How do you explain your career?

[DrFeelgoodRC]

I'm only 19 so when i say poker nobody takes me seriously except my friends and i end up coming off like a jobless idiot ...so i just say i'm a cook, nothing beats a good old fashioned cook.

[MicroBob]

I used to be really vague and say that I 'work from home' or 'on computers' or something stupid.
It didn't really work that great.
Although if the lady at the bank still asks then I usually just stick with that in a "I'm going to be vague and kind of rude because I don't want to tell you" type of tone.


Now I'm comfortable enough with it to just say that online-poker is my job to almost anyone but the lady at the bank.

Most people are fascinated which is actually kind of annoying because I would usually rather talk about ANYTHING else but "How does that even work?"
or
"Oh yeah. My friend likes to play poker a lot and he's really good."

now there are a handful of people who think I must have become the greatest poker god ever through all that hard work because I played in the WSOP.


Anyway, I've decided that just being up front about it is the way to go. If it's someone pretty new in my life and they ask then I'll usually qualify the "I play poker on the internet for a living" with something like "this is going to sound kind of crazy.....but...."


When I told the coach of my rec-league soccer-team that he responded "doesn't sound that crazy. I used to play a lot when I was in the Navy..what site do you play on?"
He now plays play-money and 1/2 on Party and I have encouraged him to play tighter. He has since brought his VPIP all the way down to 60.

[Skip Brutale]

I tell people I play internet poker for a living, and then they look at me like I am a bum and a liar.

[mach3]

Speculator...

[redrooski24]

I tell them I hunt donkeys for a living.

[Cosimo]

[ QUOTE ]
In my 16 years as an online poker professional, I find that the best answer to that question, other than 'I work with retards', is :-
"I'm an online personal actuary', if they can be bothered figuring it out, then I explain that life is all about odds and reraise the conversation with 'I provide covert tactical logistics regarding provisional permitations of seven variable equations'

That generally shuts them up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like all of these. I generally use "I'm in high-risk short-term investments." But I also have a day job (self-employed) anyway, and that's usually more interesting. Plus I make like $4/hr right now playing poker, so that's definitely NOT my primary source of income.

I'll try to remember your line here, tho I'll probably phrase it as "I provide covert tactical logistics regarding provisional permutations of multivariate equations -- usually of seven degrees, of course." The 'of course' is key, cuz usually they'll clam RIGHT up, thinking "omg what a schmuck" or "omg what a genius, I wonder if he'll buy me a drink?", both of which are bad, which is why I'd use this with ppl that I want to go away.

[Hal 2000]

"I'm a currency trader."

[jtr]

[ QUOTE ]
You could always tell them you're a gentleman jewel thief.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome. Can we wear a cravat?

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
I tell people I play internet poker for a living, and then they look at me like I am a bum and a liar.

[/ QUOTE ]

...or a drug dealer.

I'd probably get more people to take me seriously if I did that.

[jstewsmole]

[ QUOTE ]
...so i just say i'm a cook, nothing beats a good old fashioned cook

[/ QUOTE ]

Iam a cook, believe me everything beats a cook.