I was wondering how some of the smartest people can be gambling degans. I'm talking about some of the smartest people out there but these same super smart and intelligent guys are also degans and terrible gamblers not in the sense that they are bad poker players but just tilt and chase.

For instance there are poker players playing midstakes and small stakes that are far superior players to guys playing high stakes yet the guys playing midstakes are always tilting and busting and rebuilding their bankrolls not because they don't understand variance and BRM.

Another example is someone can be smart enough to invent electricity yet be a degan, it has obviously nothing to do with knowledge for the game and skill but just the impulse to tilt chase while other less knowledgeable players don't and use proper BRM.

Interested if someone can explain this?

It's the same reason smart people can suffer with depression, anxiety or any other mental illness.

some people aren't married to their money and being a "gambling degen" is kind of fun.

there is also a results error. most very smart people don't visit casinos*. and who knows, maybe some aren't as smart as they appear.

having a mind for systems and innovation doesn't need to correlate with desire for a good family-type life. some of these types also drink and smoke too often.

* - contrary to a Daniel Negreanu quote that poker attracts intelligent people. could not be further from the truth and is only self gratifying.

Gambling is a compulsion. People can be afflicted with compulsions regardless of their intelligence. And keep in mind that intelligence doesn't necessarily correlate with commonsense or rational behavior.

Psychological compensation.

Why are some smart people food-aholics? Why are some smart people drug addicts? Why are some smart people chain smokers? Why are some smart people compulsive anything?

IQ and whatever it is you are measuring are not on the same continuum. They are totally separate facets of mind and there is no reason to expect them to be mutually exclusive.

If you want to find a strong relationship (an inverse one), look for high EQ and degeneracy. That is on the same continuum.

There was a pokernews about that some time ago, that anyone can be an addict even if he is whatever elsewhere. It was a study of gamblers vs pros, both being addicts but the pros had more control.

What addiction is according to me is a desire or and momentum. Different motivation for different people produce desire, and in the momentum needs e.g. will to control, stop, and it can also be in the brain as weak or not developed controls or alot of other brain stuffs, but control is central, and then the type or so of motivation and its power is the addiction part. Understanding the phenomenon also might help or one would have less reason to control.

As Elrazor mentioned there are many reasons why smart people can suffer with depression, anxiety or any other mental illness. Imo smartness it is possible to go by with many bad habbits for example alcohol ,drugs,addictions and stuff as many studies have claimed. Its not so easy to escape an overthinking mind and to be GTO in real life. Also i strongly believe that smart persons worry too much, they have a clear view of everything and on have illusions (we live in an ugly world,remember?) because they have a different perception of the world in general. So the answer is that they can easily underestimate the value of money, become addicted to many forms (drugs,gambling etc) and find a way to have fun - escape that some times are harmfull for themselves.

I believe they want action, to "escape" from their reality whatever that might be. Nothing wrong with that.

List some smart degens please? I'm curious to who you're thinknig of.

Stu Ungar