I have a gambling addiction and need advice
John
the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
player. I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
difficult to quit cold turkey. Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
have overcome this disease. Thank you very much.
HJCohen
wrote:
Sorry to hear about your plight. The usual 12-step programs (gamblers
anonymous comes to mind) are usually helpful. They have 800 and 888
area code phone numbers, so their phone numbers will be accessible from
the 800 directory information (800 555-1212).
You should also consider seeking help from a psychologist. Many
corporations have employee help programs obstensibly to help
addictions of all sorts. If you work for such a corporation,
use their services.
--
Harvey J. Cohen, Ph. D.
<hjc...@gte.net>
Windows 95 (win-DOH-z), n. A thirty-two bit extension and
graphical shell to a sixteen bit patch to an eight bit
operating system originally coded for a four bit microprocessor
which was used in a PC built by a two bit company that couldn't
stand one bit of competition.
JSTAT
>
> I consider myself to be a good blackjack player and have read many books on
> the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
> years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
> believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
> player. I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
> difficult to quit cold turkey. Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
> uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
> have overcome this disease. Thank you very much.
You should have practiced these so-called winning systems at home
before trusting them. You should have dealt every hand youself instead
of
having faith in computer simulations. I went through the Hellhole
of blackjack while practicing at home and suggest that the aspiring
player do the same. I discovered my creation JSTAT II through this
process and hope that you can adopt it to get your money back...JSTAT
II counts the ten cards as -2 and the non tens(excluding the aces) as
+1. This count has not been widely published because it wins and the
casino industry would be threatened.
JSTAT
Ken Churilla
>I consider myself to be a good blackjack player and have read many books on
>the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
>years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
>believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
>player. I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
>difficult to quit cold turkey. Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
>uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
>have overcome this disease. Thank you very much.
You can get help from Gamblers Anonymous. Visit their website at:
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/
Ken Churilla
Ken's Poker Page
http://www.best.com/~mentorms/poker/
dggrant
or asking con men for directions. Arnold Snyder published
that all addicted gamblers should learn to play his losing
systems. These con men are NOT the people to contact for a
gambling problem. Stay off this newsgroup would be a wise
and a first choice.
Doug Grant (Tm)
Ken Churilla wrote in message
<362b3c99....@nntp1.ba.best.com>...
Pete Moss
>
> I consider myself to be a good blackjack player and have read many books on
> the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
> years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
> believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
> player.
Why did you ever think otherwise? You must have been reading some
really bad books. Any good one will tell you that basic strategy
alone gives the house the edge in almost all the games you will find.
A good book will also go into great detail about standard deviation
and risk.
> I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
> difficult to quit cold turkey.
What do you want to hear? Take up chewing gum? There's no "patch"
for blackjack. You know what you have to do. Do it. You might try a
Gambler's Anonymous group, but they'll just tell you what I'm telling
you. Not one more hand of blackjack.
If you play for thrills, and you can't get those thrills playing at a
level you can afford, or if you don't have the discipline to gamble
within your means, QUIT IT! Not one more round. Take up riding
roller coasters or something when you get a jones for excitement.
> Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
> uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
> have overcome this disease.
It is not a disease. It is a bad habit. The way you overcome it is,
you quit doing it. It's not like cancer. You can't just quit doing
cancer.
Patient: "Doctor, my arm hurts when I do this."
(Patient puts his elbow behind his head.)
Doctor: "Then don't do that."
There's another approach -- one a man named Dr. Sartin supposedly took
with a group of problem horse race gamblers: He told them to quit
playing only until they learned enough about the game to keep
themselves out of trouble. After they studied the game for long
months, they got into a bus and went to the races. You could really
learn to play blackjack, including learning all about risk
management. I warn you though that if you do learn to play well, the
thrill will be gone. You will seldom if ever be betting more than
about 2% of the money you've set aside as a blackjack bankroll. How
thrilling is that? When you lose a substantial fraction of your
bankroll, (and even playing perfectly, you will eventually hit such a
streak), you will cut back on the size of your bets. Not too
thrilling, betting less when you're losing, eh? The game will become
more of a grind than a thrill. You may also find that some of your
"friends" on the other side of the tables are no longer so friendly,
and may take steps to keep you from winning, including making you stop
playing. But then, that's what you want to do now, right?
Pete
Pete Moss
>
>
> Sorry to hear about your plight. The usual 12-step programs (gamblers
> anonymous comes to mind) are usually helpful. They have 800 and 888
> area code phone numbers, so their phone numbers will be accessible from
> the 800 directory information (800 555-1212).
>
And if that is not your cup of tea, look into "Rational Recovery".
I'm not sure I remember the founder's name, but I think it is Tripley,
or something like that. A web search will probably bring something
up. Also look for "The Small Book".
Pete
Pete Moss
>
> You should have practiced these so-called winning systems at home
> before trusting them.
He would need to practice and keep accurate records for years before
he could gather enough data to verify a system.
> You should have dealt every hand youself instead of
> having faith in computer simulations.
A computer can do in a few minutes what it would take him a lifetime
to do. And why should his "faith" be any higher in his manual
experiments anyway?
> I went through the Hellhole
> of blackjack while practicing at home and suggest that the aspiring
> player do the same. I discovered my creation JSTAT II through this
> process ...
No comment.
Pete
Greg R
have it cold. Go back to the casino and work the system without deviation.
If you turn the addiction into a system, you will no longer crave the rush
of the big win. You will be at the casino doing your job. If you persevere
and have discipline you will win your 70k back.
Only my advice.
Greg. (Professional Dealer)
John wrote in message ...
>I consider myself to be a good blackjack player and have read many books on
>the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
>years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
>believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
>player. I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
>difficult to quit cold turkey. Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
>uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
>have overcome this disease. Thank you very much.
>
>
>
Greg R
jac...@xmission.com
>
> John wrote:
> >
> > I consider myself to be a good blackjack player and have read many books on
> > the subject and believed the game could be beaten. Over the last several
> > years I have lost approximately 70,000 dollars at blackjack and I now
> > believe the casino has an insurmountable edge over the basic strategy
> > player. I am addicted to the action of the casino and am finding it very
> > difficult to quit cold turkey. Has anybody in this newsgroup overcome an
> > uncontrollable gambling addiction? I am interested in seeing how others
> > have overcome this disease. Thank you very much.
>
> You should have practiced these so-called winning systems at home
> before trusting them. You should have dealt every hand youself instead
> of having faith in computer simulations. I went through the Hellhole
> of blackjack while practicing at home and suggest that the aspiring
> player do the same. I discovered my creation JSTAT II through this
> process and hope that you can adopt it to get your money back...
JSTAT, this is truly sick. Someone asks for help in quitting the game, and
you try to entice them back in? When someone is drowning in a lake, do you
throw them an anchor?
--
Steve Jacobs (jac...@xmission.com) \ Do you play Video Poker? Try VP Freebie
"Expectation isn't everything..." \ http://www.conjelco.com/vpfreebie.html
Bill Vanek
Greg R <g.r...@sk.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>Get some books, there are lots of them. Study a system and practice till you
>have it cold. Go back to the casino and work the system without deviation.
>If you turn the addiction into a system, you will no longer crave the rush
>of the big win. You will be at the casino doing your job. If you persevere
>and have discipline you will win your 70k back.
>Only my advice.
>Greg. (Professional Dealer)
The fact that this player continued to play basic strategy BJ after
losing a whole lot of money would seem to indicate a serious lack of
discipline. Why do you think he would suddenly develop the discipline to
follow a counting system? Being "at the casino doing your job" is not the
sort of thing that would appeal to an addicted gambler; addicted gamblers
crave action, they are not there to make money. This poster was asking
for help quitting, not getting his money back. Also, do you understand
that even if he did follow your advice, there is certainly no guarantee
that he would "get his money back", or even win anything before he went
broke?
>John wrote in message ...
Joel Ingles
beat them!!!!
Jimske
>thrill will be gone. You will seldom if ever be betting more than
>about 2% of the money you've set aside as a blackjack bankroll. How
>thrilling is that? When you lose a substantial fraction of your
>bankroll, (and even playing perfectly, you will eventually hit such a
>streak), you will cut back on the size of your bets. Not too
>thrilling, betting less when you're losing, eh? The game will become
>more of a grind than a thrill. You may also find that some of your
>"friends" on the other side of the tables are no longer so friendly,
>and may take steps to keep you from winning, including making you stop
>playing. But then, that's what you want to do now, right?
>
>Pete
>
Very well said. Pete.
Jimske