Re: Gambling Addiction
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I really find it hard to believe that any winning player is addicted. I'd put the number at 20% tops.
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Then explain how it is that guys like Brunson, Negreanu, Ivey, Lindgren, et al basically gamble on everything they do?
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They are skilled professional gamblers who have sufficient skill to give them a "vigorish" over their competition in the games they play. And since they have a sufficient bankroll to cover the variance, they eventually win money in the long run in just the same way that the house wins money at roullette, craps, and similar house games with a built-in vig.
You would need to define what you mean by "addiction" to get a good response to your question. Problem gambling generally involves lack of control of some kind. A problem gambler plays at games and at levels in which he is virtually guaranteed to lose - but he steals or borrows to continue gambling anyway. None of the pros you mention seem to be problem gamblers. On the other hand, a guy like Stu Unger was obviously a great poker player who was addicted to drugs and other forms of gambling at which he was less skilled. He died busto in a hotel room. I'd say he was an addict.
On the other hand, if by "addicted" you mean "someone who plays many hours, thinks about gambling all the time, and puts his personal relationships at risk because of the time he devouts to gambling," then many pro gamblers are probably "addicts" to some degree. But that is a poor definition of "addiction," IMO.
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