The April issue of the 2+2 Magazine has an article by Ray Zee discussing those things which can end a poker player's career.
You can read the full article here:
The Downfall of a Poker Player
Quote:
Drugs and drinking eliminate more gamblers from the scene than all the others combined. A few survive for awhile or even years until it gets the better of them and the path to busto is confirmed. There is no place for either in the winner’s life if he or she partakes in more than just moderation. If you must or insist, then at least take a break between the bad habits and the return to work at the tables.
Another weakness that sends many players back to where they came from is not being able to say no to those constant requests to borrow money. Sure, you trust the person or it may not be that large a sum, so you give in. Most do pay back but many do not. It is not considered by most to be such a big a deal if you are raking in the dough every day. But we all go through downswings early in our careers that can be catastrophic and need the cushion of extra money. Over time, the amount that is loaned out adds up to a tidy sum for most. After a number of years, many players have more loaned out (that they will probably never see again) than their total bankroll or net worth. How can anyone survive that? That amount alone may be the straw that broke the camel’s back for a person. Instead of having a healthy bankroll and playing progressively higher, they now are stuck grinding smaller games with low winrates because of the foolishness of giving away their precious tools, which of course is the money.
