What language do you sugguest?

[TheLoser]

I have been playing poker professionally for a few years now, I have a lot of free time on my hands and have been thinking about learning a second language. Seeing as I play live poker fairly often I thought it would be cool to know what some of my oponents are saying so I think Cantonese would be the best choice, any thoughts? Are most of the asian players speaking cantonese? Also has anyone ever tried the learn by yourself CD's or something similar and have any comments and or sugguestions? Thanks.

[edfurlong]

I picked Pig Latin up pretty quickly.

[uncleshady]

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Seeing as I play live poker fairly often I thought it would be cool to know what some of my oponents are saying

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Where I play... foul language

If you are looking to learn Chinese, its either Cantonese or Mandarin, I think. I learned Greek in college but its hardly spoken around here. Oh well.

[Poker Junkie]

Are you really that good at poker and have that much extra time to pursue one of the hardest languages to learn? I would think using that time to learn more about poker would more likely be +EV than learning what the Asian players at your table are saying. Unless you just want to be bi-lingual.

I have found Cantonese to be pretty useful. The way I learned was from the Pimsleur language CDs. They are expensive, but I found a copy in the public library through inter-library loan. The players are amused when a Caucasian replies back to them in Cantonese.

Russian, of course.

[CORed]

I think some form of Chinese might be very useful after they take over the U.S. They won't invade. They'll foreclose.

[smartalecc5]

^^He's not kidding. Soon, china will be the worlds superpower. Mine as well get a headstart on learning their language.

[CORed]

Also, China is financing a lot of our national debt. They already have us by the balls. Most of us just haven't realized it yet.

Depends on where you live. Most of the asians are vietnamese or from the phillipines here (at least the ones that like to go to the casino).

It's probally a waste of time. Even if they are chinese they are probally speaking their own dialect and not manderin or cantonese. (every little region in china has it's own dialect, if a group of people are all from the same region they usually prefer to speak that langauge if they can)

I can imagine if you are a coastie you probally will see more chinese people than in the midwest, but you'll probally find tons of other ethnic groups as well (especially the west coast).

[popniklas]

Spanish?

[Brom]

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I can imagine if you are a coastie you probally will see more chinese people than in the midwest, but you'll probally find tons of other ethnic groups as well (especially the west coast).

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True you can find lots of other ethnic groups at most card tables. I find though that it's mostly the Asians who think that they can get away with talking other languages at the table. I can't remember the last time I had to tell an Italian or French person to speak English please.

Play only where "English Only" rule is enforced. Use your spare time to chase wimmin!

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[jman220]

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Also, China is financing a lot of our national debt. They already have us by the balls. Most of us just haven't realized it yet.

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Good thing they're such big gamblers. We should play them double or nothing for our national debt in a game of Chinese Poker.

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Mine as well get a headstart on learning their language.



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this doesn't make sense.
mine as well sounds like might as well, which is what i hope you mean.

[glorfindel]

Mandarin is the most widely spoken Chinese dialect. The grammar is very simple, but the spoken uses 4 tones as phonemes (hence, the singsong aspect) which are quite difficult for English speakers to learn without intense practise with native speakers. Most of the time they will be speaking slang anyway, which you won't learn from a textbook.

Having said that, hiring a cute Chinese lady as a tutor might have other advantages.

I meant even amoung asians, you'll find a lot of diffrent ethnicitys.

I've taken 4 yrs. of Mandarin in college. It is incredibly difficult. The sounds are nothing like English. Also, there are four tones, which measn there are four different ways of pronouncing each syllable. In Cantonese, there are 8 tones. If you want to learn a language, go for Spanish. Any form of Chinese is an absolute bitch.

I suggest "Moronic Jibberish" it seems that a lot of the posters here are fluent in it.

[Pog0]

Japanese is a cool language. Watch animé without needing the subtitles! Dub's no good.

[henrikrh]

[ QUOTE ]
Mandarin is the most widely spoken Chinese dialect. The grammar is very simple, but the spoken uses 4 tones as phonemes (hence, the singsong aspect) which are quite difficult for English speakers to learn without intense practise with native speakers. Most of the time they will be speaking slang anyway, which you won't learn from a textbook.

Having said that, hiring a cute Chinese lady as a tutor might have other advantages.

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Umm, actualyl cantonese is the one with 4 tones, mandarin has 12 from what I remember, but they are not as important, and I wasn't tuaght any specifically in my two ears of mandarin. It's either more than 4 tones or no tones at all, but I'm pretty sure it's the former.

[I am fish]

I would learn Spanish. Latinos are the largest minority group in the states and growing. Plus, Latinas are freakin' hot and they'll be impressed when you break it down in their native tongue.

[SmackinYaUp]

spanish for sure

Based on your subject, I vote English.

[jerome baker]

taiwanese cuz its gangsta