Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I am currently staking a close friend of mine. After agreeing to stake him, I also asked that he does not smoke pot while playing. He said that he believes that smoking pot has no negative influence on his game, and that I shouldn't worry about it (citing a few top players on this forum as an example). Should I make this an issue, or should I not even worry about it? Thanks guys.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

o god, this thread is going to be huge.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

was I one of these names?

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

He said top players, Shaun.

I'm assuming he means the likes of Mario, Ray, and others.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

You are probably better off doing a little research on studies that have been done on the effect of marijuana on cognitive function. You are never going to get an objective answer here.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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He said top players, Shaun.

I'm assuming he means the likes of Mario, Ray, and others.

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Srsly Shaun, you should not be the poster child for why "pot" smoking is good while playing.

That said, I think I probably make some mistakes because I'm high, but I also think I make some plays I wouldn't have otherwise which are +EV for sure.

Also it keeps me sane, and I think this is the number one issue. If it helps me handle bad beats, etc. while multi-tabling and not tilting, it's +EV to me overall even if it makes me slightly worse at any individual decision (which I don't think it does)

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I could do studies - but I'm sure the validity/objectivity of them would be in question as well.

I can't remember whether he mentioned you or not, shaun.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

[ QUOTE ]


That said, I think I probably make some mistakes because I'm high, but I also think I make some plays I wouldn't have otherwise which are +EV for sure.

Also it keeps me sane, and I think this is the number one issue. If it helps me handle bad beats, etc. while multi-tabling and not tilting, it's +EV to me overall even if it makes me slightly worse at any individual decision (which I don't think it does)

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agree with this word for word

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

Well, put it this way. If you owned an airline, would you allow your pilots to smoke pot while flying?

I mean, this discussion will go nowhere. I have yet to meet any poker player that smokes pot that will say it impairs their decision making.

So, let me spare you a ridiculously long thread that will derail into a drug usage argument. A bunch of people will say it doesn't effect them, or even helps. A few people will come in and say, WHAT? Drug use is for stupid people. This will go on for like 8 pages. You won't be any better informed then you were when you started the thread.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

Hey I'm the friend he's staking,

I suppose I would agree in general that it would not be good to be extremely high before playing poker. If there is people around me and [censored] is going on I personally don't feel quite on my game. However with that said, I think I have played extremely good when I'm high when I'm by myself and can listen to music and really focus in on the table.

But even not considering that, after an hour after I've smoked and I'm still technically high, my game is sharp, I'm confident in this.

This is just my personal experience with smoking and playing poker. I'm interested to hear other people's experiences though.

Shuan I didn't mention you but I didn't know you smoked, we'll smoke down sometime.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

overall, pot is -EV while playing poker. i no longer smoke before or during play and my results have improved.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I say this if I didn't smoke and I am playing I will play my A game a lot but I will easily tilt and play my C game a good chunk of the time as well as get bored and prob quit a shorter session.

if I do smoke I def don't play my A game prob a B+ but I play B+ like 90% of the time also I can play longer sessions and I am less likely to get bored and do something redic because I want to quit my session earlier.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I shoot cocaine directly into my eyeballz. Staek me plz.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

The real question is, does DeebSpellcheck smoke pot while correcting shaundeeb's posts?

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I know heavy smokers that can drive/play games/etc the same or better when they're high, and I know lightweights who I barely trust to walk while high(myself, Im like a tyrannosaurus thats tail flings wildly knocking over trees and ish) I think it depends heavily how high his tolerance is/strength of strain/how much in a session he smokes, aka you cant really get a general answer that works at all.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

actually all of this is irrelevant since its your [censored] money and he can either agree or not be staked.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


That said, I think I probably make some mistakes because I'm high, but I also think I make some plays I wouldn't have otherwise which are +EV for sure.

Also it keeps me sane, and I think this is the number one issue. If it helps me handle bad beats, etc. while multi-tabling and not tilting, it's +EV to me overall even if it makes me slightly worse at any individual decision (which I don't think it does)

[/ QUOTE ]

agree with this word for word

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Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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actually all of this is irrelevant since its your [censored] money and he can either agree or not be staked.

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I agree that I have the final say, since I'm the staker. However, I also want him to do as well as possible - I could care less if he smokes or not, it's more about evaluating EV. I was merely curious on whether or not smoking is plus or minus EV - I now realize, this question really isn't going to go anywhere, and it's obviously all about the individual. In this particular case, he seems to think it won't affect his play, so I'll trust his judgement.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I wonder how often I IM my friends and am like "Man I just donked off my stack cause I'm so high"


Probably kind often [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] But at the same time I think there's a lot of times where I end up stacking someone because I'm so high too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The thing is we're not really going to know if individual decision making is negatively affected, but I think the biggest issue for ALL of us that smoke while we play is it relieves stress, helps concentration, prevents tilt, and allows us to play LONG sessions - all of which are enough +EV to overcome and slight -EV decision making.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

i have played MTTs while high maybe three times total and two of those times i final tabled one.

the defense rests your honor

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

assuming you get up and are stoned most of the day, you'll play pretty badly in the time it takes to get used to only getting stoned after your session

and thats the last ill say because im getting a cold sweat thinking about it

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

seriously, if I've been playing 8 hours and am deep or semi deep in a few things and I take a ridiculous beat I handle it so much better and just grind on when I am high. I definitely don't think I play as well early on high though.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

There is 3 things I can def say will happen....

1) Death
2) Taxes
3) Shaundeeb will smoke a blunt

That being said...he smokes and last time I checked he did better then most...so light em up!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jx9rUyQR3...eature=related

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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assuming you get up and are stoned most of the day, you'll play pretty badly in the time it takes to get used to only getting stoned after your session

and thats the last ill say because im getting a cold sweat thinking about it

[/ QUOTE ]

cant decipher this no matter how sober i am

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

ok, ill try to explain

you have your routine for the day, say, you do a few things in the morning then start your tourneys and start getting stoned.

you get told you have to change this routine, so that you dont start getting stoned until after your session. assuming you've been doing this a while, for the first week or so, your session will be hard to get through because you're used to being stoned by then

or maybe thats just my experiences of when ive gone somewhere i cant smoke or not been able to pick up and decided to play poker anyway, and it doesnt happen to anyone else or maybe it only makes sense if you give up completely

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

The only time I've ever played an mtt high I won a $2 triple shootout or something.

but that is irrelevant here obv. It's staker's money and if he doesn't feel comfortable staking when the stakee is going to be playing high at times then the staker should cut off the deal.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

ignoring the issue of whether pot affects your play or not, my solution would be to cancel the deal and renegotiate. If you want to make the same deal, do it, otherwise don't.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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actually all of this is irrelevant since its your [censored] money and he can either agree or not be staked.

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The Golden Rule, He who has the gold makes the rules.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

if he multitables, I can see it being -EV,

if he just single tables some higher tourneys then I don't think so.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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I mean, this discussion will go nowhere. I have yet to meet any poker player that smokes pot that will say it impairs their decision making.


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I definitely play worse when I'm smoking. That's why I try to avoid cash and stick to MTT variance-fests when I'm blazin'.

However, it's great for keeping me from getting overly upset at myself for playing badly. And, it just feels good and brings a smile to my face and joy into my heart. It's the tickle at the bottom of my feet and the angels pulling on the sides of my mouth making me smile. As Wesley Willis might put it, marijuana is joyride music, and keeps me off the hell city bus.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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overall, pot is +EV while playing poker. i no longer smoke, drink, or take mushrooms before or during play and my results have gone down the drain.

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Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

it starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose, wherever it goes. it makes me smile, maybe stay for a while now...

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

Grunching the entire thread to hopefully repeat the correct answer:

This is a business deal where you are investing in someone; you set the terms and they have to follow or they can get the [censored] out.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

Remove staking for emo Myspace avatar.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

smoke blunts -------------> get money

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

I smoke weed a decent amount but I rarely do it while playing, I seem to have trouble playing my best game while high that's just me. I have a few friends who are well known in the online world that literally smoke all day while they are playing (like 10+ blunts a day) and are completely fine and successful. I guess it's just hit or miss.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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ignoring the issue of whether pot affects your play or not, my solution would be to cancel the deal and renegotiate. If you want to make the same deal, do it, otherwise don't.

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This is the real issue here: what the terms of the staking were initially. Are they that OP will stake a non-high zizz only, or that he's simply staking zizz and lets him play however he sees fit. This needs to be worked out before money exchanges hands.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

clearly, if you are not comfortable with your friend playing while high, then you should end the relationship as far as staking is concerned.

those that say they play better or the same while high cannot say that because they have no control to measure their "enhanced" results against. but i can say a few things with metaphysical certitiude from my years studying biochemistry.

THC effects the receptor sites (mostly in the mid brain that control short term memory)and not just as temporarily as you think. THC has a 30 hour half life in human (it's fat soluble and hence you will test positive for >6 weeks after getting high).

if there is anything important in poker , it's organizing and remembering information on playing patterns that took place recently at the table and you just cannot do that as well if your mid brain is operating sub optimally.

the person who is himself high is the worst person to make an objective judgement about his cognitive abilities.

i'll tell you a related story. i used to count cards, and i did it well enough to be 86'ed from the mirage. i could count down a deck < 15 seconds, etc

i always had a rule never to drink while counting, because you really need to concentrate to get a small edge vs the casino. anyone one day , i had one drink before playing and i caught myself making 3 errors in 15 minutes, errors i'd never make when completely sober.

it takes very little impairment to effect one's cognition..... you just don't recognize that fact at the moment.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

It's not unreasonable to ask him not to smoke pot while he's playing with your money. However it's likely that even if he says yes, he won't actually stop.

For obvious reasons I think I'm an expert on this subject. He's lying if he says weed has no negative effect on his game.

The effects are very subtle...while coming down, I become very bored, which makes me either quit playing, or smoke some more. This is where the real problem is. If I'm playing tourneys, I pray that I don't flop top pair medium kicker, because I'm thinking to myself, even if I bust here, I can go sit on the couch and watch Ninja Warrior.

But thank God the guy didn't say "weed makes me play better." If he says that you should drop him immediately, because he's delusional.

Re: Need Help - Staking/Smoking Pot Question
 

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it starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose, wherever it goes. it makes me smile, maybe stay for a while now...

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ty, just bought this on itunes. not sure if they are talking about weed. could be talking about champagne or something.