Okay, my basic question is... is it possible to be a good poker player with a compulsive gambling streak?

I ask because I find myself time and again making foolish decisions with my bankroll. I'm far from being the best player around, but I am good enough to grind out a profit at low limits. So why do I keep finding myself playing 3/6 shorthanded games (or other foolishness) with a 300 bankroll? I've broken myself and clawed back so many times, it's sorta rediculous. I mean, it feels good to take 5 bucks and make it 200... but what's the point if you're eventually going to do something stupid and blow it? (although, having a good run of cards just ONCE when doing something stupid would be nice :P)

I've thought about depositing enough money to actually play a higher limit appropriately so that I'd be less tempted to step outside of my roll... but I'm not at all sure I'm good enough to play those limits anyway. Sigh...

So what do you think?

Well.... I have been there and done that, until I found forums and learned there was a better. I played 3/6 6max a few years ago with my entire $90 bankroll. Yeah, that sucked.

Discipline man.

It's really all about discipline. I get so sick of grinding out my limit, but every time I move up and take a shot, bad things start happening. Until you can steel yourself into playing smart, this is going to happen. And thats why you posted here! Well I really don't got much other than, Don't be stupid and do that dumbass!

Now, Is there anything I can help you with?

lol, yeah, it's probably a stupid topic for debate.

I know the problem... and yet I still find myself doing stupid things. It's like smoking... I know it's stupid, but I keep starting again after having quit for long periods.

Sigh... I guess the answer is... I can be successful if I STOP, and I can't if I DONT.

you have the sickness.

mellow out. relax. play lower.

Well, I guess we are all gamblers...

But Marm pointed it! Discipline is the main quality needed to be a winning poker player!

If you always go up in limit and put your entire bankroll on the table, you will mathematicly run out one day...

On the other side, if you always properly play tour bank and go down in limit as soo as you hit 150BB or go up as soon as you hit 600BB for example, you cant mathematicaly go broke.

That's all...

But to aswer you quetion more clearly, yes you can be a good poker player and a compulsive gambler. Stuey Ungart died broken at 50 years old o smething after winning more than 30 millions playing gin an poker. Horses, Football and other gambling activities just killed him!

KJ

lol, thanks for the example. Didn't Stu die a broke drug addict who had to get loaned the buy-in for the last WSOP he won?

I've blown about $400 playing in games and tournaments I shouldn't have.
Thankfully I've cut this crap out of my game, and my BR is up to a healthy $1200.
Poker is just recreational for me, but I can't justify pissing in the wind

Annie Duke just gave an interview on Forbes - can't find the link. When asked if she was a gambler she replied "No - I only bet into positive expectation"


IMO: if you're compulsive and get a thrill out of poker then you've got a potential problem.

I reckon I'm a bit obsessive (and it helps) - I don't really get a thrill out of big wins - conversely big losses don't worry me too much either (but I'm well within bankroll).

If you read Steves posts you'll see an acceptance of the day to day grind of the game - I think I share this.

I think people move from an amatuer mindset to a pro's when they look at ways of improving 4bb/100 to 5bb/100 and can't recall the last big win they had..

'Gamblers' I think tend to look at the big wins and suffer the big losses. 'Gambler' here meaning betting on random outcome for a thrill..