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Does adderall improve your play? Does adderall improve your play?

06-23-2011 , 02:15 PM
adderall baby!! u guys don't lose it after a few days of adderalling it?
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
06-27-2011 , 12:09 AM
IMO it is all relative. I used to play 20/40 at the Borgata with someone who was always on adderall. For the most part, I considered this person to be a solid perhaps .5 BB winner in the game. However, if that person didn't have a solid theoretical understanding of the game and hundreds of hours of experience, I doubt it would help him much.

Adderall does help you concentrate, but to an extent. If you haven't slept in 24 hours, and neglected to eat and nourish yourself, I believe even a winning player would suffer the effects of the drug. But I also feel that if you are a solid winning poker player and are on adderall in the middle of an 8 hour session, it will help you concentrate.

However, it is not going to help you understand the game from a theoretical standpoint. Rather it will help you hone the skills and concentrate on what you may have already taken away from the game from earlier study. So if it were me I would rather take adderall and study a poker book, then proceed to play poker in a sober state. The drug helps you learn from study, but poker is similar to the test you take the next day that exhibits those results.

Last edited by 6MaxLHE; 06-27-2011 at 12:15 AM.
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07-18-2011 , 05:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6MaxLHE
IMO it is all relative. I used to play 20/40 at the Borgata with someone who was always on adderall. For the most part, I considered this person to be a solid perhaps .5 BB winner in the game. However, if that person didn't have a solid theoretical understanding of the game and hundreds of hours of experience, I doubt it would help him much.

Adderall does help you concentrate, but to an extent. If you haven't slept in 24 hours, and neglected to eat and nourish yourself, I believe even a winning player would suffer the effects of the drug. But I also feel that if you are a solid winning poker player and are on adderall in the middle of an 8 hour session, it will help you concentrate.

However, it is not going to help you understand the game from a theoretical standpoint. Rather it will help you hone the skills and concentrate on what you may have already taken away from the game from earlier study. So if it were me I would rather take adderall and study a poker book, then proceed to play poker in a sober state. The drug helps you learn from study, but poker is similar to the test you take the next day that exhibits those results.
well said.
i wouldnt recommend you take a prescription of anything you truly dont need. regardless of the reason. but this is coming from someone with an addictive personality as far as drugs go. any potential for you greatly risking your personal life shouldnt be worth any amount of money. sorry if that sounds all righteous. ive learned that though.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-22-2011 , 06:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dark_horse
I use it as needed and try not to use it when I don't need it--and really be honest about it.
+1
very very solid advice. the stuff is highly addictive, and tolerance builds up super quick if used daily.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-29-2011 , 04:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by IGRINDRAZZFML
How much 1-10 would u say aderall helps you get longer sessions? I am strongly condisering get it (not just for poker, but for school etc). Does it make u concentrate better for long sessions? I cant play 24 tables for more then a hr or two... will adderall make me be able to play for longer then that? Thnks
no adderal doesnt help much a friend of mine tried it and he said it was really expensive and he didnt notice any improvement in his focus. there has to be a better way that to improve your focus
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-29-2011 , 06:15 PM
i actually heard it can totally destroy your game as your more likely to go on ape**** tilt if you take a huge beat. ive never done addy while playing so what do i know.
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07-29-2011 , 07:15 PM
temporary maybe.
I think reading books and playing improves it more.

Its one of those things you want because you cant have em and when you get em you wish you never bothered.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 03:00 AM
It almost certainly works. I have not tried adderal, but have used E (which is amphetamine base) and modifinil (high class stimulant) with moderate success.
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07-30-2011 , 04:10 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutlawPro318
try mixing modafinil and adderall
You can handle that? I see it as a one way ticket to feeling like the biggest piece of ****.

@fallsview, E + doing something that requires serious thinking?

Eh, don't use any stimulants for an extended time. It's a sure way to screw up your body eventually.
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07-30-2011 , 05:25 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Distajo
i used to get adderrall for college. It felt so good like i was in the zone that i literally thought it was unethical. It's like the roids of academics. But in any case, when i got into poker, i'd say that it made me a lot more motivated to learn deeper levels of the game and thus accelerated my learning trajectory by a lot. Most of my best days were achieved by being on it.

But there side effects, well for me at least. It's questionable if i have ADD. I was diagnosed when i was 17, which was a few years ago, and because of my textbook symptoms, the psychiatrist immediately thought to prescribe the 'rall. It worked for my attention problems in school as demonstrated by the improvement in my grades. The medication itself is supposed to have a paradoxal effect on the ADD brain. Normal people (without neuro-chemical imbalances) are affected by the medication causing them to act manic or on a speed-high. Whereas, people w/ imbalances, are supposed to act calmer and be able to focus. I acted the latter. However, it's not exactly clear if i have ADD or Bipolar disorder, which both exhibit virtually the symptoms.

The dowside for me was i couldn't sleep, it affected my appetite, and i was very irritable when i suffered badbeats. I'd go absolutely berserk. I treated my friends differently while on it and i lost my personality. It could be possible that i did not take it responsibly by doing regular dosages and scheduled times at the day. I just used it when i needed it (i.e. studying for tests or putting in marathon sessions). Basically, the worst thing it did for my was intensify my emotions.

I'm off of it right now, not by choice. I don't have any medical insurance because i dropped out of college. Adderall kind of hurt my confidence because i thought i couldn't function without it. It enables me to be interested in stuff that normally would make me yawn. Right now, i'm doing something that i'm interested in a lot and so that's why i can function seemlessly wihtout it.

GL in your decision.
This is basically the exact same story that I could tell you of my personal experience with Adderall. Over the short term it WILL improve your play and brought me from a 2.5/ptbb winner to a 4-5/ptbb winner back in 2008 when the games were soft. Over about a three year period Adderall's beneficial effects slowly began to wane and the negative effects crept up on me. I almost never abused it and when I did it was pretty minor, like taking four pills in a day instead of the normal three pills per day (basically a 16 hour Adderall binge instead of a 12 hour one). I also have very good willpower though and have seen countless people fall slave to Adderall's illusions. I haven't touched the stuff in about six months and am back to normal as far as I can tell, but I can pretty safely say that over the long term this stuff is poison, particularly if you don't have incredible self discipline.

Edit: FWIW I'm also pretty confident that I do have legitimate ADD.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 05:30 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6MaxLHE
IMO it is all relative. I used to play 20/40 at the Borgata with someone who was always on adderall. For the most part, I considered this person to be a solid perhaps .5 BB winner in the game. However, if that person didn't have a solid theoretical understanding of the game and hundreds of hours of experience, I doubt it would help him much.

Adderall does help you concentrate, but to an extent. If you haven't slept in 24 hours, and neglected to eat and nourish yourself, I believe even a winning player would suffer the effects of the drug. But I also feel that if you are a solid winning poker player and are on adderall in the middle of an 8 hour session, it will help you concentrate.

However, it is not going to help you understand the game from a theoretical standpoint. Rather it will help you hone the skills and concentrate on what you may have already taken away from the game from earlier study. So if it were me I would rather take adderall and study a poker book, then proceed to play poker in a sober state. The drug helps you learn from study, but poker is similar to the test you take the next day that exhibits those results.
This, too. Sleeping and eating correctly while using Adderall is SO important. Seriously anyone that takes this stuff you NEED TO ****ING SLEEP AND EAT STOP KIDDING YOURSELF YOU JUNKIE. I always forced myself to eat WHOLE MEALS while on it and forced myself to sleep after an Adderall session, though eating was unpleasant and sleeping is difficult and feels restless. Also once you hit a certain dosage, DO NOT INCREASE IT. I maxed out at 20 mg IR dose 3 times/day, which is pretty significant, and sat at that state for 1.5 years. My natural tolerance to everything is pretty high, but if you increase your dosage over 60mg IR/day or 25 mg XR/day you're only hurting yourself. IMO. Also I only took Adderall about 12 days a month if that means anything (basically on Fri/Sat/Sun when the games were good)

Last edited by KoreanHacker; 07-30-2011 at 05:36 AM.
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07-30-2011 , 01:01 PM
Quote:
@fallsview, E + doing something that requires serious thinking?

I crush chess on E. Doesn't everyone?
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 04:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoreanHacker
if you increase your dosage over 60mg IR/day or 25 mg XR/day you're only hurting yourself.
Why so low on the XR side?
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 07:02 PM
Like any other drug, the effects on each individual are going to be different and it is not a wonder drug/is overrated in a lot of situations. I've seen a bunch of players basically use it just to keep focusing during long sessions, and while it may help them play longer i really am not sure how much better they play with it (especially with its tendency to make you irritable/more emotional). It does definitely help to analyze decisions quicker, but if you aren't super multitabling I think its pretty overrated, pretty bad for your health, and very easy to get addicted to. The come down is pretty awful as well.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 07:09 PM
YMMV, but I don't get emotional on it (as long as I don't combine it with any alcohol), but I did when I started. Maybe my system got used to it. Bad beats don't hurt any more or less than usual. The only annoying thing about the come down is it's difficult to fall asleep even hours after my last dose, but that's what this Xanax prescription is for. And again, when only used as needed, it can be helpful. I do not have an addictive or abusive personality so I can get away with it, but I can see how these drugs can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. A month ago I found myself playing a 28 hour 40/80 session, mostly because I was stuck, but also because the games remained good. But let's be real, I would have quit hours earlier if I wasn't stuck. I was nursing the Adderall about 5mg at a time, every couple of hours. But surprisingly the best feeling I had the entire experience was when I finally decided to quit a small loser. The euphoric feeling of escape as I walked out of the poker room was something I did not expect.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
07-30-2011 , 07:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dark_horse
Why so low on the XR side?
30 XR is probably fine, too. I probably shouldn't have been so absolute about it but I've never taken more than 25 XR so I can't comment on whether or not it seems safe. 25 XR always seemed like plenty though, but I suppose your doctor would know better than I would

Edit: I just googled some information and I guess the maximum recommend dosage for XR is 30, and IR is 40, though both may be bumped up to 60/day as a person's tolerance increases. This sounds pretty believable to me so I retract my previous statements. However, going over 60 mg a day will always always always be a bad idea, and even maintaining a 60 mg habit for an extended period of time will have guaranteed consequences. FWIW I was doing roughly ~25 mg a day average (some days 20, some days 60, some days none) and would take about 75 days to go through 90 pills at 20 mg IR dose. And that's with fairly frequent use over the course of three years. I would also never go above a 20 mg dose at one time ("double dropping" or w/e is a terrible idea). If you find yourself taking more than this you are abusing your medication and should taper down or stop immediately.

Last edited by KoreanHacker; 07-30-2011 at 08:08 PM.
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07-30-2011 , 11:39 PM
I don't feel I play as well when taking it. I use it only to stay awake in juicy,live, >15 hour sessions where other players are coked up, or too stuck and stubborn to leave. It affects my eating and bathroom habits and even after staying awake for 36 hours and not having dropped a pill for last 10, I still have trouble sleeping after taking a pill, but will still use it when I will be playing for 15 or more hours .
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07-31-2011 , 12:04 PM
I've noticed that it is useful for long sessions playing ONLINE. I've also noticed that playing live B&M on adderall can be a bit overwhelming. The slow pace of the game live while on adderall can be a little bit boring. If you are not prescribed this medication it will speed you up. Being patient on this stuff is almost impossible. While it does help you concentrate more, in the long term it's not worth it IMO. I had a family member who took this stuff as a kid for 5-6 yrs, and it really messed him up. BE CAREFUL WITH THIS STUFF!!!!
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07-31-2011 , 10:15 PM
To add to your point, Brandon, sometimes I notice my plays are spewier while on it. Others have made the point to me as well. It's a good thing to be aware of.
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08-01-2011 , 06:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by dark_horse
To add to your point, Brandon, sometimes I notice my plays are spewier while on it. Others have made the point to me as well. It's a good thing to be aware of.
Yes, you do make a good point. I don't know if it's the restlesness while playing, or if it's just boredom. Now online I could MT to death on adderall. My concentration level was unbelievable. And yes I have shipped plenty of nice wins while on the drug.

But as others have said, you really need to watch how much you are taking because of the tolerance issue, as well as stimulant psychosis which can occur with long-term use.

Is it worth it? Now=NO Before BF=Yes. I just don't see myself playing my A game live while on this drug IMO.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
08-02-2011 , 08:59 AM
How is taking adderall any diffrent than let's say like drinking 3-4 cans of redbull ? Can someone with experience explain?
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
08-02-2011 , 05:09 PM
Amphetamine stimulants provide a very different feeling than caffeine/energy drinks. It's a sensation that is difficult to describe without being able to refer to it directly.
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
08-02-2011 , 05:23 PM
Amphetamine huh . You mean the same thing that get you high in crack cocaine ?
Does adderall improve your play? Quote
08-02-2011 , 06:08 PM
Yes, Adderall is the same thing as crack cocaine. That's right.
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08-03-2011 , 04:30 AM
i played online after dosing on some adderall and it was fine at first but as it wore off I couldn't handle looking at the monitor. It seemed like everytime a table popped up it created a flash in front of my eyes that I couldn't bear. I wouldn't get into a habit of using adderall for poker. Amphetamines are a helluva drug that can permanently fry your dopamine receptors.
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