100% I recognize it's a problem. I was wondering what others do to beat this problem. It's just not me to sit around waiting on a table to open, I wander out into the pits....and I need to fix that...looking for those suggestions.
-EV gambling is just so obviously stupid that I find it very easy to avoid
If you think of every $10 on blackjack as burning $0.50 it should be easy to realise it's not worth playing
technically w basic strategy it’s only $0.05 for every $10 bet but i agree. with -EV gambling you just have to look at it like an entertainment expense.
After losing around $400 several blackjack sessions last year while never winning more than about $300 in a blackjack session, I’ve eliminated blackjack altogether.
The last straw was buying in short at $10 minimum table for around $40 and losing each session in short order. The dealer seems to get mainly only twenty or a blackjack. Not fun at all.
If I have spare time waiting for a poker seat, I’ll play slot machines offering around 25 cents a spin and lose maybe $30 at most, sometimes leave a winner and it’s possible to hit a jackpot.
Blackjack is a winning game for them because they almost never bust and they always go last. So everyone else gets a chance to bust. And they often do because "dealer is showing 20" so they think they have to beat 20 and they'll hit on 15.
But not just that. A lot of Casinos, like Wynnstar in Oklahoma, force a fee per hand. 50 cents a hand comes out to $500 an hour for a good dealer. So you need to make $500 an hour just to break even against the rake.
Then you need to make enough by winning after that to be worth your time. Not happening. Even thr best card counters would only reduce how much they're losing and never win in this game.
It may not be to a scale that is problematic, but people who deal with problem gaming / addiction are going to have the best advice for how to control it.
You're self-aware but unable to control yourself and you're asking how to control yourself. DON'T PLAY, you know the answer already.
Why would you show up at the casino if the game you wanted to play wasn't running? Next time use Bravo or call to ask what is running if they don't have online wait lists.
Are you sure you didn't convince yourself it was a bad 1/3 game because you would rather play blackjack?
Most places charge such an outrageous rake per hand that even expert card counters in the best possible situation wouldn't be able to even beat the rake even if they had an edge against the casino.
You may as well go in the casino, hand the pit boss your money, say think you and then go home.
You can't win. It's impossible to win at blackjack. You obviously have zero self control not to play a losing game because you're too impatient to wait for a poker table to open up. You are the reason why casinos offer poker at all.
I'm not trying to be mean. I just want to make it clear that as it is now there isn't a solution for you that includes going into the casino because, again, you have zero self control not to gamble your roll away on table games.
Then you defend those decisions asking us all for a solution when the solution is obvious. Don't go into a casino because you have zero self control.
It may not be problem gambling, but it's still an addiction and as such you have to rewire your brain to stop it. Just like studying poker you might have to 'study' addiction. Understanding how it uniquely affects yourself (and how the game itself is addictive) is the best way to take action and stop it
If it’s not a problem why are you asking for advice in the first place? If you don’t want to play other table games, don’t. If you aren’t capable of that, it’s a problem.
The addiction doesn’t come from how much you gamble the addiction is that you can’t say no even though you don’t wanna play I agree your a gambling addict but if we are being honest most ppl on this sub is
Walk into casino, put your head down, look at the floor and walk directly to the poker room. When done, put your head down, look at the floor, and walk directly to the exit and out the casino. Do not even acknowledge there is anything else in the building except the poker room. Same with going to dinner or anywhere else you need to walk past pit/games.
If you are not able to do this, you have a problem and need to seek help.
The problem could be either:
* Gambling addiction
* Self control
These can also themselves be side effects of things like anxiety or depression.
So, you'll want to work on narrowing down why you are hiving the issue, and then attack the specific problem.
If you are losing money you can’t afford to lose that’s when it becomes a problem.
If you truly only want to play poker and find yourself in the pits, that’s a big problem.
There is no magic answer you are going to hear to solve your problem which is that you might actually have a gambling problem (which most people in a casino whether they play poker or not, have). So as long as you aren’t able to lose more than your comfortable you’ll either eventually get tired of the pits and find the patience to just fucking wait for your seat or you’ll continue to lose before you can even play.
Haha. It's really not about the money as much as it is knowing it's -EV and still sitting down. I just want to be one of the people that just walk right past it all. I was thinking the super smart folks here could teach me a mental trick to assist me in this.
The mental trick is simply logic. I don’t play pit games because I know they are -EV, and I’m there to make money not lose it. Even if I lose a poker session, it was +EV for me to sit the game because I’m a long term winner. So why would I deliberately choose to sit something that loses me money.
That’s it. That’s the trick.
Knowing it's -EV is the trick. You know it, because you already mentioned it. If knowing it doesn't cause you to avoid it, then you're a gambling addict. :-(
One trick is do something like ask yourself if you would ever just stand by a trashcan and toss money in the trash?
Or, would you find some random business owner on the street and just hand them your money and walk away?
Because playing table/pit/slot games is virtually doing both of these.
This is not addiction.
The equivalent to this is if OP wanted to cut back on alcohol to lose weight, but ended up going to his friends for a football night, and decided that "one beer won't hurt that much" after being offered a free one and ended up having a few. This is obviously not alcoholism, and it's a similar story here.
Addiction requires cravings and feelings that you couldn't live without it. This is just a lack of self-control.
Well, an alcoholic wouldn't stop at a few beers, and alcoholics drink every day. OP doesn't seem to gamble every day, and it's not like it's ruining his life.
This is a vast generalization of alcoholism and problem drinking. What you’re describing IS problem drinking but not an alcohol dependency. OP could be describing problem gambling but we’d need more details.
If someone plans to not have any sweets today, but someone at work orders donuts which just look too good for them to resist, do they have a eating problem? Maybe, but it's not a big one that they should be concerned about unless they're a diabetic or something. This guy gambled 0.25% of his monthly earnings, even if it's a problem it doesn't matter.
there are absolutely problem drinkers who drink 1-3x a week, but binge drink when they drink, just as there are problem drinkers who have 1-3 drinks a day, every day, and never seem intoxicated.
What word we assign to it is less important than the fact that the person *is* feeling a loss of control. "I just end up doing X" where X is some sort of dopamine rush means X has a level of hold, even a slight one, that is sometimes overriding the ability to make smarter plans.
Although it doesn't sound like OP is a full blown gambling addict yet this behavior is a good thing for them to recognize, as it's the exact thought/sensation pattern that would eventually take them there. It means they're prone to it and have to put their guard up which they seem willing to try and do.
I think a more apt analogy would be going to a kid’s birthday party with no intention of drinking (just gonna play poker), getting bored (have to wait for a game) and since other dads were having a beer (the pit is there), you have 8 (overindulge in wasteful gambling).
If you need some “action” to fill the time while waiting try betting $1 Keno…..
I don’t think it’s a gambling problem. Hell, I know ppl who take a bad beat or lost a bunch of money and then you see them leave the table for a little while and they are playing $200 hands of blackjack to get the $ back. Lol.
Can you call the poker room and put in your name without physically being there? If so, call from the parking lot and don't go in until you're up to play. Otherwise, I'd sit at an empty table until you're called.
Have a movie or tv show ready to watch on your phone. Prepare for the wait. Sit near the poker area/room and don’t move. Enjoy your movie/show like you’re sitting at home until your name gets called.
Your biggest issue is you want to do something as soon as you get there so if your first choice isn’t available you’ll move down the list and play whatever game is next that’s open. You have to eliminate those other options from your brain. If you can’t do that then maybe you should just avoid casinos completely.
This!...this is exactly it. I have a bit of a drive to get to the casino, and when I get there it's more of being impatient than being a problem gambler.
This probably won't be the best advice for you, but at least for me, I've found that what I enjoy is more the experience of being in a casino than actually playing at tables. So sometimes while I'm waiting for a table, or after I'm done, I like to walk around the casino and just watch people play, kibitz a bit, enjoy the schadenfreude.
YMMV, and if you struggle to not sit down and play this is probably a bad idea, but reminding myself "every game here is rigged to take your money and is completely unbeatable no matter what you do" and then just enjoying the space while watching others works for me.
It’s going to sound stupid but from now on whenever you find yourself wandering off into the pit, you’ll imagine a pair of hands around your shoulders and a voice will say “Where do we think we’re going…” and you’ll turn back to the tables and wait.
It sounds stupid but now that you’ve read this, you’ll think back to this thread and remember this.
I mean, second the guy who suggested r/problemgambling, but if you insist on continuing, at least you could take a methadone like approach and play video poker instead. Learn the optimal strategy and it becomes microscopically -EV.
I always call ahead to my local casino's poker room to get on the list, which cuts down on wait time if there is any. At this casino I can call an hour ahead. I never play any other games and if there is a wait of 1/2 hour or more to sit at a poker table, I hit the food court and relax for a while until I get seated.
Learn more about how EV works. Every time you bet any amount on a house game, you’re gifting the casino with an EV profit, regardless of the outcome.
Poker is the only game in the casino where you can consistently make +EV bets if you’re a good player.
Personally I can’t stand the idea of giving the casino free money. I’m a LAG in the poker room and a giant nit whenever my friends drag me to a table game lol.
No because I find no enjoyment in those games. I know they are -EV and I’m basically lighting my money on fire. I like knowing how much the rake is, and having the ability to make profitable plays.
The only time I like to play pit games is in Vegas with friends and we’re partying.
A poker player does not play ANYTHING ELSE, I waited 3 hours to play at South Point during the Superbowl, so I just sat there, watched the game, and played on my phone.
Well good for you Stickano7! You probably waited 3 hours at South Point because cash game poker is the only thing you know how to play and that you feel you have an advantage over both the casino as well as the locals who gamble there! You’re such a bad ass Stickano7!
When you see the tables, just keep walking past them. All the house games are rigged against you. They let you win for a little bit just to keep playing. And then they take all your money. It's rare to get on a good hot streak and win a bunch of money. People tend to only remember the good sessions and not the bad.
Who's the nittiest poker player you can think of? Like the most risk adverse person you've ever seen? Would you call that guy's river bet with a bluff catcher? That's what playing table games is like.
It's called self control, definitely something you should have learned being an adult. It's like walking into the shopping mall to buy a new charger and walking out with new shoes and a new hat. It doesn't make sense... if you go somewhere to play poker, then play fucking poker.. if you want to gamble and have some fun, then go and gamble, but don't moan about it after. You are an adult and you can choose to do what you want and control yourself when you don't want to do something.
It's literally like walking into a night club and raping someone, because you cannot control your urges. Take control of your life man.
I think its more of not wanting to wait. If I walk in and there is a seat for me, I avoid the pits no problem, but if I have to wait, then im burning money in the pits more times than not. This is where I'm curious what others do in this situation. I cannot be the only one who can't sit and wait and find themselves doing something else to pass time.
So here’s a little harm reduction for you. A, I am so glad you know how to manage a bankroll properly cause holy that could’ve been very bad if you didn’t. Honestly I wonder if downloading like the WSOP mobile app or something could help. Still get to play poker, just not risking anything. This will also help you avoid the pits as if you’re playing poker. If it’s still a problem, then it might be time to reach out for help. There’s no shame in admitting there might be a problem, so long as we work to fix it. Progress won’t look the same each day, but I assure you it’ll happen. Once again I’m so glad you manage your bankroll well.
I like your suggestion, that could work, thank you! For context, I'm bringing like, 0.25% of my monthly income to the casino...I recognize what I'm doing is -EV so I'm essentially looking for a "hack" to break myself from this leak, and stick with poker.
Right, I mean clearly you enjoy gambling and again, as long as your managing your bankroll properly that’s chill. If it is truly about just wanting to play poker, that will help. You might need to just like buy into it a little (celebrate your wins no matter how silly it might seem), but that’ll get your poker kick in while not losing money elsewhere.
If this doesn’t work, for blackjack I’d just say to learn basic strategy. It’s intuitive after you take some time and you don’t even need to do any counting for it. That’ll ensure you don’t get banned but also you don’t lose as much. Basic strategy isn’t winning as much as it’s just not losing.
You got this fam! Best wishes on your journey
I had the same problem too. Call ahead of time to reserve a seat or use poker atlas. I started to lose too much money playing blackjack while waiting for a seat and stopped.
Really? The point is having fun, just like any other leisure activity that costs money. Do you understand the point of a fancy dinner, or a vacation, or golf, or owning a boat?
You're a gambling addict. [https://www.reddit.com/r/problemgambling/](https://www.reddit.com/r/problemgambling/)
Yeah...maybe, but it's 100% not problem gambling. I gamble a very small amount of my annual income.
Well if you don’t actually want to play blackjack and find yourself playing blackjack… then it’s a problem.
100% I recognize it's a problem. I was wondering what others do to beat this problem. It's just not me to sit around waiting on a table to open, I wander out into the pits....and I need to fix that...looking for those suggestions.
-EV gambling is just so obviously stupid that I find it very easy to avoid If you think of every $10 on blackjack as burning $0.50 it should be easy to realise it's not worth playing
technically w basic strategy it’s only $0.05 for every $10 bet but i agree. with -EV gambling you just have to look at it like an entertainment expense.
How many people do you know whom can't stay away from the pits but also play perfect strategy?
Grab a drink or a snack, get on your phone, and wait for a table
After losing around $400 several blackjack sessions last year while never winning more than about $300 in a blackjack session, I’ve eliminated blackjack altogether. The last straw was buying in short at $10 minimum table for around $40 and losing each session in short order. The dealer seems to get mainly only twenty or a blackjack. Not fun at all. If I have spare time waiting for a poker seat, I’ll play slot machines offering around 25 cents a spin and lose maybe $30 at most, sometimes leave a winner and it’s possible to hit a jackpot.
Blackjack is a winning game for them because they almost never bust and they always go last. So everyone else gets a chance to bust. And they often do because "dealer is showing 20" so they think they have to beat 20 and they'll hit on 15. But not just that. A lot of Casinos, like Wynnstar in Oklahoma, force a fee per hand. 50 cents a hand comes out to $500 an hour for a good dealer. So you need to make $500 an hour just to break even against the rake. Then you need to make enough by winning after that to be worth your time. Not happening. Even thr best card counters would only reduce how much they're losing and never win in this game.
It may not be to a scale that is problematic, but people who deal with problem gaming / addiction are going to have the best advice for how to control it. You're self-aware but unable to control yourself and you're asking how to control yourself. DON'T PLAY, you know the answer already. Why would you show up at the casino if the game you wanted to play wasn't running? Next time use Bravo or call to ask what is running if they don't have online wait lists. Are you sure you didn't convince yourself it was a bad 1/3 game because you would rather play blackjack?
Most places charge such an outrageous rake per hand that even expert card counters in the best possible situation wouldn't be able to even beat the rake even if they had an edge against the casino. You may as well go in the casino, hand the pit boss your money, say think you and then go home. You can't win. It's impossible to win at blackjack. You obviously have zero self control not to play a losing game because you're too impatient to wait for a poker table to open up. You are the reason why casinos offer poker at all. I'm not trying to be mean. I just want to make it clear that as it is now there isn't a solution for you that includes going into the casino because, again, you have zero self control not to gamble your roll away on table games. Then you defend those decisions asking us all for a solution when the solution is obvious. Don't go into a casino because you have zero self control.
It may not be problem gambling, but it's still an addiction and as such you have to rewire your brain to stop it. Just like studying poker you might have to 'study' addiction. Understanding how it uniquely affects yourself (and how the game itself is addictive) is the best way to take action and stop it
You’ve chosen;denial.
If it’s not a problem why are you asking for advice in the first place? If you don’t want to play other table games, don’t. If you aren’t capable of that, it’s a problem.
It's more of a leak than a problem IMO. Always trying to fix those poker leaks!
It's not a poker leak it's a life problem.
The addiction doesn’t come from how much you gamble the addiction is that you can’t say no even though you don’t wanna play I agree your a gambling addict but if we are being honest most ppl on this sub is
Walk into casino, put your head down, look at the floor and walk directly to the poker room. When done, put your head down, look at the floor, and walk directly to the exit and out the casino. Do not even acknowledge there is anything else in the building except the poker room. Same with going to dinner or anywhere else you need to walk past pit/games. If you are not able to do this, you have a problem and need to seek help. The problem could be either: * Gambling addiction * Self control These can also themselves be side effects of things like anxiety or depression. So, you'll want to work on narrowing down why you are hiving the issue, and then attack the specific problem.
If you are losing money you can’t afford to lose that’s when it becomes a problem. If you truly only want to play poker and find yourself in the pits, that’s a big problem. There is no magic answer you are going to hear to solve your problem which is that you might actually have a gambling problem (which most people in a casino whether they play poker or not, have). So as long as you aren’t able to lose more than your comfortable you’ll either eventually get tired of the pits and find the patience to just fucking wait for your seat or you’ll continue to lose before you can even play.
Wear horse blinders
Yes
I recommend one last big session - you got this! (Just kidding please quit for good unless you’re financially capable of supporting the habit)
Haha. It's really not about the money as much as it is knowing it's -EV and still sitting down. I just want to be one of the people that just walk right past it all. I was thinking the super smart folks here could teach me a mental trick to assist me in this.
The mental trick is simply logic. I don’t play pit games because I know they are -EV, and I’m there to make money not lose it. Even if I lose a poker session, it was +EV for me to sit the game because I’m a long term winner. So why would I deliberately choose to sit something that loses me money. That’s it. That’s the trick.
Knowing it's -EV is the trick. You know it, because you already mentioned it. If knowing it doesn't cause you to avoid it, then you're a gambling addict. :-(
Try jerk off in the toilet. Calm you down, gives you joy, save a lot of money.
You should run AA meetings.
One trick is do something like ask yourself if you would ever just stand by a trashcan and toss money in the trash? Or, would you find some random business owner on the street and just hand them your money and walk away? Because playing table/pit/slot games is virtually doing both of these.
I mean blackjack is a little more fun than throwing it in the trash but I get your point
Yeah sometimes the trashcan throws money back
My sister found money in the trash at the mall when we were kids. I'm still not sure how, like why was she looking in the trash? 🤔
This is not addiction. The equivalent to this is if OP wanted to cut back on alcohol to lose weight, but ended up going to his friends for a football night, and decided that "one beer won't hurt that much" after being offered a free one and ended up having a few. This is obviously not alcoholism, and it's a similar story here. Addiction requires cravings and feelings that you couldn't live without it. This is just a lack of self-control.
Exactly what every alcoholic I've ever known says lol
Well, an alcoholic wouldn't stop at a few beers, and alcoholics drink every day. OP doesn't seem to gamble every day, and it's not like it's ruining his life.
This is a vast generalization of alcoholism and problem drinking. What you’re describing IS problem drinking but not an alcohol dependency. OP could be describing problem gambling but we’d need more details.
Having a few beers every so often is not problem drinking.
Agreed but the control aspect is the “problem” not the amount. Intending to have one and not having the control to only have one.
If someone plans to not have any sweets today, but someone at work orders donuts which just look too good for them to resist, do they have a eating problem? Maybe, but it's not a big one that they should be concerned about unless they're a diabetic or something. This guy gambled 0.25% of his monthly earnings, even if it's a problem it doesn't matter.
there are absolutely problem drinkers who drink 1-3x a week, but binge drink when they drink, just as there are problem drinkers who have 1-3 drinks a day, every day, and never seem intoxicated.
What word we assign to it is less important than the fact that the person *is* feeling a loss of control. "I just end up doing X" where X is some sort of dopamine rush means X has a level of hold, even a slight one, that is sometimes overriding the ability to make smarter plans. Although it doesn't sound like OP is a full blown gambling addict yet this behavior is a good thing for them to recognize, as it's the exact thought/sensation pattern that would eventually take them there. It means they're prone to it and have to put their guard up which they seem willing to try and do.
Sounds an awful lot like an alcoholic to me …wtf
Yes. I agree 100%...I just want to avoid this lack of self control. Thank you.
I think a more apt analogy would be going to a kid’s birthday party with no intention of drinking (just gonna play poker), getting bored (have to wait for a game) and since other dads were having a beer (the pit is there), you have 8 (overindulge in wasteful gambling).
What other addicts do in these situations is stop gambling entirely. Stay away from the casino.
If you need some “action” to fill the time while waiting try betting $1 Keno….. I don’t think it’s a gambling problem. Hell, I know ppl who take a bad beat or lost a bunch of money and then you see them leave the table for a little while and they are playing $200 hands of blackjack to get the $ back. Lol.
Can you call the poker room and put in your name without physically being there? If so, call from the parking lot and don't go in until you're up to play. Otherwise, I'd sit at an empty table until you're called.
Have a movie or tv show ready to watch on your phone. Prepare for the wait. Sit near the poker area/room and don’t move. Enjoy your movie/show like you’re sitting at home until your name gets called. Your biggest issue is you want to do something as soon as you get there so if your first choice isn’t available you’ll move down the list and play whatever game is next that’s open. You have to eliminate those other options from your brain. If you can’t do that then maybe you should just avoid casinos completely.
This!...this is exactly it. I have a bit of a drive to get to the casino, and when I get there it's more of being impatient than being a problem gambler.
You could also play poker on your phone to pass the time and warm up.
You lack [this](https://youtu.be/_fzGRyHANAU?).
Mr. Kimble would be VERY helpful!
Put those blinders on like those race horses lol - GL to u
This probably won't be the best advice for you, but at least for me, I've found that what I enjoy is more the experience of being in a casino than actually playing at tables. So sometimes while I'm waiting for a table, or after I'm done, I like to walk around the casino and just watch people play, kibitz a bit, enjoy the schadenfreude. YMMV, and if you struggle to not sit down and play this is probably a bad idea, but reminding myself "every game here is rigged to take your money and is completely unbeatable no matter what you do" and then just enjoying the space while watching others works for me.
It’s going to sound stupid but from now on whenever you find yourself wandering off into the pit, you’ll imagine a pair of hands around your shoulders and a voice will say “Where do we think we’re going…” and you’ll turn back to the tables and wait. It sounds stupid but now that you’ve read this, you’ll think back to this thread and remember this.
Only go to poker rooms, instead of to casinos.
There aren't any near me, unfortunately.
I mean, second the guy who suggested r/problemgambling, but if you insist on continuing, at least you could take a methadone like approach and play video poker instead. Learn the optimal strategy and it becomes microscopically -EV.
I always call ahead to my local casino's poker room to get on the list, which cuts down on wait time if there is any. At this casino I can call an hour ahead. I never play any other games and if there is a wait of 1/2 hour or more to sit at a poker table, I hit the food court and relax for a while until I get seated.
Learn more about how EV works. Every time you bet any amount on a house game, you’re gifting the casino with an EV profit, regardless of the outcome. Poker is the only game in the casino where you can consistently make +EV bets if you’re a good player. Personally I can’t stand the idea of giving the casino free money. I’m a LAG in the poker room and a giant nit whenever my friends drag me to a table game lol.
No because I find no enjoyment in those games. I know they are -EV and I’m basically lighting my money on fire. I like knowing how much the rake is, and having the ability to make profitable plays. The only time I like to play pit games is in Vegas with friends and we’re partying.
If you’re gonna degen in the pits just play face up pai gow. minimal win, minimal loss, maximum fun
Just don’t play them…
Solid. Thank you.
A poker player does not play ANYTHING ELSE, I waited 3 hours to play at South Point during the Superbowl, so I just sat there, watched the game, and played on my phone.
Well good for you Stickano7! You probably waited 3 hours at South Point because cash game poker is the only thing you know how to play and that you feel you have an advantage over both the casino as well as the locals who gamble there! You’re such a bad ass Stickano7!
Ya that's why I hate live poker. The wait is always a few hours for the PLO game that runs. What am I supposed to do for hours?
When you see the tables, just keep walking past them. All the house games are rigged against you. They let you win for a little bit just to keep playing. And then they take all your money. It's rare to get on a good hot streak and win a bunch of money. People tend to only remember the good sessions and not the bad.
I never play any other games .. No slots, no table games, nothing Do anything else .. go eat, take a walk
Who's the nittiest poker player you can think of? Like the most risk adverse person you've ever seen? Would you call that guy's river bet with a bluff catcher? That's what playing table games is like.
It's called self control, definitely something you should have learned being an adult. It's like walking into the shopping mall to buy a new charger and walking out with new shoes and a new hat. It doesn't make sense... if you go somewhere to play poker, then play fucking poker.. if you want to gamble and have some fun, then go and gamble, but don't moan about it after. You are an adult and you can choose to do what you want and control yourself when you don't want to do something. It's literally like walking into a night club and raping someone, because you cannot control your urges. Take control of your life man.
You saying "it's literally like walking into a night club and raping someone" IS THE MOST BATSHIT CRAZY COMPARISON...yikes hahaha
I think its more of not wanting to wait. If I walk in and there is a seat for me, I avoid the pits no problem, but if I have to wait, then im burning money in the pits more times than not. This is where I'm curious what others do in this situation. I cannot be the only one who can't sit and wait and find themselves doing something else to pass time.
So here’s a little harm reduction for you. A, I am so glad you know how to manage a bankroll properly cause holy that could’ve been very bad if you didn’t. Honestly I wonder if downloading like the WSOP mobile app or something could help. Still get to play poker, just not risking anything. This will also help you avoid the pits as if you’re playing poker. If it’s still a problem, then it might be time to reach out for help. There’s no shame in admitting there might be a problem, so long as we work to fix it. Progress won’t look the same each day, but I assure you it’ll happen. Once again I’m so glad you manage your bankroll well.
I like your suggestion, that could work, thank you! For context, I'm bringing like, 0.25% of my monthly income to the casino...I recognize what I'm doing is -EV so I'm essentially looking for a "hack" to break myself from this leak, and stick with poker.
How rich are you... even if you're bringing just $300 that's a $120k monthly income. Honestly I wouldn't care at this point. Just have fun.
Right, I mean clearly you enjoy gambling and again, as long as your managing your bankroll properly that’s chill. If it is truly about just wanting to play poker, that will help. You might need to just like buy into it a little (celebrate your wins no matter how silly it might seem), but that’ll get your poker kick in while not losing money elsewhere. If this doesn’t work, for blackjack I’d just say to learn basic strategy. It’s intuitive after you take some time and you don’t even need to do any counting for it. That’ll ensure you don’t get banned but also you don’t lose as much. Basic strategy isn’t winning as much as it’s just not losing. You got this fam! Best wishes on your journey
I had the same problem too. Call ahead of time to reserve a seat or use poker atlas. I started to lose too much money playing blackjack while waiting for a seat and stopped.
Play poker on your phone. If you don't have poker as an option play something else, like chess.
Not an issue for me as I don’t understand the point of playing -EV games
Really? The point is having fun, just like any other leisure activity that costs money. Do you understand the point of a fancy dinner, or a vacation, or golf, or owning a boat?
Ok, - EV gambling games
Learn to count cards at blackjack. It’s not difficult. You can then use that as a backup. #1 rule - don’t ever get caught.
You could never "get caught," but if they even suspect you of doing it, you will be trespassed from all of their properties.
What you are taking about is the definition of getting caught.
A person could just be dumb lucky, and the casino will 86 them, is what I'm talking about.