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#1
03-09-2004, 10:28 PM
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Woe to the internet Gambler.....
[Disclaimer One]: I realize that I hold little weight at two plus two and am just really a beginner in both poker and life in general; yet, I still feel compelled to speak my mind. I am not assuming that this post holds to be universally true in any way. I feel that, generally, I have very little to contribute to this forum. But for some people here, maybe a unique perspective is welcome, and that’s all I claim to give.
That being said, on to... [Disclaimer Two]: Poker is a great game. One of my favorites, and in reading this forum from time to time, I am sure that most here would agree. Devotion to such an endeavor can be both profitable and extremely entertaining. All of the benefits of "making it" in poker seem grossly obvious to me, but I think that, in the same respect, the negative aspect in return are seem to be grossly ignored as well. A subtle realization... The road to becoming the perfect ABC poker players teaches a person a lot about value. You learn to calculate multiple factors and, in return, make the best decision possible. Pot odds, Implied odds, Reverse implied odds, outs?, Draws?, re-draws? etc…All things to take into account that allows a person to make the decision with the most +EV. If every decision you make is a +EV decision , then you are going to be a winning poker player and probably a damn good one. However, It’s impossible to believe that what you do will not eventually affect who you are. Be it a hobby, job, career, whatever, poker ultimately boils down to money. Becoming a better poker player means that you just make more money, and that’s it. That’s all there is to it. As a professional player you become very good at making money, and because that’s all you become good at, I think that it’s important to compensate by investing your time into other pursuits. The lack of human interaction that the online gambler faces seems to be detrimental to life in the real world. “Party & Affiliates: Attention youth! Employees wanted!!! Make up to 2.0+ BB an hour per table. Daily board meetings held at two plus two. Work at home, no people skills required.” Now, more to the point of where I am trying to go with all this… This probably doesn’t apply to a lot of people here, at least not entirely. Just shy of twenty myself, recently I have seen exceptional people make (what I think) are disappointing decisions due the pursuit of a lifestyle that has recently been seen as “easy money.” With the recent internet trends, poker has exploded. I myself and many of my friends seem to be caught up in all of it: Choosing party 2/4 over an education your parents are paying 25k a year for is just stupid. Flaking on a friend because you have to PM total strangers about the up-and-coming HULA tournament (which is going to be sweet btw, BBill tonight at 11:00, bring your A game!) is lame. A lot of unhealthy behaviors are almost promoted by this sort of lifestyle. I see the routine that, I myself, and other ‘online players’ that I know, are getting into, and I am just curious as to whether it’s all worth it, and really to what extent. Life is a lot more complicated then poker is. Being constantly immersed in both the forum and online play can subtly condition one to both forget about the little things, and take for granted what one really has. The thirst for more in this game is strong. What once was good money at 2/4, becomes a full-time job at 5/10. Put in the study time and hours and what was once a job at 5/10 can become a lifestyle at 15/30. College Huh? Poker teaches a person little about integrity, little about relationships, and little about oneself. You gain the lessons life has to offer through interactions with people out of a card room off of your computer. Money does not equate to happiness. When a person has a 20,000 bank-roll and a solid hourly rate, the little things don’t really seem to matter as much. Browsing the forum, multi-tabling, or both simultaneously, there is more to life than poker. (Duh right? You would be surprised…) A person can make a living, and a damn good one, playing poker; however, try to live a life of moderation. Live within your means. Don’t forget who your real friends are, (The one’s that you don’t know by a login name or avatar), The ones that might not play poker, but still want to hang out. Remember your family. Go to f*cking class. Take care of yourself. Get some sleep, shower occasionally, and maybe from time to time, see what the morning looks like. I am starting to bitch now, so I’m out. I just wanted to encourage all the potential rounders out there to strive for more then just a kick-ass hourly rate. The fact that you killed the 20 game at commerce for 5+ BB an hour last weekend reflects little about your character or who you are as a person (just ask your friends, and family). Excellent Poker players sometimes turn out to be mediocre people. I guess it does just boil down to what you value… In the game of life, what's the EV of Poker in relation to your priorities? Just something to think about... 
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#3
03-09-2004, 10:50 PM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
Is there any job this doesn't apply to? I don't see why any of this should be poker specific.
Instead of saying all of this, you could have just said, "Workaholics and various other shut-ins have crappy social lives."
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#4
03-09-2004, 11:22 PM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
"I don't see why any of this should be poker specific"
Yeah, its not, but as this is a poker forum, it still applies. And topics like this aren't usually discussed in the forums, at least I haven't seen any. The appeal Poker has, coupled with "recent internet trends" I think validates this specific post, as does my personal experience. In rosponse to:"you could have just said 'Workaholics and various other shut-ins have crappy social lives" Your right ZeeJustin I could have said that; however, emphaisis is gained through elaboration, and I was trying to say a lot more than that. Your an idiot if you think what you said would have been a helpfully succinct replacment. Tell me you disagree, tell me you think I am full of [censored], but don't be hubristic in your assumptions that the contrite, antagonistic, statement you replied with, would have sufficed. oh, and thanks for the constuctive criticism, it was well thought out and it seems obvious that you took the time to carefully read what was said...
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#6
03-09-2004, 11:42 PM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
[ QUOTE ]
Is there any job this doesn't apply to? I don't see why any of this should be poker specific. Instead of saying all of this, you could have just said, "Workaholics and various other shut-ins have crappy social lives." [/ QUOTE ] i am not a pro, but i couldn't agree more with ZeeJustin kenny ---- i live a life of high ranking IT professional, part-time student at university, enthusiastic video gamer, and good son and a caring boyfriend, and a beloved friend, all aside from poker... BOY, I wish I had more time for poker!
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#7
03-09-2004, 11:55 PM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
Taking your sig into consideration I don't think I was talking about people like you, more in general. And the I am still confused as to the validaty of Zee justins statement. I believe that what I said had some value. At least much more so then:
"workaholics and various other shut-ins have crappy social lives." If thats not apparent then I guess taking the time to "elaborate" is totally unecessary... Can't blame a guy for trying to add little humanity to his posts...
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#8
03-10-2004, 12:14 AM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
So you're saying "Think a lot about whether poker is worth it for you!", right?
Do you see how your post implicitly assumes that we are mindless zombies who wouldn't think twice about how we spend our lives if you weren't around to impart your wisdom? And as such is condescending?
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#9
03-10-2004, 12:15 AM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
[ QUOTE ]
Taking your sig into consideration I don't think I was talking about people like you, more in general. And the I am still confused as to the validaty of Zee justins statement. I believe that what I said had some value. At least much more so then: "workaholics and various other shut-ins have crappy social lives." If thats not apparent then I guess taking the time to "elaborate" is totally unecessary... Can't blame a guy for trying to add little humanity to his posts... [/ QUOTE ] No doubt many people will benefit from your post (this particular one at least). I think what you say holds true, while ZeeJustin also made his point very clear on the topic "poker (as you described) is just like work". your comments are very thoughtful nonetheless, and it did make me think along while reading it. thanks. Kenny
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#10
03-10-2004, 12:21 AM
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Re: Woe to the internet Gambler.....
I see you're getting a bit defensive in your replies, but I agree with the some of the others.
You've managed to put down a lot of words, but you haven't really said much. On a poker forum, we talk poker, and not about the rest of our well-rounded lives.
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