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Are you a problem gambler? (Page 1 of 2)
Gamblers who fall in love with the excitement and “action” of gambling may, at first, be quite successful. They have fantasies of further success and of gambling becoming their personal path to wealth and power. Those who are headed for problems think they are smarter than the average bettor. They know that gambling is going to work for them because they, unlike less clever people, really understand how to beat the system.
As they become more involved in gambling, they derive an increasing portion of their self-esteem from seeing themselves as smart or lucky. Because of this, two things happen when they do incur the inevitable losses. First, they suffer monetary loss. Second, and often more important, they suffer a deflated ego.
To salvage their self-esteem, they rationalize losses by blaming other people, such as the jockey or the pitcher, or by blaming “bad luck” in cards, craps or lotteries. Or they reflect on their handicapping abilities and tell themselves they will not make the same “mistake” the next time.
The monetary loss is another matter, however, and this is dealt with differently. In order to recoup the loss, many gamblers “chase.” That is, they continue their betting and increase the amount of their bets in order to get even. Instead of saying, “It’s lost,” the chaser says, “I’ll get even tomorrow.” Chasing losses leads the gambler to gamble with more than he or she can afford to lose, and often to borrowing money in an effort to get even.
Many gamblers may chase for short periods, until they learn from bitter experience that this is counterproductive. The long-term preoccupation with chasing losses is the defining characteristic of the pathological gambler.
Chasing seems logical to many gamblers, as it means giving oneself a chance to get even.
If a gambler stops chasing, both money and self-esteem are lost. If the gambler continues chasing and wins, both can be regained. There is, therefore, the impetus to borrow in order to recoup losses. When continued gambling leads to still more losses, the compulsive gambler continues to borrow. The more money borrowed, the greater the commitment to more gambling as the only possible means of gaining enough money to pay off the debt.
This spiraling commitment to increased gambling often depletes family resources. Many compulsive gamblers cash in joint savings bonds, empty checking accounts, pawn joint property, and take out loans without the spouse’s knowledge. In order to preserve or regain respectability in the eyes of parents, spouse and others — and because their paychecks are insufficient — desperate gamblers see more gambling as the only alternative.
Fearing loss of respectability, the gambler hides loans. When gamblers default on the loans, fear that the bank or loan company will tell their spouse may drive them to more gambling as a possible quick way out. The behavior that caused the problem is increasingly seen by the gambler as the only solution, as there is no other way to get the needed money quickly.
What to Expect in an Online Poker Tournament
Online poker has been growing by leaps and bounds and, consequently, websites are engaging in more aggressive online promotional efforts to get players to join their membership rolls.
One of the most successful promotional efforts has been the holding of poker tournaments. These online poker tournaments mean an opportunity to sharpen your skills, gain a chance to meet new poker buddies, learn a few new poker tricks and, of course, win big.
First Step: Establish a Proper Mindset
People who join tournaments have a different mindset from the usual players. Theyre in this to win; theyre not here to have fun or to spend a few leisure hours tossing cards and bets around. They have a clear-cut goal or objective in mind and it would be disrespectful on your part if you dont take the game as seriously as these other players do.
If youre thinking of joining a tournament to find out what its like fine, the other players can accept that. However, entering a tournament because youre bored, or because you have it in mind to mess-up other peoples game may get you tossed out by the other players. Its a different matter though if youre only saying so to gain a psychological edge over your competitors.
Bottom line: your level of play must match the seriousness of the game.
Next: Type of Tournaments
There are numerous tournaments available on the online poker circuit, ranging from those with entry fees to those without, the types of poker that will be played (Texas Hold-em or something else), and so on.
Most online tournaments are the multi-table formats where players are assigned from table to table as vacancies crop up. The players start with a fixed amount of chips, with the objective of eliminating other players by winning more hands than the rest. As said, as vacancies open up in other tables, you may be reassigned to them until a few players are left.
Another tournament is the shootout where you stay at your table until everyone else has been eliminated, after which you and the other winners at other tables face each other for another elimination round. Last player left standing is the winner.
Third: Choosing Your Tournaments
Choosing the tournament you want to participate in should be considered in light of two factors: one, your level of play; and two, your objective in playing.
If youre a beginner, it would be best to look for beginners tournaments where you get a chance to improve your skills and capabilities while playing with others at your skill level. Getting into a higher game-playing level may be easy but you have to expect faster plays with these players you may end up slowing down the game, which will lead the others to start complaining which may get you booted out or worse.
Secondly, knowing your objectives will determine your mindset. Some tournaments are played to select players for the next higher levels. Players in such tournaments will, therefore, have their minds set on that goal; they may well play cautiously and tight because they have a longer-term goal. The game may also be a straight Winner Takes All pot in which case, they may play aggressively and impatiently, wanting to get the hands done quickly.
In either case, there are weaknesses to exploit and strengths to be wary of. This may mean adapting your playing style to play to your opponents weaknesses while avoiding their strengths.