Handling a co-workers downswing .. - Psychology in Poker and Gambling

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Handling a co-workers downswing ..

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07-19-2018 , 09:21 AM

dundalk

grinder

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 564

I share an apartment with another professional gambler.

He wins about 100k a yr - or at least has done, for the past 5 yrs. Hes now in a downswing, and every time he leaves the door, his mental space is v bad e.g. He says, 'off to lose some more money'.

I have tried advising a holiday, changing methods etc but he wont listen.

I am now not sure what to do .. hes miserable to be around - the downswing has lasted 3 mths - and hes lost 75k. Would u tell him to snap out of it -- frankly saying hes a miserable SOB etc, or just find alternative accomodation ?

This month, hes down 40k, and its accelerating.

Thx

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07-19-2018 , 04:41 PM

Chicagodude

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 2,810

I'd tell him to halve or quarter his bets until it turns around for him.....but it's hard to convince a gambler of that. I always take a full week off of poker after a bout of set over sets or boats under quads

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07-20-2018 , 06:01 AM

dundalk

grinder

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 564

Thx.

Its v hard to know whether to get involved and keep saying something, or just back off and leave him to it.

One of those situations where its v hard to win - and u can second guess yourself/drain your energy just thinking about it.

Gamblers are inherently selfish people.

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07-20-2018 , 08:36 AM

Darth_Maul

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 4,434

Maybe he should find a job instead of being a "professional gambler." Gambling isn't a profession, it's an addictive activity. Calling oneself a professional gambler is an attempt to paint the addiction with some degree of legitimacy.

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07-28-2018 , 05:28 PM

browni3141

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 5,678

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth_Maul

This is a pretty ignorant comment on a forum full of professional and semi-professional gamblers, but may apply to OP’s friend anyway.

If he is down $75k after only averaging ~$100k in prior years, professional gambling is probably not viable for him. This simply does not happen and I suspect he either doesn’t have a meaningful edge in the games he’s playing or he is tilting hard and maybe playing up to generate such big losses.

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07-28-2018 , 09:34 PM

Darth_Maul

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 4,434

Quote:

Originally Posted by browni3141

This is a pretty ignorant comment on a forum full of professional and semi-professional gamblers, but may apply to OP’s friend anyway.

I don't consider poker to be gambling and there was nothing in the original post that indicated he was talking about poker. Would you consider playing craps or betting on horses as a "profession"?

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07-28-2018 , 10:47 PM

Tuma

Worships Amon-Ra

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 16,390

need more info to venture a guess if this guy knows what he's doing. tournament players have losing years. live cash game players can have losing years. it's a nice gesture, but not your responsibility to monitor him.

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07-30-2018 , 09:09 AM

Nepeeme2008

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 2,913

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth_Maul

I don't consider poker to be gambling and there was nothing in the original post that indicated he was talking about poker. Would you consider playing craps or betting on horses as a "profession"?

Other forms of gambling are included in this forum but yes, it's predominantly a forum for poker and yes, wether you like it or not, poker is gambling.

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07-30-2018 , 11:22 AM

Darth_Maul

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 4,434

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nepeeme2008

Other forms of gambling are included in this forum but yes, it's predominantly a forum for poker and yes, wether you like it or not, poker is gambling.

Most sources include the qualifier "games of chance" in the definition of gambling. So I don't consider poker a form of gambling. Poker players usually describe themselves as "professional poker players" not "professional gamblers" for that reason.

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