I'm tommo and I'm a poker addict

[TStoneMBD]

indiana, im pro and I AM making this kind of money and i find your advice trivial. im sure many other pros will agree.

[Indiana]

Could you please explain what is wrong with this advice?

Indy

[ QUOTE ]
You guys give this guy no valuable advice whatsoever. If he is making this kind of $ then why shouldn't he go pro. America is the land of second chances and he can go back to school later if he wants...For now he can live the dream if he wants and save a fortune in the process. And by the way, I don't hate my job anymore than the next guy. Thing is, all these 9-5 jobs suck because they become routine and repetitive. I'm just trying to give this guy a piece of my experience here. What are you giving him? You are telling him to quit what he does well so he can make less money being a conformist and getting prostate cancer sitting in a cubicle for the rest of his life like a caged animal.

suck my nut sack,

Indy

[/ QUOTE ]

Who said he should quit playing poker?

All I am saying is that he should maintain some balance - play poker, but keep up his studies and graduate. There are very few things in life that you will NEVER lose - and one of them is a university degree.

Its not always so easy to go back to college. You never know what life will throw at you. And what exactly does he have to lose by finishing his studies? A year or two of playing full-time poker? Last time I checked, you can pretty much play poker until the day you die - not like he is missing out on his "prime" or anything by finishing school.

You have an extremely narrow view of professional work. You seem to think that people just wind up stuck in meaningless, repetitive jobs. I suggest, again, that this is because you lack ambition and drive and so you find yourself stuck in a job like the one you describe.

But none of that really matters. He should finish college and then, if he wants to, play poker professionally - which he will be able to do with far more comfort, knowing that if it doesn't work out or if he loses his desire to play poker, he can just go out and find himself a job.

Honestly, your advice seems to be completely driven by your own bitterness at your perceived lack of opportunity. I work in government and I see people like you all the time - people who just check in and check out - they say things like "well, its another day of pensionable service" - I just want to smack them.

I happen to love my job. Sure, there are days when I would rather be doing something else, but on the whole, I find it to be a stimulating and interesting way to spend my day. All of my close friends are in similar situations and, unlike you, we are all moving ourselves up the corporate ladder by focusing on our goals and maintaining our ambitions.

Here is a good rule of thumb for the original poster - and anyone else:

"Never take advice on life from someone who hates theirs"

[Indiana]

Man u are soooo quick to rush to judgement on me. So you love your job eh? Maybe u are more easily amused than I am or maybe its just because you work in an unrealistic environment called the government.

Indy

[ QUOTE ]
Man u are soooo quick to rush to judgement on me. So you love your job eh? Maybe u are more easily amused than I am or maybe its just because you work in an unrealistic environment called the government.

Indy

[/ QUOTE ]

HA!

The ironing is delicious.

[Python49]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP except i'm not really tearing myself apart over the effects it's having on my social life due to th simple fact that my freshman year of college all I did was go out, meet people, drink, party, hook up with girls, blah blah blah and that gets old really fast. I feel like playing poker is more productive in my free time than sitting around with friends playing madden all day, or halo, that's just a waste of time. I feel as though I already have seen what i'm missing out on and frankly i'm not impressed. Right now I am focusing on 2 things... making as much money as I can before I no longer have expenses and am being taken care of through academic scholarship... and getting the best grades I can. You have to weigh what's important to you... if you feel that partying with your friends every weekend is more beneficial than making money then that's your interpretation. Personally I feel as though poker is much more productive since it's like a job in one regard but also something I enjoy.

I'm just focusing on making some money now before I graduate, majoring in business/finance/investing... and then using the money i've saved up from poker to start my own business and do some serious investing. You need money to make money and I feel that poker is just there to finance whatever business endeavors I chose to take up upon graduation. I'm not trying to go pro, i'm just trying to make money so that I can use that to invest.. since this is my major and what I want to do when I graduate.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP except i'm not really tearing myself apart over the effects it's having on my social life due to th simple fact that my freshman year of college all I did was go out, meet people, drink, party, hook up with girls, blah blah blah and that gets old really fast. I feel like playing poker is more productive in my free time than sitting around with friends playing madden all day, or halo, that's just a waste of time. I feel as though I already have seen what i'm missing out on and frankly i'm not impressed. Right now I am focusing on 2 things... making as much money as I can before I no longer have expenses and am being taken care of through academic scholarship... and getting the best grades I can. You have to weigh what's important to you... if you feel that partying with your friends every weekend is more beneficial than making money then that's your interpretation. Personally I feel as though poker is much more productive since it's like a job in one regard but also something I enjoy.

I'm just focusing on making some money now before I graduate, majoring in business/finance/investing... and then using the money i've saved up from poker to start my own business and do some serious investing. You need money to make money and I feel that poker is just there to finance whatever business endeavors I chose to take up upon graduation. I'm not trying to go pro, i'm just trying to make money so that I can use that to invest.. since this is my major and what I want to do when I graduate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for showing the OP what a reasonable person should do in his situation.

Congrats on your smart thinking.

[tommo]

this does sound like good advice. I'm cutting down on my courseload now because I've basically finished my math major and just have to finish my physics major. Hoping I can get back to straight As while playing poker. I've already started up a business or two in the past (almost got a big contract with all the schools in my county but they backed out last second).

So yeah goals for the year:
1. take less classes --> get straight As
2. continue playing poker --> clear 200k bankroll by end of year
3. continue thinking of business ideas.

By the way, I have a forum for college students interested in starting businesses. If you're interested in posting there give me a pm.

[Dave H.]

If you honestly believe you're addicted, then I think you should try to get help to quit. If you do NOT think you're addicted, then I would play part time and balance your life more. The $ will provide you with options, but until you find purpose in your life, all the $ and all the options won't do very much to make you happy. I believe that, with more balance, you're more likely to find your purpose.

[tommo]

I honestly believe I'm addicted. However, I make a lot of money while being addicted and still manage to get decent grades/stay in good shape/have some friends. albeit some of these are somewhat forfeited. I have made it my goal to cut the amount of poker I play and get better grades but I don't think stopping entirely is the right way to go.