On people who play poker for a living

[Gamblor]

I'll cross post this cause it's kind of cross-topic.

As poker players, we don't earn our money. A lot of kids don't get to go extra vacations or they get cheap birthday presents because their fathers or mothers gamble away healthy sums of money. We can justify it to ourselves by saying that people choose to put their money on the table, that they can walk away any time, that they would have just lost it at blackjack etc. etc., 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. Truthfully though, casino employees aren't the most specialized in their skills (say, relative to aeronautical engineers) and thus are capable of finding other work in a variety of fields.

We suck money out of the economy and don't really provide anything in return. We take take and take and nobody really benefits from our existence. We are the sewers of the economy.

For some reason, I think of those who derive their sole income from the poker industry. Anyone who fits into this category feel free to respond.

Do you have a job in which you provide some benefit to someone in exchange for your income (engineer, lawyer, busboy, anything, manufacture fake dog [censored], anything)

Do you volunteer in the community?

Is money and comfort the only thing you care about? Does every decision you make first require EV calculations?

What do you do to make someone else's experience this planet better off?

For some reason, I think about a lot of the people on this forum really can't answer this, but I also think there's a good chance I'll be proven wrong.

I direct this mainly at the "name-brand" players; it's also been posted in OOT.

[Sponger15SB]

This post sucks. Prepare to get flamed.

[Paluka]

Do you think being a good guy, making the lives of your friends/family more enjoyable, paying taxes, and other mundane aspects of life qualify as contributing to society?

[Gamblor]

why?

[Gamblor]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you think being a good guy, making the lives of your friends/family more enjoyable, paying taxes, and other mundane aspects of life qualify as contributing to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't see how you think these things don't, and i also dont see how you could think poker does.

[Jeebus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do you think being a good guy, making the lives of your friends/family more enjoyable, paying taxes, and other mundane aspects of life qualify as contributing to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't see how you think these things don't, and i also dont see how you could think poker does.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if the poker player goes out and does these things, has he not just proved your argument wrong? And many people who lost at poker (such as myself at times0 justify it as spending money for entertainment. To do anything entertaining requires paying a fee, poker players provided the opportunity to play poker.

[NYCNative]

Well, as long as you're enjoying your life in... where are you located? Ah yes, the lovely burg of "Bangin' Bitches."

[illab]

What does anyone in the entertainment industry contribute to society, usually not much unless their piece of work makes us more socially consicious about an important issue (few and far between). Poker players are similar to entertainers in that some people enjoy putting thousands of dollars in poker tournaments even though they know that chances are overwhelming that they dont see the money again. Mostly they enjoy the thrill that comes with playing poker, like others enjoy video games or movies. So in that respect, poker players are just as much a drain on society as movie actors and directors, authors, video games designers, or some Vegas stage act, none of them are providing anything to society except entertainment. Plus poker players pay taxes just like everyone else.

[Gamblor]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Do you think being a good guy, making the lives of your friends/family more enjoyable, paying taxes, and other mundane aspects of life qualify as contributing to society?

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't see how you think these things don't, and i also dont see how you could think poker does.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if the poker player goes out and does these things, has he not just proved your argument wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

yes.

[ QUOTE ]
And many people who lost at poker (such as myself at times0 justify it as spending money for entertainment. To do anything entertaining requires paying a fee, poker players provided the opportunity to play poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

i agree with this, although i still think the majority of "entertainment" losers lose far more than they want to or realize.

at the same time, its your entertainment dollar = it's your choice.

[Gamblor]

bangin bitches = rocks and rings.