I Quit My Day Job

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
Before I begin with what I have to say I want to add some history:
-I've read 2+2 posts before and never commented until now.
-I've been playing on empire for a a couple years now and have done very well. My income from poker is solid and I've considered going pro.

But the one thing I don't hear anyone on this thread saying is that playing poker is unfullfilling. I work at a big company now and while I don't love my job it gives me pleasure to actually create something. When I play cards I'm always looking for weaknesses in my opponents and ways to exploit them. When I play, I don't create anything and I would like my life to mean something more than the guy who took money from weaker poker players. I've recently decided to not go pro because there is more to life than just playing cards. I agree with having hobbies and gfs is good. But no one mentioned anything about getting satisfaction from building or creating something. Am I alone? I could go pro if I wanted, but I would never create anything. I plan to continue playing to supplement my income because the money is good. But I'm still searching for a way to be productive.

Does anyone else who plays a lot feel this way?

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I say the reverse, playing poker for a living is much less unfullfilling then working for a big company.

chez

[Adam22]

as soon as i figured out how playing poker for a living "worked" i realized i wanted to do it rather than be an employee because my whole life i always resented the fact that my pre-planned goal in life seemed to be to get older and get a job that i'd hate. i could probably keep playing poker for the rest of my life to get by but i'm more interested in building up enough capital to get into buisness for myself, THEN play poker recreationally instead of grinding it out 5-8 hours a day like i often do now.

basically for someone like me i consider poker to be something i most certaintly love but it's also a means to an end.

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
as soon as i figured out how playing poker for a living "worked" i realized i wanted to do it rather than be an employee because my whole life i always resented the fact that my pre-planned goal in life seemed to be to get older and get a job that i'd hate. i could probably keep playing poker for the rest of my life to get by but i'm more interested in building up enough capital to get into buisness for myself, THEN play poker recreationally instead of grinding it out 5-8 hours a day like i often do now.

basically for someone like me i consider poker to be something i most certaintly love but it's also a means to an end.

[/ QUOTE ]
Same here, except being older than you (I guess) my end is to be retired playing poker recreationally and for a bit of extra cash.

chez

[Adam22]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
as soon as i figured out how playing poker for a living "worked" i realized i wanted to do it rather than be an employee because my whole life i always resented the fact that my pre-planned goal in life seemed to be to get older and get a job that i'd hate. i could probably keep playing poker for the rest of my life to get by but i'm more interested in building up enough capital to get into buisness for myself, THEN play poker recreationally instead of grinding it out 5-8 hours a day like i often do now.

basically for someone like me i consider poker to be something i most certaintly love but it's also a means to an end.

[/ QUOTE ]
Same here, except being older than you (I guess) my end is to be retired playing poker recreationally and for a bit of extra cash.

chez

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sometimes i think about just moving to france or costa rica and living on the beach and playing 20 hours a week and totally giving up on life. that'd be pretty cool.

[12AX7]

Amen. Amen.

However, for me I can't replace the normal grind with poker because, well, I lose. LOL!

[12AX7]

To be honest, that might have bothered me in the past.

But my experience is such that I could give a sh't about creating something in corp. USA for the people above me to get the big houses, drive the BMW's and send thier kids to Ivy League Schools.

Anything that would pay me well enough to get out, and give me control of my time, so I could create what I want to, when I want to is just fine by me.

Personally I'd fill that void with building an airplane, or maybe custom guitars and amps. Not sure. But after a good high level survival, not dependant on freakin' "Good Will Employment" is established... well then world is your oyster.

Before that point, you are just the fishie of the richy riches.

True or true?

LOL!

[12AX7]

So tell me, how does playing poker for a living "work"?

A serious question, not a flame.

I'm with you, I don't enjoy making someone else rich. But that misses the heart of my question by a smidge. What I lack right now is a sense of purpose and meaning. I'm doing very well for my age and have money. What I desire is purpose and I don't get that from poker. I think the worst thing I could ever do is go through life and just say well, I played poker and made a lot of money. Because when I look back what can I show for all of my efforts and talent?!?! just the money.

I think anyone that is smart enough to be able to make a living playing cards is very capable. Why waste our talent on something so trivial as poker? This is just how I feel. Like I'm stuck in some rut. No where else can I make as much per hour as I do at poker. But when I play poker I feel like I've wasted my time. Time that could have been spent improving society. This sounds so terribly stupid because I'm not some tree hugger trying to save the manitees.

I just feel that poker is good for money and that's it. I stopped enjoying the game some time ago but continue it because of the dollars.

And maybe I am alone when I say I want to create because I find value in creating.

I really just wanted to see if I was alone...

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm with you, I don't enjoy making someone else rich. But that misses the heart of my question by a smidge. What I lack right now is a sense of purpose and meaning. I'm doing very well for my age and have money. What I desire is purpose and I don't get that from poker.

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The poker phenomena is an enabler for some of us. Maybe you will find your purpose/meaning in your job but some of us never will (not in one that pays proper money anyway).

I play 30+ (normally 40+) hours of poker a week and its a doddle compared to the jobs I've had. Its so much less tiring for me then conventional working was, and so liberating in when I have my free time that I now am able to do the things I always wanted to but couldn't - that is where the meaning of my life is.

Its obviously not for everyone (certainly not for those who can't make the money they need) but for some of us its fantastic. Those who hate the life shouldn't make the mistake of assuming they represent everybody.

chez

[Adam22]

[ QUOTE ]
So tell me, how does playing poker for a living "work"?

A serious question, not a flame.

[/ QUOTE ]

well for me, i realized that if i deposited a rather small amount of money into a poker site ( a little over a year ago ) and then proceeded to learn as much about poker as i could, while playing as much as possible, that my bankroll would grow and i would be able to play higher limits, progressively. once you reach the level of 5/10 or 10/20 ( actually even 3/6 ), there's a good chance that if you're a solid player who pulls in at least 1bb/100 hands ( ideally, plus rakeback ) than your hourly rate at poker will probably be better than the amount you could earn doing any other activity at that moment. i'm not exactly wealthy but it's worked out pretty good for me.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm with you, I don't enjoy making someone else rich. But that misses the heart of my question by a smidge. What I lack right now is a sense of purpose and meaning. I'm doing very well for my age and have money. What I desire is purpose and I don't get that from poker. I think the worst thing I could ever do is go through life and just say well, I played poker and made a lot of money. Because when I look back what can I show for all of my efforts and talent?!?! just the money.

I think anyone that is smart enough to be able to make a living playing cards is very capable. Why waste our talent on something so trivial as poker? This is just how I feel. Like I'm stuck in some rut. No where else can I make as much per hour as I do at poker. But when I play poker I feel like I've wasted my time. Time that could have been spent improving society. This sounds so terribly stupid because I'm not some tree hugger trying to save the manitees.

I just feel that poker is good for money and that's it. I stopped enjoying the game some time ago but continue it because of the dollars.

And maybe I am alone when I say I want to create because I find value in creating.

I really just wanted to see if I was alone...

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no, i know what you mean. i've never really had a serious job though, i used to do landscaping for a friend of my parents and i got some small level of satisfaction from that but i've always got those feelings of accomplishment from bmx ( learning new tricks, finding new things to ride ) and from artwork. you're right, poker is not a very good creative outlet.