Today is August 19, 2019 and this is probably the 100th time I've thought about quitting gambling this year alone. I've been gambling since I was a little kid- playing blackjack, poker, betting against friends in basketball, bowling, who could eat the fastest, etc. I've been surrounded by it from older family members and friends and essentially have been used to this type of lifestyle. Enter highschool and Texas hold'em and the world series of poker became the biggest thing, so poker tournaments/home games became a norm, playing cards during lunch breaks for each others allowances or food money, etc. Online sportsbetting and online casinos also started to become more popular at this time and that alone is another story. Eventually my friends and I would find ourselves betting more on sports using local bookies and for the most part the nature of betting itself was one to obviously try and make money, but maybe more so at the time, a way for us to hang out with one another, and enjoy games where we could cheer for the same or opposite teams because what NBA/NFL (primary sports we bet on at the time) isn't more fun with a little money on the side. As we got old enough we moved onto the Indian casinos where 18 was the minimum age, and this would be a new phase of some of our gambling ways. Obviously once we hit 21 it was all about Las Vegas! Not only did we get to gamble and make/lose money, but we got comped rooms, food, travel, shows, and always had time to party. Fast forward 10+ years and not much has changed, my group of friends and I still gamble on everything, primarily sports betting, still go to Vegas- although less partying, something about being 30 + and all the previous partying we did has taken a toll on our bodies, some of us are now married, some with kids, and so forth. A couple of us have actually been able to quit gambling but a handful of us still continue to do so despite losing overall on a year to year basis, despite fantastic runs of wins and cashing out.
Now I'm writing this because again I've had this cycle of winning, then losing, tilt betting, going for broke, working extra jobs or hours to make up for the losses, depression, quitting for a few months and restarting the vicious cycle over and over again. Only thing is the amount of money I've been losing as the years have gone by have only grown bigger and bigger and bigger. I recently had a baby whose a couple months old and I thought maybe just maybe this would help me quit, but it really hasn't. I'm so used to the action, checking my sports feeds, sports radio, forums, etc that I really set myself up to where I can't escape betting unless I cut myself off completely. I've tried to control the amount of games I would play or set limits only to see that go down the drain when I'd go on a losing streak.
I've reached that tipping point again and I'm not exactly seeking advice on how to quit or wanting to be told to go to gambler's anonymous. I know and admit I have a problem and this is a new thing for me to do because what I've done hasn't worked. I will continue to make picks on primarily baseball since the NFL/NBA/College regular seasons have yet to start. This will help me chronicle that if I keep losing, then great, at least it won't be for money since I've tapped the resources out. If I'm winning, well, that's just my luck. Feel free to tail or fade these plays (will post later). Or just to vent/share some stories. I don't quite feel like talking more about myself at this time and as my username suggests I'd prefer to stay anonymous for various reasons. Good luck!
Cin Reds ML and RL 1 unit each
TB Rays ML and RL 1 unit each
Now I'm writing this because again I've had this cycle of winning, then losing, tilt betting, going for broke, working extra jobs or hours to make up for the losses, depression, quitting for a few months and restarting the vicious cycle over and over again. Only thing is the amount of money I've been losing as the years have gone by have only grown bigger and bigger and bigger. I recently had a baby whose a couple months old and I thought maybe just maybe this would help me quit, but it really hasn't. I'm so used to the action, checking my sports feeds, sports radio, forums, etc that I really set myself up to where I can't escape betting unless I cut myself off completely. I've tried to control the amount of games I would play or set limits only to see that go down the drain when I'd go on a losing streak.
I've reached that tipping point again and I'm not exactly seeking advice on how to quit or wanting to be told to go to gambler's anonymous. I know and admit I have a problem and this is a new thing for me to do because what I've done hasn't worked. I will continue to make picks on primarily baseball since the NFL/NBA/College regular seasons have yet to start. This will help me chronicle that if I keep losing, then great, at least it won't be for money since I've tapped the resources out. If I'm winning, well, that's just my luck. Feel free to tail or fade these plays (will post later). Or just to vent/share some stories. I don't quite feel like talking more about myself at this time and as my username suggests I'd prefer to stay anonymous for various reasons. Good luck!
Cin Reds ML and RL 1 unit each
TB Rays ML and RL 1 unit each