The often-heard advice, 'don't miss college for poker!'

college is the one missing out on me

[Shilly]

I agree with a lot of what you said. I think poker enables me to do a lot of things that other students can't--I think I even have more free time than most because I don't have to work a traditional job. This means more time for both studying [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] and partying.

And like you said, poker brings you closer to people that share the same interests as you. I've met some really fun people through this game (that includes you [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

[revots33]

[ QUOTE ]
Obviously there are extremes, but every time I hear 'don't miss your college years because you're playing cards', I feel like someone is trying to make me guilty for choosing poker as a hobby rather than ultimate frisbee or writing for the school newspaper.. and I think this is bad advice.

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Well I think the extremes that you casually mention are the ones we're usually talking about. There are a lot of college students out there who are either screwing up their studies or neglecting to have a social life, all because of a card game. That is a problem. If you are able to balance your poker hobby with your other interests/responsibilities, then more power to you.

[Python49]

I've been saying this for a while now. People who go on and on about how playing poker ruins their college life must be people playing 14 hours a day or something. But playing 3-4 hours a day is nothing... you can spend the rest of the day/night with friends doing everything else. If nobody gets 3-4 hours of time on their own without being around friends they've formed some type of dependency and wll be in for a shocking transition once they graduate college. Poker is a hobby just like everything else. Some guys sit around playing video games.... some guys sit around smoking weed, some guys play poker. It's a hobby for christ sakes.. and I just think the people who are so uptight about it "ruining the college years" are just the ones who lacked balance to begin with. If i spent 14 hours a day playing poker i'd give advice to everyone to not play poker too, when in reality the advice should be to just not play too much of it. If you don't have 3-4 hours of time to spend on your own personal hobby then something's wrong... but don't say that people who do have 3-4 hours for their own hobby are "missing" out on anything, because frankly they're not. And if you think going out and getting wasted every weekend is the only way to enjoy college you're mistaken.

Peoples interests change and for me, that definitely was not the thrill that it used to be when I was a freshman so why would I force myself to do it every weekend if it's not fun? I usually spend time doing what intersts me... and think its a shame some people fall into the notion that "college is wasted if you dont go out and get trashed every weekend with friends" - sorry but, ive been there.. done that.. and anyone else who has knows that after a while this starts to feel like a waste of life.

[MicroBob]

as bernie and other articulated...there's a big difference between 'hobby' and 'playing so much you have no life'.


If you have a life, then GREAT.
If you don't have a life because you spend ALL your spare time playing poker...then you need to stop playing so much freaking poker.

This isn't that complicated really and I agree that I haven't seen any posts where anyone cautioned against making poker a casual-hobby.

The fact is, there are some young guys out there who are playing so much that they barely get out, see the sun, or have any friends.


Also - I really have to take exception to the lack of importance the OP is placing on getting some freshman-booty.

Sex > Poker.

If somehow you are prioritizing poker over sex in your life then you desperately need to re-work your priorities.

If you are doing just fine and dandy in poker....and aren't 'getting any', then winning more at the poker tables should NOT be your priority.


BTW - Ultimate frisbee is a great game. Haven't played forever (and I suck anyway).
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Hellmuth played on a club Ultimate-frisbee team in college.


not sure what the link is between poker-players and ultimate frisbee (bruiser mentioned frisbee as well in his 'long-term goals' post)

I'm pretty sure that I'm a lot older than the rest of the posters in this thread. Here's some advice from the *old guy* even though it's probably a waste of time.

If you live long enough you'll come to realize what was important in your life. Love, family and friends first, career, integrity, honesty and the respect of your peers next. Lots of money is nice but you only really need what you need to live a decent life.

If you do ANYTHING to mess these priorities up it's a mistake so large that I can't describe it. A mistake early in life may seem small because you may feel that you can overcome or adjust it later but these mistakes have a way of snowballing and before you know it you may find yourself in a place you hadn't intended.

When people say *don't miss college for poker* it's a way of saying all of what I've just said, and more. Do yourselves a favor and put poker last. It's not that important and whatever you do don't go into it professionally.

One more piece of really good advice, for free. Be careful who you marry, take it from me, be careful who you marry.

[dtbog]

[ QUOTE ]
Also - I really have to take exception to the lack of importance the OP is placing on getting some freshman-booty.

Sex > Poker.

If somehow you are prioritizing poker over sex in your life then you desperately need to re-work your priorities.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, don't worry about me -- as I mentioned in the OP, I have a serious girlfriend... I'm not much of a 'bang all of the freshman chicks' type.

[dtbog]

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however, the only part of college poker makes me miss is the part that 10 years from now i won't remember at all - the acedemic part.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true, you definitely shouldn't be there.

[dtbog]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with a lot of what you said. I think poker enables me to do a lot of things that other students can't--I think I even have more free time than most because I don't have to work a traditional job. This means more time for both studying [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] and partying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen, brotha.

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And like you said, poker brings you closer to people that share the same interests as you. I've met some really fun people through this game (that includes you [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] you're such a plumpeddler, evan.

[dtbog]

I guess you've all pointed out that no one on here is really advocating against poker as a hobby, and you're right.

I (briefly) started to look for threads that suggested this, and I found that while most of the threads are in response to someone saying something like "all I do is play cards", the actual responses are sort of phase-shifted the other way... 'don't you ever pass up (X) for poker', ... 'get off of your computer and go outside', etc etc -- phrases that sound in a vacuum like 'poker is bad, don't play it in college' but really are just targeted responses to someone who went overboard.