i have an addiction to gambling

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 00:12

gambling addiction, what more can i say. So far i havent lost much money playing lifetime, but recently i signed up for partypoker.com. Ive so far made 100 dollars but i just cant stop playing. today im down 85 dollars from my high today.

how do i stop and get help for this? does anyone have any other advice to help me?

or texas hold em strategies theyd like to share ;-)

Nubclear · January 6, 2004, 00:13

Alright.....Mail me $1000 dollars. Once you do that, I'll roll a die. If it lands on 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, I'll give you $10,000. If not, I get to keep your money.

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 00:15

dice games suck

ravagon · January 6, 2004, 00:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Alright.....Mail me $1000 dollars. Once you do that, I'll roll a die. If it lands on 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, I'll give you $10,000. If not, I get to keep your money.

I'm guessing Tass has a d100?

Spiffor · January 6, 2004, 00:17

Play more Civ, and waste your whole free time on the OT. Other addictions should fade away quickly

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 00:20

other addictions dont have a pay off like no limit texas holdem

Sikander · January 6, 2004, 00:29

Do you have other addictive behaviors? If so how and how well do you cope with them? If you can't show the slightest bit of discretion when the potential downside for you is high you will need some help dealing with this.

I've got $35 that says you won't be able to stop gambling today.

MrFun · January 6, 2004, 00:31

How about we make a bet on whether or not MRT can break his gambling addiction??

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 00:57

i dont drink, dont smoke, dont smoke weed, dont masturbate compulsively. I can say that i get very involve in gaming but not to the point where i have to play.

this is the only thing that keeps me playing.

Berzerker · January 6, 2004, 01:20

Quote:

i signed up for partypoker.com.

Hang on, I'll join you

You can gamble online? Cool... Oh, advice? Just limit yourself or start writing books about virtue so you can afford to lose a few million.

I'd be a bit concerned the game can be rigged by some hacker, it's bad enough worrying about some guy marking cards without additional concerns over computers, etc...

Sikander · January 6, 2004, 01:28

Quote:

Originally posted by MRT144
i dont drink, dont smoke, dont smoke weed, dont masturbate compulsively. I can say that i get very involve in gaming but not to the point where i have to play.

this is the only thing that keeps me playing.

Ok, well try to set some rules for yourself and see where that takes you. Usually addictions escalate as it gets harder and harder to get the same thrill. If you break your self-imposed rules you should probably get some help with it. Gambling has a serious downside, namely poverty.

Oh, and btw I ran a poker game while I was in college to help make ends meet, and of course to feed my addiction. I got tired of it though and eventually quit. I only play poker about once a year or so now, and only for stakes I can afford. But I saw a lot of guys during my poker days whose sole reason for being was gambling. They always lived paycheck to paycheck, even though they were intelligent guys who should have been in the prime of their careers.

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 05:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Berzerker

Hang on, I'll join you

You can gamble online? Cool... Oh, advice? Just limit yourself or start writing books about virtue so you can afford to lose a few million.

dude, ill send you an email with and split the referring bonus if youre serious. as of right now i cashed out all my money and am never going to deposit another dime.

KrazyHorse · January 6, 2004, 05:51

Don't. I'm serious. Not if you have extra money, not if you're bored.

I've never had a problem with this, but someone I know very well has and it completely ****ed up their life. You might not know you're addicted, but other people who know you will if they see you. If you're doing it in secret it's even worse.

Gambling can **** people up as bad as drugs. I don't understand it, but I've seen it happen.

MRT144 · January 6, 2004, 05:59

i realize that i am addicted to gambling though. Its something that i find fun and entertaining. I dont think id do it though if i had lots and lots of money though. I think the one of the contributing factors to why i like to gamble is i never have enough money... at least what i consider enough.

i want to stop and i have stopped. Of course being honest with people about this is a little tougher. a friend of mine got me onto the website also has the same problem. Weve both cashed out and arent going to play anymore, but we both know we love cards. its really hard when one of your best friends has the same if not worse problem as you.

KrazyHorse · January 6, 2004, 06:01

Don't play anything. Don't play for dimes with your friend, don't buy lotto tickets.

Go see somebody. If necessary, go to Gambler's Anonymous.

It's better to stop while you've only gambled your own money away, because soon you'll be gambling away other people's money.

The Emperor Fabulous · January 6, 2004, 07:48

Its funny...the popup I got when I clicked on this is for online gambling...go figure...

yaroslav · January 6, 2004, 08:18

MRT144, first of all I congrat you for realizing you've a problem

It isn't easy to do that. My best advice is to follow KrazyHorse's advice and try to stop whenver possible.

Agathon · January 6, 2004, 08:46

Just stop it man. Gambling is irrational, the odds are weighted against you unless it's sports and you are really knowledgeable.

I don't gamble any more since I am a couple of hundred dollars up and I can't see it getting any better. I got a good tip on the Grand National in 1992 and it's the only bet I ever made.

Agathon · January 6, 2004, 08:50

Quote:

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
Its funny...the popup I got when I clicked on this is for online gambling...go figure...

Help MRT144; block pop-ups.

Ollie Oliver · January 6, 2004, 09:06

Hahahaha. Oh, you kids and your wacky dice games.

Elok · January 7, 2004, 13:38

I prefer to gamble on addictions myself. How many days till the crackhead on the corner OD's, that sort of thing.

Anyway, do credit-card companies offer a "refuse to approve charges by this customer on online gambling services" service? They should. Failing that, find some other way to limit your own weakness. If your friend is quitting too, make a deal: every time you slip and gamble, he gets to punch you in the nuts. And vice versa. If Pavlov was right, your attraction to gambling should wane a little. Okay, so that example's exaggerated, but you hopefully get what I mean. Work together and back each other up. Make your big difficulty work to your advantage.

Says the guy who's never had a problem with addictions. Well, it might work...

The Emperor Fabulous · January 7, 2004, 13:43

I play Texas Hold'em regularly...right now I'm down about 10 dollars, which is pretty good considering the amount of games I've played

chequita guevara · January 7, 2004, 15:49

I've never understood the compulsion people feel to through their money away.

Provost Harrison · January 7, 2004, 16:07

Stew has a bit of a gambling problem. Personally, I just can't see any compulsion to it whatsoever...

rah · January 7, 2004, 17:05

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I've never understood the compulsion people feel to through their money away.

I go to casinos a few times a year. Whatever cash I take in, I expect to lose. I consider it an entertainment tax because I do enjoy doing it. I don't consider it a problem. And if I win or even not lose it all, it's icing on the cake.

Spiffor · January 7, 2004, 17:11

RAH:
You seem to belong to the more refined public of the casinos, those who go to the Casino to have fun, with limited emphasis on money.

MRT seems different in that he seems to say he does it to get money I'm not sure, but I think he mostly hangs out with one-armed bandits, r other cheap and fast "games" that are solely intended for the money trqnsfer

Japher · January 7, 2004, 17:14

MRT; get into the stock market, curbs my gambling addiction. Best thing about it is that there is no upper limit and you control most of the odds, if you learn the rules.

Arrian · January 7, 2004, 17:19

I've never understood gambling, but I know it's dangerous.

I had a friend over in Scotland (went to St. Andrews for my semester abroad) who would blow almost all his allowance money on those machines in the pubs that take Pound coins. Pound coin, pound coin, pound coin.... presto, no more money. It was nuts. He didn't drink or smoke (stupid things that I do), but the gambling was a real problem for him.

My father has a friend/business associate, fabulously weathly, who has gambling issues. The thing is, this guy can afford it. He goes into casinos and will be up or down by 50,000 Pounds or more in one night. Since he's worth ~$100 million+ he can do that and not go bust. But he's definitely got issues.

Gambling is like a drug to some people. I consider myself lucky that I don't like it, since I do have a rather addictive personality.

MRT - I don't know if I'm qualified to give you advice on this, but if you want it, I'd say limit yourself to $100 per year. Once you've blown that (the House always wins, man), NO MORE. If you cannot do that, seek help.

-Arrian

rah · January 7, 2004, 17:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Spiffor
RAH:
You seem to belong to the more refined public of the casinos, those who go to the Casino to have fun, with limited emphasis on money.

MRT seems different in that he seems to say he does it to get money I'm not sure, but I think he mostly hangs out with one-armed bandits, r other cheap and fast "games" that are solely intended for the money trqnsfer

Yes, I have never gambled because I needed the money.
Granted it fun to win, but if you expect to or have to, you shouldn't be doing it.
There is nothing more fun than a HOT crap table.

Japher · January 7, 2004, 17:34

I like playing tables mainly because of the interaction with the other players... that is fun.