What's the REAL reason(s) so many "top" players are busto?

[Zorlac]

Take your pick:

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Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that plays a key role in regulating mood and behavior. Norepinephrine, a hormone released in response to stress, has been linked to arousal and risk-taking in compulsive gamblers. Brain cells release dopamine as part of the reward system through which you learn to seek pleasurable stimuli, such as food and sex, and dopamine plays a role in developing addiction.

[0524432]

[ QUOTE ]
Take your pick:

paste--------------
Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that plays a key role in regulating mood and behavior. Norepinephrine, a hormone released in response to stress, has been linked to arousal and risk-taking in compulsive gamblers. Brain cells release dopamine as part of the reward system through which you learn to seek pleasurable stimuli, such as food and sex, and dopamine plays a role in developing addiction.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was recently speaking with Alan Schoonmaker, Dr. of Industrial Psychology at Harvard University (who also writes excellent articles for Cardplayer) about just this. I asked him a question to the effect of

"What is it about poker as a hobby that, unlike skiing or skydiving, that causes some people to lose all scope of "real life" and sometimes lose massive amounts of $ via tilt or destroy their marriage/family etc.?"

Dr. Schoonmaker's field is not that of a chemical nature, but he told me that he does not know of any conclusive evidence that the poker experience causes the release of chemicals in the human body that could be perceived as a "physically addictive" nature.

I would like to see an article or study you may know of that relate human hormones to poker.