I have had the worst couple of months in my life.

[RWG Technical]

Wow, what a story, sounds like the makings of a novel.

So glad to hear it has been looking better, we have all been there, a number of years ago I said to myself "Well, this has to be the bottom, so tomorrow must be looking up..." and sure enough eventually things got better. And today, are much better than they ever were.

RG

[the window god]

I needed to hear some good news, I need some of it sent my way.

[TeeJay]

Please be very careful... a friend of mine seems to be mutating into a compulsive gambler who won't go out anywhere but the casino anymore... He only plays poker, and has been to Vegas twice this year already and it wouldn't surprise me if he goes for New Year's too. He seems to hang around with poker buddies he's met there. he's told me sometimes he's made losses as well as wins. he always says he is around even but I can't believe it. Sometimes he's down a few thousand, but I have a feeling it could be quite a bit. He was uncontactable for a week after a bad day once. He's lucky he lives at home with no rent or bills to pay apart from his car.

So be very very careful.

Another friend of mine says that it starts with the rush of a big win... then you always want to recreate that and bet higher and higher, until it stops being about the money and it's just about getting that high... just like drugs. The guy is a psychotherapist who was a compulsive gambler up until a year or two ago. It took him years to quit. Now he wants all betting shops and casinos banned. (Of course this doesn't happen to everyone... but if you ever feel that urge, just stop and quit it altogether).

One guy we both know fled the country from the loan sharks... only came back recently afte 6 months or so away. He would bet on NHL games without knowing anything about it, just cos he liked the name and needed to gamble. He still hasn't been able to kick the habit.

If you decide to get into online poker (and that is a lot better than other forms of gambling, but is still gambling!) make sure you do what you did when you joined RWG .... read read read There are books by the top poker players out there that you can read as well... some strategies will only apply when you are betting with certain levels of money as well, so don't expect it will work in every situation (eg. someone is more likely to risk his 20 pence than his 20k on the off-chance).

Don't forget, for all the big-time winners, there's a bunch of losers who must donate their money to these winnings...

Good luck!

And good luck to jfreeman (great story by the way) ... he's the poker expert around here

Thanks for the advice Fortunately, I don't have the funds to get into big gambling, and I understand these online betting forums allow players to put a fixed limit on their spends. Believe me, at the first sign of getting in too deep, I'd pull the plug. I'm not looking to take it up as a career, or because of a 'love of the game', but just for a little extra cash. If I can get that little extra, I'll be happy. If I lose the little bit of stake money I allocate, then that'll be all I lose. Honest

[jfreeman420]

@Teejay:

If you are serious about making some extra money playing poker I say go for it. But please before you invest one penny there are a few things you must do:

1. Buy and read Doyle Brunson's super system 2.

2. Read Doyle Brunson's Super system 2 again.

3. Sign up for an online poker account. I like Full Tilt. Good mix of fish and sharks and free advice from the pro's. They also have free tourneys for new members and deposit bonuses.

4. Play some play money games.

5. Play some more play money games.

6. Play as many free tournaments as you can. If you win one or even cash in one you can get yourself a little bankroll without risking any of your own money.

7. Now it is time for a more advanced book. Buy and read Harrington on Cash Games volumes I and II. These are the best books on cash games. Most others focus on tournament play.

8. Read Harrington on Cash Games Volume I and II again.

9. If ny now you have invested 60 or 90 days into learning the basics of poker and you feel you are confident enough to play for real, make a small deposit and start at low limits. I made the mistake of depositing $1,000 my first time online. I ran it up pretty high and then ran it down very quickly. The low limit players are the worst. If you can beat the low limits you can move up the ladder.

10. Study and play as much as you can. The only way to learn is experience. You will have ups and downs but you will not experience every situation without playing. Analyze your play when you lose and remember what you should have done differently for the next time you are in the same situation.

11. Download and use Poker Tracker. This program will analyze your play automatically. You should improve with every 10,000 hands.

Good luck.

[TeeJay]

@Teejay:

If you are serious about making some extra money playing poker I say go for it. But please before you invest one penny there are a few things you must do:

1. Buy and read Doyle Brunson's super system 2.

2. Read Doyle Brunson's Super system 2 again.

3. Sign up for an online poker account. I like Full Tilt. Good mix of fish and sharks and free advice from the pro's. They also have free tourneys for new members and deposit bonuses.

4. Play some play money games.

5. Play some more play money games.

6. Play as many free tournaments as you can. If you win one or even cash in one you can get yourself a little bankroll without risking any of your own money.

7. Now it is time for a more advanced book. Buy and read Harrington on Cash Games volumes I and II. These are the best books on cash games. Most others focus on tournament play.

8. Read Harrington on Cash Games Volume I and II again.

9. If ny now you have invested 60 or 90 days into learning the basics of poker and you feel you are confident enough to play for real, make a small deposit and start at low limits. I made the mistake of depositing $1,000 my first time online. I ran it up pretty high and then ran it down very quickly. The low limit players are the worst. If you can beat the low limits you can move up the ladder.

10. Study and play as much as you can. The only way to learn is experience. You will have ups and downs but you will not experience every situation without playing. Analyze your play when you lose and remember what you should have done differently for the next time you are in the same situation.

11. Download and use Poker Tracker. This program will analyze your play automatically. You should improve with every 10,000 hands.

Good luck.

That is absolutely fantastic advice, and very much appreciated Indeed, I think this could be a good way for me to earn a little extra, so from that perspective, I plan to treat it as seriously as I would any other business venture. On the flipside of that, I won't be spending large amounts of money, or playing for considerable lengths of time. I'm all too aware of the dangers involved, so I want to be sensible enough to avoid them by not 'getting sucked in'. To use a pool analogy, I'd be aiming to be someone who goes into the pool hall every now and again, shoots a few tables, then leaves, not someone who spends all their time in there Thanks again

[Pugwash]

To win at Poker, others have to lose. In a dwindling economy, people have less to lose and you end up preying on the addicts and the stupid; not where I'd want a career.

Still, good luck, I wish you all the best. Great telling of the tale, by the way.

[jfreeman420]

Words of wisdom from Pugwash. Maybe I'll just quit now..........Riiiiight.

Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Monte Carlo all casino cities. You don't think they were built with winners' money do you?

Someone has to lose for someone to win in any business. I don't play huge limits so noone can get hurt too bad. 97% of poker players play for entertainment and recreation. 1 or 2% play for profit and about 1% of gamblers are compulsive. These are real statistics.

BTW, a good portion of the 97% of recreational players are stupid. Nothing wrong with that. The stupid people have gotten plenty of money from me as well. Any poker player will know what I mean.

[coolfire]

The Bling King lives on!

Glad it has turned around for you, dude.

Cheers!

[Pugwash]

Someone has to lose for someone to win in any business.

Not true, I'm afraid.

Buying a loaf of bread, for instance.

[jfreeman420]

The big corporations have put mom and pop stores out of business for decades. Wal-Mart comes into a town with their low low prices and poof, no more mom and pop. You buy a loaf of bread from Wal-mart you are killing small business.

The world is not perfect, I don't need to justify what I do but I think your statement is far too idealistic and unfounded.

In response to your comment about the dwindling economy, there are plenty of people out there doing very well. There are more millionaires today than ever. Don't let the media fool you.

The last thing i want to do is to get into a debate over the morality of peoples' professions. I wanted to tell this story because I know alot of people are going through hard times. I was hoping to brighten someones day by letting them know that things do get better. Not just for me, but hard times come and go just like good times.