https://www.pokernews.com/strategy/d...t=pn-hp-hero-5

Is this actually a thing? I'm not a pro, and while I've had suckouts and downswings its never been so bad as I don't rely on microstakes money for living expenses.

Those who are pros, do you actually think back long term on rough patches and actually feel traumatized, other than just wishing people didn't suckout and having regrets about how u played hands?

No matter what the flop is or what I have , if the the turn and river are a 3 , i get flashbacks and become uncomfortable. As my friend said " That should have literally never happened " but it still did in the WSOP main event in probably the highest equity spot of my life. It haunted me for a few years and i dreamt about it a bunch of times.


So i dont know to what extent this poker " PTSD" can be , but yea i do believe it can cause anxiety and obviously tons of stress.

I wonder if the the words "traumatized" and "PTSD" should be reserved for more serious situations so as to not devalue their meaning.

This is almost as good as that PokerNews article that recommended selling your blood plasma and using pawn shops to stay in action: https://www.pokernews.com/strategy/i...egas-34153.htm

That's what my original thought was when I saw this article, but I didn't want to marginalize anyone as I am not a pro poker player and don't know what its like to get 1 outed OTR for rent money.

Seems inconsiderate, this comparison.

I’m sure war vets with PTSD can sympathize and relate to the struggles of poker players taking bad beats. Totally reasonable comparison.

I’m pretty sure PTSD from living in mom and dads basement until 40 is real

this might be what doug is going through

PTSD from poker? It ain't that big a deal

if you got one outed for your rent money youre not a pro poker player and anyone who gets ptsd from a downswing needs to not play poker.

Grimmstar comes to mind. Someone post that graph!!



Edit:

Wow you have just found that. Incredible

I'm glad vast majority of people so far seem to think it's dumb

because it's most definitely dumb, if you have PTSD from poker, for god sake don't play this game

yeah i think this is right. words like abuse, trauma, privilege, racist, harassment, etc are very serious, and they should not be used lightly. In todays culture I think some of these words are so watered down that they do a disservice to the people they apply to

all of that being said, poker is brutal. whatever you want to call it, when things go bad it is pretty hardcore

Hypothetically, err or comically, if players could receive disability benefits for this PTSD, then they would still take that money to the poker table.

But then again, years ago, drug addicts/alcoholics that couldn't work due to their addiction were getting disability money from the government (and of course used it to buy more).

ive wondered about the effects of poker because it has to be doing something. its almost like the opposite of ptsd for me. i pretty much feel nothing when i lose now but also i really dont feel the highs i used to after winning either. although i dont play tourneys.

100% the same all the way down to not playing tourneys

I’ve heard a ton of players (maybe 5) describe this exact same thing, and they admit that they have also become numb to the highs and lows of life outside poker

I've talked about this in my PGC threads numerous times. A good example I use is that I used to get super into basically any sport I was watching, whether I was cheering for a team/person or not. Nowadays, I basically never have any reaction. Even after the Cubs won the World Series, and I traveled from MX to 2 of the games vs the Dodgers so I was even more invested, I barely had any reaction. I'm super even keeled and zen to the max basically always, but at times I definitely do miss feeling emotions.

Since I saw a graph get posted, I'll share a story as I have the graph saved. This -6fig day was during SCOOP 2016. My roommate L.A.Ruseman got like 3 $60 9man hyper turbos off and tilted way harder in those 3 games than I did all day long . I actually never once swore, yelled, hit my desk, slammed a mouse/kb etc. And then after the grind, I remember we went out to go watch a UFC card and people at the bar asked how poker was going and after I told them how today went, they were almost all in shock and couldn't believe how chipper I was.




Obviously helps that I'm staked for HSSNGs+MTTs, but I probably wouldn't have a reaction regardless.

I also in the 6 days after this -6fig day had 3 SCOOP-H FTs + won a boatload back at HS-nosebleed SNGs. The 3rd FT I actually ended up shipping the event for 250k. I remember winning the MTT and maybe smiling and just immediately changing clothes, grabbing keys and heading out the door. I arrived to the bar where numerous people had been railing me via someones laptop, and they were all way more excited and amped up than I was. Went out for a couple drinks and then was home and in bed to be back on the grind the next morning.

This is nothing but poor journalism designed to get clicks.

Ya this is just more weak culture BS. People that have real PTSD and lived thru real traumatic events went thru some real ****. Even if you lost your entire net worth it's nothing next to real trauma.

I think an actual diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the DSM is to have had been in a situation where you legitimately fear for your life. Poker sucks and losing sucks but it’s a bit hyperbolic to analogize it to PTSD.

Being able to stay on an even keel is definitely a unique gift that You have . I don’t know who you are , but if I had to guess you are still playing poker professionally and are very successful at it. I would tilt over a $200 bad beat so I’m envious of you .

I concur. Moreover, if anything the condition imho should be labeled PBPD - "Poker Blood Pressure Disorder". (Full tilt = High Blood Pressure for many I would surmise especially when losing frequently from suck outs as bad as opponents who win against you with only a 1% chance on the river for instance.)

thought I had become numb from emotions from poker, but then I got kids and realized I still had emotions, that said I still don't feel much more the highs and lows of poker, unless it's ridiculous then I can feel annoyed or satisfied

the whole nightmares or w/e thing is bull**** though