when u know u have a problem

so i have $20 in my wallet, drive by a local casino figure hey maybe i can turn this into to something.

Sit blackjack and instantly lose 4 units in like 5 hands. im no quitter, plus WTF can i really run that bad i was supposed to win damn it.

Head to ATM with intentions of taking out $60, if i lose that im done...

$300 dollars later when the atm declines me im at the cage getting more money on my credit cards...

$620 later im leaving casino wondering why cant i just stay away...FML

anyone else have this problem?

or share a story :)

It's a common thing, to lose control like that in a casino.

The entire setup of a casino is designed to make you behave this way.

If you don't have the discipline to control your losses, you might have to take extreme measures like leaving your credit and debit card in your car, or at home.

Or just don't go at all until you can get it under control.

Quote: nezbit

so i have $20 in my wallet, drive by a local casino figure hey maybe i can turn this into to something.

Sit blackjack and instantly lose 4 units in like 5 hands. im no quitter, plus WTF can i really run that bad i was supposed to win damn it.

Head to ATM with intentions of taking out $60, if i lose that im done...

$300 dollars later when the atm declines me im at the cage getting more money on my credit cards...

$620 later im leaving casino wondering why cant i just stay away...FML

anyone else have this problem?

or share a story :)

Probably a lot more than are willing to admit it. I know people who have self excluded themselves from casinos risking arrest if they return. I know others who have sought employment at casinos just so they can't gamble. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Not really. I've only hit up the ATM after losing my bank maybe twice, three times, since Mrs and I started playing in earnest over 10 years ago. When it's done, it's done, and there's no sense chasing it.

Quote: 1BB

Probably a lot more than are willing to admit it. I know people who have self excluded themselves from casinos risking arrest if they return. I know others who have sought employment at casinos just so they can't gamble. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Has anyone ever been imprisoned because they self-excluded themselves? Is that even legal?????

deleted

Warned is more like it. Any winnings would be forfeited and there could be an arrest for trespassing. In some states the casino could be fined for not catching them.

Quote: sodawater

It's a common thing, to lose control like that in a casino.

The entire setup of a casino is designed to make you behave this way.

If you don't have the discipline to control your losses, you might have to take extreme measures like leaving your credit and debit card in your car, or at home.

Or just don't go at all until you can get it under control.

LOL i have left at home, and drove back to get them...facepalm


thats when i realised that all that does is waste gas

I always leave my debit cards at home for this reason, especially the USAA one (free withdrawals).

I bring money that I use for gambling and when it's gone I am done. I try to make up for it by eating lot at the buffet.

Nezbit I have the exact same problem. What can start out as an innocent $100 trip to the casino can very easily turn into a $500 trip the casino. My problem is if I loose my money quickly I won't just stop same if I win quickly I won't leave. I feel I need to stay for hours weather I'm up or down. Another story showing how pathetic I am when it comes to gambling is Sunday night I had to work from 5pm until 5 am. 8 hours was at staight time and 4 hours at overtime. I can have someone work my overtime for me so I had a guy work my middle four hours me. So what did I do. I went to the casino. So I went to work for 4 hours left for the casino for 4 hours and then drove back to work for 4 hours.

Quote: nezbit

so i have $20 in my wallet, drive by a local casino figure hey maybe i can turn this into to something.

Sit blackjack and instantly lose 4 units in like 5 hands. im no quitter, plus WTF can i really run that bad i was supposed to win damn it.

Head to ATM with intentions of taking out $60, if i lose that im done...

$300 dollars later when the atm declines me im at the cage getting more money on my credit cards...

$620 later im leaving casino wondering why cant i just stay away...FML

anyone else have this problem?

or share a story :)

Walked right by debit card machine that I had accessed three times earlier that day. Made my way to front desk to procure scissors. Cut up debit card. Probably saved a shit load or then again maybe my luck was about to change.........yeah right

i cant quit either. i mean if your winning why the fuck would u stop?

the problem with chasing money is it almost never works, i might be 1/100

that probably an overstatment...LOL

its sad cuz i used to be a professional online poker pro. Im in washington state so i lasted 7 years professionally. I still play at the casinos for fun ( i mean i win more than i lose - yes i keep track) but the fuckin poker tables are in the waaaaaaaaaay back. i dont think i have ever left without betting something on my way out. its soooo fuckin annoying. the worst is when im stuck playing poker then try to get even. I was stuck $200 at poker before then lost $500 more playing bacc...

is my best play just dont ever go again?

the money always goes the fastest at the very end too... this is most likely when im betting the most


I have stacked my bet 4 times before (aka no hope)

If you are a winning poker player, then focus on that.

Winning $500 at poker spends just as well as winning $500 at mini-bacc.

I know the table games are "fun" and poker is a grind, and I know sometimes that losing at table games is even more of a rush than winning at poker.

But look at it this way: If you can't control yourself at the table games when you're losing, the only sustainable way to spend any time at what can be a nice gambling hobby is to play good, disciplined poker. You can enjoy yourself and make money at the same time.

ya its hard... i know i sound like a sad sap...but ive hit that point of no return. i really do have a gambling problem...shitty. cuz it was fun

Quote: nezbit

ya its hard... i know i sound like a sad sap...but ive hit that point of no return. i really do have a gambling problem...shitty. cuz it was fun

Based strictly upon your posts within this thread, Nezbit, I would have to concur with your conclusion: you "really do have a gambling problem".

Furthermore, you're own admission of "I've hit that point of no return" is rather telling.

Add it all up, my friend, and it appears as if your only option is to quit gambling. Because, no matter how many times that you'll "add it all up", I'm afraid that you're going to continue to come up short.

You work hard for your money. Nobody hands you a thing. Don't be that chump that hands their money over to the casinos, all too willingly.

Find a hobby or a pastime with some "juice" to it....something that excites or energizes you. Hopefully, it'll serve to replace your gaming urge.

I wish you all the best of it in your future endeavors.

Quote: nezbit

ya its hard... i know i sound like a sad sap...but ive hit that point of no return. i really do have a gambling problem...shitty. cuz it was fun

Winning will solve your gambling problem

Quote: nezbit

anyone else have this problem?

I know this feeling, for me it's chocolate.

You are in the supermarket, and when you see the chocolate nicely put up in the rack you might want to find a reason to buy some. You will always find a good reason. Either you hadn't had any chocolate for weeks (often not true anyway), or you feel you should reward yourself for the work you've done at your job - or you find a new brand/flavour you want to try .... there are plenty of reasons.

So you buy a bar (100 grams) on the premise it must hold over the whole weekend, but later on the very evening you decide to try a small chunk, and try another one and ... ooops you got them all. At this point you feel guilty and swear to yourself you will not buy any chocolate at least for the next two weeks.


Personally, I learned to deal with it. The trick is to identify the moments where you are still in control but unaware of the risks (in the supermarket) and where you are not in control (on the couch). The goal is: don't store chocolate in the house. For that to archieve: don't buy any in the supermarket when you are still in control.
You can still enjoy it (i.e. if you are at someone elses house, or someone brings you anything), but don't fool yourself thinking you can manage it. Because you can't.

For our situation: either don't drive to the casino in the first place. You can still play if you like, but join with a friend to look after you - and leave all your cards at home. Decide your future actions as long as you are in control.

You could always take up a debilitating drug habit. It's cheaper and healthier than being a problem gambler.

Some winning poker players must be like ATMs to the casinos perspective. Win a buy in or two (not from the house, but from other players) and lose it in the pit. It's like printing money from thin air.

I used to play a bit online before BF (I'm in WA too) and live just isn't the same to me so I can't get into it. Muckleshoot has an entrance/exit right next to the poker room so maybe you can play there and it can help the addiction some.

Quote: stargazer

You could always take up a debilitating drug habit. It's cheaper and healthier than being a problem gambler.

Also a lot easier addiction to break. Death is usually the only way that habit dies !

Quote: gr8player

Based strictly upon your posts within this thread, Nezbit, I would have to concur with your conclusion: you "really do have a gambling problem".

Furthermore, you're own admission of "I've hit that point of no return" is rather telling.

Add it all up, my friend, and it appears as if your only option is to quit gambling. Because, no matter how many times that you'll "add it all up", I'm afraid that you're going to continue to come up short.

You work hard for your money. Nobody hands you a thing. Don't be that chump that hands their money over to the casinos, all too willingly.

Find a hobby or a pastime with some "juice" to it....something that excites or energizes you. Hopefully, it'll serve to replace your gaming urge.

I wish you all the best of it in your future endeavors.

thank you for your post.

Its a charge thing and i think we all have it.

get disgusted about a big loss or a win that couldve been bigger then maybe stay away for awhile

then over time the charge builds and u slowing start feeding your mind stuff about its "ok" if i just gamble a little...LOL never fails, my story is to the Tee exactly what happens every time to me.

the wins are never big enough either...so i am always doomed. I mean if i hit a 7card natural in paigow and get 100k i might walk...but i might just start betting 3 hands max bets in the dark...seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee LOLOLOLOL

Quote: nezbit

thank you for your post.

Its a charge thing and i think we all have it.

get disgusted about a big loss or a win that couldve been bigger then maybe stay away for awhile

then over time the charge builds and u slowing start feeding your mind stuff about its "ok" if i just gamble a little...LOL never fails, my story is to the Tee exactly what happens every time to me.

the wins are never big enough either...so i am always doomed. I mean if i hit a 7card natural in paigow and get 100k i might walk...but i might just start betting 3 hands max bets in the dark...seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee LOLOLOLOL

It definitely sounds like you have a gambling problem. But the one piece of information we don't have is how much money you're losing relative to your income and expenses. If you're losing extraneous income (e.g. "mad money" or "entertainment budget") then whatever, have fun. But if you're preventing yourself from saving for the future or are "gambling the rent" so to speak, that would definitely inform you as to whether or not there might be an addiction problem.

to add to my patheticness...

i am the muckleshoot like a week ago


playing craps with $100 - hey if i lose it im done no big deal, i needed to wear a buzz off anyway so i could drive. after awhile my buddy tells me he is going back to his place aka lets go man. I say naaa ill walk (not far like 1.2 miles)

I play craps on my $100 for hours, then eventually hit a cold streak and lose everything.

walk to ATM thinking ok $100 more wont hurt... walk to roulette lose it in 2 spins...
walk back to ATM thinking ok $100 more and ill win it all back and some more right? paigow and roulette gone in less than 5 minutes.

now im stuck $300 and am actually leaving casino this is good...then i walk by an ATM in the far part of casino just before the non smoking section in the front area...and decide to take our $100...my god

Walk to paigow in the non smoking section and put $80 on bet $19 on bonus and $1 progessive ( i won ) dealer had baby pair no hair i had 2 pairs...so i stack it feeling this is my comeback...Jack high paigow i crumble inside and head for the door.

always one 50/50 from turning everything around.

Quote: AcesAndEights

It definitely sounds like you have a gambling problem. But the one piece of information we don't have is how much money you're losing relative to your income and expenses. If you're losing extraneous income (e.g. "mad money" or "entertainment budget") then whatever, have fun. But if you're preventing yourself from saving for the future or are "gambling the rent" so to speak, that would definitely inform you as to whether or not there might be an addiction problem.

its pretty bad man. I lose probably 100x what i should be losing. i mean i make like 3k a month and in just the last 2 weeks ive lost 2k (most of which i siphon from my business account) yes i am waaaay behind on this i know.

the back story is sad and pathetic

Quote: nezbit

its pretty bad man. I lose probably 100x what i should be losing. i mean i make like 3k a month and in just the last 2 weeks ive lost 2k (most of which i siphon from my business account) yes i am waaaay behind on this i know.

the back story is sad and pathetic

then this is beyond the scope of gambling for fun and entertainment. If you're a winning poker player with a proven record of bb/hr and blowing it all on the pits then you're never going to get ahead.... I have a friend who was in this same situation and he decided to just quit playing poker altogether to save himself.

Repeatedly pulling out of an ATM, especially $100 at a time, and especially if you have to pay fees for those, that isn't a very good self-control sign. I watched my brother withdraw $100 out of a casino ATM during an impromptu casino visit, and I wanted to beat him over the head. Given your stories, it sounds you really need to stay away from ALL table games. If you can't just play poker at the casino, it sounds like you really shouldn't be going to the casino at all. I have some issues with loss chasing myself, but with one "justifiable" exception in my life, I never have used the casino ATM. I try to prepare to bring the most that I actually am willing to lose for any given session. And the one exception I made, I was in Vegas while playing poker games that are illegal in most state-run casinos, including my home state. And Karina Jett was being just so darn nice to me as she kept winning my money...lol Pulled out $400 and cringed at $8 in total fees ($6 ATM + $2 my bank). Ran ~hot after she left, and won ~90% of my losses back...whew.

got me thinking about walking home story.

was with another buddy i play at hawks prairie casino in lacey, wa

just table games no dice or roullete - poker too

so i get off work in time to make it into a super juicy omaha8 game at hawks praire did ok for the hour i was there - we had company coming over so i had to make the trip short (funny is my wife thought i was still at work...but i wasnt) she came to the casino and told me to get my ass home cuz our friends were coming over.

I live 2.5 miles away from casino sooo its not really the best thing for me

anyway i end up coming home my buddy and his wife come over the chicks are just draggin behind - they been wine tasting all day and just want to plant on the couch.
I dont even want to go to the casino but lo and behold there isnt shit going on at my house and not much else to do, lets rock.

plan was to tie on some drinks maybe just lose $100 or less.

im holding urge forever. planning on not even gambling -swear-
i teach my buddy baccarat pretty much just say pick a circle its 50/50 - told him bank has slight edge but you have to pay juice on that bet.

so obviously he bets bank...loses...bank....loses....bank....loses
"Fuck i hate this game he says"
"let me borrow $40"
i give him $40 bank...loses

now i feel like im stuck $40 and head to blackjack

buddy sits next to me after a trip to ATM and we play for hour or so... i was actually doing well up $150-$200 betting $5-$20

my buddy is just getting reamed and he is a total donk when it comes to gambling like dealer showing 5 or 6 he hits a hard 14...shit like that.

he keeps borrowing money from me, making me feel like im losing too.

anyway after his like 4 trip to atm he says dude lets fuckin go im down $300

its like 1:30am at this point im buzzed as fuck and they just did last call.

me: "naaa dude im staying ill fuckin walk home" (side track: did this once before in december it was 30 degrees out, not sure how i didnt die, had tshirt jeans on)
holy fuckin shitballs...

so im still up at this point feeling invincible

then seriously lose 6-7 hands in a row then start upping my bet just continuing losing

pretty soon im tapped out mustve went through 3 stacks of reds and whatever was in my wallet from poker
so now im down this trip at casino about $261 ($100 from poker plus $161 i won from poker)

not to mention im drunk and absolutely steaming from blackjack now.

ATM $100 lose it 1 hand paigow
ATM $200 lose it 2 hand blackjack

now down $561

ATM wont work anymore since i took out $100 earlier for poker

go to cage get $100
paigow 1 hand lose it
cage $100
paigow 1 hand lose it
cage $100
paigow 1 hand
win and get bonus for fullhouse
stack it all
win again..

not sure how much i had but i had bunch of greens - think like $475ish

then lost it all in 2 hands...and am now walking home ( i was sick about this for 3 days )

all in all i lost $861 plus fees and bullshit.

Quote: tringlomane

Repeatedly pulling out of an ATM, especially $100 at a time, and especially if you have to pay fees for those, that isn't a very good self-control sign. I watched my brother withdraw $100 out of a casino ATM during an impromptu casino visit, and I wanted to beat him over the head. Given your stories, it sounds you really need to stay away from ALL table games. If you can't just play poker at the casino, it sounds like you really shouldn't be going to the casino at all. I have some issues with loss chasing myself, but with one "justifiable" exception in my life, I never have used the casino ATM. I try to prepare to bring the most that I actually am willing to lose for any given session. And the one exception I made, I was in Vegas while playing poker games that are illegal in most state-run casinos, including my home state. And Karina Jett was being just so darn nice to me as she kept winning my money...lol Pulled out $400 and cringed at $8 in total fees ($6 ATM + $2 my bank). Ran ~hot after she left, and won ~90% of my losses back...whew.

i track every time i go to the casino wins/losses fees everything


omg im just seeing this for the first time. My biggest walk away from table games is $150 this year (says in my notes too...casino closed had to stop) omfg...

never lost under $100, normally its around $200-$500 average


here is the ungodly number

ATM FEES: $276, thats $2 fee plus my $2 bank fee, not to mention interest from CC and those fees.
exactly 69 trips to the ATM

i have exactly 50 logged trips to casino this year.

i guess looking at it, im glad i have poker to offset my losses. - still down like like triple to tables

Quote: nezbit

i track every time i go to the casino wins/losses fees everything


omg im just seeing this for the first time. My biggest walk away from table games is $150 this year (says in my notes too...casino closed had to stop) omfg...

never lost under $100, normally its around $200-$500 average


here is the ungodly number

ATM FEES: $276, thats $2 fee plus my $2 bank fee, not to mention interest from CC and those fees.
exactly 69 trips to the ATM

i have exactly 50 logged trips to casino this year.

i guess looking at it, im glad i have poker to offset my losses. - still down like like triple to tables

Dude. We've heard enough. You have a serious problem. The $276 in ATM fees (in addition to interest on your CC cash advances which begins immediately upon withdrawal) is a huge, huuuuge red flag. That's money down the drain without even any "entertainment" value.

I have no experience with this type of gambling addiction with myself or friends, but I would suggest Gambler's Anonymous.

Here are some nearby meetings.

Good luck. I would suggest avoiding these forums as well until you have it under control. Reading about other people gambling isn't going to help you.

Nezbit,

Honesty can be a tough thing, sometimes, but I think you're ready for some honesty. It seems that you are being honest with yourself right now, and it may have been the first time you've done that in a while.

That having been said, I think you need to quit right now, or this is what I see happening. You will eventually cash advance all of your plastic to near the Max and realize that you are now completely fucked. In a desperate last ditch effort to recover, (financially) you will gather what precious little cash you still have access to, and you will lose it at the tables, you might even drop it all on a single number in Roulette praying for a miracle.

Even if you hit that miracle, I'm not convinced you could leave.

Your problem is actually two-fold:

1.) You hate losing, so you chase losses.

2.) You either hate winning, or you hate not gambling when there is still plenty of time that can be used for gambling and you are at the casino...so you either cannot or will not leave ahead for the day.

I've known some people. When chasing losses, you go into a minor fugue, you feel the blood rush into your head and you become agitated. Your only focus is on getting back to even, and until the session goes really badly (it seems that the third or fourth trip to the cage is your, "Really badly") only then does that small voice inside of your head telling you to stop become dominant enough for you to actually listen. At that point, you finally head home in a state of shock over the amount of money you lost and the way you lost control. You tell yourself, "Never again," there have been plenty of, "Never agains," haven't there?

I actually had a good friend named Mark who would go home after a massive ass-kicking and dream, vividly, about being at the very game, or games, where he took a beating. The dreams would be so vivid that he would wake up thinking he actually made the comeback of which he dreamt, until he checked his wallet...Of course, in some of his nightmares, he just continued to lose even more.

Anyway, talking to us is good, it's probably better than talking to nobody. However, my suggestion is that you need professional help. I'd call one of the help lines, or look into Gambler's Anonymous and see if they can do anything for you.

Maybe you're not ready for that just yet, though. Maybe you want to give yourself one more chance to show some discipline. Okay, here it is:

Obtain a safe deposit box at your bank, put all of your plastic in there, only use your plastic at times when the bank is open so you can go put it back when you are all done with it. Only carry as much cash as you should have said aside for gambling. If, under these conditions, you ever access cash for the purpose of gambling by any means not involving the money you had specifically set aside for that purpose, get help.

I don't want to see you kill yourself, and I know someone who did that, too. Remember Mark who I was talking about?

Listen, I do the safe deposit box thing, and I've only lost myself in a casino once...years ago...and I didn't even take a cash advance out...just had a crap ton of cash on me. Shame on the casino if they fooled me once, shame on me if they fool me twice.

really sucks too cuz i know i can beat poker... but i feel like i cant even walk into the casino anymore.

its only a matter of time before i am telling another atrocious story...


i think im just going to give it up. (not completely i wager stuff with friends like sports and fantasy football)




"and to think all these years...mondays $3 pitchers...whose the sucker now" - me


gg and thanks for the support

one last thing...about my bad run yesterday and how i knew it was a problem

everyone in the casino knows me on a first name basis - most of the players do too


at least 5 poker players walked by and asked if i was on the list...i shook my head no

all of them seemed shocked...normally i always play poker... i even felt strange (like an addict)

my last session of poker was a few weeks ago and i got up because the game was super nitty and decided to go play BJ instead.

guess i need action thats my problem. I play poker very solid so my game is very boring (GRIND)


anyway im going to work on staying away from casino and see how the quality of life improves.

again thanks and good luck to you all.

This mirrors my friend exactly. He was a winning poker player and lost his roll and then some playing BJ after cashing. Turns out he had to supplement his "addiction" into video games after he went cold turkey.

Hope everything works out for you. Good luck.

Call 1-866-789-1511, the State of Washington's Problem Gamber referral line. In a sense, it is good to know that you recognize the problem in yourself nezbit. "Knowing is half the battle."

Quote: djatc

Hope everything works out for you. Good luck.

+1

What does your wife think? Does she even know?

I used to save all of my money and then go to Vegas when I had a bankroll built up. I'd have money to pay my bills, but anything extra would all be gambled away. I never saved up to buy nice clothes or tv's or retirement....nothing. It was always wasted on gambling. Once I got a girlfriend, now wife, I cut way back as I had more responsibility. I've chased many losses before and I hope you can get some help man.

Quote: Beardgoat

. Once I got a girlfriend, now wife, I cut way back as I had more responsibility.

The best A.P. play!

Quote: Beardgoat

What does your wife think? Does she even know?

I used to save all of my money and then go to Vegas when I had a bankroll built up. I'd have money to pay my bills, but anything extra would all be gambled away. I never saved up to buy nice clothes or tv's or retirement....nothing. It was always wasted on gambling. Once I got a girlfriend, now wife, I cut way back as I had more responsibility. I've chased many losses before and I hope you can get some help man.

Damn, totally missed he was married! On my Vegas/Tunica trips, I have used my g/f as a "fund holder" at times because of lack of ATMs that don't rape you, and I am cash flush during parts of the trip. She's trustworthy because she is the ultimate gambling nit; it's a miracle she actually likes Vegas! It probably helps that she has yet to lose $100 in gambling on any Vegas trip (5 trips - 24 nights total)! She never has done much better than "even" in Vegas either, but she likes our "cheap vacations" in Vegas. Pain in the ass to do, but it can be done.

We don't have kids...and sadly, I'm hoping OP doesn't either. :-\

great thread i understand people with problems, i am a banker and i see the transactions people go to the machine, 20 then 20 then 100 and then 20. yes they all need help. play what you can, never chase

but won't make us free from addiction