blonde poker forum

This year has been truly terrible poker wise and the fact I am hitting the house games and bookies is making an even bigger loss.

Whilst poker has seen me make a small loss this year, the loss at bookies and house games has ben x10 that and I actually really want to stop.

So wanted to see what people's suggestions are to doing this? I can imagine you all saying to go to GA, but I don't want too. I am a bit snobby and can only imagine that these places are full of well weird people.

So to add to this, I tell you of my stakes. I can throw a grand a day at the machines and not to mention a grand or so at BJ (only really play when had a loss at cash or waiting for table). SO as you can see it's very important that I get away from these ASAP. I enjoy a throw at BJ (in casino), so not to fussed by that, probably need to lower stakes, but the machines are doing my nut in, as you know, the bookies are everywhere, so an hour or two spare and I could throw £!k/£2k at them within that time length.

I have probably lost around £6k this year gambling (non poker). Whilst £1k at poker. But the year before was around £20k gambling (non poker) after £10k of poker profit last year.

It's very much frustrating me.

Excellent display of honesty.

Not much you can do bar constantly reminding yourself that the reason we gamble is to try and win and the machines in bookies are the biggest turnover makers for them nowadays by an absolute mile so they are clearly impossible to beat even in the short term.

Bet on sports instead, much more fun and if you put the work in you will win.

brave post

for some reason the machines / casino have never appealed to me but when i was a lot younger i certainly could do rather to much a day/week online

the only solution i took was to implement deposit/loss limits they are not set that low but are at the top end of what i can cope with losing per week/month.

Ban yourself (voluntary exclusion they call it), thats what I did from like 10 online bookies last year.  If you only play the machines in the bookies you can tell the staff to ban you and they have to adhere to it.

Once you ban youself and stop doing it for a week or so, you just forget about it. Its the same as breaking any habit.

I used to smash roulette and all sorts of online slots. I still do a bit of sports betting on the 2 sites I have left, but never touch online casinos or that.

Must admit I do miss the sound of MegaMulah though.

If you won't take help from people trained to help then you have to put up with people like me just saying .. get a grip. If that doesn't help then go to GA.

I enjoy sports betting and I am pretty sure I am in the black with sports betting as a I am a football fanatic and stats mad, so works out both ways.

I could perhaps self exclude, but will stop me of course betting on the footie at the weekend and odd horse race (I know fook all about horses). Is it possible to self exclude from the machines, without barring yourself from the shop in general? Seems like the best way?

I just perhaps at this point would be more impressed with myself to stop me from going in the bookies on my own, without having to self ban, etc?

The trouble with having a gambling 'problem' is that using selectivity in the forms of gambling chosen is a zero sum game. If you have a problem then the question of how to address it becomes binary - you gamble or you don't.

If one doesn't see one's gambling as a problem then it becomes very easy to be selective and only choose to punt on what you enjoy punting on. Good luck with addressing any issues you think you may have.

press the self exclude button . saved me loads on skybet and betfair casinos when i've had a swingy day on sports or poker

I think some of you might have got the wrong end of the stick - I definitely don't use casinos online.

ahh machines in bookies?

Only advice is don;t go in. Do shops have self exclusion too? Not been in a bookies for years

so do you go in there originally to place a sports bet then resort to the machine after your bet?

i rarely go in bookies these days but when i do the machines are always 5 deep and the counter empty so even if i wanted to i would not be able to get to them!

Not sure it is possible tbh. I would just ban myself from the bookies fullstop and do my sports betting online. (online you can just ban yourself from the games and casinos)

Great article about a guy who excluded himself here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/20/gambling-hell-betting-addiction-debt (http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/apr/20/gambling-hell-betting-addiction-debt)

Just read the article, good read.

Made me laugh when reading the quote "I showed her the bank statements, there was no anger" - Then later on he was getting chased with a knife!

I think like in that article it might be an idea to self exclude, my problem with online is that it is there 24 hours a day. I could do £20k, no problem, that is why I have never ever got started online.

It's a little frustrating that I have said I'm doing to tackle the problem plenty of times, but never do! But this isn't taking over my life and I am not skint, but annoying that I can't go into a shop, put £20 and that be it!

Not if you set deposit limits you can't mate.

btw not remotely thin about the amount of disposable you have.

LOL. It wasn't meant to be thin, but suppose it can be seen that way. JUst with it being 24 hour, would be pretty easy to keep reloading. I just think with the money I have lost, it could have been span up on cash or decent sized tournaments.

I think the first thing you need to do is be really really honest with yourself and decide is your problem a "binary" decision, as Glenn called it - either gamble or don't, or a managegable problem where you can be self aware, recognise triggers and be sensible. I think anybody that gambles has a "problem" - the problem To me is really about a degree off addiction and dependency.  At one end of the scale it is destructive and needs a lot of support, at the other it's almost non existent - we all sit on that spectrum and thankfully most towards the "non existent end" or in the middle.  Get clear on where you are, to be honest if it's very bad get some help and stop everything.

I found myself not in a great place in my mid 20s - best thing I ever did was understand why I gamble, I didn't want a life without gambling - however by understanding my triggers it enabled me to carry on enjoying the bits I love and exercise some control.  It's then about having a plan.  Mine were boredom and staving off depression - I.e. being down. I go major degen. So I put some steps in place I.e. deposit limits online, no credit cards, cash limit withdrawals restricted - I never borrowed so not an issue. Most importantly i learned to recognised those triggers - so easy if bored, see mates, play sports, go out. I also,played more poker, as I loved the game and it helped with triggers.  Over time it just became the norm - and I enjoy my sports betting profitably and in a controlled way. 

Do I still spaz out - absolutely, but in a more controlled way and I enjoy spin ups in Vegas. Worst that happens now is if I bust a tourne in a bad way, depressed can walk out and do a monkey at the tables - but I acknowledge it and move on.

There plenty of ways out there to help keep gambling enjoyable and in your life - you've just got to decide is that right for you. Stars are excellent with cash level restrictions, deposit levels, tourne entries etc - I've used them all for different reasons at different times. Like I say it soon becomes the norm, you're just retraining your brain

I don't subscribe to the "you must stop" school of thought - gamble or don't, personal view think its bollocks - however there is a time when stopping may be the best decision if really severe and unmanageable.

I like a punt for the buzz and tbh the biggest for me is that spinning game with 30 odd numbers to have a blast on.

I just do it in b&m casinos and usually (unless on a night out) only participate when Im there for poker, which is once every week/10 days.

My problem is I cant find my cash out button when ahead or the stop deposit when behind so Im trying to just not bother at all (which is v. difficult).

I did enjoy some success by a self imposed exile from the tables during lent (gave up sugar too) but alas after lent started again with a modicum of success before once again succumbing to 'one more spin before stopping' and ending up blowing the lot.

Ive now started my exile from the tables again and this time being tough with myself which isn't easy by doing it in stages ie giving up for May, then giving it up for June and see if I cope.

Not easy good luck with it Aaron.

To be fair if your happy to smash a bag in the bookies and in the casino on a daily basis your actually doing pretty well so I would just carry on and wait for the upswing.

I am proud to say that I have just gone past 20k worth of bets this year. If your happily doing a grand a day you must be well past that!

i would draw a line under today and say from tomorrow i stay out of the bookies...then you need the will power to do it and in all honesty everyone has willpower if they really try.

if you can go in a bookies and blow 1-2k on a machine and not care then fair enough but if you come away thinking what a twat i am, why did i do that then just don't go in.

when i put my usual small football bet on 2 weeks ago one man used a card to get credit on a roulette machine...bet £100 five times in a row and lost then kicked the machine swore at it and stormed out...i just couldn't understand why he bothered to go on it in the first place...but that's just me.

will power my friend...the first few times will be the hardest...if that doesn't work find somewhere else to put your money, a car, holiday etc.

oh and if even that fails...get professional help and don't be such a snob

good luck

FWIW Gamcare can be better than GA if you are worried about weirdos! its one on one and can be very helpful!  If you are London based its down Clapham....

If you can't trust yourself, get someone you do trust to manage your money, then pay you weekly as opposed to being able to spunk your whole wage in one weekend.  Do not take your bank cards out, take only what you can afford to spend.  Self bar yourself from any online stuff you worry about! I had to ban myself from DTD online as soon as they added that blackjack box in the corner.  I asked to be barred from just that but they would not allow it, in my opinion a poker download should not have these add on's if you do not ask for them, only time I have ever been disappointed by DTD.

I tried a combination of a lot of these things and have started to get a hell of a lot better! also if you get into irresponsible lending I find sending all those pesky pay day loand companies the following e-mail helps:

"I am a degenerate gambling alcoholic and your service provides nothing but problems for me, if you loan to me again I will use this e-mail as evidence of irresponsible lending"

This tends to stop them lending which can be handy as it means you can not get further into a jam.

Get help.
You need it.

machines are super addictive but are super bad for ur wallet

do you go to books by urself or with mates?

Looooooooooool. You don't know aaron

The easiest way to be put off table games/bookies machines is to go and learn about random numbers. In short: you WILL lose. No-one can claim to beat table games/bookies machines (with the exception of blackjack for counters) - it is simply not possible to beat a game where the edge is against you.

I enjoy a game of blackjack. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But I know that in the long run it's costing me money. That's fine, I enjoy playing - the edge is small so i'm paying for entertainment. But i'm not about to do my brains playing it as I know I can't beat it.

Same principle with FOBTs, although I don't see the appeal in the first place so I never play them.

Trigg trying to de rail threads so unnessary! ;)

This is killing me.......I'm just learning about trading at low levels and winning a few quid here and there on Betfair, then guess what......fooking blackjack in the mini games bit wipes me out yet again.  I have already hit the self exclude button which is great but this is killing me.

OP, deffo self exclude, and do your best to avoid the other stuff you can't.

you do £1k per day in up at naps?

oh please...

Lol you know him as well

I wouldn't say I do £1k in every day or gamble to that extent every day, but when I'm in the gambling mood or perhaps in a session, I can gambool like mad. There are days that go by that I don't have a gamble at all and neither does it bother me, so happy to say that the 'problem' isn't that big.

The limits on machines are £100 a spin, if I have a day free, then I'll hit the bookies and just spin my nuts off really. So the next time I go in the bookies (probably in a bit, as someone owes me money) I am going to see what they say with regards to self banning on the machines.

I do leave myself with quite a few rules, I don't play much poker at weekends as I am out most of the weekend, so that is one plus point. I perhaps want to do this because of my own will power, rather than having to self ban myself in shops and online.

I span £600 into £9k two days ago, thought nothing of it, obviously problems.

As for comments regarding if the money means nothing, it actually does. If it carries on like it does, I'll definitely lose all my money and definitely put all work commitments at risk because of it.

Self-banning on the machines in the bookies isn't really an option as how can it work? There's no accounts to be blocked or human being to say 'No'.

The only answer here is self-discipline and, as stated, GA/Gamcare will know more about how to do that than anyone else.

I gamble to just relax and not have to think about stressy things. It's the only reason i did it coz of the buzz. The only way iI have managed to curb it all is replace the feeling gambling gave me with something else..i tend to get into online games or buy something i really want if i get that twitchy gambling feeling.

You ain't winning any popularity contests Aaron but the more you post on here the more you make me smile :)

arron go self exclude mate , seriously the wheel of death will kill you, thing is you better first go to your local passport photo booth and get 30 or 40 pics of yourself because ive a friend down south who had to do this and you have to basically go around every shop !!!! good luck in whatever you decide to do !

 just buy a machine and install in your room.
 you get to gamble your whole roll and then just empty the box at the bottom so you can reload   : )

I agree with what you say 100%, but the fact is, is that I am not an attention seeker!

Whilst the problem continues, I'll definitely have a problem regarding money (end up being skint).

I tried a few things over the weekend and that was to stay away from roulette in the bookies, which I probably did. When I kept losing, I didn't end up going in my pocket for more. JUst gave up and called it a bad job. I also did exact same in a casino in Manchester at the weeend and it weirdly felt good.

I don't generally play roulette in casino's, so I try to figure out why I do it in the bokies, quick fix perhaps?

Also, did say to someone I knew who was having problems that I would go with him to GA and support him, so I think it might be best to see it as a double whammy and go myself to try and get advice.

How do u manage to gamble £1 - £2k in bookies? Most cards have daily withdrawal limits of £300-£500 max. R u Bull shittin bein completely honest ? If its a case of u taking £2k cash into bookies then u shud jus take less and leave card at home ... Simples.  If u cant do this then I wud suggest u DO have a prob and need help before its too late and u start borrowin from the chinese.

Hi Newy,

I am sure that many people that are regulars in bookies will tell you it's piss easy to throw that away in the bookies in that time. You can spin £100 a time on the machine, so easily done on a machine. As for anything else, it's still relatively easy to spend/lose £1k in an hour and especially when I uber boring day ahead of me.

Typical hour could be:

8 Dog races
6-7 horse races
Spin on machines
Football bet

etc, etc.

I don't think I have ever lost/spent that much in an hour, but it's definitely achieveable, not that I want to do it.

I think my progression is coming along nicely though. I have cut the machine play out by a lot and only really have a couple of hours in bookies oce or twice a week, so definitely come improvement. Unfortunaltey had a nightmare at Ascot this week!

Stop taking two grand into the bookies and go and get some help.

You obviously have a gambling problem that needs sorting asap.

Alternatively, come to "Honest Camel's" for all your betting needs.

I have never took £2k to the bookies. The problem lies with the fact I can take a few hundred, then hit all the bank cards in my wallet, but like I said, I have never lost that much money in an hour in the bookies, or a day for that matter.

I think you are all missing the keyword, which is "could", the fact is that is COULD be done, but it isn't.

There is a problem, never denied it. But I am improving and whilst there is improvement there, I can move on with it. Plus, it's not really affecting my day to day running really.

Have you got a good buddy Aaron?

I used to blow plenty on the wheel after playing poker in casinos. My poker pal also played but not to the same extent. He offered a bet where £1000 is paid to the other if either is ever seen playing table games.

That was 2008. Never had a go since. I highly recommend you self exclude from your local bookies. The FOBT  roulette machines are a cancer of high street betting but are here to stay I'm afraid due to UK horse race margins being way too thin.

Find a good friend that you trust and ask him to help you.

Thanks for trying tho

lol.

Ya got to love Jason for continually stalking me and the persistence is brilliant :) :)

Been holding back lately but could not resist that one. You will make the changes that you need to only when you are ready to. When that time comes then look back at this and follow the advice.