There is too much to fear with the liquor and beer

The long-standing practice of casinos giving free alcoholic drinks to its gamblers has nothing to do with generosity and everything to do with good business.

Casinos just love it when drinks turn patrons into zombies who keep plucking coins into machines, or piles of chips onto tables without thinking twice. Even better if you are in one of the high-limit areas, where one chip could cover a bottle or two of vintage Dom Perignon.

The more you drink, the worse your decisions and motor skills. And there is no scenario in life where this formula doesn't hold true (outside of a bowling alley).

In poker, intoxication can be absolutely devastating to your bankroll and can turn even the most seasoned professional into a fish.

The drunken poker player has the tendency to play too many hands, call too many bets and bluff too many times to have any shot at coming out ahead. The player won't be able to read the board with precision, know the various flush and straight draws and take that information into account. Forget about trying to catch a tell or make any accurate reads on an opponent.

Poker sharks will circle you like chum knowing this information, and will play pots at you with increased intensity.

Making matters worse, the drunken player will continue to play until everything is lost while the sober loser will cut his losses at a manageable point and call it a day.

Daniel Negreanu, one of the top players in the world, once accumulated enough money in 2000 to comfortably "take a year off" from tournament poker, but alcohol did him and his bankroll in. Although he only played a few times per week, he admits to quickly losing it all at the Bellagio in the $300-$600 game, dropping as much as $30,000 per night.

He's learned from it, stays away from the booze at the table and has rebounded to the top, earning Player of the Year honors at the 2004 World Series of Poker.

Now, it's OK to have a drink or two if you know your limits. Alcohol can often take an edge off and strengthen your game by calming your nerves.

But poker lends itself to excessive drinking, so it's a tough cutoff to make. Most of the time you are out of the action ? watching others, waiting for the dealer to shuffle up and deal, or contemplating a decision. There's lots of dead time that makes it easy to take a drink while watching the action.

The recent phenomenon of Internet poker sites adds to the problem. If you are playing at home for real money, it's even easier to lose track of funds. All of the transactions are done in cyberspace and you have no chips or cash to remind you of the bad run you're on. There's also no closing time if you're drinking at home.

I've since abandoned alcohol while playing poker for highly caffeinated iced tea, but there were mornings where I had to get online to check my account after a night of excess. The news was rarely good and I went through a series of "this is the last time" moments before calling it quits.

Home-game poker still allows a certain degree of bending the rules. If you play in a low-stakes game with your buddies that is enjoyed more for its social aspects than financial, you should do whatever allows you the most fun.

But what could possibly be more fun than winning?
By Chuck Blount

News Added: 06 April, 2005

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