9.0 So...I had this problem once

OK, so I know this is a bit cliche, since the post before me was about online gambling, but I have personally experienced this specific problematic internet use and thought I'd explore it in my blog. The summer between my junior and senior year in high school, I became interested in poker when my boyfriend began spending his Friday nights with the guys playing Texas Hold'em. Being excluded from this activity was no fun, especially when Mike would brag about winning around $40 each week. I definitely wanted to learn how to play so that I could invade the guys night with my superior skills.

Mike taught me how to play and after catching on quickly, I was soon getting paid through the friendly tournaments on Friday nights. The guys certainly underestimated me. At first, it was so much fun just interacting socially with everyone that the game came secondly. However, after awhile, things became a little more serious. When I left for college, I joined a Donlon poker club and preceded to take the majority of the money at the table again after playing the dumb girl card. I know, I know, it's not helping the female image.

Anyways, eventually I couldn't get my poker fix just through playing once a week. I downloaded partypoker and began playing almost every night with fake money. Unfortunately, the play money games seemed pointless since the majority of people went all-in with every hand. The essence of the game was lost. So, of course, I got out my debit card and began playing with the minimum buy-in of $50. It seemed almost immediate that I had doubled my money, but soon everything was gone. I bought back in, lost it, and so on and so forth. The habit began. Eventually, I realized that not only was my bank account suffering, but so was my social life and grades. I put an end to my online poker career by deleting the program from my hard-drive and swearing to quit cold turkey. Fortunately, I did.

Gambling in an online space can lead to problematic internet use because it is always accessible. When I played, I was up until 3 or 4 AM sometimes finishing a tournament. One could play poker any time of day or night and expect to have other people playing too. This brings up another draw to online gambling- its interactive nature. Online gamblers are able to play with other people who have similar passion and knowledge of the game. They are able to interact with these players through the chat option, it also lessens any guilt they might have by knowing that millions of other people are doing it too. Additionally, online poker is easy to do. Amateurs can sit down at a virtual table and not feel judged or inferior, like thy might in a public casino. It is also easy to transfer money and become part of the gambling network.

Online poker applies to the locus of control, since online gamblers feel they have an extent of control over their circumstances. Especially with texas hold'em, people feel like it is a game of skill (in addition to luck), and they have some influence over the end result.

Additionally, online gambling is in a synchronous space, so operant conditioning is a factor. Because online gambling is constantly changing and updating, users can view online games, check stats and join new tables whenever. This constant updating makes it difficult to an over-user to lessen or extinguish use.

Maintenance of virtual presence might be an issue for an online gambler, if he/she wishes to maintain his reputation or status as a "key player," or especially if he has developed a relationship or reputation with other users.

Newbie disease is very evident on online gambling. For me, I was addicted to the program for the first two weeks of use. After that, (and my money was all gone), it began to lose its appeal.

As with most problematic internet use, people who are already predisposed to addictive behavior will most certainly have a difficult time coping with online gambling, as Davis, Flett and Besser state. People who have a predisposed condition might lead them to more problematic internet usage.

Online gambling can also lead to users satisfying their loneliness or boredom, procrastinating or fulfilling a need for social comfort, through the online forum.

In conclusion, online gambling can be a very appealing forum, however, it can also be a breeding place for problematic internet use, as my experience confirms.