How do you guys avoid the draw of table games?

[jh12547]

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I wish you could ban yourself from casinos like you can online.

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As far as the CT casinos go u can ban yourself. Cant be just table games its either all or nothing. If you get caught on premises after the ban you get arrested for trespassing.If you decide you want to comeback you have to wait at least a yr and then write to the gaming comm.for re-entry. As far as AC, Vegas or anywhere else im not sure.

[Trainwreck]

I get my 'gambling' fix when my best friend and/or gambling family members visit, and that is the only time I spend much time at all playing anything other than poker, I used to dabble in video poker, but have cut that off to those visits as well.

I took on other hobbies that are much much much cheaper.

It has gotten much much easier as I have lived here in Vegas, longer (over 4 years now).

When I didn't live here, and visited, I was a gambling leakoid like most tourists, that too helped me break the habit, higher cost of living out here too made it clear that we couldn't avoid this leak if we actually wanted food, clothing, AND shelter. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ckmo]

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Some pretty awful advice here. "I just realize the tables are -EV and move on." Jeez, thanks. I'm sure the OP didn't realize that craps is a negative proposition.

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since the thread title is "How do you guys avoid the draw of table games?" I think maybe you are missing the point not the people posting.

[AvivaSimplex]

I put in 100+ hours of playing blackjack and other games to clear bonuses online. Table games are boring as hell now. I'd rather play minesweeper--at least that has some modicum of skill.

[uclaben]

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Some pretty awful advice here. "I just realize the tables are -EV and move on." Jeez, thanks. I'm sure the OP didn't realize that craps is a negative proposition.

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since the thread title is "How do you guys avoid the draw of table games?" I think maybe you are missing the point not the people posting.

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The OP was looking for advice.

"Hey guys...my parents just got divorced. For those who have experienced this, how did you get over the pain?"

"I just realized it was -EV to be pissed off about it and moved on."

That's not helpful.

[gameoverjc]

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By not being drawn to them. I'd sooner chop off my dick with a butter knife than sit at a blackjack table.

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Hahgaha.

Anyway, I've lost about 2.3k on blackjack. I took my last 400, and bet on the Colts throughout the playoffs and ran it up to 3.5k. I chickened out on the easiest bet (the superbowl) and would've made 6k.

I vowed to never bet on sports again (after the Colts squeaked out a winner vs the Pats), because I didn't like the extreme ups and downs of it.

I'd suggest you to make some sort of integrity promise to yourself as well. If you can't be true to yourself, you should stay away from gambling. Too much discipline needed to be in casinos as it is.

[rgold79]

I've had this problem in the past, and honestly this is what really helped me:

After you lose, find the nearest bathroom and take a dump. I'm not kidding. Even if you don't have to go, find a clean toilet, pull your pants down and sit on it for a few minutes. Better yet, if you're staying in the hotel, go back to your room, take your dump and then follow it up with a hot shower. These things seem trivial, but they clear your head and bring you back into reality. Doing the things you repeat every day of your life - sitting on the toilet, showering, sitting down to eat a meal - are the things that we are all familiar and comfortable with. The urge to gamble, destructively or otherwise, is not a part of your normal psyche. When you restore balance to your mind that urge should disappear. If it doesn't then it is time to consider whether you have a problem.

And don't forget to wash your hands.

[Grasshopp3r]

and wear sunscreen

[Overseer55]

After losing $4200 in about 2 hours playing BJ + craps, I had no desire to play any more table games. $4200 was about 15-20% of my poker bankroll at the time.

[Mr Rick]

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I'm really having problems with them. I am grinding out a decent profit at the NL tables but when I have a bad session and I'm walking out of the casino passing by all the table games sometimes I just can't help it and impulsively try to "get even" with some blackjack . Obviously that never ends well. I always thought I was above this sort of thing, but I am recently finding that I am not.

How do those of you who play poker on a daily basis manage to avoid this deathtrap?

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I am not an expert on gambling addictions but this doesn't sound like one. This seems more like a "tilt" problem. When you leave a session a loser remind yourself you are on tilt and should not gamble at any game any more. Your judgement is impaired.

I have a hard time getting up from the table when I am losing because I think I can win it back. And I notice I start playing looser so I can win it back right now. So, I created a checklist for myself when I identify that I am on tilt.

Just pulling myself away from the table (gambling) and reading the checklist settles me down. I also say the serenity prayer (God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference). As I say the prayer it helps me to focus on what I can't control (bad beats, bad judgement on my part on a past hand), what I can control (my attitude, my behavior, getting back to my opening hand standards), and wisdom (well if nothing comes to mind I just say the prayer again).

Lastly, check in with yourself to see if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Or if you have to pee. I make terrible decisions when I feel any of these and even worse when I am feeling multiple of these. So I often opt to deal with the feeling first and then make a decision.