I wrote this with Mark Herm a few months ago and now seems like a good time to post…different publications wanted to have this first but may have been turned off due to the nature of the material.
Professional poker players are wired differently than the average person. They tend to be incredibly intelligent, unafraid to take huge risks (albeit, calculated ones) and are so passionately dedicated to their craft that they may disregard their own emotional, mental and physical health in pursuit of their career. While pro poker players have many remarkable traits that allow them to be fearless, intuitive, calculating and cunning, they are also at particular risk for vulnerabilities that invite the use of various mind-altering substances. The field of professional poker is fertile ground for extreme monetary success; at the same time, it is a slippery slope in terms of the personal pitfalls that one can encounter on the climb to the top. No one can blame someone for preserving his or her livelihood and critical skill set, but to what lengths are some of us willing to go in order to be great, or numb to disappointment, or simply able to sleep well after hours of check raising and 4-betting?
It appears that substance use in the poker world is a growing problem and, while many notable players have recently come out publicly with their recovery and sobriety, there is no doubt that this issue is slowing killing the spirits of many talented players (perhaps more so than bankrolls). Clearly, the problem is more encompassing than a money management issue, although that capacity can be compromised as well; substance abuse is a problem that undermines the human spirit. The disease of addiction and the abuse of drugs or alcohol compromises a host of qualities and strengths that are essential for effective functioning; including self-regulation, judgment, relationships, self-esteem and, ultimately, personal success. The very strengths that makes us unique thinkers, fearless decision-makers and highly analytically minded, are also the same things that put us most at risk for trouble. Many of us are high flyers on a tight rope with no net and the fall is potentially a lot higher than it first appears. Poker players deal with huge swings, long and intense hours, and many fear-inducing situations that the average person doesn’t necessarily experience. The seductive beauty of mind-altering substances is that they temporarily tame self-doubt, mute the negative self-talk, and allow a person to disconnect from the world around them (especially when that world gets overwhelming and conjures up fear or self-doubt). The ugly nature of these substances (yes, even adderall or weed) is that they can turn on a person or simply fail to work for the reasons initially intended. At some point, and generally before we recognize it as a problem, the relationship with the substance becomes more important than the people around you, your career or your actual self worth.
Often times we don’t think we have a problem, especially if we are winning and have money. Plenty of people have a hard time spotting their difficulties with drugs or alcohol when they are successful financially as high-level pros. The question is really what is success and what do you want your internal life to feel like? Much of this comes down to how you define success for yourself and whether or not that definition includes internal clarity, calmness and wholeness. Many of us have chosen poker as a lifestyle as well as a career and the lifestyle is the antithesis of health for many of us. Sure, there are a handful of guys who have wonderful relationships, stay in shape, eat and sleep well and have passions that enrich their lives outside of poker, but this is far more rare than we care to acknowledge.
This is a dog eat dog profession. There is no need to get it twisted. Someone loses and someone wins. It’s zero sum at its core. As professionals in this highly competitive field, we need to start becoming more supportive and helpful to one another, and to send a message to others who engage in the unique and compelling world of poker. If one of us suffers from the grips of addiction or heavy abuse, we all suffer. How we do on the felt define us as players. How we treat ourselves and the people in our community define us as people. People in our profession need to stop suffering silently in relation to struggles and vulnerabilities outside of their play, particularly those pertaining to addiction or abuse.
Many of the best players have surrounded themselves with the brightest and most creative minds in the game. They rely on one another for support; different takes on hand histories, and in turn feel less alone and more connected in this potentially isolating world of professional poker. And yet, at its core, the professional poker world is a community, a network comprised of unique individuals who share a passion. Asking for help is harder than suffering alone for many people, but it doesn’t have to be. Very few of us become high-level players and thinkers on our own - we are, in fact, a community - we count on each other, we compete with each other, we learn from each other, we notice each other's strengths, vulnerabilities and quirks and we admire each other's gifts and talents. If you have, or someone around you has, an issue with substance use, it will very likely play out negatively on and off the felt. It is time to raise awareness regarding this problem and to recognize that, individually and collectively, we will benefit from speaking out and reaching out.
Mark Herm aka chirp (Dipthrong/ship itt) is well known backer in the game and has had some success on the felt himself. He got sober over 2.5 years ago and has a new outlook on life.
Jake Neff, LSW, MSS, is a therapist in private practice specializing in addiction and recovery. He is a part-time player who believes in helping people define their own visions of what it means to be successful. He got sober over 8.5 years ago and has since changed his personal definition of success.
Feel free to reach out...
Last edited by Videopro; 01-14-2014 at 01:27 PM.
Reason: removed direct contact info
