- Erick Lindgren's $10million debts. Others were not so lucky, and the sad tale of Erick ‘E-Dog' Lindgren is a case in point, with more than $10million in tournament winnings equalled by the amount of debt he managed to rack up. Again it was sportsbetting that caused the problems, a $50k to $100k per game addiction that led to his borrowing from other poker players and gamblers.
- A personality type, common amongst poker players, that is typified by an abundance of self-destructive behavior.
Gotta love being a degenerate gambler, checking out betting lines and placing bets without even being in the sports book! MGoPoints: 1294. Log in or register to post comments; In reply to Well I live in Vegas and I by NinjaDMM. March 28th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^.
'Degenerate gambler' is a term that many regular gamblers tease each other with after a big loss or a bad night at the tables. However, a real degen gambler is no laughing matter.
We're going to explain what a gambling addict is, some of the signs that you or someone you know might be one, and how to get help if you think you may have a gambling problem.
What Is a Degenerate Gambler?
Understanding the word degenerate is the first step to understanding what a problem e gambler is.
Degenerate Gambler Sopranos
- As an adjective, degenerate is defined as having lost physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal or desirable.
- If we define it as a noun, degenerate means immoral or corrupt.
- As a verb, degenerate means to decline physically, mentally, or morally.
None of these things can be considered good. Do you know somebody who has declined physically mentally, morally, or all three as a result of gambling? That's pretty severe, but it's the end state that many problem gamblers arrive at before they reach out for help.
Usually, degenerate gamblers will suffer negative consequences in their lives as a result of gambling. This could be the loss of important relationships, jobs, or financial destitution. Sometimes, in the worst cases, it's a loss of everything. There are some degen gamblers who are literally estranged from their families and who are penniless as a result of gambling. Yet, they always find a dollar for just one more bet.
This is obviously not a desirable state of affairs. Let's not look at some of the signs of degenerate gambling.
Degenerate Gambling – Signs and Symptoms
You've lost money you can't afford to lose because of gambling. For example, if you've ever missed rent, failed to pay a loan, or borrowed from someone to pay off a gambling debt, you may have a gambling problem.
You've experienced significant relationship consequences as a result of gambling. If you've ever experienced a marital breakdown, the estrangement of a family member or friend, or the loss of some other significant relationship due to gambling, you might want to take a step back and consider whether it's worth it.
If you've ever gambled after intending not to, you might have a problem with impulse control. For example, if you've played a slot machine in a bar after vowing not to, or have felt a burning impulse to gamble on a horse race or sports event, so much so that you felt you weren't in control, you may well have a gambling addiction.
Have you ever experienced serious negative emotions because of gambling? This could be anger or rage, intense sadness or depression, or just a sense of unease after not gambling for a while. If so, you probably have a gambling addiction. If you feel that you hate casinos, this could be a sign of problems.
Does gambling preoccupy a lot of your time? Do you fanatasize about becoming a professional gambler? That's usually not a healthy sign. If you spend hours researching bets, thinking about ways to beat gambling machines, analyzing gambling results, hoping to finally make money at the casino, or if it's the first or last thing you think about each day, you've got a gambling problem, friend, and you need to do something about it before you go the way of the compulsive gambler.
What to Do If You're a Degenerate Gambler
While we do promote some gambling sites on this website, and we do enjoy gambling as a casual pastime, we do not want a single one of our readers to experience negative consequences because of it. Gambling should always be entertainment. It should never be a cause of problems or stress in your life.
Here are some things you can do to take back control. Many reformed degenerate gamblers have used these tools to get their lives back on track.
Keep a Gambling Diary – It may seem silly, but it's highly effective. Write down the time, date, and amount you gamble each time you play casino games, bet on sports, or play poker. When you review this, you'll likely spot patterns you didn't see before.
Self-Exclude – In many parts of the world, gambling sites have to honor your request to self-exclude for a set period of time. That means they can't legally serve you during the time you've agreed to take a break for. If you can't self-exclude, consider using free software to block gambling sites.
Get Support – Like any addiction, a gambling addiction can best be overcome as a team. Join your nearest gambling support group such as Gamblers Anonymous. Under the guidance of a reformed degenerate gambler who knows the territory, you have a much greater chance of recovering.
Conclusion
It may be a playful insult between friends, but being a degenerate gambler is no fun. Even if you don't feel you fully qualify as a problem gambler yet, but recognize some of the above warning signs, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on your gambling habits. Problem gambling is a lot like a rabbit hole. You go tumbling down it, and you keep tumbling, and you wake up 10 years later broke, alone, and wondering what the hell happened.
Nobody wants that. Keep it fun, and if you can't, take the steps above to stop.
Related posts:
25 Oct
For all that poker players claim to understand that skill, experience and self-control are all essential to beating the game, there are those who just can't overcome that crippling degen gene – the need to gamble it up at the expense of common-sense!
Today's tales of degeneracy were sparked by a Reddit/poker thread, one user recounting how they destroyed their 2019 WSOP dream before even reaching the tournament tables.
A $4500 bankroll and $1500 savings should have been enough for a decent but modest schedule, with the chance of a sattie win to chase the riches.
However a shitty flight led to a tilted $900 punt on the cash game tables, and with the rest of that $6k in the pocket for fear of hotel theft, our ‘hero' took to the roulette wheel in an attempt to win it all back.
You can imagine how the rest went, and the full story linked later if you want the gory details, but all you really need to know is how our player felt:
'The dream, crushed to oblivion. Heart in pieces. I felt dead inside.'
That incredible rush of blood, the absolute need to play, or chase losses or glory or instant thrills, is far from an unusual one among poker players, of course.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Peter Eatsgate's sportsbetting $millions
Peter Eastgate was one of the lucky ones, in several ways. A $9.1million payday for scooping the WSOP Main Event in 2008 gave him the riches to do whatever he pleased.
Worryingly, however, he also believed: 'It is slightly in a poker player's DNA to make bets,' and that led to a $1.7million splurge on the 2010 football World Cup.
It may be a playful insult between friends, but being a degenerate gambler is no fun. Even if you don't feel you fully qualify as a problem gambler yet, but recognize some of the above warning signs, it might be a good idea to keep an eye on your gambling habits. Problem gambling is a lot like a rabbit hole. You go tumbling down it, and you keep tumbling, and you wake up 10 years later broke, alone, and wondering what the hell happened.
Nobody wants that. Keep it fun, and if you can't, take the steps above to stop.
Related posts:
25 Oct
For all that poker players claim to understand that skill, experience and self-control are all essential to beating the game, there are those who just can't overcome that crippling degen gene – the need to gamble it up at the expense of common-sense!
Today's tales of degeneracy were sparked by a Reddit/poker thread, one user recounting how they destroyed their 2019 WSOP dream before even reaching the tournament tables.
A $4500 bankroll and $1500 savings should have been enough for a decent but modest schedule, with the chance of a sattie win to chase the riches.
However a shitty flight led to a tilted $900 punt on the cash game tables, and with the rest of that $6k in the pocket for fear of hotel theft, our ‘hero' took to the roulette wheel in an attempt to win it all back.
You can imagine how the rest went, and the full story linked later if you want the gory details, but all you really need to know is how our player felt:
'The dream, crushed to oblivion. Heart in pieces. I felt dead inside.'
That incredible rush of blood, the absolute need to play, or chase losses or glory or instant thrills, is far from an unusual one among poker players, of course.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Peter Eatsgate's sportsbetting $millions
Peter Eastgate was one of the lucky ones, in several ways. A $9.1million payday for scooping the WSOP Main Event in 2008 gave him the riches to do whatever he pleased.
Worryingly, however, he also believed: 'It is slightly in a poker player's DNA to make bets,' and that led to a $1.7million splurge on the 2010 football World Cup.
Although admitting to being 'an addict' and 'a degenerate gambler', Peter fortunately found a way through his problems and managed to stop his self-destructive behaviour before it wiped out his entire bank balance.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
Erick Lindgren's $10million debts
Others were not so lucky, and the sad tale of Erick ‘E-Dog' Lindgren is a case in point, with more than $10million in tournament winnings equalled by the amount of debt he managed to rack up.
Again it was sportsbetting that caused the problems, a $50k to $100k per game addiction that led to his borrowing from other poker players and gamblers.
Haralabos Voulgaris and Max Weinberg were among those who went public, and there was also a $2million Full Tilt payment that was mistakenly sent twice, and never repaid by Lindgren.
Lawsuits and multiple bankruptcies followed and Lindgren's ‘All American Hero' status lay in tatters.
Degenerate Gambler Definition Biology
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We could go over the poker successes and degenerate lifestyles of Stu Ungar, Scotty Nguyen, Gus Hansen and many others – some of whom survived and came out the other side, some who didn't.
Gambling, drugs, alcohol, men and women of the night – the list of poisons is endless, and as our Reddit degen shows, it's not exclusive to the $millionaire poker club. Stick to what you know and stick to your limits - you have been warned!
Degenerate Gambler Definition
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