(irrational)fear of poverty - Psychology in Poker and Gambling

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(irrational)fear of poverty

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10-19-2009 , 08:27 AM

AceofSpades

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5,656

I have a fear about going broke and not being able to get a job and not being able to provide for myself/going broke starving etc.

This is starting to effect my poker play as my first month as a professional has been a terrible emotional struggle since I'm break-even for the month.

The money = safety/security I think is something ingrained in me from going through a period as a child where my dad went through a period of unemployment job and my parents scraped by on little income.

I have pretty low expenses, no debt except for a school loan, a 45 bi roll, and 10k in the bank.

How do I get over this irrational fear?

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10-19-2009 , 09:35 AM

XAmsterdamX

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,104

Get a parttime job. Something that keeps you busy for perhaps 2 days in the week and that covers your basic expenses.

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10-19-2009 , 11:41 AM

Monaguillo09

old hand

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,529

Its not an irrational fear the one you're having. But maybe if you have an emotional angst towards money and getting broke, maybe you rushed at becoming a pro. Your feel is natural. This path we chose is not an easy one rest assured. Best of luck.

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10-19-2009 , 12:33 PM

formula72

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,943

RIGHT ANSWER....

you've built up an addiction towards money.

Dont listen to anything else.

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10-19-2009 , 02:24 PM

smithcommajohn

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 533

i'd hate to see you on a down month or months...

i can understand your feelings, but you need to take control of them or you will go into risk aversion tilt...

if you haven't already, grab a book on the subject... even though its not a 2+2 book, i still recommend The Poker Mindset... http://www.amazon.com/Poker-Mindset-...dp/0974150231/

if someone knows of a 2+2 book that covers this subject matter, please recommend it

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10-19-2009 , 05:12 PM

Rowdymon

enthusiast

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 59

It's not irrational to worry about going broke.

I think it's a rare bird who can fly off to the land of pro poker without second thoughts.

Do you have something to fall back on? You noted you have a student loan, is there a career or job path you can use to support yourself if the whole thing goes tits up? If not, maybe you need to create that for yourself before you continue to step up to the plate.

Don't get me wrong, I"m not saying to give up the dream of playing poker for a living...but what is your plan b?

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10-19-2009 , 07:22 PM

Cinch

banned

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,102

Look up peniaphobia and see if you qualify for the diagnosis, and if you don't you probably just have a strong financial worry streak. But a full-blown fear of poverty is an actual phobia, just like fear of heights and stuff. The mind can lock onto an unlimited number of specific phobias to express a more general anxiety about being alive and conscious and threatened by the spectre of dealing with reality effectively.

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10-20-2009 , 10:10 PM

strikerkings

enthusiast

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 68

Some millionaires live in more FEAR than people who are low-income...

The fear of loss is the cousin of the 'poverty mentality' that keeps people broke...

You need a mindset BOOSTER...

The fact of the matter is, you are worth millions of dollars, even if you someone robbed you of EVERYTHING you have...

"How so," you may ask...

The body you operate is a multi-million dollar machine...quite literally.

Don't go selling your organs away...

Just know that you are very VALUABLE...

AND there is always opportunity for a multi-million dollar machine in this capitalistic system...

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10-20-2009 , 10:18 PM

Cinch

banned

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,102

Seeing your worth as your ability, instead of as a function of how much you've hoarded, is a difficult but valuable trick. Locking on some figure that you need to be happy never works.

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10-21-2009 , 06:08 AM

#10

A_C_Slater

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 8,348

"It's a feeling of relief, almost of pleasure, at knowing yourself at last genuinely down and out. You have talked so often of going to the dogs...and well, here are the dogs, and you have reached them, and you can stand it. It takes off a lot of anxiety." --- George Orwell 'Down and Out in Paris and London'

A guy with your sort of mind should enjoy this book. I highly recommend.

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10-22-2009 , 03:46 PM

#11

Bukoo

banned

Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 670

another worthless post from the king!

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Originally Posted by strikerkings

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10-25-2009 , 07:17 PM

#12

Cinch

banned

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,102

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_C_Slater

Good recommendation. Enjoying it a lot. From page 91: "He lives in a rhythm between work and sleep, without time to think, hardly conscious of the exterior world; his (world) has shrunk to the hotel, (a few other things) and his bed. If he goes afield it is only a few streets away... Nothing is quite real for him but (the game), drinks, and sleep."

Sound familiar to anyone?

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