Poker and Family

[CardSharpCook]

I almost turned this post into an essay, but I'd rather just ask a question. How many of you have had difficulty getting your family to understand/accept your poker skill/success? What stages have you gone through with them? Where are you now with them. For "family", answer with whatever is applicable. For me, single and 24, that means parents and siblings. My siblings think I'm awesome and love that I play and that I kick azz. They even assume I'm much better than I am. My parents.... My mother disapproves of my playing poker fearing that it is an addiction/problem. My father is cautiously supportive, but just tonight made a comment "so you're spending your winnings." When I told him about a $1000 live tourney I will be playing tomorrow (Biloxi Grand Casino - I'm really excited BTW). My answer, of course, was, "no, I'm investing it." I'm trying to get them to understand that Poker will be providing for their grandchildren someday, so they better get used to it, but it has been hard.

So please, what are your experiences with poker and family. Thanks.

CSC

[Che]

Keep winning and be patient. One of two things will happen:

1. You'll win enough that they can't dispute your skills/success. Different people have different thresholds for this so it could take a while.

2. You will not win enough that they can't dispute your skills/success, and you will realize that Poker will *not* be providing for anyone's grandchildren (except mine, of course [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

Either way, nothing can be done to speed up the process. Explain what's going on the best that you can when you're around them and keep improving your skills when you're playing. Eventually, it will all work itself out.

Not trying to discourage you or anything, just telling it like I see it.

Later,
Che

[bugstud]

They got a lot better about it after the party 200k's [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Guelph]

I will start by saying that realistically I know I will never make a living playing poker. My best chance to even be considered rich based on poker would be a bit of luck to win a satellite tournament then a whole lot more luck in a main event tournament. I'd consider poker a hobby more than anything else.

My wife was upset at first when she found out I was playing for money online.

After my first win of enough to cashout the initial investment, she was a bit more okay with it.

After several more months of not touching the bank account to play poker, and even taking some of the poker account to fund our last vacation, I think she's pretty much accepted my poker playing, and that the poker money is "my" money, and as long as I don't drain any of "our" money, everything's fine.

I think the only complaint she has about my poker playing is the time involved, the money isn't an issue. This weekend she's happy I play poker since I'm using the winnings from a tournament with my friends to take her to a baseball game.

As far as convincing parents, most people that age are under the train of thought that if it's played in a casino, it's gambling, and every gambler goes broke sooner or later. They don't want you coming around broke asking for money when you're 35 and have 2 kids. Of course, if you buy them a nice big new house or car when you win your first major tournament, they'll come around. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[tek]

I show my parents and wife my W2G's after each tourny cashout [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

After years of stocktrading, playing poker is not a shock.

[Stipe_fan]

Positive results, positive attitude.

For all your younger guys. Make sure that your future girlfriend/wife knows you like to play poker. Well, love to play poker. I think it would be really difficult if you started playing poker after 5 years of marriage unless you have spectacular results, which we all know, are not common. How many ppl on Party honestly make money. Not many.

I have played poker with the guys for over 20 years now on a regular basis. (once a month). She knew before we were married that I played and everything is okay.

I can't play during primetime. I play at night which is okay with me. I can usually make weekday and weekend Supers and Specials.

Again, positive results, positive attitude. A hunk of a diamond on their finger bought with poker money will certainly help.

Stipe

[profitman]

It took my fiance about a year until she was finally cool with me playing so much online poker. Last June, I won a couple of tourneys online and 1 big cash in a B&M tourney and I think that's when she finally realized it's ok. My mom was very against me playing poker, she just thought I had a gambling problem. Then i showed her what I owed in taxes this year, and now she accepts that I play a lot of poker.

[2005]

When I first told my parents I was quitting school to be a part time poker dealer and semi-pro, they weren't very happy. My brother thought it was kinda cool and my sister thought along the same lines as my parents.

Not long after I started dealing, I quit to play for a living. "As long as you can pay your bills and everything is ok" they said. They still weren't very happy, I could tell, but they wanted to let me know that they supported me. They also knew that since I was only 22 at this time, it wouldn't be all that difficult for me to get a job or go back to school if I failed. When I went to Vegas and won the WSOP event is when they finally said... OK, this is good, lol. Actually, I think what did it for my dad was when the title to my $40,000 car came in the mail. He said "I've only had 2 titles in my entire life and one was for a $1500 car."

I guess, in the end, it comes down to a couple things. First, nobody who doesn't play poker will realistically understand what it is we do. They'll say that they support you and think it's a great thing that you're doing, but they'll still be thinking about the negatives. Second, money makes the world go 'round. As long as you're able to provide for yourself and those around you, things will be much easier to explain/digest for your loved ones.

GL to everyone.

Gavin