There may be some members here who have had a rough time this year and upon reflection may want to gamble less in 2021. The plethora of responsible gambling messages are littered over every site to the point that they may become invisible to some.
As a community we all enjoy a gamble otherwise this forum would be of no interest. Perhaps though in an effort to help those people who may be struggling a little it would be nice to close out 2020 with some advice for our fellow members who may have struggled.
The point where the fun stops is probably known to almost everyone who gambles and it is just a matter of degree and unless there is a catastrophic event such as a huge loss or relationship breakdown the memory fades and the opportunity for the fun to stop is once again a real possibility. Some folks control this far better than others and are able to learn lessons and adjust behaviours more effectively. Yet for the majority of folks on here there is always that risk.
So it would be great to hear from all the members as to the biggest high and the lowest low from their 2020 gambling exploits and the effect, whether positive or negative, upon their lives and people around them.
My own biggest high was winning two tournaments on Pokerstars on two consecutive nights that allowed me to buy a new car and book a holiday to Las Vegas (who knows when that will get to happen). I always withdraw all sizeable wins immediately and ensure I spend it on a tangible thing that I shall be able to reflect upon and in that regard the car outside my home will always remind me of the all in hero call with only a pair of threes that was the foundation for the win in the first of the two tournaments.
The lowest low is almost a polar opposite and whilst the amounts are much smaller in comparison the effect upon me was far more profound. To explain I have a separate account attached to a Paypal account for my gambling funds. This is something I have always done as it helped me keep a track on my poker performance and at the start of 2020 the balance was reasonably healthy. In the early months of the year the balance stayed relatively consistent until i got a cashout on Party Poker that almost doubled it. Happy Days Indeed! As a result of using Paypal for the first time I did not withdraw it immediately although in my mind the cash for was earmarked for a new oven, washing machine, and a new laptop for my niece before she headed back to University. Two days later and after a crazy afternoon the gambing funds, despite years of strict bankroll management, were depleted to almost nothing. I had just stubbornly chased a bonus on Centurion Megaways, landed the better free spins bonus that paid 19x, went on tilt, and two hours later the cupboard was bare without ever even landing another bonus.
The feeling that I had stupidly chased and entirely lost discipline with what I regarded were the funds for the laptop made me so furious with myself. Now the laptop was still purchased and no-one but myself was affected however that loss was not so much a financial one as a realisation of how vulnerable we can all be to gambling. This resulted in a week of being in the huff with myself and now much stronger resolve to manage bankroll.
The one thing I would say is that the loss, despite being of much less quantum than the wins, was emotionally far more profound.
All the best to everybody for 2021 and I hope that the vast majority only feel the highs and that as few as possible of you have to experience the lows.
The other thing to say is that over the year I made a profit on poker but lost on slots even if the two items above are excluded. You would have to be incredibly fortunate to win on slots over the longer term and as such it should be regarded as the cost of entertainment the second you deposit any funds at all.
Nice!
Great advice mate, happy new year, your activity on this forum is well noted 😁😁
Happy New Year
High of the year would be August when I went on storming run and took over £4k out of WHG casino's. Some sweet hits and so much fun when everything is going well. I've done well the backend of the year as well but August was fantastic.
On the flip side and very well put by Pokersmasher, my low was the 2 months prior to August. I let things get on top of me, I was chasing, I had the horrible feeling you have when you are just gambling for the sake of it and I was spending outside of my means. I had to take a break.
Pokersmasher is absolutely correct. I was a problem gambler for far too much of my life to the point it almost killed me. It definitely has not put me where I want to be in life. Lost properties, cars, girlfriends, possessions, friends and even family. I'm always honest with it and why I am on the forum so much. I don't want anyone to ever have those issues. In fact DON'T GAMBLE. Best advice.
If you do though you really need to understand why you do it, what you want from it and have the controls in place to keep things in check. I have a separate gambling account I have to transfer money to and a savings account I have to order money from which is not instant. This helps me. Understanding what I do, what games to try, volatility and such also help me to keep things in check. I have streamers to thank for this as watching them allows me to make informed decisions without spending a penny and also if gambling is getting too much, watching a streamer can help with the urge. Cheers
You will not get rich gambling unless you have that once in 10 lifetimes hit on something. If you play, money is gone, get some enjoyment from it. Playing low stakes can be fun and not as expensive and you can get some cracking hits.
Brilliant read