Playing while drunk
 

How do I convince myself this isn't okay? I'm in college and naturally end up back home on my couch at my laptop at 3am 3-4 nights a week. Usually I won't play any poker, but occasionally I'll fire up a SNG far out of my roll.

I play the $22s and last night I played a $109 and two $55s. Whether or not I cashed in any of them is irrelevant, I'm still pissed at myself and this has happened before.

I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

Re: Playing while drunk
 

You obviously associate poker with entertainment.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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You obviously associate poker with entertainment.

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On some level, yes. I'm not really playing to survive, and I don't ever expect to be. I think my goal is to just keep playing and building a bankroll and maybe eventually move up. But I really do enjoy playing (especially because I only play about 300 SNGs a month, I don't get burnt out).

I do have to cash out about 1/3 of my bankroll this month, so it's starting to be more important. That's why this kind of stuff makes me hate myself. Who knows, maybe next week I'll come home and play a $530!

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

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Self discipline (at least as important in poker as knowing how to play the cards).

Will work for the drinking thing too when you are ready...

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

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Self discipline (at least as important in poker as knowing how to play the cards).

Will work for the drinking thing too when you are ready...

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Yeah, I'll be ready for the self-discipline as related to drinking in about 5 weeks when I graduate.

The funny (ironic?) part is, I'm as conservative as it gets with my bankroll. I have a 120 buy-in roll for the $22s and NEVER take shots above that.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

I've actually cut down on drinking quite a bit since I started playing poker. I used to have 4-5 drinks on a normal day. I don't know if that's alcoholic level or anything, but I'm sure it wasn't good. Now I don't have more than 1 (usually 0) if I know I'm going to want to play later (most days). Set a rule that you're not going to play if you have more than x number of drinks and stick with as best you can. If you're like me, you'll find yourself drinking less so you can play more.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Play fake money. All in.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Building bankroll = dead sober, normal stakes

Drunk entertainment = donking it the hell up in $1.20 'stars SnG's! Wheeeeeeeee!

You're taking shots when drunk when you should be blowing $5 for fun instead.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

I wouldn't go so far as to play the fake money tables, but what I do when I feel like playing, but don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to do so, is to fire up a $5 turbo. I normally play the $22s also so the money doesn't mean much to me. You seem to be doing the opposite.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Donk Down!

Re: Playing while drunk
 

When I play live, drinking makes me want to play lower. When playing online, it makes me want to play higher. Why this is I don't know. If you really don't want to play, just delete the software before you go out. If you are hammered when you get back you probably won't have the patience to re-install it right then.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Set aside a small, separate drinking bankroll that is on a different site. Its easy to stay within limits when you don't have much money. Don't play the main bankroll drunk. And now you'll learn how to play drunk. Or man up and quit screwing around.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Where's the problem??

Re: Playing while drunk
 

There is a large difference between drinking and playing poker and drinking and not playing poker.

When you party/drink alcohol you are not playing that night PERIOD. There is plenty of time to get drunk on nights that you dont play so dont become a tool by playing drunk...you are supposed to play against drunks at the table not be one of them.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

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The question is what are you going to do about your drinking problem?

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

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The question is what are you going to do about your drinking problem?

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Exactly. I suppose he could have a drinking and gambling problem, but he should definitely figure out how he should solve the drinking thing.

Personally, I hate not being "fully conscious" when I play...I make enough monkey plays sober.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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When you party/drink alcohol you are not playing that night PERIOD.

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My case tonight, surfing the net and chatting but certainly not playing. -EV

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

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The question is what are you going to do about your drinking problem?

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It's a drinking problem fueled by the life style I live and the environment I live in. It's not a "come home from class and have to put a glass of whiskey to my lips". It's more of a "Woo!!!! I'm in college!!! It's Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat night!!!!!! Time to get drunk!!!".

I'm very well aware of my drinking habits and monitor them closely. If the same habits continue after I graduate from college (which I highly suspect they won't), I'll tackle that problem when I get there.

I do appreciate everyone's suggestions and I think this thread was very beneficial for me. Thanks guys.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

If you thought you got drunk and had lots of sex during college, just wait until you're in the real world and all of 3 months older. You will need to improve your game a bit, but that's a concept you're obviously already familiar with.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

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If you're like me, you'll find yourself drinking less so you can play more.


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Yep- me too. No more high octane belgian beer binges when I play.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

Hi Dave,

The way I see it you have 2 choices.

(1) Try to reduce the amount you drink when you play.

For this choice simply promise yourself (and follow through) that for every beer you drink while playing you will walk 0.1 miles the next day. For the next time you play and drink do the same except start at 0.2 Miles..0.3..0.4 etc. Eventually will not drink and play at all.

(2) Reduce the amount you play when you drink.

Lets say you wont play unless your ev is > $25/hr. After one beer dont play unless you get an ev of $30/hr. After 2 beers you need $35/hr. etc.

Either way should work.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I know I have a drinking problem, the question is how do I prevent my drinking problem from taking a chunk out of my bankroll?

[/ QUOTE ]

The question is what are you going to do about your drinking problem?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a drinking problem fueled by the life style I live and the environment I live in. It's not a "come home from class and have to put a glass of whiskey to my lips". It's more of a "Woo!!!! I'm in college!!! It's Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat night!!!!!! Time to get drunk!!!".

I'm very well aware of my drinking habits and monitor them closely. If the same habits continue after I graduate from college (which I highly suspect they won't), I'll tackle that problem when I get there.

I do appreciate everyone's suggestions and I think this thread was very beneficial for me. Thanks guys.

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I'm not trying to be your mom or anything. I drank quite a bit when I was in college, too. But when someone says, "I know I have a drinking problem," and asks for advice on how to solve problems that arise from it, my initial thought is that you're attacking the issue from the wrong end.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

This is an issue of self control. If you play pretty regularly every day, just get in your poker playing hours during the day when you're not drinking. I'm in college as well and also drink quite a bit. I just simply won't play when I'm drunk. I'll drink when I play with my friends, but that is just a social setting for chump change. But if you really feel the need to play when you get home and are drunk, play much smaller stakes than you usually do. You said you play the 22SNG's. So if you need to play while drunk, play a $5 sng. It'll satisfy you're urge to play and cost you relatively little of your bankroll. Hope that helps.

Re: Playing while drunk
 

You might just have a problem remembering all those promises you made to yourself when you have a few in you, so...

Here is what you do, set up (or reset) your windows password or the password to log onto your poker account. Make it really complicated like "ajbk3l08954*&(#$jkdl", something that you can not memorize. Write it down on a piece of paper, and put that piece of paper somewhere.

Also combine this with the other poster's advice on un-installing the software. Hopefully this will be enough of a deterrence to stop you from getting to the tables when you are drunk. If not, set passwords on as many things as it takes. (Like withdraw money to a neteller or firepay account before you go out to drink, and then write down equally complicated passwords)