
One of the main goals of a poker player is to win money. One good way to earn that money is to have the ability to read your opponents early on. If there are some players who have poker problems at the finale, then seeing and recognizing them, and knowing how the player would play because of that problem, is a certain plus, because you will know how to outwit them. It may sound heartless to use these problems to your advantage, but that is life. Even if you do not use it against that player, someone else will definitely take advantage of this opportunity.
There has been a lot of literature available - books, websites, and 1-800 numbers to call, and address this issue by players who "do have a problem", and desperately need help and guidance. This "dark side" of poker has become a hot topic of discussion, as a lot of players have been finding themselves in this position, and a lot of poker players, and non-players, are becoming curious about this topic. It was inevitable that these questions would be addressed. If a player types in the word "gambling" on the web, they would get a lot of hits for "problem gambling" - not so for a search regarding "Poker".
People do not usually hear about poker being a problem. Poker is undoubtedly a great game, given its social and entertainment aspects. Poker also represents a lot of challenges that would make the player really think, because of its analytic and social nature. It would take a player nearly a lifetime just to master and understand the game.
The mere fact is that the basic nature of human beings lead some individuals to be addicted to all kinds of games, and poker is one of those possible addictions. It would benefit every player if they could recognize this part of themselves. Addiction can be a mental or physical disorder, by a combination of genetic, biological, pharmacological, and social, factors.
Addiction is recognized by a repeated abuse of a substance or behaviors despite an adverse effect on the health and psychological make-up of the person. "Pharmacological" and "Substances" are terms usually used with drugs, alcohol, and other ingestibles, like tobacco. "Dependency" can also be used, regarding addiction, by most psychological professionals and laypersons.
If the first step in helping these people break from their addiction is admitting that they do have a problem, then the first step in addressing a problem with poker is identifying the symptoms and addressing that behavior. Whether it would be called an addiction, a compulsion, or a dependency, it is a consequence that shows negative behavior. A player clearly has no poker problem if they do not experience an inability to stop playing until they lose everything, but it does not change the issue that there is an existing poker addiction, regarding many players.