Gambling as a form of Mental Sports

[Pandu Geddon]

• Mental discipline: Such as analytical thinking, emotional control, decision made under pressure and even training programs since professional gamblers spend time to refine their skills by constant practices and experience just as athletes

I don’t know why we have to discuss professional gamblers in this topic. If they indeed practice to hone their gameplay strategies like chess athletes, do most gamblers nowadays also do the same? I think gamblers hone their skills from direct gambling experience. Not many would think too seriously about studying it, except for those who really want to dedicate gambling as an income.

[Promocodeudo]

The cause for mental damage in gambling is how you understand gambling. Gambling can be very emotional and as s gambler if you don't work on this, it can be serious problem to the mental health.  If you don't want gambling to really affect your mental health , it is very important to first understand gambling first as a game of uncertainty,  you need to be prepare for the outcome of gambling which you can't really tell.

Understand how greed can be dangerous in gambling and also know you don't even need to be worried about your lose that is why you don't even need to gamble with what you can't afford, with this you don't even need to be worried in gambling.  The main thing about mental health in gambling is understanding and gambling responsibly,  then it had nothing to do with your mental health.

I think as a gamblers, trying to align with the concept of gambling will do us much good and help us to practice gambling in its healthy way, extreme gambling can be emotional damaging but what are they causes of this emotional stress called extreme gambling, it is caused by habit that leads to individual gambler feeling that they can actually get everything they want through gambling which is impossible as we know.

Gambling should be seen as unforseen circumstances, since we can't determine the outcome of gambling, I think that alone should help us think twice before getting stucked with those emotional feelings, if you say gambling is understanding, I think you are right but what if you derail from this understanding as a gambler what then happens, that's to say it will definitely affect our mental health, hope you get the point.

[bitzizzix]

knowing that gambling should be seen only as entertainment, which means that people should not spend too much time gambling and should not look at it as a way to make money, so in my opinion people who are betting on sports or poker or other skill-based gambling games have not spent many hours playing if they are aware of playing for entertainment, so they will not be improving their skills, they will simply be playing for fun.

Of course, gambling should be viewed and treated as entertainment. In my opinion, gambling doesn't require you to hone your skills and constantly search for winning strategies. This is simply a waste of time and can potentially damage your mental and emotional health if taken too seriously, distracting you from more important and rewarding things. If you take your skills and strategies too seriously, the percentage of losses will always be greater than the percentage of wins, because no gambling game offers consistent wins, no matter how good you are.
It's better to develop skills and strategies for a business or other activity that can actually generate income, so that when you're stressed or need to fill your free time, you can have fun and relax by gambling.

[peter0425]

You’re talking about games that are skill-based, and yeah, with those it’s possible to win in the long run. But it’s not for everyone because the sports betting industry is very profitable, which also means most bettors are losing money.

Sports betting also include some mental strategies but there is also the factor of luck and there are factors that are out of our control like how an athlete plays and there are even more factors that affect how an athlete plays. So it is not completely skill based, sports betting that is. But it can be close which means you can still play and not waste all your money.

[coin-investor]

The concept of gambling as a form of mental sports refers to the deployment of mental strength in some skill-based games and without physical display of strength or fitness.

Games like Chess, Blackjack, poker and even Sports betting fits in this criterion since professionals employ some good strategies, calculations and even critical analysis before taking the decision on your next line of action. These mental involvements stretch your mind and success in them is a product of strategy, constant practice, psychology and accurate decision under pressure.

It benefits both the players and the bettors involved in sports betting. For players, having a well-trained and disciplined mind is essential to beat their opponents, and for bettors, it is crucial to analyze which team or player has the best chance of winning against the other.
We can also apply this to casino games if we want to, although they are games of chance. We can still focus and try to analyze the pattern, although it’s not guaranteed to predict the game. However, it also stretches your mind and exercises your focus.

[joeperry]

This is true but I may say a risky type of mental sports, considering the number of players that didn't managed the mental stress. A lot of people really goes to the other side, they lose all what they have, destroys their family and managed to do, not so good things. There's really a benefit for gambling if you managed to use it right or if you are mentally ready or mature enough, however it's also a double edge that if you can't handle the stress or control your emotion, it may go back against you and lose yourself.

[Akbarkoe]

• Mental discipline: Such as analytical thinking, emotional control, decision made under pressure and even training programs since professional gamblers spend time to refine their skills by constant practices and experience just as athletes

I don’t know why we have to discuss professional gamblers in this topic. If they indeed practice to hone their gameplay strategies like chess athletes, do most gamblers nowadays also do the same? I think gamblers hone their skills from direct gambling experience. Not many would think too seriously about studying it, except for those who really want to dedicate gambling as an income.

Ultimately, it's just an illusion, because they believe that luck can be derived from other people's mistakes in poker or from luck in slots.

I don't understand why they take this so seriously, when simply gambling responsibly, limiting ourselves from excessive spending, allows us to have fun without worry.

Ethical behavior is formed from mental preparedness and the fortitude to accept defeat.

[Solodoski]

I think gambling can only help you improve your mental strength if you play for fun or entertainment, because you are really focused on winning but rather to improve yourself mentally. Gambling has to do with critical analysis, calculations etc just have you have mentioned and if you engage in this thing,  it will definitely help you improve yourself mentally.
Those that gamble to make money or sees it a source to get rich will not be able to improve their mental strength, because they are mainly concentrated on winning rather than improving their mental strength. So gambling can either act positive or negative on your mental strength,  based on how you gamble and see gambling.

[Jody.Drummer]

I think gambling can only help you improve your mental strength if you play for fun or entertainment, because you are really focused on winning but rather to improve yourself mentally. Gambling has to do with critical analysis, calculations etc just have you have mentioned and if you engage in this thing,  it will definitely help you improve yourself mentally.
Those that gamble to make money or sees it a source to get rich will not be able to improve their mental strength, because they are mainly concentrated on winning rather than improving their mental strength. So gambling can either act positive or negative on your mental strength,  based on how you gamble and see gambling.

With those who consider gambling as a source of income, this does not strengthen their mentality but will destroy themselves, including their mentality. Now many people are addicted to gambling and even become stressed because of excessive gambling and this is because they see gambling as a way to make money, while winning in gambling is uncertain.

[Z_MBFM]

You’re talking about games that are skill-based, and yeah, with those it’s possible to win in the long run. But it’s not for everyone because the sports betting industry is very profitable, which also means most bettors are losing money.

Even so, a lot of people still stick with sports betting because it’s more challenging, and they keep hoping that one day they’ll reach the level where they can actually be profitable - just like me.

Gambling is really a mental game. Here a person not only loses his money but also suffers from mental stress. When a bet is placed with excitement and is confident to win but when that bet is lost, it hurts the emotions. Which makes a gambler very emotional. This happens a lot in the case of sports betting. Because based on the performance of the player, many matches can be placed with confidence but in the last stage of the match, the winning site changes. It is very painful to see these and they hurt the emotions a lot. Gambling means financial risk and mental stress

[Ruttoshi]

If someone wants to train their mind, they can still go for other mind games that doesn't actually require them to gambling with real money, some people can feel convinced that gambling can train their mind but once they dive in, it becomes a different story entirely. I don't disagree with you that gambling is a mental sport but in the way you described it, it's result will be different for every individual, it can only be used like that and would prove positive result in some individuals but for many people, you will get an opposite result since they would have a biased thought, not to stretch their mind again but to make money from what ever game it is.

I agree with you. Initially, when I started playing skilled based games like poker and cheese games, my performance was very good and that made me feel like a pro. Whenever, I stake on the game, I hardly win it because it messes up with my emotions and I don't concentrate properly compared to when money isn't involved.

It happened several times, I stopped betting and only play the for fun. Some people are also like this, they don't have a settled mind when they bet money on the game that they are involved in directly. I prefer sportbet because it doesn't involve you playing on the pitch.

[rachael9385]

The concept of gambling as a form of mental sports refers to the deployment of mental strength in some skill-based games and without physical display of strength or fitness.

Games like Chess, Blackjack, poker and even Sports betting fits in this criterion since professionals employ some good strategies, calculations and even critical analysis before taking the decision on your next line of action. These mental involvements stretch your mind and success in them is a product of strategy, constant practice, psychology and accurate decision under pressure.

There are yet other similarities between these mind sports and physical sports activities like

• Tournaments: Poker tournaments like WSOP features professional poker gamblers who assemble to compete against themselves and take away a big reward
• Rankings Most professional gamblers are ranked in terms of earnings, recognition and achievements
• Viewership Poker tournaments have some great viewership when televised and this shows it's value and entertainment prospects. Locally when professionals play Chess or drafts, they always assemble a little to semi-big audiences showing it has spectators
• Mental discipline: Such as analytical thinking, emotional control, decision made under pressure and even training programs since professional gamblers spend time to refine their skills by constant practices and experience just as athletes

Gambling is all mental, this includes games that involve luck, the reason why I say this is because losing and winning has a huge deal to do with your mental capacity. The reason why most people chase losses after losing is because they can't really tackle the psychological aspects of gambling. Mental games like chess, sports and poker are great with making you think fast, it's good to also gamble to challenge your intellect and not for profit only

[robelneo]

Games like Chess, Blackjack, poker and even Sports betting fits in this criterion since professionals employ some good strategies, calculations and even critical analysis before taking the decision on your next line of action. These mental involvements stretch your mind and success in them is a product of strategy, constant practice, psychology and accurate decision under pressure.

I’m a chess player, and to win in tournaments and against your opponents, you need to be highly disciplined. Sports betting for players is highly exhaustive; it requires years of training, as well as good focus and concentration.
For bettors, it is essential to be skilled in data analysis and have a good memory of players’ performances. Sports betting can be considered a mental sport for both practitioners and bettors.
But part of participation in sports betting is the discipline not to become addicted to gambling, not because you are disciplined in your analysis, that you will allow yourself to become addicted.
You only succeed in becoming a disciplined bettor if you have control over how you bet.

[Oluwa-btc]

Based on my observations,gambling is not a sports,and I don't think gambling can be seen as a mental sports.There're other varieties of activities that serve as mental sports games too but for Gambling,it's definitely going to be the reverse because gambling naturally has it's effects on one's mental health.

[Davidvictorson]

The concept of gambling as a form of mental sports refers to the deployment of mental strength in some skill-based games and without physical display of strength or fitness.

Skill based games like particularly chess or any other game that you compete with another person requires you to employ your cognitive ability. It is not mental strength. In my estimation, mental strength has to do more with perseverance in the face of hardship or a challenging situation and not in the context in which it is used. You are able to develop your cognitive skills which includes strategy, during a game of chess. Being able to make a quick and correct decision on the spot is another feature that comes out from skill based games.

[Hatchy]

Sports betting is like a mental sport, it’s a game for the smart bettors.

Sport betting is quite different from the regular gambling. It requires your skills combined with luck to make good predictions. I've seen a lot of people who are good in sport betting and they say same thing that, in sport betting, you have an edge in way because you literally can make analysis of which and what team might merge winners using their stats.

Unlike our regular gambling which is based solely on algorithms, we barely have an edge. We depend only on luck and experience. It might not seem like luck is in play, but it works in ways we don't understand. 

[Mate2237]

Gambling stimulates your mental abilities and bring out your capacities to light because gambling involves you taking rational decisions that are very important and critical because gambling involves you choosing between two choices and you are left with only two options too which is either you win or lose so any one gambling always brings out the best in himself.


I am of the view that anyone who is not in the right mental state of mind can't engage in gambling because gambling is about mental evaluation

[348Judah]

Gambling has lot to impact on us, it has taught many gamblers different things that have helped developed their mental and physical behaviors because it's so fun to do and you have to also think more of being logical in playing any bet, gambling has been a source of mental exercise to some, because it also helps develop their psychological reasonings, when we play to an extent, we are going to see the impact of all these.

[Felicity_Tide]

The concept of gambling as a form of mental sports refers to the deployment of mental strength in some skill-based games and without physical display of strength or fitness.

Games like Chess, Blackjack, poker and even Sports betting fits in this criterion since professionals employ some good strategies, calculations and even critical analysis before taking the decision on your next line of action. These mental involvements stretch your mind and success in them is a product of strategy, constant practice, psychology and accurate decision under pressure.

Of course, gambling is a form of mental sports, especially the examples you gave, but Sports betting is actually a doubt to me.
Yeah, i agree that they all require skills and proper understanding, but sport betting uses a large percentage of luck considering the fact that you as a bettor don't necessary influence the game, which is unlike Chess, Blackjack and Poker that you can influence the game more with your skill and level of thinking. You can actually be a master at Chess, Blackjack and Poker, and dominate for a very long time, but sports betting isn't like that even if you have that mental skill to make your own analysis.

I personally respect those that are very good at Chess and Poker games. I see them as extraordinary individuals, because of course, it takes good mental skill to outclass others in a 1v1 game, which is unlike sports betting.

[DaNNy001]

Every aspect of gambling is a form of mental sport, when you gamble and you lose at this point you start thinking of that next step to think, either to chase your losses or to just opt out completely...this is a critical thinking because it is going to affect the outcome you get...Gambling games on the other hand are of different types and some gamblers prefer to bet on games that requires the use of skill and intelligence because the chances of winning are high