Anyone Else Have Gambling Ruin Their Lives??

[ELJUGO]

Brother Roger, I hear you in every way except the suicide because that's plain selfish and too easy. People DO give a shit about your problems and personally it damn near soothes me to hear I'm not the only mother fucker that's ever been in the hole and felt that this addiction had too much control over their thought process. I'm 21 and have been in the hole about 6k before on credit cards with no job or any clue how to get out. I will say though that in the morning you do start a FRESH day and with a clean slate anything can be accomplished. Just like you I feel I have a skill at making good money through poker and that is exactly how I made it out a few times but in my soul I know it's not the right path to keep walking. Your mind will probably not be at ease until you are out of debt so I suggest you tackle that however you feel necessary even if requires asking for more time to payoff or getting a loan from someone close. It sounds like you have realized but at some point I suggest you take a short walk with yourself and think through the fact that you have to take the power back from the game. This is your life, you call the shots. Fuck the stupid addiction and betting world (I know it's not that simple) everyday. You've got to get the power of your own freedom back on your side, you control yourself, and the game, the game can no longer control you. I recently had to walk out of a class because it "seemed" so damn boring and slow compared to the RACE my mind goes through when I constantly think of what my next move will be concerning hundreds and thousands of dollars. At that point I realized I had to take the power back. I was up a good amount at this point and realized this isn't about money, it's about self control, discipline and mind control and for some of us that takes the fun of GAMBLING away. I bet you're the same as me with the fact poker has always been the steady source and sports determine whether you touch the clouds or hit the pavemnet. The rush is fun when you're in charge but after a while like you said the same cycle reoccurs and gets kind of boring if you ask me causing me/you to do crazy shit like when you throw 4 g's on a 1st half wager. Sports gambling stimulates the same part of the brain as cocaine so of course it becomes an addiction and after a while you need more action to stimulate yourself so the limits get pushed and when it doesn't work out you CRASH. Anyways, all this being said my man, it may be 23g's it may be 50 or a 100 but it is money and nothing more. It isn't your life and when you wake up in the morning you still have YOU and the people in your life along with an incredibly strong support group here at BC so grind this out and become a better man however you find it necessary. You'll be alright and you know where to find the kid if you need to shoot the shit.

[garth]

It's an addiction Brother...Plain and simple. It's like smoking. Suicide is NOT the answer. I repeat, NOT the answer to your problems. You should get some help.

Try playing sports just for fun and set a limit of under $50 per game bet. Make that an unbreakable limit... Also, instead of spending money and time chasing bets, make it a goal to buy something or do something with any extra cash you earn.

KAZ

You're right kaz, it is an addiction. So when one is addicted and is out of control with that addiction, playing it just for fun is not an option...any more than a heroine addict can just hit it every now and then or a nicotine addict just smoking one or two every now and then. The only answer is to seek help and give it up. Find Gamblers' Anonymous, bro. And do us all a favor. If you seriously consider suicide, PLEASE talk with someone you love before you do that and ask them to help you get help. Good luck, man.

[BIG AL 300]

Ive always said youve never lived until you owed a bookmaker 20,000 on Tuesday morning and you only had 300 its a terrible feeling but one you can get through. First you have to call him up and tell him you dont have it but have every intention of paying him and if your a good poker player like you probably are it wont take that long to do so. A lot of people have said on here never bet with money you dont have well for some people thats easer than for other people. Id like to mention Iv made a liveing playing poker for 30 years now and its not for the weak of heart. You can get through all this so dont worry things ALWAYS have a way of working out. GL to you.

[theasterisk]

yeah, suicide is definitelt not the escape....i lost close to 50g's this year on an online casino...it would let me win abot 5-6k every week for about a month and then the wheels came off and next thing i knew i was down22k for the week and that was after including everything i won...i was able to get loans and credit card advances which are crippling me now but i can deal with that, i wouldnt have been able to deal with my wife finding out....so here i am still checking in, not playing anything but reading the posts and enjoying the actual games now and not worrying whether i'll cover or not.....i still play poker at real casinos and i was able to not pay 5500 of what i owed because i just couldnt get it and i told them that...(backstory: the online casino i used was a rip off, it was a sports site for a local that added a casino program, but was still a local guy as you would say that i had to pay weekly)...i dont know what your guy is like but i would offer what i could and explain the circumstances, the last thing they want is to go too far with someone because that will cost them everything they have going....but definitely realize you are not the only one, there are real ways to get out of this life you've become obsessed with and the grass is greener on the other side.....trust me!

[ChuckLazar]

This is a perfect reaction of someone who never learned money management in gambling from the beginning.....It's very sad to see it happen, but just get help and quit....Find another hobby and get a real job....Because those other things will take your mind off of your problem and give you a better chance in life....I've seen what drugs and gambling can do to someone and their family, it's not good, especially when you see someone take a gun and blow their headoff.....
Please Get help...

[diesel]

Suicide isn't the answer to solve any problems. However you need to call it quits on the gambling. It is dominating your life to the point that you are allowing the more important things to slip away. For the 1000th time gambling should be done for recreation and to have some extra money not to be counted on for a steady income.

[RJeremy]

Just need to vent a little... Apozigize in advance for posting it here but I just needed to get some of this shit off my shoulders...

My week starts on Monday and it is now tuesday and I am down 23,000 (which I dont have). My whole fuckin life which started off pretty respectable and promising has come to a crashing hault... the last 10 years or so whether it be playing table games in casinos or sports betting, i have drained every piece of energy I have had into gambling and gave myself so much stress that I am sure a heartattack is not far away... 26yrs old and i feel like If i live another 10 i will be shocked... This year, i spent christmas day (also my fathers bday) in a fuckin restaurant going to the bathroom every 10minutes to check scores on my phone..what a joke.. I have completely lost my mind.. Everything that has mattered to me most of my life has been shot down the priority list and gambling has been #1... The saddest part is, i come from such a good family who work so hard for every penny and hear I am ..the laziest unmotivated degenerate EVER!! I play poker for a living and have a gift in that "game" so luckily money has always come easy but I always throw it away and put myself and others in compromising situations.. I think about suicide all the time... What is it about my ego that thinks I am going to win in sports betting... Why cant i get it through my head that I am not special and I will lose like everyone else! For the people that do it as a hobby and are disciplined and could pick 58% winners and be happy with that god bless you... I cannot do it, i am never satisfied... Even when I have a good night, i always wonder, why didnt I bet more? This shit has to stop... I smoke so many cigs that i wanna throw up.. I am always at bars watching games.. I have gained like 20lbs just in the last few months since I have started betting multiple games EVERY DAY... My parents look at me in disgust.. I had two weeks in a row where i won like 20,000 and 30,000 in sports betting only to be followed by 70,000 in losses in the next two weeks.. not to mention the 23,000 i have to come up with next week.. If there is anyone who has gone through something similiar in their lives and managed to get out of it, please let me know... but then again, someone who got out of it would probably never read this cause they probably dont go on this site anymore... Anyway.. Just had to get that shit off my chest... For anyone that actually read all this shit, sorry for wasting your time and I know...

I feel for you Roger. I've never been in that situation although a couple years ago I had gotten myself in a pretty big hole and had some of the same thoughts you had. Your situation is pretty bad though. And the fact that you play poker for a living isn't helping either. You need to get out of it all together. You need to look for a career in something else. This is supposed to be for enjoyment, and enjoyment only. The amounts you're talking about would put 99% of the people on this site out of commission. Listen to what these guys are telling you, go to gamblers annonymous and get help, please.

E-mail me so we can talk more. Use my screen name on here, add a 1 to the end of it and its an account that is "hot".

Talk to you soon.

Mike

[savage1]

I personally think the advice given so far has been great and appropriate.
As a guy who is now 61, I have certainly experienced some of the emotions you are now Roger.
In my life overall I am down plenty, most of it lost when I was younger, not only in sports betting but on buying options in the stock market(I haven't bought any of those is quite a few years).
I have been through it all-borrowing money on credit cards, home equity loans, depression,etc.
Actually, one of the main reasons my first marriage ended was because of my total obsession with gambling rather than giving my wife adequate time and consideration;obviously I learned from that and I will not make that mistake with the lady whom I am about to marry.
In my case I was a little spoiled, as I come from a pretty well to do family, and realized that I would never starve no matter what happened.
To be perfectly honest the only reason I was able to retire a few years ago was that my dad passed away and left me nice chunk of change, most of which is now professionally managed for obvious reasons.
Now I bet quite small(I was never a real big bettor anyways, but constant losses do add up over many years) and for fun only.
As I stated in another post, my criterion is that I look at what I am thinking of betting in a given day and then think of how I would feel overall if I lost every game;if it seems ok, then I bet the games;if not, then I adjust the bets accordingly.
Right now the only reason I stay in the game is because of the very good cappers on this forum.
Anyways, enough. All I can say is what I said at the outset;I have been where you are on a somewhat similar scale, although my largest bets were a tiny fraction of what you were betting.
I am very spiritual myself and believe everything in life happens to us for a reason.
Thus, I realize the mistakes I made earlier, and while I still gamble, I try to put it in perspective and context with the rest of my life.
Hopefully, you will be able to work out the current problems which you have;trust me the money you are down and what you were up earlier do not mean anything in the long run.
If I were you, I would just re-evaluate your priorities in life and take it from there.
I certainly wish you the best, and I do admire your honesty and courageousness of starting this thread;most people would not have done so if they were in your position.

[JMR58]

Roger ...as everyone said suicide is not the answer. You can't equate sports betting to your ability to play poker. Poker is a skill, uses mathematical probabilities, and some luck. Sports betting involves research, finding the incorrect line because the team is favored by the public, etc. Then you are still at the mercy of the team to perform.

You need to completely quit all sports betting. Small bets will only sucker you back in, then you'll chase your loses, and the cycle won't end. Stop completely. If you need to gamble, play poker...but even with that, don't play with money you don't have.

Find a hobby, I recommend running (walking, jogging at first)...you'll stop smoking cigars, you'll lose weight, and your self-esteem will improve. Remember, any exercise program takes three to four weeks to become a part of your life...after that it will become a need. You need a lifestyle change and need to set goals for yourself. Take baby steps, don't expect it to happen over night...and stay away from sports betting.

Good luck..

[JBC13]

Roger listen to these guys they are giving good advice. You need to quit for good you obviously are addicted you need to get help. Please throw suicide out the fucking window dont be that stupid! Get help and quit. Find another hobby and a career. I really hope things work out for you.

[Doctor Vegas]

Your one of the great guys in this forum Roger!! I enjoyed reading all your posts.What i always do is shut down my computer completely for awhile and set my mind on more inportant issues.Spend more time with your friends and family and you will be so much more happy within yourself.Just my thoughts.

[therealdeal]

i had similar problems thats y i think ur own bookie is better call him with small bets instead of online where u just keep adding bets n funds via credit card

[jcindaville]

Roger, like many here have already said suicide is not an option. I think you need to give up gambling and anything related to it. Dont dabble in it; all that leads to is more of the same problem eventually. I too have lost more than i could afford and wondered how am i going to come up with this. I always found a way and so shall you. I am much older than you and have learned much from previous mistakes. What doesnt kill us eventually makes us stronger. Learn from this and it to will make you a better person. Find real help and do it soon. You will find that when you reach help that you are not alone. God bless you

[ChuckLazar]

i had similar problems thats y i think ur own bookie is better call him with small bets instead of online where u just keep adding bets n funds via credit card

Damn Dude, your clueless....This guy don't need encouragement in gambling right now....He needs help and needs to quit....

[Gookis]

I read your whole post, but not everyones response, so some of this may be repetative....sorry.

No offense to others that posted, but I disagree with trying to bet $50 a game, and making that an unbreakable number. I've done that before, trying to lower my limit, and it works for a couple weeks, and then after a winning week or two (or even worse, after a losing week or two), I'm right back to betting $200, $300, $500 a game. You need to stop all together. Like they say, you can't be a little pregnant. I'm sure anyone who has quit, or even tried, will tell you the first 3-4 days are the hardest, then after a week, maybe more, you really do lose the urge. One of my friends bet every single day....baseball, basketball, football, and he finally quit. He said after about a week of not betting, not checking lines, and not checking scores everyday, he finally lost the itch. He doesn't bet at all anymore.

I consider it a small victory for me, that I stopped betting baseball last year about half way through the season. Hopefully I will not bet after college hoops this year???? And I know from my own experience, that after a week or so, it got easier and easier to not bet. I know this contradicts what I said about stopping all together, but I also am not in as deep as it sounds like you are.

Good luck with this. I hope you conquer it.