Signs Of A Poker Addiction: Why Game Is So Addictive, According To Yale Doctor

The signs of a poker addiction are numerous, but you need to know what you’re looking for to spot them. Red flags resemble other forms of problem gambling.

This is an overview of the signs of a poker addiction:

• Needs to play poker with increasing sums of money to achieve the desired excitement
• Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop playing poker
• Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop playing poker
• Is often preoccupied with poker (e.g., having persistent thoughts of reliving past poker experiences, planning the next poker trip or session, or ways to get money for poker)
• Often plays poker when feeling distressed (e.g., lonely, guilty, anxious, depressed)
• After losing money playing poker, returning to the casino or online poker room to get even
• Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with poker
• Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of the time or money spent playing poker
• Relies on others to provide money to relieve financial situations caused by poker

Bottom line: Any of these signs can signal a poker addiction. You don’t need to have all of them to have an addiction to playing poker. However, a poker addiction can worsen over time. You could start with just a couple of them, and over time, develop a more extreme addiction.

Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you are concerned about your poker activity. A gambling addiction can only be diagnosed by a trained medical professional.

A poker addiction isn’t its own diagnosable mental disorder, as it falls under the broader umbrella of gambling addiction.

Why Poker Can Be So Addictive

Dr. Rani Hoff, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, told Gambling Harm in an interview that gambling games with a strategic component can be more addictive.

It’s because a concept known as “intermittent reinforcement” can be powerful with poker. It is possible to improve your poker skills with experience.

“If you know what you’re doing, you get that intermittent reinforcement more frequently,” Dr. Hoff explained. “In poker, for example, you win more if you know what you’re doing. Intermittent reinforcement is the most powerful reinforcer for any living organism, for humans particularly.”

Illusion of Control in Poker

Poker is a slightly unique gambling game because players have more control over the outcome compared to house-banked games such as blackjack, slots, or sports betting.

Poker indeed involves some skill because players compete against each other, rather than directly against the casino or gambling site. Still, casinos and online gambling platforms take a sizable fee from each poker pot, known as the rake, making the host of the game by far the biggest long-term winner. No poker player can out-earn the house.

Despite the skill component, very few poker players win money in the long run.

Poker can be a highly addictive form of gambling because of the exaggerated feeling of control over the outcome. Michael “Roxy” Roxborough, a famous Las Vegas bookmaker, described poker in 2025 as “a time black hole and mood changer.”

This dynamic has led many poker players with above-average ability relative to their peers to develop poker gambling problems.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the warning signs of a poker addiction.

Preoccupation with Poker & Inability to Stop

• Constantly thinking about playing poker, strategizing, or reliving past hands.
• Fantasizing about becoming a so-called poker professional.
• Frequent discussions about poker, even in unrelated conversations.
• Making repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop playing poker.
• Feeling restless or irritable when trying to reduce or stop playing.

Chasing Losses & Increasing Poker Stakes

• Increasing the money or time spent on poker to achieve the same excitement level.
• Increasing the number of tables to recoup losses faster (online poker).
• Taking bigger risks or playing higher-stakes games to feel the same thrill.
• Trying to win back money that was lost by continuing to play, often leading to even greater losses and riskier play (i.e., bluffing, playing too many hands, etc.)
• The belief that the next game or hand will make up for past losses.
• Struggling to process the near-miss effect in poker hands.

Lying & Neglecting Responsibilities

• Ignoring work, school, or family obligations to play poker.
• Letting poker interfere with important life events or relationships.
• Neglecting children or pets because of an obsession with poker
• Lying to friends, family, or others about the extent of time and money spent on poker.
• Hiding receipts, bank statements, or evidence of poker activity.

Poker Debt or Financial Problems

• Borrowing money, selling possessions, or using credit cards to finance poker playing.
• Building up gambling debt or draining savings accounts to continue playing.
• Struggling to pay bills because of poker losses.
• Stealing from family, friends, or businesses because of poker losses.

Emotional & Physical Distress from Poker

• Feeling anxious, depressed, or guilty before, after, or while playing poker.
• Experiencing mood swings, irritability, or aggression related to poker activities.
• Withdrawing from social activities, friends, and family in favor of playing poker.
• Spending more time alone and feeling lonely because of poker.
• Experiencing physical symptoms like stress, sleep disturbances, heart palpitations, nausea, or changes in appetite due to poker playing.
• Neglecting physical health, hygiene, or exercise because of poker.

Is Poker Math or Luck?

It’s both. There is math involved in understanding the odds of specific chance outcomes.

For instance, if you have four cards to a flush and need the fifth card of your suit to complete it, you can estimate the odds of making your flush. That’s because there are 52 cards in a deck, with 13 of each suit.

However, poker involves incomplete information. You don’t know what your opponent has, and so the math only takes you so far. You can’t win at poker based on math.

Poker involves a huge amount of luck. You can’t control what cards you’re dealt, the cards that appear on the table, or what your opponent is holding.

The idea that poker is just math leads to the dangerous illusion of control. Belief in this poker gambling myth could be among the signs of a poker addiction.

Why a Poker ‘Bankroll’ Might Not Help

Having a poker-playing budget, commonly called a “bankroll,” is unlikely to reduce your long-term risks of developing a problem. 

Research has shown that self-imposed gambling budgets are not very effective for people at risk of addiction. This dynamic applies to sports betting and poker.

That said, a poker budget may work in the short term for some people.

Is There Cheating in Poker?

Yes, because poker is a zero-sum game, players can be incentivized to cheat. Poker cheating can happen in person and online.

Gambling addiction can also motivate a poker player to cheat. Cheating comes in various ways, including marking cards, using multiple online accounts, rigging decks, and so on.

Online poker websites can also cheat you, usually through the use of bots. For example, a company called Papaya Gaming cheated its players through the use of bots in its card game app.

Bottom Line: How Do I Know If I’m Addicted to Poker?

If you’re asking yourself this question, it’s time to evaluate your relationship to the game. It’s crucial to spot the signs of a poker addiction.

You can tell if you’re addicted to poker if you have a preoccupation with poker, uncontrollable urges to play poker, including an inability to stop despite financial harm and loss of relationships, educational, or career opportunities. Borrowing money for poker is another sign.

You can be addicted to poker even if you are winning money. Your success may be short-lived, but even if you aren’t losing money, you can still suffer harm from the game.

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