I was an alcoholic for 19 years starting at age 13. I stole from my Mom's purse, my Dad's wallet, my sister's purse. When I had a job I stole $1000's from 4 different companies. Again, how am I different than Mike?

I knew men and women who stole far more than I ever did who were college educated, pastors or priest of their church, and a mayor of a good sized city. When you have a disease such as gambling, alcoholism, prescription drugs, etc.... that disease doesn't care what color you are, what social status you have or your age. It ****s with everyone.

This thread isn't about you?

You are totally ridiculous - I graduated with honors, wrote a thesis as an undergraduate as part of the honors requirements and took graduate level chemical engineering courses in my 3rd year as an undergrad. I didn't cheat my way through anything there and for you to insinuate that because my life spun out of control AFTER graduation shows how clueless you really are.

Yup, that's me.

This thread is about an addict. You don't stop becoming an addict once you get your addiction under control. Any addict who reads this understands what Mike has done or is going through. So in essence this could be about me all over again if I don't continue the step work every day of my life.

This is a very tricky area to explore: Could Mike have studied the arts of poker very deeply every waking hour of his days & becoming a nice winning player in the process still be considered an addict?

(This thread wouldn't have existed if he had done so.)

So no one makes money playing poker and then piss it all away (and more) in the pit?

As someone who graduated from PSU w/ an engineering degree I can tell you it would be a difficult task. Most testing that would be easily cheat-able, like scantron, was done with multiple configurations of tests handed out randomly and seating was usually very spread out. Plus, these tests would have multiple TAs walking around watching. While not impossible to cheat, it would be extremely difficult. If he graduated with a 3.8, I highly doubt he cheated much because most of the kids he'd be cheating off of aren't getting 3.8s

And testing usually made up a disproportionate amount of your grade, so no matter how you did at quizzes or hw, if you didn't know your stuff, you'd have trouble.

Mike in your pictures you look like the most pathetic, awkward, and gumpy person ever. Yet on the podcast you sound confident, reflective, and intelligent.

Try getting addicted to vagina to replace Pai Gow. Call it Pie Gow. Am I right!?

Props to Chicago Joey for asking about women in MB's life. He said there are girls for every type of guy no matter how low on the totem pole you are. Or how low on the stripper pole. Am I right?

hey sorry man, but thanks for responding i love this thread it's my favorite on the forum!

WTF does 'hating hard work' have to do with anything? You really think addiction is caused by laziness?

No, no not that...... I meant Mike taking care of pit game leaks & other betting leaks. Would he still be considered a gambling addict if he studied the arts of poker every waking moment & won over time?

In other words...is a profitable grinder also a gambling addict that managed to remove the cost of addiction? Or is it just the losing players that are addicts?

Just a curious question...

lots of addicts can hold down jobs. some guys work 15 hour days before gambling away their paychecks. i think his airport or hotel lobby trick aka his criminal behavior was caused by laziness.


he could have stood outside the home depot with the mexicans but instead he chose to bilk strangers with funny stories.

Is Chow Gow the new muff munch?

I agree that is an interesting question.

I'm pretty sure that the main difference between a lot of the people who are worshipped in the poker community and those who are despised are their ability to be profitable, not their morals or actions.

Gambling addiction is only perceived as a problem if you're a losing gambler.

Gambling addicts are actually addicted to the emotions and mental sensations that come with losing. That's why they keep playing when they win. Regardless of how successful he is at poker (and I think maybe he already is a winner lifetime for just poker), he will find a way to gamble it away, whether in poker or other games.

Wow, that is definitely 1 part of it and definitely 100% true.

Actually this is incorrect. Gambling is just a symptom of the real issues involved.

Or he could have been beating up old ladies to rob their purses.

When it comes to what people will do to feed their addiction, what Mike has been accused of, and admitted to, is fairly mild.

Regardless - I don't believe laziness is even close to being a factor.

Pie Chow?

I agree - I also changed my post to reflect this while you were responding.

Agree, unless Mike wants to give more info it appears many people got scammed for 2-300 dollars. a bad beat, but not exactly losing ur house…read the new thread on Eric Conti it will put this thread in perspective quickly.

yeah, that was some messed up stuff right there, but keep in mind that a lot of hate towards Mike comes from him being very vocal against other scammers on this forum.

lol, why did you quote him and remove the word perceived? That changes the entire context of what he said. He is correct to say it's only *perceived* to be a problem if you're losing, even though it is a problem no matter what.

He didn't. I edited my post to include that word while he was responding. I re-read and edit my posts to try to clarify what I mean more than I probably should