On people who play poker for a living

[brokedickrooster]

I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

[Brock Landers]

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Just because a small percentage of people have a problem with poker/gambling, that doesn't make it wrong. To the overwhelming majority, it is a form of ENTERTAINMENT; in my opinion, a necessary human experience.

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The OP directed his question to professionals. Sure a lot of 2/4 and 3/6 players play for entertainment, but how many 30/60 players intentionally cough up a few grand for a night of fun?

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So, then all of the 30/60 players are either pros or addicted gamblers? Not likely. Plus averaging a loss of a "few grand" at the 30/60 would make you one of the worst 30/60 players in the world. That would be a loss of about 10 to 15 bb/hr.
I have heard studies that say about 4-6% of the population has the possibility to be addicted gamblers. While significant, this statistic shows that an overwhelming part of gamblers are recreational.

[hotdog da 2rd]

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This post sucks. Prepare to get flamed.

[/ QUOTE ] i like how you gave him the heads up so he can prepare himself. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[brokedickrooster]

I am going to respond to your post as honestly as I can.

When I was a kid, my mother always wanted me to go to college and become a doctor or a lawyer or some other "honorable" profession so I could make a good living to support my family and I suppose "contribute to society". I always told her that you didn't need college to make a living. Everybody is good at something and it doesn't matter what it is, you just have to figure out what it is and you could make a living at it.

When I got out of high school, I had no interest in college, so I eventually got a job as a bouncer in a bar. Not exactly an "honorable" profession, but I was good at it and it paid my bills. I became a bartender, again, not quite "honorable" but I was good at it and paid the bills.

I played poker "socially" and was horrible. I had no idea what I was doing and consistently lost and lost big. My father had a weekly game that was looking for another player and he asked me if I wanted in, I told him no because I was terrible at cards. A couple years later, he asked me again, and wanting to spend more quality time with him I agreed to the weekly game. I lost. and lost. and lost some more. I couln't really afford to lose, but I wanted to keep spending the time with my Dad. So, I bought a poker book. I read it and studied it. I lost less. I bought another book and started to break even. I bought another book and started to win. That was 10 years ago.

I don't play full time now, but almost. I am a consistent winner over the last 10 years. I am 42 years old, married, 3 boys (17, 6, and 1). They have a house, food, clothes, toys, summer camp, sporting equipment, and vacations. Their mother stays home to take care of them and the house (a very important job all by itself). The kids don't go to daycare and aren't home alone all the time because the parents are always working.

Do I have trouble sleeping at night? No, I sleep fine. Do I have trouble justifying how I get this money? No. I work hard at it. I read and study and concentrate. I work hard to excel at my chosen profession.

I'm not a lawyer suing McDonalds for their coffee being too hot. I'm not a doctor watering down his prescriptions to increase my profit line. I don't work for an insurance company using fear to convince someone to buy a lottery ticket on their health. I'm not some corporate CEO playing fast and loose with the numbers to cook the books and screw my 10,000 employees out of their pension funsd and lay them all off when I have to go to prison for two years du to a fraud conviction.

I play cards. I do it honestly. I am good at it. I take care of my family. THAT is honorable.

I hope this helps you.

[Rushmore]

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I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

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Lloyd Dobler was a genius.

On the other hand, being a kickboxer isn't exactly the most noble profession ever chosen, either.

[USGrant]

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the question is how to reconcile this interest with my values. to that end, i posted here hoping that other people have gone through the same issues.

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That by far is the funniest thing I've read on 2+2. I'd love to learn more about the value system of someone who likes to identify himself in a public forum with the activity of "bangin bitches." I guess respect for women is not in the value system, but giving back to society is. What kind of "giving back" one asks? .... Giving "bitches" a good "bang" of course.

[RollaJ]

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there's no denying that if every poker player on earth were to die instantly, nothing would really be worse off. Maybe some slight entertainment value, and a few casino employees would be out of business.

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There certainly is some validity to the statement you make regarding poker players, but there are many jobs like it that contribute little if not nothing to society directly via their job....
Poker players
Pro athletes
actors & actresses
Everyone else in hollywood
Stock brokers
financial market traders
Artists
Singers/musicians

There are many millions of people who work in jobs that dont help society at large, and many more millions who sit home and accept various forms of government support without doing even "worthless work". So to say that if they all died off it wouldnt affect anyone is really just silly. See It's a Wonderful Life if you want to get an idea for how many lives one person's can touch (granted George Bailey was a do gooder, but you get the idea).

Every person who works and makes money recycles it back into the economey, and that in turn helps others.

Poker winners win money and spend it on goods/services which gives other people work and helps them feed their family

Poker losers work more in whatever field they are in, maybe more hours, maybe more years before they retire. They are then contributing more to society, than they would have if they had not lost their money to a winning player.

Basically there is a circle of life, every action has a reaction, and to say one part is not important is a misguided conclusion IMHO. Sure I wont say that doctors and teachers arent more important to us, but everyone plays a roll.

[drewjustdrew]

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Does the small business owner here care about the child slave labour in China making his computer parts?


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You say this as if the large business owner does care.

[Daniel Hoerr]

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I am going to respond to your post as honestly as I can.

When I was a kid, my mother always wanted me to go to college and become a doctor or a lawyer or some other "honorable" profession so I could make a good living to support my family and I suppose "contribute to society". I always told her that you didn't need college to make a living. Everybody is good at something and it doesn't matter what it is, you just have to figure out what it is and you could make a living at it.

When I got out of high school, I had no interest in college, so I eventually got a job as a bouncer in a bar. Not exactly an "honorable" profession, but I was good at it and it paid my bills. I became a bartender, again, not quite "honorable" but I was good at it and paid the bills.

I played poker "socially" and was horrible. I had no idea what I was doing and consistently lost and lost big. My father had a weekly game that was looking for another player and he asked me if I wanted in, I told him no because I was terrible at cards. A couple years later, he asked me again, and wanting to spend more quality time with him I agreed to the weekly game. I lost. and lost. and lost some more. I couln't really afford to lose, but I wanted to keep spending the time with my Dad. So, I bought a poker book. I read it and studied it. I lost less. I bought another book and started to break even. I bought another book and started to win. That was 10 years ago.

I don't play full time now, but almost. I am a consistent winner over the last 10 years. I am 42 years old, married, 3 boys (17, 6, and 1). They have a house, food, clothes, toys, summer camp, sporting equipment, and vacations. Their mother stays home to take care of them and the house (a very important job all by itself). The kids don't go to daycare and aren't home alone all the time because the parents are always working.

Do I have trouble sleeping at night? No, I sleep fine. Do I have trouble justifying how I get this money? No. I work hard at it. I read and study and concentrate. I work hard to excel at my chosen profession.

I'm not a lawyer suing McDonalds for their coffee being too hot. I'm not a doctor watering down his prescriptions to increase my profit line. I don't work for an insurance company using fear to convince someone to buy a lottery ticket on their health. I'm not some corporate CEO playing fast and loose with the numbers to cook the books and screw my 10,000 employees out of their pension funsd and lay them all off when I have to go to prison for two years du to a fraud conviction.

I play cards. I do it honestly. I am good at it. I take care of my family. THAT is honorable.

I hope this helps you.

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Very nice hand...

[PokerPaul]

i concur that was a nice convincing reply.

To draw a parrallel to the original poster should every bar that serves alcohol be shut down....after all, all they do is charge money to provide booze and a place to socialize for the boozers. And since some people cant control their alcoho intake and are alcoholics, why should everyone else have to give it up?

Its the same thing, a small percentage of problem gamblers, while sad for them, is not reason to crucify everyone else for it.