Live Poker Losses: £50

Overview
My best recovery to date, was abstaining for a total of 140 days approx. 4 and a half months, beating my previous best by one and a half months. Having relapsed, all of that good work can seem like a distant memory, but I must not forget that my recovery is not cyclical but in fact a spiral leading upwards and having relapsed I may have temporarily slipped back down, but I do not lose

Live Poker Losses: £50

Venue: Live
Buy in £50
Session: 18:00 - 18:40
Duration: 40 minutes
Lost: -£50
Profit per hour: -£50


Summary
Held AK and had the best hand on flop, and turn, with two pair, Kings and 9s. Villain managed to hit his straight by the river as he flipped over 10-8 on a K9976 board. So annoyed with this bad beat, Felt deflated, disappointed, annoyed and frustrated; basically extremely angry with

Online Poker Losses: £400 Fuck Poker Stars!

Overview
Fuck Poker Stars! Yes That's right! Played on mobile device at Poker Stars, ending up self-excluding for life. I am not the only poker playing seeing this Poker scam for what it really is i.e. a scam! Take a look at the website Fuck Pokerstars and all the people claiming that Online Poker, including Poker Stars is nothing but a Poker Scam!


Venue: Online
Buy in: £400
Session: 17:30 - 22

Roger Radler's 365 Days Beating My Addiction, Gambling Prevention Tips

Roger Radler ex-gambler and author of 365 Days Beating My Addiction approached me yesterday to ask if I would like to contribute to a small project he is working on to heighten the awareness of problem gambling and lack of support for gambling addict in the UK. In Roger's words,

"Each story would be totally unedited....your words not mine. And sure write about the horrific side....we have to .

Gambling Addiction Recovery

As I write this gambling recovery blog post, I haven't gambled for 68 days! That in itself has been both an incredible journey and achievement! Admittedly I have come close to playing the little devil of a card game, poker and at times the urge to gamble has overwhelmed me, but I have chosen not to gamble.

Instead of playing poker and gambling my time and money away, I have:
Created my own luck

Stop Gambling Forever for Everyone!

Abstinence is the only viable treatment option or goal to recover from addiction.
Today marks a four-week abstinence.  It is my intention to stop gambling forever. Not just for me, but for everyone, including my family, friends, partner and future clients.

Five weeks ago I gambled more than £6,000 playing online poker, wiping out a single credit card in a couple of days. I have an even deeper

Live Poker Losses: £50

Overview
Only had £50 to my name and without a win in sight from this session, I soon had nothing!


Venue: LiveBuy in: £50Session: 10:30 - 10:50 a.m.Duration: 20 minsLost: £50Profit per hour: -£50

Summary

First hand Q9, playable but folded; going to war with only my premium hands today


Second hand, folded K7, weak unplayable hand


Third hand, dealt Aces, raised the limpers from medium

Gambling News: Gambling Does Not Pay

Gambling News is a brand new community on Google Plus that I have created to help gambling addicts question whether they have a gambling problem and question their own gambling addiction to help them stop their gambling addiction. Some gamblers do not even realise that poker is gambling and that a poker gambler can be addicted. Gambling News will highlight how destructive gambling is and that

Self-exclusion letter for gambling addiction

If you are a problem gambler and have a gambling addiction, having a responsible approach to gambling by self-excluding is one of a number of relapse prevention techniques that can help mitigate a gambling relapse.

To assist, a template for self-exclusion has been written and provided. This will help you self-exclude from online casinos, poker rooms etc. as quickly as possible. Simply cut and

What is Self-exclusion | Responsible Gambling?

Self-exclusion is a fantastic method for responsible gambling, preventing addicted gamblers from developing further problems. Self-exclusion allows vulnerable people the opportunity to block access to gambling providers whether they are offline casinos or online casinos.

Self-exclusion has really helped me. My need to gamble is insatiable, and as a result, the act of gambling has been extremely

Gambling with Time

Spent hundreds of pounds on my gambling addiction by playing online poker over the past two days, that is on top of the tens of thousands of pounds I have lost since I started gambling.

This is the reality of being a compulsive gambling addict, completely addicted to poker. The reality is: so long as I gamble nothing positive will change in my life. I have won hundreds, but lost thousands, and

Live Poker Winnings: £53

The highs and lows of a live poker cash game. How do you know when to call it a day, to lock in profits or prevent further losses?Session
Venue:Live
Buy in:£50
Date:Tues April 23rd, 2013
Time:18:30 - 22:30
Duration:4 hours
Won:£53
Profit per hour:£10.60
Overview
The first hour was profitable; the subsequent four hours were a waste of time. During the downward spiral, I could not find the

It is time to spring clean my poker addiction blog

Wednesday, March 20th is the first day of Spring, but a blanket of snow covers the hills, trees and rooftops. Perfect timing then to keep myself warm while I spring clean my website.
Change the entire website layout so it looks neater and information is easier to access
Update the left hand nav to include new categories, update existing ones and include recovery links
Update my Google+ profile

Resisting the urge to gamble despite obsessive gambling thoughts

Over the past week,  my gambling thoughts have been so excessive that they have interfered with my daily life. The good news is I have not succumbed to these thoughts.

There is a very fine line between gambling and not gambling which makes me feel very anxious and vulnerable. My brain is getting stuck on a particular thought e.g., "I don't have enough money" this thought morphs into a gambling

The dark path of a Poker Gambling Addict

At the end of March 2013 I will have reached an important milestone i.e. I have not gambled for three months. It has been hard to stop gambling, harder than I ever imagined. I absolutely love poker -- and therein lies the problem. My compulsion for poker can never be enough and in wake of that enlightenment, a game that I thoroughly enjoy, enough to say that I love it, also has the power to

Virtual Casino Gambling

You might be wondering how virtual casino gambling started and how or why this virtual gambling phenomenon has grown so rapidly.

Take a quick look into history of gambling and you'll discover why virtual casino gambling was the next logical step and why virtual casino games are set to become even more popular than they already are.

Virtual casino gambling has only existed for a relatively short time, when considering that real casinos have existed for around two thousand years; they have come a long way from ancient Egypt to the glamour of Las Vegas .

Casino gambling has continued to grow and evolve as its popularity increases.

Virtual casino gambling has brought the excitement of real casinos directly into your living room. Virtual gambling offers increased convenience, so now you don't need to deal with the crowds found in real casinos and your favourite seat will never be taken.

Virtual casino gambling offers better security.

The virtual casino gambling is always available to you, so time is never an issue when you a virtual gambler. The privacy of online gambling offers increased security and peace of mind too.

Virtual casino gambling offers many different types of virtual games which players may not necessarily have seen at a real casino.

The choice of online gambling games available is incredible. Online Poker, blackjack, roulettes or online sports gambling, online casinos offer them all. You can choose your table, the limits you desire and play the optimum game for you.

You could even choose to allow the virtual casino gambling software to play for you while you watch, which means you don't need to repeatedly press spin or bet.

Virtual casino gambling is an increasing phenomenon.

As the internet continues to become an increasing factor in our daily lives, virtual gambling products and services will also continue to grow. In truth the virtual casino is as real as any you'll find in the major cities. With virtual casino gambling you'll have access to every kind of online game available and you get to wager real money, in turn winning real cash...

The Hidden Dangers of Gambling

This article is created for the specific purpose of educating people about the hidden dangers of gambling.

While gambling may seem like an innocent hobby or pastime, it's actually a very dark and dangerous habit to get sucked into. You can enjoy the thrill of winning big money in very little time, but in the long run the casino almost always wins and you end up losing not only your money, but also your family, friends and sanity.

Most people start out very small when gambling for the first time. They might bet $1 or $5 and then stop. When people become more used to the idea of gambling or when they get a taste of the big winnings that are possible to make, that's when people start to become careless and start wagering bigger and bigger amounts each time. The thought process behind that is even when people lose money, they think they'll win it back next time.

What you should know is that casinos are a business. They are not around to give people money, they are their to take money from people while making those people feel like they had fun losing their money. A bit of research will reveal that all casino games ultimately favor the casino. This means that while the player may win big amounts in the short term, the longer the player plays casino games, the higher the chance of that player losing everything.

Casinos are especially designed to keep players in as long as possible. If you enter a casino, notice how there are no clocks. This means players have difficulty keeping track of time and can easily play games for longer. This is just one of the many small tactics that casinos use to create an illusion that it's fun to be in the casino.

I'm not saying that casino games cannot be fun, and that you cannot make money from them. There are many people all around the world who gamble professionally, but there are many more who only lose money.

If you have an addictive personality and you cannot stand to lose, then it's likely better that you stay away from casinos. If you can control yourself however, then an occasional game of slots, blackjack or poker can be entertaining and you may even end up going home with a profit.

All I know is that casinos destroy lives of people every single day because of the fact that people are not educated about it. Do your research, be careful when gambling and know when to stop.

American Casino History

Early casinos were originally known as saloons. The development of saloons was influenced by four cities; New Orleans, being the first step to Texas, the home of gamblers; St. Louis, the home of fur traders; Chicago, with its large brewing trade; and San Francisco, the entrance to the goldmines. It was in a saloon that you could find somebody to talk to, drink with, and often gamble with.

Initially saloons could be found anywhere, often dug into the side of a hill. They later developed and could be recognized immediately because they were the town's most imposing structure. Likewise, the saloon's bartender was easily distinguished because he would be the best-dressed man in the saloon. He could also be found armed with a pistol and most likely a knife because he was both judge and jury to any disputes that regularly broke out.

The main contender for the status of America's first casino was known as Brown's Saloon. It was established in 1822 and could be found bordering Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. Typically, saloons followed miners; wherever miners settled, saloons were never far behind.

During the early 20th century gambling became outlawed and banned by state legislation and social reformers. However, in 1931 gambling was legalized throughout the state of Nevada, and Las Vegas spawned America's first official casinos. Additionally, New Jersey's Atlantic City joined them in 1978 to become America's second largest gambling city.

Las Vegas was responsible for putting the glamor and entertainment into gambling, largely through celebrities like
Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Sinatra and his friends, including Sammy Davis Jnr., and Dean Martin, became known
as the 'Rat Pack'. They achieved iconic status in the gambling circuit and everybody wanted to share in their oasis of
sophisticated glamor. The original film 'Ocean's 11' was filmed in Las Vegas, and cemented the town's kudos forever.

During the 1970s the casinos in Las Vegas became notorious for their association with the Mafia. These events were authentically summarized in the 1995 Martin Scorsese film 'Casino', which really says the first and last word about
the glitz and glamor of American casinos during that eventful decade.

Nowadays anyone can experience the sophistication and excitement of a casino in the online world of gambling. Online casino gambling is one of the 21st century's biggest phenomenons. These days, American casinos are just as likely to be hosted in the real world with a web server, and existing in a virtual format on the Internet.

Identification of Problem Gambling Issues, CNWL

As part of my application to the NHS Problem Gambling Clinic in Soho, London (CNWL), I had to identify my problem gambling issues. This is the letter I wrote to CNWL. I am sharing it with others as I am hoping other problem gamblers considering help, will be able to relate at least with certain parts and also will see that gambling addiction is cunning, it sneaks up on you, sucks you in and

Registering with the NHS Gambling Clinic, Soho, London (CNWL)

In late December 2012, I arranged an appointment with the Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic, in London, UK.

On registering my interest in early January 2013, I had to complete a form identifying my problem gambling issues along with the help I thought I needed. Once submitted, the Gambling Clinic took around three weeks to acknowledge my submission and