Texas Hold’em Questions Responsible Gambling Guide
Texas Hold’em Questions is a poker training website dedicating to improving adult’s knowledge of poker. We make no guarantees or assurances that this means you will earn money. Whilst we want you to learn from poker, your mental health and personal wellness are of more importance to us. If you have had problems with gambling in the past or susceptible to gambling addiction, please refrain from gambling. Responsible gambling is about understanding your weaknesses, gambling with money you can afford to lose and being prudent. This page is designed to help inform and safeguard you from the pitfalls of gambling and offer some useful tips too.
Set Limits
It’s important to set realistic expectations and gamble sensible. Poker is one of the most skilled forms of gambling but the risks are still financial. We have numerous articles detailing the importance of record keeping and sensible bankroll management. This all enforces the idea that it’s critical to set limits on what you intend to risk. Please do not risk a high % of your worth or money you cannot afford to lose.
Don’t Play Too Much
Gambling can be a fun recreational activity but not something you should devote an inordinate amount of time to. Very few have the skills required to become a professional poker player. Burn out is a real problem and can cause stress and have adverse effect on your mental health. Please remember to take breaks and ensure your life has balance.
Don’t Chase Losses
One of the biggest problems people have is chasing a loss. This is true at the casino and online. People lose than can’t hack it and play more to win it back. Please don’t be one of these. The reality is you are more likely to lose more than win it back as your judgement is impaired. This goes hand in hand with bankroll management and having limits. I tell players I mentor to have two or three buy in stop loss, depending on the likelihood to tilt. Responsible gambling is about knowing not to chase a loss and call it a day if you are running bad or playing bad.
Gambling is Not a Cure
Sometimes people self-medicate through alcohol or drugs. Gambling is not a cure in any sense of the word. Please do not turn to gambling if you have problems in life. Poker should only be viewed as a way to make extra money whilst having fun. If you have problems, consult a professional. Gambling is not the answer to stress, grief, depression or being lonely.
Separate Money
Responsible gambling is about ensuring you are gambling with money you can afford to lose. Obviously, you want to win when you play but you might lose. It’s important if you do lose, you are not doing so with money you need to live. I am referring to money needed for your family, food, bills, mortgage payments etc. If you want to gamble, do so for small stakes and keep your money separate. That way, you will never be risking money that you or your family need day to day.
Learn About The Problems with Gambling
The final step to responsible gambling is educating yourself on the authoritative sites. There are some fantastic websites that dedicate to ensuring people do not fall into gambling addiction. This page has touched on some of the problems and some tips but there are professionals who are keen to help and inform you further. These are included at the bottom of the page. They are sites we recommend to help you with responsible gambling.