feeling in the stomach that we feel at the final table of an important tournament.
It's a shame that it's not possible to have an off-topic post of the month, otherwise I would definitely recommend the op
prof_anselmo: congratulations on the post
explained in light of physiology and that is exactly what happens.
congratulations once again
prof_anselmo: ghawk…
No amount of success at play can make up for failure at home.
we have to have balance in everything we do.
IF this starts to affect your day-to-day life, in the tranquility that should be your home, it is best to really re-evaluate to see if it is worth all the sacrifice.
And you did a great job of reading the situation and slowing things down, that's great. And being able to stop shows maturity.
I don't play as a hobby, but because I see it as a possibility of earning money, so I study hard and play seriously. Despite this routine, I never fail to go out when I'm asked, or to pay attention to my wife or daughter when they call me.
On Sunday I missed the forum tournament because in the middle of the afternoon my wife asked me to go out, and I went. It was as good as playing with friends. I even ended up forgetting about my commitment to the game.
I sincerely hope that everything gets reestablished there, that you find a balance in your activities and everything will work out.
You will always be very welcome here on the forum, my friend.
hugs
Ruus7y: Wow guys, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, I already feel much better about this.
My girlfriend didn't care that I played, you know, she just didn't want me to get so "addicted" to the point of giving up certain things to play.
When I play, I always play with my head, I never let feelings take over me, this was a terrible imbalance, because I was rude to her without her deserving it.
Finally we talked, I said I was going to stop playing, I said I was counting on her help.
I told her that I wouldn't be able to stop playing completely, but rather little by little.
I will read some book that talks about psychology, mathematics and everything about poker.
because I want to become a great player, but at the same time, have time for my family.
Thank you very much for your support, guys, and please recommend a book that talks about this.
If anyone wants to add me on msn: [email protected]
I would like to talk more in depth and make more friends.
Thank you very much!
Marcelo:
It's a shame that it's not possible to have an off-topic post of the month, otherwise I would definitely recommend the op
Moved to the correct section. Now you can indicate.
Glaccos: Wow guys, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, I already feel much better about this.
My girlfriend didn't care that I played, you know, she just didn't want me to get so "addicted" to the point of giving up certain things to play.
When I play, I always play with my head, I never let feelings take over me, this was a terrible imbalance, because I was rude to her without her deserving it.
Finally we talked, I said I was going to stop playing, I said I was counting on her help.
I told her that I wouldn't be able to stop playing completely, but rather little by little.
I will read some book that talks about psychology, mathematics and everything about poker.
because I want to become a great player, but at the same time, have time for my family.
Thank you very much for your support, guys, and please recommend a book that talks about this.
If anyone wants to add me on msn: [email protected]
I would like to talk more in depth and make more friends.
Thank you very much!
Your post is really cool. You are finally finding your balance.
If you want to get in touch, add us to the PD group skype so we can exchange ideas and information.
Skype: Glaccos or Gildo Alves Corrêa
Go there, it will be really cool to exchange information, even if you are not playing you will learn a lot.
Cheers
Wildotsel: Congratulations to everyone for the testimonies, which can and will be very useful to many here. :happy34:
I also include myself in these, because as Ghawk said, I also started to leave my private life (family) a little aside some time ago because of poker, but before something more serious happened like a fight or something else, I decided to reduce the number of games or days I played poker.
Maybe that's why, I don't know if you noticed or not, I haven't been participating as actively in the forum as I used to, but that doesn't mean I won't be here giving my opinions.
Absolutely, the statements above will contribute a lot to many here to at least think a little about how their private life is going, whether it is being left aside or not because of the game.
Att,
furAAcao: poker, like EVERYTHING IN LIFE, in EXCESS... is harmful! The issue is not about winning or losing... we can have a great professional who makes a lot of money with poker, a born winner, who doesn't care about social life, about worrying about friends, family or girlfriend as you said... he ends up becoming a loser in the same way.
Ruus7y: Wow guys, it was really worth it, even after making the decision, I learned a lot from all of this, from now on for me poker will be like a sport, like basketball, football, etc.
a leisure sport, to play on weekends, and have fun with friends.
good
I'll add everyone on Skype there.
Who knows, maybe we can chat and stuff.
Thanks for the support, guys, I hope you all continue like this, and whenever you need it, you can know that a helping hand will be extended to everyone on the forum!
duduleal: Congratulations to everyone for their testimonies and especially to ghawk, who knew how to recognize that this was not the path for him.
My advice is exactly what you said, treat poker as a sport, it's no wonder that with each passing day poker is considered a sport of the mind.
In my case, I've been playing since January. I learned from friends playing live cash games and, like everyone here on the forum, I fell in love with it. I started playing online in March. I've never invested any money online. A friend once gave me $5. Since then, I've been increasing my bankroll. I started studying recently, but every day I can, I read an article, participate in discussions on forums and watch videos. My game has improved a lot since then, both online and live.
Furthermore, I wish you good luck, I hope you can combine poker with your personal life, and never forget that since we are not professionals, the interesting thing is to have fun.
Ruus7y: Of course, spending time with friends is the most important thing.
I took the game so seriously that I thought like a player and not like a human being.
I used logic and didn't let emotions take over me, that's how I was rude to my girlfriend, which I regret a lot.
Today I can't live without her, and I can't live without friends, I hope I can assimilate poker into that.
Thank you very much and I have grown a lot as a man after these testimonies from everyone 🙂
TostesBr: Man, I wanted to say a special thank you because I'm going through a very similar situation to yours...
Reading your outburst is good for me so that I can put into practice what you managed to do.
I think you realize what I'm starting to realize... poker is not a priority, it's a form of leisure, it's something separate. It can't be the focus of your life.
A while ago I thought about dropping out of college and dedicating myself 100% to this, but I chose my course (Biology) because I have an ideal, and I don't want to ignore my principles to play poker. That's not the life story I want to tell my children...
I'm also gradually getting back a lot of what I lost with my girlfriend... I used to play tournaments on the weekends, I used to stop calling her because of poker... but it's not worth it at all. Ambitions have limits... and they can't be mixed with greed.
Leaving poker aside to live life is definitely +EV…
Ruus7y: Yeah, I realized that early on, very lucky for me.
I hope that like Totes, the outburst testimony encourages more players who are going through this and want to get rid of it.
I'm here to give my support.
And even if this happens, I've already made up my mind and will continue playing, but I'll never put my hand in my pocket because of poker.
see you later guys
big hug!
SeijiS: Hey, I'm new to poker but I get addicted to things easily – one of the reasons I stopped playing online over a year ago lol – and I admire your rationality in considering things and seeing that poker was becoming a problem.
I have a friend who plays very well (he came in 20th in a Latin American tournament in Uruguay) and was making very good money, because the bastard has a strong scheme and plays with some businessmen who have lots of money but just want to have fun.
I remember how he explained in detail the reason why he had lost or won a hand… I understood that he was playing hard when I asked him how much a bad bet he took in the head was worth “ah, R$3.5k”.
Well, anyway, he quit poker at the beginning of the year because his father-in-law didn’t understand “this profession” and now he’s working hard to open his own business (he already has a good nest egg, but not what he wanted). More than being aware that poker can ruin your life, you need to have priorities. His was his fiancée… 🙂
NOTE: I still think he's crazy, he should keep taking money from his old uncles! And I think he still plays "hidden" hehehe
Vadiu: I think the ideal is to treat poker like any other game, and consider the money just as points, not as real money…
Ruus7y: Andre said it all.
I took poker too seriously and it was ruining my future (my girlfriend)
But I thought about it and decided that whether I won or lost at poker, poker wouldn't care about me, after all that's what it's supposed to do, make some people win and others lose.
But my girlfriend, whether I won or lost, she would be by my side, showing me the best path, which is what happened.
anyway, I'm still a player, but 4fun! ;
cachacina: Guys… I was “browsing” here on the forum and saw this post.
Amazing. Simply the best post I've ever read. Not just the beginning, but ALL the comments are 10.
I decided to revive it for those who didn't have the opportunity to check it out.
There are testimonies and more testimonies about poker and family, work, studies, in short, life.
Congrats to ghawk and everyone who wrote in. :happy34:
Hugs to all!!
Douglas
note: I'm here until now because I don't have anything tomorrow morning, but this addiction thing is serious, right?:diablotin:
PIRILAMPO: the post is very well explained, congratulations!! It cleared up a lot of doubts!!
Tuca: Very good post!!!
Congratulations on your story, your courage and your decision.
icemanjr0: Dear Ghawk
In everything in life we must measure, give time its time, we must always plan, just look at the testimonies of our PDres friends there, I was like that too, it was poker morning, afternoon, night, in other words I was free, let's go to poker. But life is not like that. I have improved my way of playing a lot, but now I rarely play during the day. I have been making better use of my time. I leave poker for the evenings and weekends, but I limit my time more. I like it, so I don't stop playing. But with these experiences we learn a lot. That's life. Poker for those who are starting out brings some disappointments, as mentioned above, bad beats, but with time we learn to deal with them. We often tilt, when we lose winning plays. I am often fine, I make a mistake, and then it seems that others come. We have to control ourselves. If you like it as a hobby, use poker as a hobby, but managing your time is very important. We have to have time for ourselves to have fun, family, rest, study, it all depends on our organization. Congratulations also to the posts above, because testimonials help us improve our performance. Hugs.
Matsumoto: I thought Gabriel's message was beautiful! Gambling really becomes a problem if there is no awareness and no limits. There are people who make poker their profession, and this is very serious. I know that Poker is an intelligent game, it activates the mind and intelligence, but we cannot disregard the work, the gifts that were given to us. Staying static at a gaming table, exercising the mind, only benefits oneself, and what about families, relationships, the ability to achieve, achievements, whether material or spiritual? I am involved with a person who has been playing Poker and I know that he may be becoming addicted, this has worried me a lot. He is special, he has potential that few people have, and I get sad when I realize that sometimes he wakes up at a gaming table, IT IS VERY SAD!!
felipepratti: even though the topic is old and was reborn from the ashes, I'll leave my words here!
Everything in life has to have a limit and knowing how to have a limit in poker whether you are an amateur player or not is essential!!
hug and if you are seeing this message today I hope your life is different, different for the better!! hug to everyone!!
Vadiu: Winemakers and sommeliers share the same passion as drinkers. But each one follows different paths and objectives in the same scenario, and one would not exist without the other.
I suggest: //pokerdicas.com/forum/bate-papo/5815-ludopatia-vicio-no-jogo-3k-post.html?highlight=ludopatia
Original author: Ruus7y.
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