Sklansky refers to Poker as 'a life of quiet desperation'? Why?

AA suited · #1 08-14-2005, 07:01 PM

I read a post by someone in the Psych forum with that quote.

Why is poker know as 'a life of quiet desperation'?

Alex/Mugaaz · #2 08-14-2005, 07:54 PM

No one cares about you, or your results. Everyone is out to get you at the table. When you're down on your luck no one believes you, and assumes you're a losing player. Anytime you meet a new person you have to go through the akward what do you do spiel, etc.

That's what I think at least for myself. However, most of these things are true regardless of your profession.

scalf · #3 08-14-2005, 08:59 PM

..because he took the road less traveled...

gl

[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

wildwood · #4 08-14-2005, 09:56 PM

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." written by Henry David Thoreau, American writer (1817-1862)

#5 08-15-2005, 12:42 AM

It's probably because Sklansky is a pretty pretentious guy, on the whole (don't strike me down please, mods).

SNOWBALL138 · #6 08-15-2005, 01:42 AM

Thank you so much. I knew Sklansky didn't coin the phrase.

#7 08-16-2005, 05:10 PM

Mike Caro coins this same phrase in his portion of Doyle Brunson's Power Poker. Not sure why this phrase keeps popping up in the poker world.

Thoureau was basically saying that the majority of men don't live out their dreams. They just go about living their ordinary day to day lives and only in fleeting moments do they attain some sort of personal accomplishment or attainment of that dream. He is trying to get the reader to seize the moment.