Will they ever get it?

[dealer_toe]

I work at Office Depot, kind of the same boat. Except I have discussions with other poker players. I definetly don't tell people about it that don't play and have no idea.
With exception to my mom, who keeps asking me when I'm going to be on TV at the world series. And every time I tell her I don't play tournaments! (that much).

[AncientPC]

I show my gf my bankroll spreadsheet. I really don't care what anyone else thinks though.

She has mentioned this to her friends once before, and now I get that "are you alright?" pity look. -_-

[Emmitt2222]

No, most people will in fact never get it. I really wanted to tell my parents to get approval but I only told them when I turned 25 into 1000. That still wasnt enough. They are smart people but I dont think they are very practical when it comes to this stuff, they don't want to hear the math because they don't fully understand it and they think somehow the money might not even be my own and someone is going to come and kill me if I somehow fall into debt. Basically it sucks that I even tried to convince my parents and now they want me to attend an GA meeting. I have now discovered that telling people has only given me grief with a few rare exceptions of friends who think it is kinda cool. I would say that you should fight that urge to tell anyone for any reason and you will be happier. If I ever had to do it again I would only tell people once I was making a substancial amount of money, like when I plan on buying a car next year with the winnings and only then would they probably not completly hate it.

[AncientPC]

To the outsider, using math when playing poker probably serves as a weak justification for a gambling addiction.

It's like someone explaining how the Martingale system works at roulette.

[sourbeaver]

4 small businesses out of 5 will go bankrupt within 5 years .. bankrupt = no money

Now, if you invest 5k in poker and eventually lose it .. how does that compare to 150k-200k to start a business which has a statistical 80% chance of failure in the mid-term ?

Try that...

[sourbeaver]

As Tommy Angelo so correctly put it : "The surest way to end a gambling career is to gamble."

[MicroBob]

Sometimes it's either going to be lying or dealing with people who don't understand.

I don't blame the people who don't understand...not one bit.

My GF comes from a traditional latino-catholic family and, for some reason, didn't lie to her parents about what I do.

They are reasonably accepting as best I can tell which is pretty impressive because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want a daughter to date an 'internet-poker pro' since I know that most people who call themselves this are just anction junkies with poor bankroll management and bad judgement in general.

Anyway, they wanted their daughter to marry a doctor or a lawyer or something.
Professional poker player was not high on the list.


Her Mom takes her to dinner with friends who she knows from church or the gym or something. Friend then turns to my GF and sayd "so Teresa...your Mom has told me so much about you and I guess there's this guy 'Bob' in your life. What does he do?"
Teresa: "well...(laugh) it's kind of unusual."
She tells them, Mom tries to not look uncomfortable, friend says, "oh...that's...ummmmm....very interesting"....
and the topic is quickly changed.


Are they judgemental? Yes.
Can you blame them? No.

I told her that she could lie and say I did stock-investing on the internet...or that I'm a bartender or a sea-pirate...whatever.
She says she doesn't care what they think, she didn't even know that person anyway...she'll just tell them the truth and let them think what they want to.
Cool girl.


The whole spread-sheet thing can be helpful.
Or just generally talking in terms of $$/hr (and it helps to exaggerate a little bit on the high-side).
BB/100 and number of tables played isn't going to mean a whole lot.

Saying that you are making $20/hr and are 'working' 20 hours a week at it might get you somewhere (and I recommend using terms like 'working').


Went back to the casino where I used to deal BJ (no poker-room there FWIW) before I turned online-poker pro and most of my friends there (dealers and floor-people) have no understanding of it either.
One bitch who I hate asks me who's "staking" me, how much money have I "lost", etc. I didn't tell her what I was doing but I think word traveled around in the break-room when I quit.

I like visiting my friends there so I just ignore the condescendingly ignorant comments.

But I do know what attitudes ARE out there.

I'm just happy that I have a GF who knows NOTHING about it yet isn't judgemental.
my parents don't know poker at all but are smart enough to understand that if you have a small edge and get to push it over and over again you will eventually be profitable.
That's very helpful.


What's more is that my other relatives on both sides of the family are reasonably accepting also. They remember me as the little math-prodigy who could long-divide when he was 5. I didn't exactly become a math genius (college calculus kicked my ass) but they still kinda view me as such.

It's not that big a deal. It's not like I need to approval of my Aunt Barb and Uncle Dave....but I think it's helpful that my Mom doesn't have to deal with relatives who are trying to start an intervention but, instead, say things like 'I just think it's so neat that he's smart enough to do something like that.'

[37offsuit]

Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
Did gambling affect your reputation?

I only said some, I did not acuse you of being a problemed gambler. I just wanted to point out (and use you as an example) that when friends and family are concerned about your behavior, dismissing it out of hand is not necessarily the best course. When people who care about you express concern, take a moment to consider what they are saying. Perhaps it is nothing and they simply don't understand or maybe they see some patterns you are unaware of. Talk to them and try to understand what they're saying as much as you try to convince them that there is not a problem...perhaps they're concerned because you don't visit with them as much as you did before, or what have you.

[AlienCorpse]

It amazes me how many people think poker is a game of complete luck. So many people. Even smart people. Atleast they dont think chess is a game of luck (or so I hope).

[37offsuit]

Poker isn't about luck in the long term, but it is about mistakes, variance and self control and self awareness. It is a very easy endeavor to delude one's self, whether on a single hand, session, or career.