My only problem with Poker

[daryn]

the bigger picture is nobody really accomplishes anything in life, they just fool themselves. unless you come up w/ the cure for cancer or something.

[J_V]

Man, daryn, you're hot lately. I'm in agreement with you.

Playing poker your whole life and at the end of your life donating 40k to a scholarship fund or something is more "worthy" than banking your whole life.

In fact, becoming a big brother for a year is a larger contribution to society than banking your whole life.

[Michael Davis]

Sending 10 cents to fight AIDS or starvation is more worthy than banking one's entire life. In fact, absent any other contributions, banking is probably a negative.

-Michael

[patrick dicaprio]

you are 100% right. well maybe 99%. I think that if you raise children who are a credit to society and not a drain then that is a worthy accomplishment. i was a lawyer in NYC and recently quit my job and went to a company that allows me to work 8-4 and i have 300 more hours a year with my one year old daughter. i felt pity for the saps who stayed there for money when they see there kids on weekends only. for what? to make more money for the partners? that is hardly a worthy accomplishment, but if you ask them they think making partner is teh goal of your life. it is really sad.

Pat

[blackaces13]

Why would discovering a cure for cancer alter ones relative significance/insignificance in the "greater picture"?

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
Why would discovering a cure for cancer alter ones relative significance/insignificance in the "greater picture"?

[/ QUOTE ]

This one's easy. Because it would save millions of lives!!!
Next.

[blackaces13]

[ QUOTE ]
This one's easy. Because it would save millions of lives!!!
Next.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, going by the first sentence of the post I was replying to, "the bigger picture is nobody really accomplishes anything in life, they just fool themselves" then what difference would it make if you added a dozen or so years to the avg. life expectancy of these people? So now the world become more populated and crowded and the rest of the people living the lives of zero accomplishment alluded to now get to hang around in their mortal skins a little longer. So what?

If you think that the world is made up of nothing more than Sisyphuses then there is no level of acheivement, no matter how drastically it afects the rest of the world, that suddenly vaults someone into a position of "worth".

[Lamby2]

Hi,

I am in a similar situation as you. My toughts around it is that: I work so I can live my life, I dont live so I can go to work. (work2live not live2work)

I you are playing poker 8 hours a day and then live a nice life with that income then you can contribute to society, write a book, hang out with your freinds or whetever.

If you dont like the carreer path within the poker business get another job that have that.
If you let your hobby poker becaome your job then you need another hobby because without meaningfull stuff to do with your "free" time you dont have a life, you are just working.

My 2c
Lamby

[lolita16]

Charlie,

I hear you. I have struggled with some of the same types of thoughts for years now. I am a registered nurse by days and play poker semi-professionally by nights. I thought for a long time that I just preferred to not have to depend on poker income for basic needs, but I suspect the conscience thing is also a factor.

I know that I have been guilty of some shady morals while playing poker, the most notable of which was joking and conversing with a huge fish for hours one night in a game where he came in saying he was going to play every hand and reraise if anyone else raised. He also came well enough funded to have the pros salivating (10K in a 20/40 game). In retrospect, did I really do anything wrong? Sure, I spent some time talking with someone that I ordinarily wouldn't have given the time of day to, but that could be argued to have been just good customer service. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

You could always consider something along the lines of what Barry Greenstein has done with the philanthropy of his giving tournament wins to charity. From his interviews that is his primary reason for playing tourneys.

You could also consider that the reality is that not many of us will be remembered after our passing. Poker is simply a way to earn a living. If it makes you feel better, resign yourself to try to always give something back to the poker community. It could be helping the newbies, being kind to the new players, dealers, and card room staff, or whatever makes you feel good.

Always remind yourself also that fish choose to be fish. The information is out there for them to learn to play better. If they choose to ignore it, that is not the skilled players responsibility.

Regards-

[Fitz]

Some would say, as a merchant banker, you are living only off the excess created by the credit card world and all of it's madness. You make your profit from the discount rate of merchants, and if you have a card holder side to your business, you profit from the interchange of those merchants and the interest fees of your card holders. Many would call this a parasitic position. Don't worry, I'm not judging you; I'm in the same business.

Setting aside all the things you lose by leaving your current job, benefits, holidays, insurance etc. Why couldn't you do the same amount of philanthropic charitable works as a poker player? If the income is the same, the flexibility poker allows would give you the ability to do volunteer work or some other pursuit that might make you feel fulfilled.

Good luck,

Fitz