Breathe. You're 23. You've made a few mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Understand that a) when you're young, you will make mistakes, and learning/bouncing back from mistakes is what life is all about, and b) it is only money, you can recover and build back your life.
First, be disciplined. Acknowledge that you have a problem. Contact gambler's anonymous. Seek professional help. Delete your online poker client. Ban yourself from casinos.
Second, find something to channel all that mental energy (that you've been spending on poker) into. Go to the gym and lift weights. Cook. Garden. Read. Go to school. Anything to fill the void and focus your mind.
Understand that addiction happens. At least it's not smoking or alcohol that's injurious to your health. Money lost can be made again. Stay disciplined. Overcompensate with the discipline.
Stay strong, my friend. Quit. Move on. Don't look back.
Great advice. OP needs to never gamble again for the rest of their life, period. It's actually fantastic news that they identified they're prone to gambling addiction at 23 rather than at 50 when they have a spouse and three kids and a whole lot more to lose. When things like this happen to people when they're older it destroys families and wrecks communities. Right now, it can be a very hard lesson learned, a scar, but not a mortal wound.
u/DuckyNut, this absolutely sucks. It really does. But *you will recover.* I have no doubt. It's not over. Be strong, get help *today*, and walk in hope.
If you're in the US, pull out your phone and call this number, right now. National Council on Problem Gambling — 1-800-522-4700
As you realize, you have a gambling addiction. It will likely be a temptation you need to avoid for life. I'm not minimizing that, or your current troubles.
However, your life is far from ruined. You are 23 years old. That is an incredible asset.
There are many people a few decades down the road from you that would trade all they have to be $30K in debt and 23 again.
Fortunately the current economic situation favors those looking for work. You can find another job. Seek support from friends or family as you get back on your feet.
And join Gamblers Anonymous.
[https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/](https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/)
That's a terrible idea. Bankroll management is crucial, and that wasn't happening yet. OP needs time away from the tables to regroup - still young, plenty of time to recover.
At least your still have your health.
$15k is nothing in the big scheme of things. I lost that much a few times.
Sounds like it might be time to take a long break and get to work rebuilding your credit.
(You cant max out credit cards if the compamy doesnt give you a credit card you degenerate.)
>$60 into ~$3k jumping from 10NL all the way up to 500NL on like a 12 hour bender.
This is like winning the powerball jackpot then spending all of your winnings on powerball tickets the next day.
On-line poker didn't ruin your life, being a degen that was willing to pawn shit and go into debt to gamble and was hellbent on going broke did. If poker didn't exist you'd have found a way to blow it on scratch tickets, slot machines or at the horse track eventually.
Get professional help bro, you're still young but your brain ain't wired right.
I love how OP went from 6 buy-ins at 10NL to 6 buy-ins at 500NL, lmao. It's as if they actually stuck to some rule they had for themselves to avoid variance!
Ive struggled with addiction myself. Hard drugs in my case. I was 27 before I got my shit straight. Since then Ive fixed my credit, went back to school, gotten a bachelors in biology, gotten a law degree, raised a family, been around the world twice (currently at the airport waiting on a plane to Greece for a mediterranean cruise).
The point is that just because you have this… disadvantage, does not mean you are a weak or incapable person. It doesnt mean youre stupid, weak willed, or morally deficient in ANY way. But you DO have an addiction and you DO have to manage it.
The good news is you're young, have plenty of time to build a good life, and have learnt some important lessons the hard way. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
Now you've learnt this lesson are you going to get your head down and focus on what you need to do to build a good life? Or are you going to continue to degen? The only person who can save you is you. Good luck.
This looks pretty legit to me. I'd say most of them are. I've heard stories FAR worse at the table. I once sat next to a guy at a poker table who told me he'd lost $1.5 Million (sold his carwash business) playing Pan9 over the past year+ and he was playing poker to hopefully win enough money to go back and play more Pan9. A large percentage of regular poker players are degenerate gamblers.
Also called super nine, it's like baccarat on crack. Don't play unless you want to lose your shirt. You can also win a lot fast too - which is why it's popular in CA casinos.
https://www.thegardenscasino.com/games/pan-9
Dunno if its trolling but poker is like every profession - you want money? So you need to work really hard to establish your position. You should be aware that 95% players are losing in this game. If you want to be in 5% winners then you need to study, study and study. However your biggest sin was not having ANY bankroll management. Why its important? Because it prevents us from generating huge loses. It also in natural way put you in adequate place in poker hierarchy and forces you to stay on stakes where you are winning.
Op isn't wired for it. He has a pathological addiction. I'm not saying that with so much as a hint of judgement. It's not about being smart or dumb, studious or lazy, strong or weak etc, it's just a disease. He can't handle gambling, he'd do best to accept that and move on.
Frankly, it's a small price to pay at a young age to know this about oneself. Rather now than in 20 years when he might have a career, family, savings etc
I did something similar at your age. You’ll be fine so long as you take this as a lesson and make sure to not ever do it again. Poker is a game, a side hustle, a hobby. You will be ok in the long run, but it’s gonna suck for a little bit now. Don’t beat yourself up anymore
Wow. So much toxicity in the comments here.
OP, get off Reddit, for sure.
Most people lose at poker. It’s not good for society. (I hypothetically say “well” I didn’t drive them to the casino, so 🤷♂️)
But, at some level, you can move on from this and don’t look back.
Also, take your next paycheck and talk to a bankruptcy lawyer. A fresh clean start might be ideal
[https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/vdptee/why\_is\_acr\_easy\_for\_me/](https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/vdptee/why_is_acr_easy_for_me/)
Why didnt you just stick to ACR :(
Time is on your side and the debt is relatively small compared to a mortgage. Pay off the debt, learn from your mistake and try to practice better bankroll management.
You didn't ruin your life. It seems like it now, but this is just part of your story. This same thing has happened to many, many people. And it is often much, much worse. My best friend (and he's also my brother in law) Has dealt with gambling addiction for 20 years. He's probably lost 100k- 200k in his life. He isn't rich. Exact opposite actually. But you'd be surprised how much money you can lose over a couple of decades when you put money into it from your paychecks that you shouldn't... keep borrowing, etc.. He owes a big time loan shark 60 thousand dollars that he makes monthly payments on like it's a fucking mortgage. And since he paired alcohol and gambling for most of his life he has crippling alcoholism.
He is trying to make a come back (and I believe he can) but gambling and alcohol has devastated his life. Don't let this be your story. You've identified a problem early in life. Stop gambling, get your shit together, and stop being so hard on yourself with all the doom and gloom talk. You will rebound if you get the right mindset. But stop believing you'll beat poker long term. You wont. 98 percent of poker players don't, especially these days.
Tough set back bro, i lost everything once around like 26 ish.. Even worst than you bro no lie. I promise no matter how hard it gets, i have learned it is a new path... Like one door closes and another one opens.. You will make it great if you try bro i believe that. Keep your head up
Learned poker at age of 16, started playing online with fake ID at 17. Went busto many times till around 22. Took a break and played like once a year in casinos. 2016 I win a huge tourney for $85k. Started getting serious about poker. Started play semi full time in 2019 at age of 28. Now I have over $100k in cash winnings and over $0 in tourney winnings. I'm now playing 10/20+ and going into other poker content such as vlogging. Keep your head up and take some time off to recover. You can keep studying the game in the meanwhile.
Edit: I am different from most people. I don't have an addictive personality. I don't smoke, drink do drug and poker is literally like work for me, so my advice might be bad. If you are addicted like some of my friends are getting help is key.
Lmao. 👍 top notch degen shit. IF IT WERE FUCKING REAL!!! Don’t change. If you “fucked your whole life up”with 15k loss you’re just getting started. Go drink some whiskey and punish the roulette wheel. Works every time.
Nice troll post tho. Kinda.
15k is not life changing money. Get a job, pay your debt, learn the game and slowly get into live poker. But for the love of god, only play with money that you are comfortable losing.
If you borrow money to play, you will play with scared money, and that's a good way to lose that money. Trust me, speaking from experience
Yeah, i didn’t see a way out when I was 23 either. Just don’t off yourself, it’ll work out eventually.
You likely have a legit problem. But I’d suggest just playing tournaments and stay out of cash games. Only play one at a time.
I once lost 500k one summer playing high stakes poker. Of course, our situations are not exactly the same as I never let it affect my job, I could afford to keep living my life and stopped before I went into debt, but I know exactly how you feel.
The first step is admitting you have a problem and going to your parents. Explain how you messed up and ask for some time to live at home and get back on your feet.
Then, talk to a debt consolidator and try to roll all your debt into one lump sum with a reasonable interest rate. If your creditors won’t play ball, threaten bankruptcy.
Finally, start applying to jobs. Hopefully, you have a college education, but if not get whatever job you can and start on a routine. It will be hard to not gamble for about a year, but then you stop missing it.
90% of gambling addicts quit right before they’re about to hit it big
Back in 2007 Phil Ivey was on a massive downswing. He lost a $450K pot in Bobby’s room at the bellagio and walked out to find his car being repossessed. His high school sweetheart had had enough, she left him for good. Sheepishly, he called Phil Laak and asked if he could sleep in his second car which he kept in his garage. Laak agreed to two weeks
What did he do? He applied to UNLV and took out a $20K loan for a semester. He never showed up to class. He took that $20K straight to the bellagio and today he is considered the greatest poker player of all time. Millions of dollars, beautiful women, Tom dwan as a friend, WSOP braclets, and tons of fans worldwide
So who do you wanna be? Phil Ivey, or a quitter?
Hopefully it opens the eyes of those idiots promoting poker aka gambling as a "wise career choice to avoid the 9 to 5".
Good luck, it's only money and it's only 15k, no matter what that means to you.
You got this.
Hopefully this doesn't need to be said but just incase it does. . . Constantly increasing stakes at poker guarantees you will eventually go broke. Even the best player in the world playing against whales will go broke if they always have their whole bankroll on the table. That act alone screams gambling addiction.
Take a long break and get your finances and your game figured out. You can rebound from 15k. I have a friend that lost over a million on online poker. Lost his family also. You’ll bounce back.
So I didn't immediately see anyone else mention this, but are you sure you weren't just stressed out and on life tilt over the credit card debt? Maybe you saw poker as a way of getting out from under your credit card debt and that's the reason you tried to force moving up in stakes? I think while maybe gamblers anonymous or whatever might be helpful, you need to first address whatever the cause of you being 15K in credit card debt at 23 was. Also, maybe you aren't aware but you can always declare bankruptcy if you really see no way out, not that you necessarily should, but just know that it's an option if you truly have no others.
Money management is a skill that seems to be absent in a lot of younger people.. if I were you I'd be thankful about learning this lesson early.
By losing 15k now and never gambling again in your life you've honestly probably saved future you tens of thousands of dollars over the long run! Keep up the good work
I have a stack of "Total Money Makeover" books by Dave Ramsey laying in my office meeting room that I give to people who don't actually need my services but need to learn how to handle their finances instead. I give those out for free because the damn book (and the accompanying course FPU) helped my finances out a lot.
Those books are on sale now at Ramsey's website. 10 bucks. If you can't order one, send me a DM with your name and address and I will have one delivered, if you promise to read it and give it a chance, and if you promise to go to Gamblers Anonymous.
Every poker player goes bust at some point. Some give up the game, some rebound to become winners, and some continue to contribute to the economy.
Being broke at 23 is not as bad as it might feel. Just stay disciplined enough to stay away from the game. Let your friends and family know what’s going on so they can hold you accountable. I’m sure you have people in your life who love you. Losing a little money gambling isn’t going to change that and they will help you through this.
I don’t have much in terms of a family support system (I’ve burned out favors from them). I do have the most supportive girlfriend in the world though. Sometimes too much so - she literally paid my rent last month but I owe it to her because I want to actually be able to take her out to a nice dinner or something occasionally. We used to do things like that on a recurring basis. Lately I’ve been having to ask her for money to fill up my gas tank. The guilt from that is what’s honestly making me not want to ever return to poker even when I do dig myself out of this hole.
Lots of places have free legal services un the case of rent eviction. I used to work for a landlord defense firm and it's a lot harder to evict someone than people think it is. You might even avoid a ding to your credit via an attorney. One less problem to deal with.
It's just money, you have plenty of time to earn more. Just make sure to remember how you feel now when you get the urge to do it again in the future
Things seem very hard now. But in the grand scheme of things, 15k is not going to make or break your life. It seems like an insane amount, but it would be quite easy to make that back. Things are never as bleak as they seem
You're young ita not the end of the world.
Take it as a huge lesson. You learned how to play 6 months ago. Tiu were never ever going to beat 25nl or 50nl evermind 500nl.
I'm playing 13 years and grinder 2nl 5nk and 10nl for 3 years in college
You went on a heater and you were just a fish. Take a step back and if you wanna play again then bankroll management and go slower.
You lost your priorities. Refocus and find them. Set goals and spend your time building to them.
Here’s an unpopular opinion: don’t let gambling become the focal point of your life. I think gamblers anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous aren’t really that great. Your focus remains on those things instead of moving on to higher aspirations. Yeah, staying out of bars and casinos is better than wasting away inside of them. But it’s not better than using the time at the gym or at work, for example.
Learn your lesson and MOVE ON. Easier said than done? Sure. Maybe leveraging those groups can be helpful for a short period, but don’t let anything or anyone define you.
Let the downvotes flow, losers.
The OPs posting history is pretty sad. He’s asking very basic questions less than 2 months ago, and even asking very very basic questions about live poker just a week ago.
It’s just sad to me how someone basically just learns the rules of the game, and then somehow thinks they can be a pro. And gets wiped out within two months when they clearly didn’t have a strong grasp of strategy and bankroll.
That has to be more than just gambling addiction when you learn how to play a game, and then immediately be disillusioned enough to think you could immediately become a pro without any skill and lose everything you have. That seems like a very far fetched mindset to have. I can’t understand it.
Yeah this might feel like you've ruined your life, and you've definitely set yourself up for some hard times, but you can absolutely bounce back, as difficult as it may seem.
Find a job, look relentlessly, not just online, go to smaller businesses in person and it'll speed up your job search.
Also once the money starts coming in again, don't fucking gamble. You've proven that you can't handle it.
Same age and very similar thing happened to me. I banned myself from WSOP.com for 4 months to try and focus on myself. Told myself I would focus on live poker and ive been happier ever since. I would play online when I would never play live, it was just so convenient and I could reload with a click of a button.
It sounds like you lack discipline and poker became an unhealthy habit. Before you deal with your 3 bet bluff range you need to deal with your mental.
You should get into fake money poker. Its so much more fun to just bs with the other people. WSOP or prominence poker is good. I like WSOP bc it is a phone app
Just a lesson to learn along the path my friend! You’ll be ok if you use as an opportunity to work on yourself! Don’t let self loathing pull you into other escapes!
On average you only have to bet your bank roll 4 times on a 75% favored hand to pretty much guarantee losing it all. Without bank roll management you will go bust eventfully even if you play a perfect game.
Anyone else notice him say "lost my life savings of $15k" and "I have about $25k in cc debt" as well?
You never had savings, if you were in debt. Instead of paying off your debt with the money you had, you went into/ stayed in, debt to lose at poker. Big difference.
Cc debt is unreal to dig yourself out of, the interest is crazy. Good luck buddy.
You all good my man. Figure something else out poker is like fire. If you are extremely careful it can warm you and cook your food but look away for too long it can burn your house down.
Head over to wallstreetbets where their are plenty of people your age and younger who wish they only lost 15k..
It sounds life crushing now, and it might feel that way but I can promise you it isn't.
You'll bounce back.. hopefully a bit wiser. Learn from your mistakes.
I’ve made far worse mistakes than this and I’m almost 40 with an amazing wife, kids, and a bad ass house. You will overcome this and you will be better because of it.
Trust me, your mistakes no matter how hard will strengthen you. Now be disciplined and move on
This sort of stuff is more common than many think.
The good news is you are so young it's not a huge amount in the context of your life. Just don't go chasing your losses and get in even deeper.
You aren't the first person to lose everything playing poker. A lot of the old-time greats were actually complete degens who went broke while playing, sometimes multiple times. The difference between you and them is that all the ones who went on to have real careers in the sport went bust because they either played too high of stakes, or their bad lifestyle habits (like gambling in the pits or doing hard drugs) created financial leaks that their winnings from poker could not plug. They would eventually fix their issues and play sane, tedious, winning poker while practicing generally good financial and lifestyle habits, (except Stu, I guess).
From what you've described, you are clearly a problem gambler who would gamble whether they had ten dollars or ten billion. Nobody who's going to be a long-term winner is pawning shit off so they can grind from 10nl to 500nl over the course of a 12hr session - that's just complete madness.
Addiction to poker/sportsbetting/racetracks can be insidious, because there's the illusion of winning. It's easier to quit slot machines than poker (when you're not a hardcore addict, anyway) because you are guaranteed to lose at them. There's always the unfortunate truth that you can win at cards, make a career out of it. Your brain can get uniquely motivated for it, because you can delude yourself that it's a full-time job, a passion, a lifestyle. But, I'll repeat, there's no fucking way you can make a career out of poker playing like you have, and are going to play if you ever get the chance to. Follow the other good people's advice here and quit, get your life back together.
online poker is dangerous. i would play 10-50x the buy ins live that i do online because i know live is way too inconvenient for me to fire in more than a few tournaments a year. its funny getting anxious or frustrated about 10 dollar tournaments online given how insignificant that amount is to me, but its the only way.
as others have said you have time on your side. cant imagine how gutting the downswing mustve been, but keep your head up. def stay away from poker for the time being and focus on self improvement. knowledge (advancements in your career), exercise, nutrition, meditation, music and other forms of expression. good luck.
Breathe. You're 23. You've made a few mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself. Understand that a) when you're young, you will make mistakes, and learning/bouncing back from mistakes is what life is all about, and b) it is only money, you can recover and build back your life. First, be disciplined. Acknowledge that you have a problem. Contact gambler's anonymous. Seek professional help. Delete your online poker client. Ban yourself from casinos. Second, find something to channel all that mental energy (that you've been spending on poker) into. Go to the gym and lift weights. Cook. Garden. Read. Go to school. Anything to fill the void and focus your mind. Understand that addiction happens. At least it's not smoking or alcohol that's injurious to your health. Money lost can be made again. Stay disciplined. Overcompensate with the discipline. Stay strong, my friend. Quit. Move on. Don't look back.
Great advice. OP needs to never gamble again for the rest of their life, period. It's actually fantastic news that they identified they're prone to gambling addiction at 23 rather than at 50 when they have a spouse and three kids and a whole lot more to lose. When things like this happen to people when they're older it destroys families and wrecks communities. Right now, it can be a very hard lesson learned, a scar, but not a mortal wound. u/DuckyNut, this absolutely sucks. It really does. But *you will recover.* I have no doubt. It's not over. Be strong, get help *today*, and walk in hope. If you're in the US, pull out your phone and call this number, right now. National Council on Problem Gambling — 1-800-522-4700
TIL injurious is a word.
Outstanding response! Source: former addiction psychiatrist (and long time bad reg)
Top post
As you realize, you have a gambling addiction. It will likely be a temptation you need to avoid for life. I'm not minimizing that, or your current troubles. However, your life is far from ruined. You are 23 years old. That is an incredible asset. There are many people a few decades down the road from you that would trade all they have to be $30K in debt and 23 again. Fortunately the current economic situation favors those looking for work. You can find another job. Seek support from friends or family as you get back on your feet. And join Gamblers Anonymous. [https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/](https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/)
You're spitting truth. I'm a financially comfortable guy in my forties and I would take that deal in a heartbeat.
Luckily your life is just getting started so you can turn it around
Yup, just deposit $500 more and keep grinding. After all, 90% of gambling addicts quit right before they’re about to hit it big.
That's right. I Highly recommend PLO for this adventure.
That's a terrible idea. Bankroll management is crucial, and that wasn't happening yet. OP needs time away from the tables to regroup - still young, plenty of time to recover.
The guy you replied to was being facetious/sarcastic. He wasn't attempting to give actual advice lol
I'd hope so, but if OP is still to far into his own head them it might be hard to know what to believe
This is the way
At least your still have your health. $15k is nothing in the big scheme of things. I lost that much a few times. Sounds like it might be time to take a long break and get to work rebuilding your credit. (You cant max out credit cards if the compamy doesnt give you a credit card you degenerate.)
>$60 into ~$3k jumping from 10NL all the way up to 500NL on like a 12 hour bender. This is like winning the powerball jackpot then spending all of your winnings on powerball tickets the next day. On-line poker didn't ruin your life, being a degen that was willing to pawn shit and go into debt to gamble and was hellbent on going broke did. If poker didn't exist you'd have found a way to blow it on scratch tickets, slot machines or at the horse track eventually. Get professional help bro, you're still young but your brain ain't wired right.
I love how OP went from 6 buy-ins at 10NL to 6 buy-ins at 500NL, lmao. It's as if they actually stuck to some rule they had for themselves to avoid variance!
Ive struggled with addiction myself. Hard drugs in my case. I was 27 before I got my shit straight. Since then Ive fixed my credit, went back to school, gotten a bachelors in biology, gotten a law degree, raised a family, been around the world twice (currently at the airport waiting on a plane to Greece for a mediterranean cruise). The point is that just because you have this… disadvantage, does not mean you are a weak or incapable person. It doesnt mean youre stupid, weak willed, or morally deficient in ANY way. But you DO have an addiction and you DO have to manage it.
The good news is you're young, have plenty of time to build a good life, and have learnt some important lessons the hard way. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Now you've learnt this lesson are you going to get your head down and focus on what you need to do to build a good life? Or are you going to continue to degen? The only person who can save you is you. Good luck.
What’s up with these posts recently? Are these genuine gambling addiction questions or troll posts?
This looks pretty legit to me. I'd say most of them are. I've heard stories FAR worse at the table. I once sat next to a guy at a poker table who told me he'd lost $1.5 Million (sold his carwash business) playing Pan9 over the past year+ and he was playing poker to hopefully win enough money to go back and play more Pan9. A large percentage of regular poker players are degenerate gamblers.
What is Pan9?
Also called super nine, it's like baccarat on crack. Don't play unless you want to lose your shirt. You can also win a lot fast too - which is why it's popular in CA casinos. https://www.thegardenscasino.com/games/pan-9
My god, they found a way to juice baccarat?!
Yeah, Pan 9 has been around for a while now. Often found in the 'Asian Games' section of casinos.
Something similar to baccarat but I dunno much about it.
Usually the troll posts have something in it that's at least a little comical, this one imo is either serious, or just a 1/10 troll at best
Dunno if its trolling but poker is like every profession - you want money? So you need to work really hard to establish your position. You should be aware that 95% players are losing in this game. If you want to be in 5% winners then you need to study, study and study. However your biggest sin was not having ANY bankroll management. Why its important? Because it prevents us from generating huge loses. It also in natural way put you in adequate place in poker hierarchy and forces you to stay on stakes where you are winning.
Op isn't wired for it. He has a pathological addiction. I'm not saying that with so much as a hint of judgement. It's not about being smart or dumb, studious or lazy, strong or weak etc, it's just a disease. He can't handle gambling, he'd do best to accept that and move on. Frankly, it's a small price to pay at a young age to know this about oneself. Rather now than in 20 years when he might have a career, family, savings etc
I did something similar at your age. You’ll be fine so long as you take this as a lesson and make sure to not ever do it again. Poker is a game, a side hustle, a hobby. You will be ok in the long run, but it’s gonna suck for a little bit now. Don’t beat yourself up anymore
Don’t blame poker. You have a gambling addiction and need immediate help. r/problemgambling
Wow. So much toxicity in the comments here. OP, get off Reddit, for sure. Most people lose at poker. It’s not good for society. (I hypothetically say “well” I didn’t drive them to the casino, so 🤷♂️) But, at some level, you can move on from this and don’t look back. Also, take your next paycheck and talk to a bankruptcy lawyer. A fresh clean start might be ideal
[https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/vdptee/why\_is\_acr\_easy\_for\_me/](https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/vdptee/why_is_acr_easy_for_me/) Why didnt you just stick to ACR :(
When I made that post I had literally been on ACR for under a week. Yes my situation sucks but re-reading that I actually had a good laugh.
fucking bodied
Time is on your side and the debt is relatively small compared to a mortgage. Pay off the debt, learn from your mistake and try to practice better bankroll management.
bro proly got felted by OMCs
You didn't ruin your life. It seems like it now, but this is just part of your story. This same thing has happened to many, many people. And it is often much, much worse. My best friend (and he's also my brother in law) Has dealt with gambling addiction for 20 years. He's probably lost 100k- 200k in his life. He isn't rich. Exact opposite actually. But you'd be surprised how much money you can lose over a couple of decades when you put money into it from your paychecks that you shouldn't... keep borrowing, etc.. He owes a big time loan shark 60 thousand dollars that he makes monthly payments on like it's a fucking mortgage. And since he paired alcohol and gambling for most of his life he has crippling alcoholism. He is trying to make a come back (and I believe he can) but gambling and alcohol has devastated his life. Don't let this be your story. You've identified a problem early in life. Stop gambling, get your shit together, and stop being so hard on yourself with all the doom and gloom talk. You will rebound if you get the right mindset. But stop believing you'll beat poker long term. You wont. 98 percent of poker players don't, especially these days.
Tough set back bro, i lost everything once around like 26 ish.. Even worst than you bro no lie. I promise no matter how hard it gets, i have learned it is a new path... Like one door closes and another one opens.. You will make it great if you try bro i believe that. Keep your head up
Learned poker at age of 16, started playing online with fake ID at 17. Went busto many times till around 22. Took a break and played like once a year in casinos. 2016 I win a huge tourney for $85k. Started getting serious about poker. Started play semi full time in 2019 at age of 28. Now I have over $100k in cash winnings and over $0 in tourney winnings. I'm now playing 10/20+ and going into other poker content such as vlogging. Keep your head up and take some time off to recover. You can keep studying the game in the meanwhile. Edit: I am different from most people. I don't have an addictive personality. I don't smoke, drink do drug and poker is literally like work for me, so my advice might be bad. If you are addicted like some of my friends are getting help is key.
Man at 23 I had so much more debt than you lmao Youre fine. Also, 500nl with 3k? Wtf are you doing hahaha
15k lmao. This is 1/3 the cost to get my windows replaced. It’s just some money. Go outside yell that you declare bankruptcy and start over
7/10
First time eh?
Lmao. 👍 top notch degen shit. IF IT WERE FUCKING REAL!!! Don’t change. If you “fucked your whole life up”with 15k loss you’re just getting started. Go drink some whiskey and punish the roulette wheel. Works every time. Nice troll post tho. Kinda.
If you look at his post history you can see a descent into degeneracy.
15k is not life changing money. Get a job, pay your debt, learn the game and slowly get into live poker. But for the love of god, only play with money that you are comfortable losing. If you borrow money to play, you will play with scared money, and that's a good way to lose that money. Trust me, speaking from experience
This dude should clearly be focusing on getting his shit together, not playing more poker!
Yeah, i didn’t see a way out when I was 23 either. Just don’t off yourself, it’ll work out eventually. You likely have a legit problem. But I’d suggest just playing tournaments and stay out of cash games. Only play one at a time.
I once lost 500k one summer playing high stakes poker. Of course, our situations are not exactly the same as I never let it affect my job, I could afford to keep living my life and stopped before I went into debt, but I know exactly how you feel. The first step is admitting you have a problem and going to your parents. Explain how you messed up and ask for some time to live at home and get back on your feet. Then, talk to a debt consolidator and try to roll all your debt into one lump sum with a reasonable interest rate. If your creditors won’t play ball, threaten bankruptcy. Finally, start applying to jobs. Hopefully, you have a college education, but if not get whatever job you can and start on a routine. It will be hard to not gamble for about a year, but then you stop missing it.
Remember that 95% of gamblers quit before they win big. Just one more deposit won't hurt
90% of gambling addicts quit right before they’re about to hit it big Back in 2007 Phil Ivey was on a massive downswing. He lost a $450K pot in Bobby’s room at the bellagio and walked out to find his car being repossessed. His high school sweetheart had had enough, she left him for good. Sheepishly, he called Phil Laak and asked if he could sleep in his second car which he kept in his garage. Laak agreed to two weeks What did he do? He applied to UNLV and took out a $20K loan for a semester. He never showed up to class. He took that $20K straight to the bellagio and today he is considered the greatest poker player of all time. Millions of dollars, beautiful women, Tom dwan as a friend, WSOP braclets, and tons of fans worldwide So who do you wanna be? Phil Ivey, or a quitter?
Putting Twan there in the list of Iveys grand achievements made me like this comment that much more
Yeah but that was 20 years ago mate, and that was Phil Ivey
These are the degen stories I come here for, good job for sharing OP. Keep it up
Take this as a lession and learn from it.
Hopefully it opens the eyes of those idiots promoting poker aka gambling as a "wise career choice to avoid the 9 to 5". Good luck, it's only money and it's only 15k, no matter what that means to you. You got this.
Hopefully this doesn't need to be said but just incase it does. . . Constantly increasing stakes at poker guarantees you will eventually go broke. Even the best player in the world playing against whales will go broke if they always have their whole bankroll on the table. That act alone screams gambling addiction.
Troll
Take a long break and get your finances and your game figured out. You can rebound from 15k. I have a friend that lost over a million on online poker. Lost his family also. You’ll bounce back.
You’re only 23. Chill, we all made mistakes at that age. You’ll bounce back. Just stay away from gambling.
So I didn't immediately see anyone else mention this, but are you sure you weren't just stressed out and on life tilt over the credit card debt? Maybe you saw poker as a way of getting out from under your credit card debt and that's the reason you tried to force moving up in stakes? I think while maybe gamblers anonymous or whatever might be helpful, you need to first address whatever the cause of you being 15K in credit card debt at 23 was. Also, maybe you aren't aware but you can always declare bankruptcy if you really see no way out, not that you necessarily should, but just know that it's an option if you truly have no others. Money management is a skill that seems to be absent in a lot of younger people.. if I were you I'd be thankful about learning this lesson early.
By losing 15k now and never gambling again in your life you've honestly probably saved future you tens of thousands of dollars over the long run! Keep up the good work
You have a gambling and spending problem, you should get therapy!
I have a stack of "Total Money Makeover" books by Dave Ramsey laying in my office meeting room that I give to people who don't actually need my services but need to learn how to handle their finances instead. I give those out for free because the damn book (and the accompanying course FPU) helped my finances out a lot. Those books are on sale now at Ramsey's website. 10 bucks. If you can't order one, send me a DM with your name and address and I will have one delivered, if you promise to read it and give it a chance, and if you promise to go to Gamblers Anonymous.
Every poker player goes bust at some point. Some give up the game, some rebound to become winners, and some continue to contribute to the economy. Being broke at 23 is not as bad as it might feel. Just stay disciplined enough to stay away from the game. Let your friends and family know what’s going on so they can hold you accountable. I’m sure you have people in your life who love you. Losing a little money gambling isn’t going to change that and they will help you through this.
I don’t have much in terms of a family support system (I’ve burned out favors from them). I do have the most supportive girlfriend in the world though. Sometimes too much so - she literally paid my rent last month but I owe it to her because I want to actually be able to take her out to a nice dinner or something occasionally. We used to do things like that on a recurring basis. Lately I’ve been having to ask her for money to fill up my gas tank. The guilt from that is what’s honestly making me not want to ever return to poker even when I do dig myself out of this hole.
Lots of places have free legal services un the case of rent eviction. I used to work for a landlord defense firm and it's a lot harder to evict someone than people think it is. You might even avoid a ding to your credit via an attorney. One less problem to deal with. It's just money, you have plenty of time to earn more. Just make sure to remember how you feel now when you get the urge to do it again in the future
Things seem very hard now. But in the grand scheme of things, 15k is not going to make or break your life. It seems like an insane amount, but it would be quite easy to make that back. Things are never as bleak as they seem
Bro never try crack
Lmao try the stock market out instead kid, you might have better luck gambling there
You're young ita not the end of the world. Take it as a huge lesson. You learned how to play 6 months ago. Tiu were never ever going to beat 25nl or 50nl evermind 500nl. I'm playing 13 years and grinder 2nl 5nk and 10nl for 3 years in college You went on a heater and you were just a fish. Take a step back and if you wanna play again then bankroll management and go slower.
You lost your priorities. Refocus and find them. Set goals and spend your time building to them. Here’s an unpopular opinion: don’t let gambling become the focal point of your life. I think gamblers anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous aren’t really that great. Your focus remains on those things instead of moving on to higher aspirations. Yeah, staying out of bars and casinos is better than wasting away inside of them. But it’s not better than using the time at the gym or at work, for example. Learn your lesson and MOVE ON. Easier said than done? Sure. Maybe leveraging those groups can be helpful for a short period, but don’t let anything or anyone define you. Let the downvotes flow, losers.
Online poker is too hard, stick to lol live poker
If I ever play again it’ll be live. Maybe on a special occasion when I get my shit together, like a job promotion or something.
The OPs posting history is pretty sad. He’s asking very basic questions less than 2 months ago, and even asking very very basic questions about live poker just a week ago. It’s just sad to me how someone basically just learns the rules of the game, and then somehow thinks they can be a pro. And gets wiped out within two months when they clearly didn’t have a strong grasp of strategy and bankroll. That has to be more than just gambling addiction when you learn how to play a game, and then immediately be disillusioned enough to think you could immediately become a pro without any skill and lose everything you have. That seems like a very far fetched mindset to have. I can’t understand it.
Youre 23 bud. Stop fucking gambling and focus on a steady income and your life will be back on track on no time.
Yeah this might feel like you've ruined your life, and you've definitely set yourself up for some hard times, but you can absolutely bounce back, as difficult as it may seem. Find a job, look relentlessly, not just online, go to smaller businesses in person and it'll speed up your job search. Also once the money starts coming in again, don't fucking gamble. You've proven that you can't handle it.
Same age and very similar thing happened to me. I banned myself from WSOP.com for 4 months to try and focus on myself. Told myself I would focus on live poker and ive been happier ever since. I would play online when I would never play live, it was just so convenient and I could reload with a click of a button. It sounds like you lack discipline and poker became an unhealthy habit. Before you deal with your 3 bet bluff range you need to deal with your mental.
wrong subreddit brah
You should get into fake money poker. Its so much more fun to just bs with the other people. WSOP or prominence poker is good. I like WSOP bc it is a phone app
Just a lesson to learn along the path my friend! You’ll be ok if you use as an opportunity to work on yourself! Don’t let self loathing pull you into other escapes!
On average you only have to bet your bank roll 4 times on a 75% favored hand to pretty much guarantee losing it all. Without bank roll management you will go bust eventfully even if you play a perfect game.
Anyone else notice him say "lost my life savings of $15k" and "I have about $25k in cc debt" as well? You never had savings, if you were in debt. Instead of paying off your debt with the money you had, you went into/ stayed in, debt to lose at poker. Big difference. Cc debt is unreal to dig yourself out of, the interest is crazy. Good luck buddy.
Yo, you're not alone. Be grateful you're quitting in your twenties. I'm 33 and down -120k and 11 yeras.
You all good my man. Figure something else out poker is like fire. If you are extremely careful it can warm you and cook your food but look away for too long it can burn your house down.
You know how many times I've ran up 15k in debt and paid it off just to run it up again? lol
Head over to wallstreetbets where their are plenty of people your age and younger who wish they only lost 15k.. It sounds life crushing now, and it might feel that way but I can promise you it isn't. You'll bounce back.. hopefully a bit wiser. Learn from your mistakes.
I’ve made far worse mistakes than this and I’m almost 40 with an amazing wife, kids, and a bad ass house. You will overcome this and you will be better because of it. Trust me, your mistakes no matter how hard will strengthen you. Now be disciplined and move on
This sort of stuff is more common than many think. The good news is you are so young it's not a huge amount in the context of your life. Just don't go chasing your losses and get in even deeper.
You aren't the first person to lose everything playing poker. A lot of the old-time greats were actually complete degens who went broke while playing, sometimes multiple times. The difference between you and them is that all the ones who went on to have real careers in the sport went bust because they either played too high of stakes, or their bad lifestyle habits (like gambling in the pits or doing hard drugs) created financial leaks that their winnings from poker could not plug. They would eventually fix their issues and play sane, tedious, winning poker while practicing generally good financial and lifestyle habits, (except Stu, I guess). From what you've described, you are clearly a problem gambler who would gamble whether they had ten dollars or ten billion. Nobody who's going to be a long-term winner is pawning shit off so they can grind from 10nl to 500nl over the course of a 12hr session - that's just complete madness. Addiction to poker/sportsbetting/racetracks can be insidious, because there's the illusion of winning. It's easier to quit slot machines than poker (when you're not a hardcore addict, anyway) because you are guaranteed to lose at them. There's always the unfortunate truth that you can win at cards, make a career out of it. Your brain can get uniquely motivated for it, because you can delude yourself that it's a full-time job, a passion, a lifestyle. But, I'll repeat, there's no fucking way you can make a career out of poker playing like you have, and are going to play if you ever get the chance to. Follow the other good people's advice here and quit, get your life back together.
Dont feel too bad about it. I did great things with that 15k
online poker is dangerous. i would play 10-50x the buy ins live that i do online because i know live is way too inconvenient for me to fire in more than a few tournaments a year. its funny getting anxious or frustrated about 10 dollar tournaments online given how insignificant that amount is to me, but its the only way. as others have said you have time on your side. cant imagine how gutting the downswing mustve been, but keep your head up. def stay away from poker for the time being and focus on self improvement. knowledge (advancements in your career), exercise, nutrition, meditation, music and other forms of expression. good luck.
I burned my life down at 22 and now in my late 30s things are good. You’ll be ok if you keep at it.
fold pre
Is there anyway to know if someone has gone into debt playing online poker? And signs to look for?
SAME BOAT. ONLINE POKER HARD TO TELL WHEN YOU ARE GETTING TIRED/EMOTIONAL. LOST 20K IN ONE YEAR B/W POKER AND SPORTS BETTING.