online gambling addiction

[oberliner]

anyone have any advice to help someone who is a litle too hooked on playing online poker, wants to stop, but can't seem to be able to do it?

[Haole Girl]

1. I'd start here...

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

or, maybe here:

http://www.gam-anon.org/gamanon/index.htm

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I play for play money so I wouldn't be of help.

I would suggest professional help. I don't think we're qualified here. :hug:

[Floogeldy]

3. Take their CPU into the street, douse it with Kerosene, and light it.

Sure, that is extreme but I am sure it would help.

:smoke:

[pitohui]

4. yes but he won't be able to play again if he does this

he needs to contact customer service at all of the sites where he plays and tell them that he wants to close his account because of a gambling addiction -- he needs to inform them this is the reason!

partypoker for sure and i think ALL of the majors will not allow him to re-open or have a new account in his name, banking information, etc if he does that without jumping thru a lot of hoops such as having a spouse or doctor send a notarized statement that he no longer has the addiction

DON'T tell the sites this just because you want to get a new account so you can get rakeback, you will find you will have difficulty getting any account at all, ONLY tell them you have a gambling addiction if you really don't want to ever play online at the site again

this person also needs to get a check-up, surprisingly some medicines -- especially some drugs for parkinson's medication -- cause compulsive gambling, many older people have developed gambling addictions that they can't conquer unless their prescription is changed

a support group like gambler's anonymous will help by giving him some one to talk to there on the ground

i know several people who conquered gambling addiction by making it a job and becoming professionals, however, their game was blackjack, and being a pro blackjack player is so miserable that it really does become a job and who is addicted to getting up and going to work in the morning, don't know if it would work for poker and wouldn't care to risk it -- it's easy to become an expert blackjack player and to have an objective test of your skill, much harder w. poker

i think it might work a little to do it for profit rather than pleasure, because i've been picking up extra money the last few months playing online poker, and i just HATE it, it's boring, i think if you actually approach it to make serious money instead of as a game of chance and study the math, hit the books, practice practice practice it just takes all of the fun out of it and the addiction goes...sigh....even hookers learn to hate sex once they're getting paid for it..but to go this route the player MUST install pokertracker and honestly track every hand he plays to be sure he is playing at a profit

if he is not a winning player, if he is just playing a game of luck, he is riding the roller coaster and some do get addicted because it's fun "just to play" -- so getting serious does take the fun out of it

[oberliner]

5. thanks for this info nt

[oberliner]

delete

[oberliner]

6. delete