Shane “Shaniac” Schleger – Former PokerStars Pro Confesses Crack Habit

Lightning rod article in Slate Magazine talks of 15 year recreational use.

Shane "Shaniac" Schleger - Former PokerStars Pro Confesses Crack Habit
© World Poker Tour.

Writer and one-time pro poker player, Shane “Shaniac” Schleger had an article published on Slate.com last week where he not only talks about having used crack…yes, crack…but that it’s still an occasional recreational habit that find him neither hitting rock bottom nor struggling to stay sober.

My levels of experimentation have varied since that night, from three months of daily usage in 1999 after that initial introduction to a year or two of abstinence. I eventually settled into a seasonal habit (I smoked crack only during the winter months), followed by a less moderate phase in 2013.

I don’t present these stories for shock value. On the contrary, I proceed with a lot of anxiety, knowing the potential to upset and alienate family members, friends, present or past business associates, future landlords, and whoever else is likely to take a dim view of the information I’m volunteering.

Read: Fifteen Years Smoking Crack
It’s a fascinating tale of Schleger’s history through drug experimentation and specifically his trials and tribulations with crack. This piece comes on the heels of his new podcast Dope Stories which also deals with “a rational discussion about drug use.” Here Schleger uses the same logic based thinking that made him so successful in poker to confront the fact that while he knows that “crack is wack” it’s a habit/recreation he has that is not likely to go away.

The article has been a bit of a discussion piece both in and out of poker generating over 1k comments on the Slate website alone. If you have the time, it’s well worth checking out.

21+ in OH. Please play responsibly. For help, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or 1-800-GAMBLER.
published 10 years, 1 month ago • by • permalink

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