Curious to know if there are many gambling addicts that play home poker? I have played a lot of home poker and don't think I have ever played with a gambling addict. Is there something about home poker that makes it unattractive to addicts or have I just been lucky?

the low stakes at any game I go to would not be very enticing to a hard-core thrill seeker.

Of course, I was thinking the other day that I dealt a whole month in Vegas without seeing anyone that struck me as "gambling problem", and it seems statistically likely that I missed a few. Problem gambling has more to do with gambling when you shouldn't, not so much gambling in a way you shouldn't, so maybe it's hard to detect at the table. Knowing them in other situations might yield a better diagnosis ("sorry, can't join you guys for lunch 'cause I blew all my cash at craps last night again. Maybe if I run good after getting paid friday")

There are absolutely degen gambling addicts at my home game. What is interesting, however, is that they tend to do all of their degenerate gambling away from the home game. I think it is because we are group of people that have known each other for a while so people do not want to show their disease too much--even to a group that would be somewhat understanding of a gambling problem.

I think the true degens like to ply their trade alone. It kind of like when you go to the ATM for the 4th time in a session you want some privacy. I think alcoholics are similar. They can be social drinkers when necessary--hell they are still drinking. Then when the night is over they retire to their quarters and polish off a few more before passing out for the night.

I think true degens tend to do stuff like blackjack, slots and sports betting (or at least internet poker).

Combine the low stakes of home game with the fact that poker either has too little action (folding) or is too -EV (not folding), and home game can't be too satisfying. It might actually be decent "transition" therapy, who knows.

There is a little gamble in your average low stakes home game, but certainly not enough for a true "Gambling addict" to feed on!

There was a home game I used to play in a few years back that had one player that constantly went broke and would rebuy until the rebuy time was up (it was a tourney). Then he asked the host if he could play on his Full Tilt account and would give the host the money for whatever sit and go he played in. I saw him donk off close too 500 dollars one night doing this the buy-in was 20 bucks!!

I've probably got a gambling problem, although I keep it in check.


http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/...t/20-questions


Depending on how strict or literal you take the questions, I come in borderline at the 7 yes answers you need to qualify. [There's a big difference between borrowing money and borrowing money IYKWIM.]


I've got a regular player or two in my game that have what I'd clearly call "minor" gambling problems as well; but they're adults, and they're not spending the kids' milk money yet. [Get drunk, lose an entire weekend's bankroll the first night playing PLO at the WSOP, borrow money from me to change their flight home. NOT: Cash out the 401k and call in from work at the pawn shop.]

One time I saw a guy go through his entire tax refund (several hundred dollars) in a fifty cent home game... while he didn't have money to pay his electric bill.

And I know more than one player who routinely borrows money until the next time they get paid so they can keep playing.

So, yes, I'd say there are quite a few degens out there.

True degens make everyone feel awkward and aren't invited back. Like the guy who gets fall down drunk and vomits in my fishbowl doesn't get to come to my next dinner party.

Come on Man, that kind of stuff happens all the time LOL

Well now that you mention it We do have some borderline problem folks maybe

I play with a bunch of very casual poker players, so there aren't any true degens in the group. Once in a while, someone will get ****-faced and play like a monkey, but I don't think anyone has ever dusted off more than $100 playing drunken .25/.50. Wimps.

I have mild degen tendencies (thank you Adult ADD), but I'm good at keeping them in check. When I used to play slots, I would sometimes chase losses longer than I should. If I'm not careful, I can also do this when playing poker. But it's never been money that I couldn't afford to lose, and I generally mitigate the problem by only taking 3-5 BI with me to a game (depending on the stakes).

That really depends on how predatory the rest of the group is.

Nice people probably don't want to take anybody's lunch money. though they might not mind making the other guy eat ramen noodles instead of going to a steakhouse.

Predators want the degen to chase gutshots to try to win back what the degen has already lost, then go borrow money to try again and continue until the degen can't find anyone to borrow from.

We have one or two people that fit the "degen" persona you described to a T at our home game. They blow it in the casinos playing -EV games, too.

We had to remove a member a while ago because he clearly has a gambling problem. He will borrow, borrow, borrow until everyone he knows has shut him down. I had to ask him to stop texting me looking for stakes in $25 buy-in tournaments. He also stole from his parents' credit cards to gamble. He will play as high as he possibly can without any regard to bankroll management. If all he has to his name is $500, he will buy sit down at a 2/5 game with it.

He's also a terrible player but thinks he's the shiz. I last ran into him at a 4/8 LO8 game and he called 3 bets preflop with KJ74 rainbow.

We had a guy at our home game who would show up with no money at all and go around asking the other players to stake him. It was pretty awkward. The worst part was he always seemed to target the person who loaned him the money once he started playing. Several arguments ensued from this until he stopped coming. Idiot. Funny as hell to watch though.

I am so glad I am not one of these clowns.

What a shame ha

We've got a guy at our home game who comes with like 40% the buy in, and plays blackjack to try and win the buy in, except he plays blackjack til he loses and I pay for some of my buy in with his money.

WIN/WIN

Now that's the way to do it!