Matt Glantz, a derivatives trader and veteran poker player, told Poker.org that in September he got a call from a 28-year-old player he had met only briefly on the Florida tournament circuit. By his account, the young man said he felt trapped in poker and was thinking of taking his own life.

Glantz says he is not a mental health professional. He describes the call as jarring and says he was unsure what to do, but told the caller he knows many people in a similar position. He adds that other players have asked him how to leave poker for trading or business.

Glantz considers himself lucky to have found poker at 27 rather than 18, since he already had a family and a career by then. He says the poker dream is still alive, but only the success stories get heard. By his own estimate, about 200 of every 10,000 aspirants made it in 2003, against perhaps seven today.

He also mentions, without naming them, friends who rank among the world's top 20 players. They have money, he says, but no partner or children, and in their 40s they feel unhappy. His advice to players in their twenties is to put as much effort into life away from poker as into the game.

Glantz says the player who called him is still struggling, but has family support and is now more realistic about his options. Anyone in crisis can look for professional help through support lines in their own country.

Source: Poker.org

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