Compulsive Gambler Joel’s first bet was, as it often is, during childhood. Joel was a fantastic marble player; and not only one the games among the kids, he would up winning all the marbles and taking them home. But as a teen, his parents took him to the track, giving him two dollar to play with. Joel won fifteen. And from that moment, he just knew he could make money his whole life by gaming. He became a card player, a pool player, and seemed unstoppable. But Joel could never find satisfaction. And then Joel began losing; gambling more than he made in salary and ending up in a hole. He even stole from his parents to cover the bets. Three marriages and fourteen years later, Joel began to relapse despite a long spate of sobriety. His wife Susan could tell something was amiss; a descendant of a dysfunctional family herself, Susan knew for her marriage to work she also would need to seek recovery. But she also needed to confront him.
