Poker and Pot

[Brom]

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Someone needs to do 10k hands sober and 10k hands stoned and post it.

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I really wish that I had thought of this before I started playing. I've easily done 10k hands stoned.

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A while back I wondered if I played better high or not (I thought I did but wanted to be sure). So I decided to run two PT databases, one while sober, one while high. Both were done at the same level and all games were played around the same times. I ended up with 55k hands in the "high" database and 50k hands in the "sober" one. The winrate in the high one was about 15% more than the sober (2.78 vs 2.42).

For live play, I'm certain it helps me. I become nearly immune to tilt, am more patient, and I seem to think about the game on more levels when I'm high.

[cnfuzzd]

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So, I don't every play drunk, but one of my friends seems to play pretty good while he has used Marijuna. I don't really know much about Marijuana because I've honestly never done it, But I may try it, haven't made up my mind. Anyways, does marijuana impare your poker judgement or can it help to relax you and keep you off tilt?

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i play better sober. I enjoy playing more when high. Im not willing to say that those who say they play better high are incorrect, im just curious as to what standard you are using to evaluate this. Unless its comparing databases of tens of thousands of hands, im guessing you probably just enjoy poker more when playing high, or feel like you are finding better plays simply cause you are high. Thats how it works with me.

peace

john nickle

[antistuff]

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I would think something like Xanax would be more effective in relaxing you without negatively affecting your game.

Disclaimer: I am not recommending Xanax, and I am not even sure if I am allowed to use its name in my post. If Mod doesn't like it, feel free to delete.

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Small doses of downers (xanax, vicoden, etc..) seem to help me make more rational desisions and ignore my emotions.

This is probobly a bad idea though, as it is easy to get carried away with.

[acesfall]

As a pothead poker player, i play high probably 75% of the time. I am an extremely competitive/emotional guy, and the relaxing yet coherant feeling of pot makes me tiltproof and I can concentrate for long periods of time in MTT's.

Long live the reefer.

[Cobain]

The real question to answer is whether the BB/100 ratio increase from smoking pot outweighs the cost of paying for the precious commodity itself? And how costly it becomes to maintain the optimum level of intoxication while playing.

[Michaelson]

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i play better sober. I enjoy playing more when high. Im not willing to say that those who say they play better high are incorrect, im just curious as to what standard you are using to evaluate this. Unless its comparing databases of tens of thousands of hands, im guessing you probably just enjoy poker more when playing high, or feel like you are finding better plays simply cause you are high. Thats how it works with me.

peace

john nickle

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As the booze+sex discussion demonstrates, these things effect everyone differently. As long as I don't overload my braid with information from too many tables, I don't need to compare databases to know I play a better game while high. Like someone else noted, I'm more attentive and think about more aspects of the game. I'm much more likely to play on auto-pilot if I'm sober, truth be told. And the notes I take from sessions when I'm high, so long as they are coherent, without fail contain more insight from those from sober sessions. And that's something I can assess after the fact.

I've found that pot has helped me in similar ways in other areas, as well. Unfortunately, it also cripples me with paranoia, and reduces me to an incoherent wreck most of the time.

Strictly to be enjoyed in moderation, for me anyway.

[acesfall]

that would require so much effort though.

[pa3lsvt]

My game goes to crap when I smoke the sweet cheeba. I've proven this to myself during online play (running strong through a tourney only to go busto in about 5 minutes after smoking, on multiple occasions) and at a home game (smoked before the start, played like ass until I sobered up and then went on to take the game down from way behind).

That said, I'll toke once off the bowl if it gets passed around at the home game so I don't come off like a shark at a friendly game. (Following TJ's advice on that move.)

I find I actually get impatient and VERY LAGgy when stoned and I am nearly incapable of making proper reads on people when high.

I did probably 75% of my college homework baked (BS Engineering, MS Comp Sci) and pretty much haven't found anything I don't enjoy more when high. Except poker. Because I hate losing money.

FWIW

[Stereolab]

Poker actually help poker play, for certain people. I know someone who smokes the marijuana because he is ADD and it makes him concentrate better, but he doesn't play poker.

As long as you use it in small doses it may help. I played stone once with some friends and I concentrated better and I came out up $30. But those were the days when I didn't know wtf pot odds, outs, position etc etc were all about.

Try it out, see what happens and tell us about it.

[PokerAce]

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Poker actually help poker play, for certain people.

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This might be a good reason NOT to smoke pot...