Why I play poker

[Clarkmeister]

Subtitled, "why I prefer live poker". Inspired by another thread in the B&M forum.


I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[dogmeat]

Grinding away
Day after day
sitting in my room
the size of a tomb
I wonder aloud
If I'm under a cloud
Since my hours slip by
And I'm not sure why
I play poker online
and I'm doing fine
but I miss the days
when I put in a raise
and get to see a look of disgust
from the player I'm about to bust

I 'm goin 90% online right now and boy, do I miss the live games.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[JimRivett]

Hello Dave,

Can't argue with your four reasons. I've been playing on line for a couple of months now and I believe it's a different game. I have to admit I miss live play.

Regards,
Jim

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
Subtitled, "why I prefer live poker". Inspired by another thread in the B&M forum.


I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why I play live, in that order as well.

Why do I play online:

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]

3. Social


[/ QUOTE ]

ewwwww

Most people drive me insane when I play live. Then again I usually play the lowest limits live, where the people there are absolutely cluess I can't stand to hear a single word they say about poker because my head might explode at any minute.

[Blarg]

LOL.

Lots of people I found at the places I used to play, at the lowest limits, didn't have a lot to say. Lots were drunks, or not too bright. Some were bitter because they couldn't play and make any money, but didn't want to study or think much anyway and still didn't want to stop playing. Just dumb.

Things got a little better at 5/10, and at 10/20 there were a lot of intelligent people and I had a good time talking to lots of people. There were doctors and lawyers and businessmen, old people with stories to tell, porn stars, and some young, smart guys. Plus of course the usual drunks and wildmen. An interesting crowd.

I miss that aspect of live play.

Online is purely for money. That's why I switched from stud to hold'em. I find online often pretty dull.

I'd probably find it more exciting if I moved up limits, but I'm not competent to do that yet, so I'll stick with being bored while hoping to learn to play better.

[Blarg]

Heh I know what you mean, Dogmeat. Cute little poem too -- and I usually hate reading other people's poetry. Yours made me grin instead of wanting to stab my eyes with knitting needles.

[OrangeHeat]

1. Money

That's it. I have other things I would like to do with my time if it wasn't for the money.

Orange

[Matt Flynn]

Clarky,

no dice. you play poker:

1. because it's terribly addictive
2. you win at it
3. you get a lot of positive feedback because of #1 and #2

let's be honest here. and btw nothing wrong with a few priftable addictions.

matt

[dogmeat]

Oh, got me with that last line about the knitting needles - LMAO.

Dogmeet his match! /images/graemlins/heart.gif

[mauisupaman]

[ QUOTE ]
I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[/ QUOTE ]

I play for the aforementioned reasons and for the biggest reason of all - I'm addicted.

BTW - Next time I venture out to Vegas can I buy you folks a beer?

A hui hou,
Adam

[bernie]

Would you put the same amount of time and energy into it if there was no money involved? I wouldn't. So i'd have to move money higher up the list.

b

[TheGrifter]

Two words:

Poker Groupies

[Equal]

[ QUOTE ]
Subtitled, "why I prefer live poker". Inspired by another thread in the B&M forum.


I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, Monopoly is also fun, competitive and social - why don't you play that extensively? Sorry, but I am going to have to retroactively place Money as Number 1 for you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Monty Cantsin]

Monopoly is not as much fun as poker.

/mc

[TimTimSalabim]

[ QUOTE ]


Hmm, Monopoly is also fun, competitive and social - why don't you play that extensively? Sorry, but I am going to have to retroactively place Money as Number 1 for you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, if money was #1, good poker players would do better to spend all their time and energy with business or real estate or stocks or some other way that is much easier to make money. But none of them are as fun, competitive and social as poker.

[J_V]

Not buying it.

[Neil Stevens]

What, were you expecting everyone's poker ambition to be to bust out Paul Phillips?

[Equal]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Hmm, Monopoly is also fun, competitive and social - why don't you play that extensively? Sorry, but I am going to have to retroactively place Money as Number 1 for you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, if money was #1, good poker players would do better to spend all their time and energy with business or real estate or stocks or some other way that is much easier to make money. But none of them are as fun, competitive and social as poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, sorry but it's MUCH EASIER to make money at poker than business, real estate or stocks. Not even close. Just ask any of the 17 year olds here.

[jrobb83]

[ QUOTE ]

Uh, sorry but it's MUCH EASIER to make money at poker than business, real estate or stocks. Not even close. Just ask any of the 17 year olds here.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they played .50/1.00 real estate, I'd be beating that s--t for like 10-12 BB/100.

[1p0kerb0y]

[ QUOTE ]

I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[/ QUOTE ]

By this statement, do you like to find the TOUGHEST games available and play in them?

[MarkL444]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you put the same amount of time and energy into it if there was no money involved? I wouldn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

Who would?

[fsuplayer]

Two words:
Poker Groupies

You too?

[oddjob]

after reading all the replies, i thought i'd chime in. money definitly plays a factor. it definitly wouldn't be fun if money wasn't involved. so it makes the fun factor even more.

personally, i'm not very good at a whole lot of other stuff. i'm not a natural talent, i'm not a genius, and i'm not a natural athlete. i'm pretty street smart, and i'm pretty book smart, but not a standout at either.

poker, i discovered, was something i could actually become good at. at least better then most. mostly because i could study. and use a large combination of my average skills, to make me a decent player. also, i don't have ego, and i can think rationally enough to not let stuff like bad beats or other people get to me and effect my game, for the most part. i was willing to learn from books and from other players, that were way more knowledgeable then me, especially here. i don't make excuses when i play bad. and these are things i think a lot of everyday, losing players won't overcome.

we all know something is more fun when you're good at it. well, poker was one of the few things i felt i could have at least a small advantage over.

if playing poker was all about the money, then i'd be playing online all the time, and i don't. it's actually quite boring to me, and i have to force myself to play, just to make a couple extra bucks here and there.

just thought i'd babble about this for a while.

[Clarkmeister]

Matt,

It's no more addictive than *any* game. I enjoy games in general. I've played like 8 hours of poker in the last month because of a new PS2 game I've got. I went out to play poker last night simply to get out and be social. I do well at pretty much any game I participate in, so I don't think #2 is particularly meaningful in this case.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you put the same amount of time and energy into it if there was no money involved? I wouldn't. So i'd have to move money higher up the list.

b

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I would. I spent even *more* time playing Euchre online for nearly a year, and there wasn't one red cent involved in that. I'd still prefer online Euchre to online Poker. However there isn't any place to play live euchre other than hitting up college campuses, so poker wins out as live entertainment simply because there isn't any competition.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Nah, if money was #1, good poker players would do better to spend all their time and energy with business or real estate or stocks or some other way that is much easier to make money. But none of them are as fun, competitive and social as poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup. I make plenty of money at my job. I play poker in my free time, i.e. if it was solely to make money and had no fun, competition or social aspect, I would not play. Hence me not playing online.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Not buying it.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's your right. Not sure what my motivation would be to lie. I didn't post this in response to an argument with anyone, I simply realized that I play poker for different reasons than many around here and thought it would make for an interesting thread.

[fsuplayer]

Clark-
I was under the impression that you played as a living. Is that not correct?

btw, which PS2 game is it im curious? and what the heck is euchre?


fsuplayer

[skp]

A little while ago, one of El Diablo's posts got me back to playing online. That's basicaly what I have been doing since May/June (1 live session since then).

I now play way less than I used to when playing live but I am making way more money. I used to play about 75 hours a month live. I am now averaging about 45 to 50 hours a month online.

Nevertheless, I am now finding that I don't look forward to my poker sessions like I did when I played live. It used to be that I couldn't wait to get out to the casino on Friday night and play a 6 to 8 hours session. I would be thinking about it in the days leading up to the Friday session. That is no longer the case. Last night, for example, I didn't start playing until about 11 pm. I Decided to just veg out and watch a movie instead. I played 2 hours, picked up $800 and packed it in for the night. a $800 win in the live 10-20 that I played was a pretty good win. Now, it's just ho-hum.

So, I agree with you: the reason why I like poker is because it's fun and social. But it's also because I win. For if I were a losing player, THAT would certainly be no fun at all.

When all is said and done though, despite the fact that I am now enjoying poker a lot less, I plan to say online. The money is just too good. Also, getting dealt 35 hands an hour again in live poker would be boring in its own way. Lastly, online allows me to spend a lot more time with my two kids and that is a real bonus. That's what excites me about weekends now.

Sometime ago, El Diablo posted that online poker is "mind-numbingly boring". After being at it for 4 or 5 months, I have to agree.

Incidentally, a couple of months ago, I PM'd El Diablo about the pros and cons of playing poker online full time i.e. I was considering going pro. Although El informed me that he does not play FT, he offered a lot of great insight as to the cons of playing full time. Burnout and boredom being the pillars of his argument. Again, he hit the nail on its head. I simply have no idea how some of these guys can play 40 hours a week online. Yawn.

[Clarkmeister]

The game is Gallop Racer 2004, a combo horse racing arcade/sim game that is really outstanding, especially the breeding aspect. But that's giving way to Madden 2004. I hear Tiger Woods 2005 is the bomb, so that's on deck.

Euchre is kind of like Bridge for Dummies. Not the most complicated of games, but a lot of fun.

[Chief911]

Clark,

I'm a big Euchre fan. But you have to live in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, or Canada to find more than two people who know what you are talking about.

Even online they are all from there. Let me know if you ever need a solid partner. =) Not many Euchre players in NE either.

Nick

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
I simply have no idea how some of these guys can play 40 hours a week online. Yawn.


[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of people are bored silly by their real jobs too, though. Would that it were an ideal world...

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
The game is Gallop Racer 2004, a combo horse racing arcade/sim game that is really outstanding, especially the breeding aspect.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yknow, i was surfin the web awhile back for a horse racing sim. They have a bunch overseas that are even more in depth. My problem is, i dont want to jockey the horse. Just train it and all that, then let it run/sim the race. Many of the overseas sims do this along with the option of jockeying, of course. Hopefully they changed that in the new gallop racer.

Oh, and NCAA2005 cfb rocks!

b

[ArchAngel71857]

Meister,

1. You may have answered this in another thread, but why don't you play live poker tournaments? Reasons 1-3 lacking?

2. I find that outside the Midwest Euchre elicits the same response as telling someone you like to be toenail kicked in the nuts.

3. Madden 2005, Tiger Woods PGA, . . . Grand Theft Auto San Andreas?

-AA

[Clarkmeister]

You have to race the horses yourself, which I really like. It's pretty thrilling at times. It's not a hard-core sim by any means, but it's a great blend of sim and arcade. No way to avoid actually racing though, so it's not for you.

I've heard very good things about a hardcore online horse racing sim (no racing yourself, all management, breeding, purchasing and competing against other owners online) at www.simulatedsports.com (http://www.simulatedsports.com) . You may want to check that out.

[Clarkmeister]

I never got into tournaments because the rake always seemed oppressive to me at first. Plus, most are no limit so I'd have been forced to "learn" two totally new structures. By the time I had any interest, I was playing limit and enjoying it at a reasonably high level, so I decided that the opportunity cost to learn both no limit and tournaments was too high.

I've never found the time to get into the GTA series, though I do have GTA3 sitting here at home, essentially unplayed. I keep telling myself I'm going to play it, but somehow I always end up doing something else.

[Andy B]

I'm with you.

[skp]

Yes, you have a point.

[DanS]

[ QUOTE ]
Subtitled, "why I prefer live poker". Inspired by another thread in the B&M forum.


I play poker for 4 reasons, in order:
1. Fun
2. Competitive
3. Social
4. Money

[/ QUOTE ]

I derive entertainment from live poker, and I enjoy the intricate and delicate psychological and societal subtleties in the poker room.

Perhaps what I'm about to say suggests I need to explore the way I look at poker: If I'm playing 4/8 at Mandalay Bay with Coilean, Clark, and DcifrThs, then great, it's social. But I'd rather kill myself than derive warm fuzzies from the "social" interaction I get with most people at a poker room.

Dan

[sucka]

Now I see why Clark likes this game... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Screenshot:

http://lincezone.dyndns.org:89/images/gallop-racer.jpg

[Clarkmeister]

ROFLMAO. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[magithighs]

Personally, I've cut my teeth on Online so I may be a bit biased. I much prefer online because:

1a) Profitable -- for all the reasons below.

1) Social: I can play at night while chatting with my wife and watching TV and still make 6BB per 100 hands. And, I can play with my kids, put them to bed and still get two hours of play.

2) Comps/Bonuses: Online casinos comp me far more than B&M. This past month -- $400 total bonuses and affiliate rake back.

3) Anti-Social: Spent a week at Vegas at this WSOP. By the end of the week I'd had enough of the the Grumpy old retired guy who wouldn't say a word unless he was pissed about a bad beat. Then there's the f'n woman who knows everything about the game and is taking her shot at Vegas. I'm listening to "Yada, Yada, Yada, I'm so f'n smart and I call two bets cold pre-flop with QJo from a solid EP raisor." Oh, I feel so bad about that bad beat that gave you two pair and the raisor his straight on the river. I can't kill the action, so I need to chat her up.

3) Oh, did I mention I don't have to listen to the Grumpy old man who's bitching about the dealers at the Nugget who are doing their job. The guy says "oh, you know the dealers at the Commerce wouldn't do this -- I'm a winner there, yada yada" Go f'n play at the commerce you bitter old man.

4) Volume -- When my trip aces get beat by A5 with the second 5 hitting the river it's real easy to suck it up when I know I'll get a couple of 100 hands against him in the next two hours. It's much easier to exploit weaknesses with volume!

5) Short Games: I love short games as it's much easier to exploit weakenesses. Most B&M players want to kill a game when it gets three or four handed.

6) Virtual Social: I can chat/play against some of the best players in North America without leaving my home. Yes, it's not the most profitable, but I've learned so much in such a short period of time playing on the net with Vehn, David Ross, probably yourself and others on this site. I've played against Layne Flack, Eric Siedel, Mark Seif in tournaments. I would never get that opportunity in B&M. And, my game has been elevated and continues to get elevated.

7) Learning: I never stop learning online. Yes, most are bad, but there are so many good players that hand me my head from time to time. I then go back to the hand histories, learn and get much stronger.

Don't get me wrong, I love being in a Casino. I love the feel of chips in my hand hand sipping some Cognac at the Bellagio. It can be a ton of fun when the Dealer's on, and the players are having fun. No way that can be recreated at home. However, for the most part, I've found there's a whole bunch of crabby people at the table and I need to liven it up. I don't mind being "on" but much prefer to be on my laptop in the comfort of my home.

Cheers
Magi

[BarronVangorToth]

[ QUOTE ]
I never got into tournaments because the rake always seemed oppressive to me at first. Plus, most are no limit so I'd have been forced to "learn" two totally new structures. By the time I had any interest, I was playing limit and enjoying it at a reasonably high level, so I decided that the opportunity cost to learn both no limit and tournaments was too high.

I've never found the time to get into the GTA series, though I do have GTA3 sitting here at home, essentially unplayed. I keep telling myself I'm going to play it, but somehow I always end up doing something else.

[/ QUOTE ]



GTA3 and GTA: Vice City are probably two of the best video games ever created. The new GTA is due out, I thought, sometime in the next few months (a jolly Christmas gift).

You should get into them -- they are amazing.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com (http://www.BarronVangorToth.com)

[James Boston]

[ QUOTE ]
I make plenty of money at my job. I play poker in my free time

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that it's any of my business, but what do you do? I've always been under the impression that you played poker professionally.

[Clarkmeister]

Nope. I play poker on the side.

[sfer]

I'm pretty much in agreement with this list. The money is definitely of low importance, which probably comes from having a steady outside income. I've got the competitive need first, though, which is why I play online. More hands, more learning, etc, although nothing beats live poker.

[goofball]

what's your real job?

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
what's your real job?

[/ QUOTE ]

Male prostitute.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
what's your real job?

[/ QUOTE ]

Male prostitute.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought you guys wanted to be known as "professional escorts". More PC, right?

[goofball]

how much do you charge?

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
how much do you charge?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on what services you desire and how cute you are. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

But that's enough about my "profession", I'd rather talk about poker. At least, until I need to "work off" another lost buy-in.

[SuitedSixes]

I have heard much talk of this Poker Groupie . Can you tell me at which limits they begin to flock, and if they are like Groupies of any other sub-species in that they respond best to the color green. Also, is Daniel Negreneau proof that most of these groupies are in fact, Asian?

[Lawrence Ng]

Get your ass down to the River Rock and let's play some cards!!!

I only PLO online now Sid, I can't stand the grind/boredom of limit Holde'm online. Your reasons stated is sufficient deterence for me to stay away.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
Male prostitute.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excuse me, but I believe professional host/escort is more suitable.

[andyfox]

If you want to see the hottest poker groupies, you simply have to hang out with Jim Rivett and me. They like bald men.

Last night, in fact, even though Jim was not around, a camera crew came into Commerce to take pictures and had to be told to leave. There was some talk about them being there to see Toby McGuire, but I'm sure they were there for me.

[andyfox]

I know Clarkmeister and I believe you're wrong. His list (and the order in which he's placed the reasons) seems accurate to me.

[andyfox]

You guys should take this to the Other Other OTHER Topics forum.

And for those of you interested in procuring his services, Clarkmeister is nowhere near as attractive as that phony picture in his posts.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
And for those of you interested in procuring his services, Clarkmeister is nowhere near as attractive as that phony picture in his posts.

[/ QUOTE ]

But, Andy, I figure I can get more business if they think I'm actually this handsome.

[andyfox]

I didn't say you weren't smart.

[J_V]

I don't think you are lying Clark. I am not and wouldn't dare accuse you of that. I just feel like it would be hard to do a ranking like that.

I feel like if there was no money in poker, you would find another game to satisfy those first three urges. (maybe chess?) But, I may be thinking too much like JV and not enough like Clarkmeister. No offense intended on my original post.

[Ian J]

[ QUOTE ]
I hear Tiger Woods 2005 is the bomb, so that's on deck.


[/ QUOTE ]

Clark...

You heard right. It's the stone cold nuts.

[Benz]

Fun
Money
Ego