The Record - Article from Saturday's paper (Part 1)
Is it bad that I know the people in this article....
FACING UP TO POKER's DRAW
WATERLOO REGION (Dec 2, 2006)
He was always looking for the next rush.
About seven years ago, he started hosting a poker night with friends from work.
Soon, they were hitting the Niagara Falls casino three or four times a week. Sometimes, they would leave from the office and play until 1 a.m.
He was in his 20s and making good money at a tech company he won't name.
So what was the harm if he enjoyed gambling? So what if he didn't like to talk about the money he lost?
So what if he once dropped $900 on a single hand or spent 22 hours straight at the poker tables?
It wasn't until four years ago, when a friend compared his card playing to her struggle with a cocaine addiction, that Graham Pearce realized he had a problem.
"I was definitely addicted," the Waterloo resident said recently. "It was beyond an addiction."
The Responsible Gambling Council says participation in gambling throughout the province is decreasing across all age groups. Poker, both online and live, is the exception to that trend.
A recent council poll found that 37 per cent of adults, between 18 and 34 years old, play poker for money. Almost a quarter of those play at least once a week. The poll also found that one in five people are worried that a friend or family member might be developing a gambling problem.
The game's popularity has exploded in recent years. Experts say the trend is disturbing.
Some therapists say they're expecting a flood of new clients with gambling addictions, fostered by poker's appeal and an Internet-savvy population.
"We're kind of just bracing ourselves," said Michelle Nogueira, a problem gambling counsellor with the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph.
Nogueira said the poker trend is still relatively new but she suspects the number of people seeking help pales in comparison to the number of players who need it.
"We know this is a problem but they're not showing up to our agency," she said. "We haven't quite seen the fallout yet. But I think in time, as scary as it is, we're going to see it."
Pearce, 35, said he is surprised it hasn't happened already.
The father of two doesn't like to think about how far his addiction could have gone had he not managed to get it under control with the help of his wife.
He still doesn't like to talk about the amount of money he lost, but he knows the game sucked him in.
"Poker is the greatest sport because it's a lazy man's sport," he said. "You don't have to be in great physical shape. You don't have to be at the top of your game. You just have to be lucky."
It's the perceptions about luck and skill that have experts concerned.
Susan McLaren, a problem gambling counsellor at St. Mary's Hospital, said there is some skill involved in reading other players at the table. But websites and televised tournaments treat the game as though it's a sport, perpetuating the false impression that anyone can get rich with some practice, she said.
That impression can leave players susceptible to problem gambling by prompting them to bank their hopes on a wish that doesn't come true, McLaren said.
"There are 2.6 million different hands in a 52-card deck," she said. "There is so much chance involved, but because there is an element of skill, players think they can improve.
"People very often overestimate the skill and how much impact they have on the game."
McLaren believes poker's spike in popularity stems from two causes. One was the National Hockey League lockout in the 2004-2005 season, which left a void televised poker tournaments were happy to fill. The other is the proliferation of poker websites, which allow people to play multiple games at once from anywhere with Internet access.
The accessibility of online poker raises concern about the potential for addicts to isolate themselves with a computer and spend too much time and money before anyone realizes there is a problem, she said.
Jamie Wiebe, a Toronto-based researcher, has studied addictions for more than 15 years. She said the main problem with poker is the lack of information.
Despite its increasing prevalence, poker is still a relatively rare phenomenon that hasn't been studied thoroughly.
"We don't have a really good idea of to what extent this will cause a problem," Wiebe said. "We need to understand this beast before we can respond."
What's known is that the game is particularly popular among young adults. In 2001, 1.4 per cent of people between 18 and 24 years old were gambling online. By 2005, the number had jumped to 5.5 per cent.
Wiebe said most of those people were men and their game of choice was poker.
That's alarming because young people are more likely than others to develop a gambling problem, she said.
"Young people are risk takers," she said. "Whether it's heavy partying, fast driving, or gambling or whatever."
Wiebe said young people are also more comfortable with computers and less likely to seek treatment than older people.
She said there are plenty of hurdles people face in admitting they have a problem, including denial and the stigma attached to an addiction.
Pearce said Internet gambling can be more comfortable since everything is anonymous. He suspects that could be part of the reason there aren't more problem gamblers coming forward.
There's less embarrassment in the online losses compared to a crowded poker table, he said.
Pearce was amazed a few years ago as he watched some opponents across the table discuss the blunders of a player they had heard of.
Although certain details were wrong and parts of the story had been embellished, Pearce knew exactly who they were talking about.
"They didn't realize they were telling a story about me," he said. "I sat there thinking 'My God, I've become a legend in town.' And I don't mean that in a good way.
"I had become the joke of the poker tables because of my old habits."
Wiebe said gambling addictions are complex and often difficult to define but they tend to involve a lack of control, and a negative impact on the player's life.
Pearce's main vice was No Limit Texas Hold'em, a variation of poker made popular by televised tournaments. When his addiction was at its peak, winning or losing became less important than playing.
He said he could drop $500 or $600 on a poker game without thinking about it.
"I was finding it wasn't the money that was doing it," he said. "I could be losing and it would still be an adrenalin rush."
He said he was initially taken aback when a friend compared his love for poker to her battle with cocaine -- an addiction she had fought hard to defeat. But as she described the compulsion she used to feel about finding a fix, Pearce realized her past behaviour wasn't different from his own.
"I didn't disagree with her," he said. "I found I was always searching for the next high.
"It did wake me up and make me say, 'What's going on here?'"
Pearce said he got a rush from gambling he can't quite describe. It was a somewhat euphoric sensation that made him feel completely alert.
He could be dead tired in the middle of the night and a poker game would invigorate him.
Pearce said he also felt the stomach-churning notion that he could win his way out of a hole as long as he kept playing.
"That has got to be the sickest feeling I've ever had," he said. "When you get to that state, you start playing cards you should never play."
This is the side of gambling and poker most people don't consider. For the obvious marketing advantages, websites, televised events, poker magazines and casinos focus on the jackpots and people who win them.
There are advertisements featuring self-made millionaires such as Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 winner of the prestigious World Series of Poker, who worked at the game to become a master.
FACING UP TO POKER's DRAW
WATERLOO REGION (Dec 2, 2006)
He was always looking for the next rush.
About seven years ago, he started hosting a poker night with friends from work.
Soon, they were hitting the Niagara Falls casino three or four times a week. Sometimes, they would leave from the office and play until 1 a.m.
He was in his 20s and making good money at a tech company he won't name.
So what was the harm if he enjoyed gambling? So what if he didn't like to talk about the money he lost?
So what if he once dropped $900 on a single hand or spent 22 hours straight at the poker tables?
It wasn't until four years ago, when a friend compared his card playing to her struggle with a cocaine addiction, that Graham Pearce realized he had a problem.
"I was definitely addicted," the Waterloo resident said recently. "It was beyond an addiction."
The Responsible Gambling Council says participation in gambling throughout the province is decreasing across all age groups. Poker, both online and live, is the exception to that trend.
A recent council poll found that 37 per cent of adults, between 18 and 34 years old, play poker for money. Almost a quarter of those play at least once a week. The poll also found that one in five people are worried that a friend or family member might be developing a gambling problem.
The game's popularity has exploded in recent years. Experts say the trend is disturbing.
Some therapists say they're expecting a flood of new clients with gambling addictions, fostered by poker's appeal and an Internet-savvy population.
"We're kind of just bracing ourselves," said Michelle Nogueira, a problem gambling counsellor with the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph.
Nogueira said the poker trend is still relatively new but she suspects the number of people seeking help pales in comparison to the number of players who need it.
"We know this is a problem but they're not showing up to our agency," she said. "We haven't quite seen the fallout yet. But I think in time, as scary as it is, we're going to see it."
Pearce, 35, said he is surprised it hasn't happened already.
The father of two doesn't like to think about how far his addiction could have gone had he not managed to get it under control with the help of his wife.
He still doesn't like to talk about the amount of money he lost, but he knows the game sucked him in.
"Poker is the greatest sport because it's a lazy man's sport," he said. "You don't have to be in great physical shape. You don't have to be at the top of your game. You just have to be lucky."
It's the perceptions about luck and skill that have experts concerned.
Susan McLaren, a problem gambling counsellor at St. Mary's Hospital, said there is some skill involved in reading other players at the table. But websites and televised tournaments treat the game as though it's a sport, perpetuating the false impression that anyone can get rich with some practice, she said.
That impression can leave players susceptible to problem gambling by prompting them to bank their hopes on a wish that doesn't come true, McLaren said.
"There are 2.6 million different hands in a 52-card deck," she said. "There is so much chance involved, but because there is an element of skill, players think they can improve.
"People very often overestimate the skill and how much impact they have on the game."
McLaren believes poker's spike in popularity stems from two causes. One was the National Hockey League lockout in the 2004-2005 season, which left a void televised poker tournaments were happy to fill. The other is the proliferation of poker websites, which allow people to play multiple games at once from anywhere with Internet access.
The accessibility of online poker raises concern about the potential for addicts to isolate themselves with a computer and spend too much time and money before anyone realizes there is a problem, she said.
Jamie Wiebe, a Toronto-based researcher, has studied addictions for more than 15 years. She said the main problem with poker is the lack of information.
Despite its increasing prevalence, poker is still a relatively rare phenomenon that hasn't been studied thoroughly.
"We don't have a really good idea of to what extent this will cause a problem," Wiebe said. "We need to understand this beast before we can respond."
What's known is that the game is particularly popular among young adults. In 2001, 1.4 per cent of people between 18 and 24 years old were gambling online. By 2005, the number had jumped to 5.5 per cent.
Wiebe said most of those people were men and their game of choice was poker.
That's alarming because young people are more likely than others to develop a gambling problem, she said.
"Young people are risk takers," she said. "Whether it's heavy partying, fast driving, or gambling or whatever."
Wiebe said young people are also more comfortable with computers and less likely to seek treatment than older people.
She said there are plenty of hurdles people face in admitting they have a problem, including denial and the stigma attached to an addiction.
Pearce said Internet gambling can be more comfortable since everything is anonymous. He suspects that could be part of the reason there aren't more problem gamblers coming forward.
There's less embarrassment in the online losses compared to a crowded poker table, he said.
Pearce was amazed a few years ago as he watched some opponents across the table discuss the blunders of a player they had heard of.
Although certain details were wrong and parts of the story had been embellished, Pearce knew exactly who they were talking about.
"They didn't realize they were telling a story about me," he said. "I sat there thinking 'My God, I've become a legend in town.' And I don't mean that in a good way.
"I had become the joke of the poker tables because of my old habits."
Wiebe said gambling addictions are complex and often difficult to define but they tend to involve a lack of control, and a negative impact on the player's life.
Pearce's main vice was No Limit Texas Hold'em, a variation of poker made popular by televised tournaments. When his addiction was at its peak, winning or losing became less important than playing.
He said he could drop $500 or $600 on a poker game without thinking about it.
"I was finding it wasn't the money that was doing it," he said. "I could be losing and it would still be an adrenalin rush."
He said he was initially taken aback when a friend compared his love for poker to her battle with cocaine -- an addiction she had fought hard to defeat. But as she described the compulsion she used to feel about finding a fix, Pearce realized her past behaviour wasn't different from his own.
"I didn't disagree with her," he said. "I found I was always searching for the next high.
"It did wake me up and make me say, 'What's going on here?'"
Pearce said he got a rush from gambling he can't quite describe. It was a somewhat euphoric sensation that made him feel completely alert.
He could be dead tired in the middle of the night and a poker game would invigorate him.
Pearce said he also felt the stomach-churning notion that he could win his way out of a hole as long as he kept playing.
"That has got to be the sickest feeling I've ever had," he said. "When you get to that state, you start playing cards you should never play."
This is the side of gambling and poker most people don't consider. For the obvious marketing advantages, websites, televised events, poker magazines and casinos focus on the jackpots and people who win them.
There are advertisements featuring self-made millionaires such as Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 winner of the prestigious World Series of Poker, who worked at the game to become a master.
Comments
Thought it would be an interesting read for many on the forum who play, and know many players, in the Waterloo Region.
Hats off to Graham for putting it on the line in this article. While the article seems to paint us all with the same brush (which is unfortunate), it's definitely a good idea to warn the unprepared about the potential dangers, even if just to educate them.
YAY - I'm in the top 10% - I win!!!
The most "accurately misleading" statement in the entire article. They could have written "There are over 2.88 BILLION possible positions after the fourth move in chess, but because there is an element of skill...". There's obviously a lot of luck involved in poker, but they make it sound like the skill plays no bigger role than tying your shoes. Oh well...
Makes me feel as though local game throwers, like I used to be, may have a responsibility to help support those that have gambling addiction issues. I'm not sure if not allowing them into their games is the answer. I saw Graham sign up for a Bristol recently although I don't think he showed. We're beginning to see this more and more on the forum.
stp
We can liken this to a drug or alcohol addiction. If you knew a self confessed alcholic would you allow them to come to your house for a drinking binge?
I'm familiar with the specific 'embellished' story he refers to in the article...I was there. But imagine what it must have been like, embellished or not, to hear people telling horror stories about YOU. It's one thing to tell them yourself, but to be an observer...
This article is a bit of a double edged sword. Kudos to Graham having the balls to talk about it openly, it's likely a good step to help him along.
BUT...I'm feeling like the article, and specifically one of Graham's comments, does the game (and its players) a bit of dis-service. It's one thing to hear the reporter allude to the element of chance, or luck...but to hear the PLAYER declare that "You don't have to be at the top of your game. You just have to be lucky" illustrates the element of addiction, and not logical thought.
I'm glad someone posted this article. I was on the fence as to whether to do it or not after I saw it last week.
I would say the person hosting should not accept any responsibility, it's like making the bar/restaurant responsible for an alcoholics addiction. Addiction is a horrible disease, one should help if they can and out of the goodness of their heart. No responsibility should be laid on the host of a game if an addict shows up....that said, if one is hosting and knows a person is signing up who has admitted they have a problem then common sense would hopefully prevail and the host would do the right thing?
I firmly believe it's not pokers fault, or alcohols, or whatever, I believe it's a human condition that needs to be addressed...don't blame the vice.
Yes Tom, I am concerned you know these people...
Sorry, but Graham = ? Forum
People rarely exhibit (or have) an addiction immediately. However, as they play longer it can surface, and as the forum grows (and more people join), I expect it will continue to rise. However, I think we are somewhat sheltered here in that we will see a lower number of "addicts per capita" than the general gambling population since those visiting the forum are (on average) better educated poker-wise, more risk-aware and therefore lower-risk (on average - we're definitely not immune). The forum has also demonstrated a culture of protection, warning those who have posted about problems rather than encouraging them to jump back in the pool. Considering the "dog-eat-dog" mentality generally found at the tables, I'm very proud of how (most members of) the forum has handled the few who have problems.
Yes, a very uncomfortable topic, and even more uncomfortable if you are one of the hosts who actually has to make this sort of judgment call. Opinions may differ on the correct response for or against, but to simply ignore the problem would be irresponsible (in my opinion).
I remember playing one hand where I hit a str8 to his set and he slammed on the table and said he was done playing poker. Smart.
Following this he would often be at games dealing but never played, until about a month later when he sat down again. Many people have "addictive" personalities and it is a great thing for people to realize when this becomes a problem. I give kudos to Graham for this.
I wanted to post the article because it raises some good points about poker and chance. Poker is a game that includes chance - odds in poker is based on the Law of Large numbers - having said that - the Law of Large numbers requires just that - large numbers - many people get easily upset about playing the right odds - but it takes many hands for that to pan out - thousands if not hundreds of thousands.
I think is imperative that we do not play beyond our own means - remember that chance will always be an integral part of this game.
That is why I am personally an advocate of not playing beyond ones means.
If given the opportunity to play one hand $50, 000 - I get AA vs 23 - I would honestly decline. Because losing $50K would affect my lifestyle.
Everyone knows how easy it is to get in ahead and find yourself behind - the only way to ensure you stay ahead is to know your limits and play within them. (Thanks to the OLGC)
________________________________________________________________
The other important issue this brings up is, do we as community, have a responsibility to keep our eyes open for players whose lives are being negatively affected by poker?
Graham mentioned that we are all buddies - but at the poker table it is a different story - I would probably agree.
Maybe we need a section dedicated to providing help for those in need? To show that we do "care" about our fellow members and that we are here ultimately for the enjoyment of the game and not to bankrupt our friends.
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO GET HELP
St. Mary's Counselling Service Problem Gambling Program
519-745-2585 www.smgh.ca
Homewood Community Addiction Services: Guelph-based counselling services -- 519-836-5733
The service has a help line at 529-824-1010, ext. 2673 (COPE)
Ontario Problem Gambling Help Line - Anonymous, toll-free hotline that offers information about services and support groups. It's available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
1-888-230-3505
Gamblers Anonymous 1-416-366-7613
www.gamblersanonymous.org
Other websites
Responsible Gambling Council:
www.responsiblegambling.org or www.friends4friends.ca
Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre:
www.gamblingresearch.org
SIGNS OF A GAMBLING PROBLEM
Someone might have a gambling problem if they:
Constantly talk about gambling
Sacrifice work, family or social commitments because of gambling
Spend more time and money than they can afford
Borrow money or sell possessions to make a bet
Lie about the money lost or time spent playing
Seem tense, edgy or easily bored when they are not gambling
Promise to quit as soon as they win their money back
SOURCE: WWW.FRIENDS4FRIENDS.CA
Yeah, that's my point. I agree with you totally but I have a feeling that many people wouldn't. They would see it as easy money or "not my problem". And not to get into what is actually wrong with society as a whole, but the attitude of "not my problem" is one of the main things wrong today.
I think Tom raises good points, however, I don't think a thread would be visited by too many people with problems. I would hope that if someone does have a problem they would actually avoid this forum as it would be just an enabler to the addiction.
Quite frankly, I've read some veiled (and not so veiled) references to him.
Mark
I totally agree and that is the point I was trying to make as well by saying the host should do the right thing...and most would. However if the host is completely unaware of a problem then I do not think it fair they take any responsibility or blame in the matter.
It's interesting what people will put in print in email, on a forum, or whatever but would anyone actually do anything about it if they knew? In the past I had some serious anger management issues, surely not an addiction but a problem none the less and my friends knew it but did any of them step up to the plate and talk to me about it, suggest any form of help, or say anything to me about it? Never..but I'm sure they said plenty behind my back! I had to realize it myself and then deal with it myself, I still deal with it today and I'm sure I'll deal with it until I'm too old to know my own name?
It's so easy to play the 'nice guy card' but very few people have it in them to confront and challenge their friends or loved ones on sensitive issues.
btw, if you ban the individuals with an admitted problem, how about those that won't admit they have a problem? where do you draw the line? maybe it should be based on CFPs? get my point.
I tip my hat to him for his honesty and forth-rightness. (I think thats a word.)
I think it is important not to be enabler's but on the other hand, fortunately, the stakes we play for in the local KW area can't possibly represent life affecting amounts.
I think I disagree with Beanie. I am not surprised that we have already seen a few examples of problem gambler's on this board and think there must be many more than we know.
EV = 86.5% * +$50,000 - (13.5% * -$50,000)
= +$36,500.
Only if the amount was so high that it would put my family at financial risk could I pass up a 73% expected profit.
Good for him for coming out with his problem. I have to believe the reason people do this is so their friends recognize the problem and help them with it. Which to me means not letting them play in their home games anymore and not going to the casino with them.
Graham has never posted much on here but if you are reading this, Graham, best of luck to you with this, buddy.
My addiction came from the same medium - Television. Poker is being looked on as a sport, a competition. Beating the best of the best. Back in 2003 poker exploded the way it did because of Chris Moneymaker. If a guy like Doyle Brunson or Johnny Chan won I don't think many people would have played poker. Because an average Joe won the WSOP main event, students my age all started acting, mimicking a world class poker champion. Anyone can win!
If Poker wasn't televised as much as it is today, its popularity would only be seen at home games. More and more people play poker to someday chase the same dream i've been having for the past few years. Winning the Main Event, and becoming a poker legend. As I said in a thread awhile back, I let that dream take control of my life.
With guidence and a quick wakeup call I was able to overcome that sensation and continue to play but for recreation only and with a cap. Over the past few months i've only lost $48.00, compared to the $2,000 I would lose in a week. I have been able to take control of my gambling, and limit myself. When I went for counsling, the advisor said that no one can stop gambling immediatly. Part of the process is limiting your gambling. Kind of like stop smoking programs, where you can still smoke but not so many until you are smoke free.
When I sit at a poker table now, I am prepared to lose with the stack I come with, whearas before I was like "I'm gonna double this stack"
For those who might have a problem, when you sit at a poker table
play this equation in your head: Know your limit stay within it!
I appreciate the mathematics behind it - I wouldnt hesitate to do it for $500.
Having said that, a $50, 000 loss would negatively impact my life, as I am sure it would many players on here.
That is one messed up counsellor. Having a variety of counsellors in my family, I have never heard of advice like that. I am not a doctor but that is just f*cked. That's like telling a drug addict to only smoke dope and just stop the crack. Or telling an alcoholic to just drink beer.
I pointed him to 3 sources: pokerforum.ca, Graham and teach...in that order. I gotta admit, I feel a little 'used' by the writer...unless he genuinely didn't know that the story would spin in that direction at the time we were speaking.
A few clarifications and comments I'd like to make (and sorry if this sounds like a rant, only Molson Canadian can come up with a true rant..god Bless the "I am Canadian Joe"
1- I never saw the final article until I read the first posting on this board...guess the Records not even nice enough to tell you when you might be printed so you can get a copy....hahah gotta love that..
2 - there was a miss quote, yes I said it was a lazy man's sport, however I did not say the bit about being lucky, at least not in the way it was brought across. I obviously can't remember to the word but I'm sure I would have said something more to the point of you still need luck. With my loses I have tried to figure out why I lose so much. Some say I'm reckless (thanks I resembled that once upon a time) some say I'm lucky when I did win. Some actually said I knew what I was doing at times...man did I have THEM folled
3- Thank you djalikool for your post, if I knew this system well enough I would quote but I have had the same ideas given to me about how to beat my addiction. It is better to lower the gambling addiciton then to try and go cold turkey. For Flint Bones who has many counsellers in your family....how many of them deal with gambling addictions. From the ones that I have talked to all seem to share the same idea. Now your point with alcohol and drugs is very true..the difference being that once you convince a gambler to go to lower limits and they can still get the same rush it is not the same as drugs and alcohol in that both of those chemical alterations to ones body are a combination of desire for more, and the chemical's ability to assist in that desire. Gambling "highs" are completely self induced and as such can only be feed by ones own brain...teach that brain that winning a $0.86 cent pot at $0.10 and $0.20 limit poker is the same feeling as willing the $500 pot at a $1 -$2 NL game and you've assisted in curing the gambler of a potentially huge debt issue down the road. I know many won't believe this..but enough training and enough want to change by the individual and this can happen. I have not quit completely (just don't get invited to the same game since I don't come to this site as much as I should have, I do miss Tyson's, Shoppee's, Shannon's tournaments) I did want to make the Bristol H.O.R.S.E tournament but as mentioned I wasn't able to get the final details I needed.
4- This forum is an amazing place, and when I took the time to do my research here and study what others had to say I did find my game improved. I also think it is an amazing source for addition thoughts on ones game. I have noticed some comments as to who's responsibility it is to assist the troubled gambler. I think some of these suggestions are fantastic and I find it an interesting thought process for the group. It shows a level of responsible game playing that was completely missed by the article..and one I might write an editors feedback to. I wonder if the Record would even print it if I wrote it????
5- A suggestion if you feel a friend has a gambling problem... if they only gamble on poker..then GET THEM TO READ THIS SITE RELIGOUSLY...it would have saved me a lot of money if I had...if their gambling is on everything then highly suggest they seek assistance. A few of my friends from work use to joke that I was also busy at the casino because I knew how to play EVERY game and knew the odds for most....these were guys that I always felt were smarter then me so I didn't quite understand why they didn't know how to play the different games..their repsonse was that they didn't need to, they'd just wait until a seat became available at a game they knew...that to me was one of the first signs that I had a problem..I didn't care the game..just wanted in on the action.
And finally and the most important. I apologize to all that may have been offended by the article or anything I have said above. I didn't do this to get it off my chest or to put a negative spin on any of the activies of groups of people I know. I did this because someone asked my opinion. I am no smarter, braver, or whatever the hell you want to call it then anyone else..I just tend to like to talk..and I got pulled in by someone that wanted to listen. Interesting that he told me he wouldn't give specifics on how much I lost and then look at that, big bold numbers
To all of those that I have played with... I hope to see you at the tables again..just won't be sitting with huge stacks or a bank card in front of me anymore
Graham
This is actually very interesting and surprising. I was thinking along the lines of FlintBones, that abstinence was the solution (and thus the probable "banning" of certain players from my games). I wouldn't have guessed this, but it makes perfect sense. I did a bit of quick research at the OPGRC and found:
As it states, reduction of harm is the goal, not elimination of gambling, and both moderation and abstinence are valid solutions (depending on the person/risk). Thanks for presenting that info (you too Ali) - it changes my perspective. While we still bear a responsibility to those we see who may have a problem, the "host banning" question pretty much disappears considering the limits we play at (as Moose mentioned).
No offense taken. It sounds like you were trying to do some good and got slightly abused because of it.
Don't get too big an ego from this, but give yourself a little credit. "Anyone else" wouldn't necessarily admit they have a problem or deal with it or be forthcoming with others about it. It does take "a little more" and I respect you for that...
Now that I have a little more knowledge about problem gambling (and you), you're welcome to come out to my tournaments (low-limit, of course
Graham