How much do you love poker?

[Bluffstar]

Most people in this forum loves poker. But how much? Would you play if you only broke even, just for the fun of it? Would you even play with a small loss, or a significant loss? Well if you really loved poker, you would, or would you?

This is defined as general monthly losses:
Small: (either winnings or loss) an amount so small that you can easily afford the loss or a small winning you can easily live without. Money you probably would spend on other things, or winnings you hardly wouldnt miss if it wasn't there.
Significant loss/winnings: An amount that probably adds up to approximately 10% of your income, from a day job.
Heavy loss: An amount that are a large part of monthly income and substantially influence your lifestyle.
Large winnings: More than 10% of your regular job income, but not enough to live from.
Pro winnings: you can live from poker, otherwise you wouldn't play - poker is work, not pleasure.

[SmileyEH]

Poker is usually work-I wouldn't play nearly as much if I didn't make money. But even if I was a break even player I would still love the game, think about it, analyze hands, and discuss it just as much.

-SmileyEH

[cnfuzzd]

i enjoy poker because of the challenge that is winning poker. Your poll makes little sense for me. The fact that i pay my bills from poker is completely seperated, and, in fact, is really incidental, except for the fact that it allows me to play more and better poker...

peace

john nickle

[Bluffstar]

Yeah I see your point. I just wanted to see some opinions on this.

I personally really like poker. But is this mostly because of the (small) winnings or is it beacuse the game is fun, no matter what? I guess Poker is getting funnier the more you win relative to your income/savings, up to the point where it is pure work, when the fun curve so to speak flattens out.

Would poker be fun without money or prizes? I don't think so, even the more I play below limit seems that poker is getting less and less fun. However i do not think thats it is (purely) because I'm a gambler, the reason is more that people tend to play worse and don't take it seriously.

[iNsChris]

Well i hope to make reasonable money, but right now playing 0.05/0.10 pays very little.

Maybe $2 a day, Sometimes -$4 anyhow.

I love the game, Out smarting opponants, Having better hands fold to your weaker bluffs etc. I just love it.

However losing is no fun, Winning the pots keeps most of us here im sure.

[chief444]

I don't even enjoy poker any more. At least not online. I still enjoy home games or a trip to the Casino.

[johnwit]

I was a losing player for 2 years and I still played, but thanks to the great folks here that has all changed. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[TimM]

If I could not win enough to make it worth my time, I would not play.

When I had a day job, I played an average of 2.5 hours a day. If I only made 10% of my day job income in that time, that would not be enough. It was more like 25%, and that was my first year with a lot of low limit months. If I could make the 10% only playing an hour a night, that wouldn't be too bad, but still way below what I would expect now.

I still love the game, and reading anything about it I can get my hands on. But I guess this stems from the fact that I can make money at it, and it gives me certain freedoms I wouldn't have with a full time job. The challenge factor is also there, but if I were losing at poker, I can get that from chess instead.

[pokerjo22]

Poker is sooooooooooo sweet that I want to crap my pants. I can't believe it sometimes, but I feel it inside my heart. Poker is totally awesome and that's a fact. I love poker with all of my body (including my pee pee).

[Creole]

I'm 28 and have been playing for about 5 years now for recreation. Poker is something that I find I accel at, but can't really quit my day job just yet. I find online poker to be frustrating at times and find B&M joints to be where I play my best. Other casino games just don't give me the "thrill" that poker does. There's still much to learn, but I feel I have a strong grasp on the game. I would play everyday if I could, but having two jobs and a soon to be fiance doesn't leave much time for poker, and living not more than an hour from 6 casinos is really tough. I have enjoyed reading all the content here since discovering 2+2 a few months ago, and can't wait for my next "fix". Thanks for all the advice and lessons this site brings.