Brain doping in poker

boba_fett3099

Apparently many pros use drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin, both used to treat ADHD, to enhance their performance and swear by it. The drugs improve focus and can help poker players maintain focus for long sessions. Pros such as Mike Matusow, Gavin Smith and Paul Phillips attribute much of their success to the use of these drugs. Thoughts?

Link: http://www.impactlab.com/2007/12/25/brain-doping-and-the-mind-drugs-in-your-future/

El Stuntman

you were doing so well until you mentioned Matusow...

BigCityBanker

there was something on 2p2 recently on this.

where do i get some?

dannydiamond

solpadeine's your only man.

dvdfan

Maybe we should set up a Poker Yoga Group as an alternative

phantom_lord

i don't think i have space for any more monitors!

YULETIRED

LMAO....(not sure what this means..pops pill..why it's laughing my ass off isn't it..I get it now...)
It's quite amusing to me to hear Poker player openly admitting that the taking of performance enhancers really make a difference to their game.......Poker is such a degenerate games LOL. This article is intriguing though. ..smart pills? The brunettes will be up in arms as the blondes pop their way to intellectual parity......

Some positives though, if these smart pills were common place my genius will finally become apparent to the many, instead of to the discerning few..
Maybe people will stop supporting Liverpool? Celtic poker tour will fall into ruin America will implode. ...What will become of Kerry?


Seriously though this stuff is a bit scary...........I predict widespread madness....(back to CPT agian)

luckylucky

El Stuntman wrote: »

you were doing so well until you mentioned Matusow...

lol. Matusow spews money online afaik. I wouldn't be surprised if this occurs, but I really doubt if it's widespread.

doke

How is this not regarded as cheating?

The Al Lad

doke wrote: »

How is this not regarded as cheating?

Dont be letting on you weren't doped out of it in drogheda:D

phantom_lord

doke wrote: »

How is this not regarded as cheating?

i can't really imagine poker players being drug tested.

YULETIRED

The Al Lad wrote: »

Dont be letting on you weren't doped out of it in drogheda:D

didn't you know that 'doke' meant,

---

> donkey on coke.....oops sorry Doke I don't want you hitting me on the noggin with your wallet

doke

The Al Lad wrote: »

Dont be letting on you weren't doped out of it in drogheda:D

Now you mention it, those sangwiches did taste funny.

Marq

i have no objection to poker players using any sort of drugs to enhance their game.
i think Hector experimented with playing while on Ketamine once, but I could be (slanderously) wrong.

Killme00

The Dark Field by Alan Glynn

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Fields-Alan-Glynn/dp/0751530832/ref=sr_1_72?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204132074&sr=1-72

He would have made some poker playa

bops

i take yokes to help me win races - i swear by them - even when i give them 60m head start i can catch them by the line - sweet

jtsuited

bit of useful advice - if you don't have adhd do not take ritalin. you'll end up focusing for hours on something silly, and you'll seem wildly autistic to some.

i actually reckon ketamine would be enjoyable while playing poker.

i'm all on for people taking mind enhancing drugs in poker. If the big drug-heads started winning everything it would destroy the luck/skill debate in MTT's.

gigetheman

when u go ahead on the line was that with 10,3 diamonds or the 6,3 off:eek:

doke

phantom_lord wrote: »

i can't really imagine poker players being drug tested.

Me neither, but it'll have to come if we don't want a future where to be a top class pro you have to dope yourself up with every PED known to man, irrespective of long term health hazards.

My main interest/sport, athletics, has been ruined by drugs. Even at the less than lucrative end in which I operate, ultra running (distances longer than the standard marathon), the sport has been pretty much ruined by drugs. Most of us involved strongly "suspect" that the really top guys are all on EPO. Those of us unwilling to pay the price in terms of our long term health have to accept we're not going to be able to compete at the same level. I'd hate to think the day would come when I'd have to dose up on Ritalian or whatever to be a winning poker player.

There's a precedent with chess. In the 70s, it became obvious that the Soviets like Karpov were using beta blockers and other performance enhancers, so they eventually banned it.

On a slightly tangential note, given the recognition that the ability to focus is important, does anyone know of players using other approaches like meditation or sight/sound mind machines? I've used both successfully getting in the zone before a really long race, but not done it yet pokerwise.

califano

Anyone admit yet to useing poppers to cope with those ass reaming bad beats?