Addiction to Online Poker
Determining whether or not poker addiction is an issue doesn't seem difficult at the outset, but to many people an addiction to online poker or other forms of online gambling becomes the key to a livelihood. In order to become truly successful in games like online poker, you have to let the game consume you. The game literally becomes your life and everything else is secondary. However, it's not all bad because you're using it to earn a living, right? That may be what many people think, but even if you can earn a decent living from playing poker online or even another game, there are still negatives that need to be addressed.
Success through Addiction
People with addictive personalities tend to be either very successful or very unsuccessful, depending on their skill level and game of choice. These players will take more risks than are sometimes necessary, and these risks can either pay off or plunge the player into deep debt. The problem with using these personality traits to make a living from gambling occurs when they start to lose. The players who begin to lose will spiral downward to a point where they believe that they can do nothing but lose, but they will continue to play nonetheless.
Losing Players
It is a constant battle for those who lose regularly. Players who lose constantly will continue to play, either to try to win This type of poker addiction is a constant losing battle, one that is only generally stopped by an intervention or therapy. These players will lose everything trying to win and because of their personalities, they don't know when to stop. These players will also consistently deny that there is anything wrong, even as they are selling their car or house to pay off their gambling debts.
Winning Players
Poker addiction for winning players can be productive but equally dangerous. Winning players have the same problems that a losing one does. However, instead of having to bet the shirt off his back, the winning player has a decent pool of winnings to choose from. They can turn gambling into a lifestyle and a living, but in exchange for doing little to nothing else. The game consumes them and many will not move from their computers or mobile devices for hours or days at a time. They may be winning but because of their poker addiction, many forget to eat, bathe or otherwise care for themselves in their quest for the next winning hand or spin.
How to Find Balance
It is important to find a balance between the winning player and the losing player because both are within you. Your life isn't the game, and your entire social circle shouldn't be made up of poker buddies. Get out of the house and away from playing poker online. If you don't work and gambling is your main source of income, then find some hobbies. Find things to work on that take you away from the poker for a little while. Go on a fishing trip, and don't worry that everything in your Bicycle card-coloured world will have disappeared when you get back. Find a balance between an addictive personality and the real world and you might find yourself even happier for it.
