Adderall and Online Poker

[AggroFish]

Amazing how in the last decade everyone has some sort of disorder that the pharmaceutical companies can cure. Yeah it's all my moms fault, so said the psychologist!

Drugs cured a pot smoking friend who was lazy...alert the press!

Ever think you procrasticate and dont do homework, not because you cant focus, but because you're bored, not taking school seriouslly because mom and dad are footing the bill?

seriouslly, just go get some meth, it'll last longer.

[MicroBob]

I missed this thread the first time around. Interesting stuff.


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Well if a chess player has to play his A game for an hour, that is pretty easy to do.

If a poker player has to play his A game for an hour, thats pretty easy to do.

If a poker player is a professional, and the amount of money he makes pretty much relies on the amount of hours he puts in - A drug that lets him easily put in more hours would result in a LOT of money and a faster learning experience (due to more hands/situations seen).

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When I played chess semi-regularly I knew some decent players who SWORE by the gingko-bilboa stuff. They were really into it for their improved concentration.


A single chess-game in a tournament can last 6 hours or longer.
Sometimes in a 5-round weekend tournament you will have to play 2 of those in the same day.


Tournament chess is FAR more exhausting than poker imo....and it isn't even close.

I've had single moves in chess where I've spent 30-45 minutes of my clock trying to find some 7-move or longer combination to scramble out of tough position and grind-out a draw or win.


The pressure in tournament poker can be pretty great because the money is so large. But tournament chess can sometimes be 6 straight hours of total focus and concentration. Whereas in poker you're obviously watching how your opponents play, etc but you can also have time to joke around at the table between hands.


tournament chess is totally exhausting.

[MicroBob]

About goodguy's post about eating right and staying in shape.

bobby Fischer was pretty insane in other respects...but he was dead-on in his training for his big chess matches. Not only would he study chess and his opponents' previous games but also eating right and tennis, swimming and running were considered part of his 'training' for a big chess-match.


I completely agree that this stuff can be important.

My poker is definitely better when I've been eating better and getting some exercise. When I'm lazy about it I feel my concentration at the computer is lacking.



Regarding the adderal stuff - friend of mine with ADD got put on one of these medications. The whole 'mellow concentration' thing grabbed him and he was totally able to focus and concentrate on a couple of law-papers that he was just not able to finish before.
Some people swear by the stuff.

I've never tried it so I really don't know.
I might have some ADD-ish type issues but I'm really reluctant to try going that route (even though my friend recommended I look into it).

[d-baggery]

I find I play my worst poker when I haven't eaten anything lately.

[CharlieDontSurf]

I've done meth, I've done X, I've done coke, and smoked some kind of black tar [censored] wasnt hemp i dont think and I never got hooked.

If your going to do this 2 or 3 times a week then I'd say skip it.
If your going to pop one of these maybe on a Sat when your worn out from the night prior...you'll be fine.

If you have any willpower what so ever...you shouldn't become an addict.

If your fat or lazy or have an addictive personality then I'd say skip it because your probably dumb enough to get hooked and not go cold turkey.

[MicroBob]

I'm not sure that one's make-up towards getting hooked or addicted to drugs necessarily relates to whether they are dumb or not.


Being fat or lazy doesn't necessarily make you dumb either.

[CharlieDontSurf]

well if your one of those people who are fat...and complain that no diet works for you--then I'd say defenitly don't do drugs...cuz if your to dumb to realize that simply watching what you eat(aka having a little self control) then you'll probably be too weak/dumb to realize your getting dependent on a drug.

Wasn't implying that bob.
A large number of fat people however do have serious self control/will power problems...which can have the same negative effect when ti comes to drugs.

[maurile]

I'm surprised nobody's referred to this yet:

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What separates good poker players is not knowledge but execution. When I am focused, my execution is excellent. But the challenge of the WSOP is to stay focused for a week solid, for 14 hours a day. How do I do it?

I've long been an enthusiastic believer in better living through chemistry. That's why, when I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, I didn't hesitate to fill a prescription for Adderall. A few months later, I won almost half a million dollars in a World Poker Tour event, then another $1.1 million in another WPT event soon after.

With Adderall in my system, I am like an information sponge, able to process data from several players at once while considering my next action. It also improved my patience. I can't count how many chips I used to squander playing hands out of boredom. Now, I have no problem folding as many (or as few) as the game conditions require.

This year, I have a new chemical weapon: Modafinil. Like Adderall, it stimulates wakefulness and enhances focus but without the annoying side effects of an amphetamine—for me, reduced appetite and insomnia. Drugs are not a substitute for healthy living habits, but the WSOP isn't a spa. With Modafinil, I feel well-rested even on limited sleep, and during a weeklong tournament it's pretty much impossible to sleep properly. Through judicious use of both I can operate at my full potential for days on end. And if I ever see a chip lead again maybe I can hang onto it.

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-- Paul Phillips in Slate

[MicroBob]

Didn't know about this.

Very interesting.

[TreyWilly]

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My girlfriends father got some online without a prescription and he gave me like 4 pills. I did not know it was adderall but he had mentioned that fighter pilots use to keep focus for long hours. Someone else mentioned it in the thread so now I know it was adderal.

I had alot of illegal ephedrine pills(which is legal againBTW) that I would use for poker every now and then. But that stuff can make you unfocused and jittery too. He told me adderall wouldn't do that but it was an upper. So I was glad to have em. My girlfriend accidently threw them away though and I never got to try them. I have been planning to get them from him again at some point. Nice I ran into this thread to remind me.

Anyways everyone is overly paranoid about drugs here in the U.S. If you are a level headed guy, responsible, intelligent, bla bla bla you should take the pills. When I get them I'm sure I'll take them on Fridays and saturdays. It would be nice to 10 table 10 hours straight and stay focused. Especially during the peak days of the week.

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You sure he wasn't talking about Modafinil/Provigil?