Utterly embarrassing and honest confessions of a 1 year pro

[Aeioux]

A question for you stealth cow... Are you in college, and if you are have you though about studying abroad. I studied abroad in Spain and it was one of the best decisions of my life. The things I saw and did and the friends I made I will have for the rest of my life.

If you are in college definitley do this!

[RYL]

Hire a psychologist. That's the only advice I can give you.

[jgorham]

Vacations don't need to be far away either. I like to go camping, and every time am shocked how much a weekend away can do.

[MicroBob]

Can't possibly read all the responses in this thread. Sorry if some or all of this has been covered.

Nice post. Your ability to find your own honesty is certainly a commendable attribute.


Golf: I've never broken 100.

I really suck and just don't enjoy it that much....but to each their own.
My Dad is an avid golfer and I had clubs when I was 7 yrs old.
I've just never been able to do it.


I don't exactly have a whole boat-load of friends here in Memphis but fully acknowledge that's my own damn fault.


I mostly have my GF... and a handful of people I only kinda/sorta know.
I keep in touch with a couple of out-of-town friends of course...but that's not the same as having a local social-network.


I do think that golf or some other gym/raquet-club type membership could be helpful.
My rec-league soccer-team has been good for a couple of new acquintences.

I'm less bashful about what I do for a living now. If asked I just say it straight-up that I play poker (usually qualified by a "this is going to sound kind of silly...but...").


Now I've got an entire soccer-team in Memphis that is talking of (errr....threatening) to come to the WSOP wearing out team uniforms and cheer me on/heckle the other players at my table (and I thought zoo-sweat got pretty outrageous at times) and some other guy who wants me to get Annie Duke's phone # for him.


I only told our coach about my poker playing when he asked what it is I do...but he's played on party before (mostly play-money) and used to play when he was in the Navy. He wants tips from me on how to improve.
And he has obviously been telling his work-buddies (some of whom are on the team also).

So I'm helping him with his game a little bit...

He just got PT and his VP is around 60.
He also talks of wanting to play at 'higher limits where you can put your opponents on a hand and avoid the suck-outs because it's just too tough to beat the idiots at .5/1 who don't play real poker' or something like that.


He's a smart guy though...he just doesn't know any better yet.
He is VERY receptive to my suggestions that some of what he is saying is REALLY REALLY wrong.


Anyway - if you don't harp on it too much and are somewhat humble about it the fact that you play poker for a living can be a great conversation topic once it comes around.


hell - my GF has a few people at work who want to meet me...or her work-friends have BF's or husbands who want to meet me...just because her work-friends asked her 'so...what does your BF do for a living?'

GF doesn't know squat about poker and doesn't really care.
But her friends are all "Holy Crap!! That's the coolest thing I've ever heard. Kevin (or Roger..or whoever) would kill to meet me."
Of course...they won't be nearly as thrilled when they find that I'm not nearly as cool as they are envisioning.


also - this whole social-stuff might not be as poker-related as we might think.

It could just be partly attributed to a semi-difficult period of life in that 'transition' period.
20-25 yrs old was kind of a tough and generally insecure period for me.

Kind of thinking of this in a 'The Graduate' or 'Garden State' type of way (first two films that leap to mind about general 'heading into the real-world' angst and difficulties).
As I recall...MD has had some difficulties with his parents in the past and this IS a factor regarding one's ability and comfortability to feel like they could/should be accepted and be able to forge friendships imo.

I'm 34 now and am MUCH more comfortable in my own skin.

[Greg J]

There is a lot of great advice on this thread. There is also a lot of crappy advice. I'm not sure which this falls into (hopefully the former):

Take a college class in something that interests you. Colleges are a great place to make friends and meet chicks (or dudes if that is what you are into). Plus the class itself will hopefully be a source of intellectual fulfillment.

If that doesn't sound great, a martial arts class might be good too. That will get you some pretty good excercise. Yr Racquet club idea was also good.

Whatever you do, good luck. Being lonely sucks. It really sucks. Just try to do something that will make you happy.

[RYL]

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Hire a psychologist. That's the only advice I can give you.

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When you get more money, hire a lawyer.

[SA125]

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El Diablo's advice, to get educated, so that all sorts of other possibilities are opened up to you, is excellent. You can still be an occasional or part-time player, be very tough at the table and make a nice auxilliary income, and make an emjoyable life for yourself.

I take it from your post you're about 20. I'm 52. I know it sounds like a crock, but one day you will wake up and look in the mirror and there will be a 52 year-old man looking back at you and you'll regret the time that isn't there any more.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said Andy and Diablo. I've posted more responses to these type of posts that I can remember and two things remain constant. One is that I've had enough life experience as a man (44, husband, father, respected profession) to know I've achieved a good amount and when speaking with people I rarely fail to receive respect from them. Therefore feel confident enough to dispense advice. The second is that, when I attempt to do the same at the computer, it never, ever comes off nearly as well as it does in person. Many times I make myself look like a troll. Which I've never been accused of face to face and makes me believe, if it were true, someone would have said it by now.

I said that to prove one thing. I think it's a line from an Aerosmith song that reflects it best. That life is a journey, not a destination.

You'll always do some good things and some bad things and make plenty of mistakes along the way. The best you can hope for is more good than bad and, as you grow older, you'll do much more that's right than that's wrong. That's life.

Paluka isn't a dick. Why would I reinforce that? I wouldn't know him if he was standing next to me. All it does is piss him off and make me look shallow. Sometimes we can get carried away with this online sh*t. Me included. If you're not even 25 and healthy MD, then smile. You have the world by the short ones.

[meanjean]

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this sounds pretty sweet. i hadnt thought about taking lessons but should do that. how much do memberships to golf courses usually cost? are they usually memberships where you can play unlimited for free or are there extra costs to use the course?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just find a public course near you. You won't need any kind of membership. You'll pay $15-$40ish a round for most public courses.

[/ QUOTE ]

great post...great advise above on golf...

my only addition would be that if you find that running aint working for you...(and I really liked the idea of working up to a 5K, if for no other reason than the 100 or so in shape women who run in them always force me to go)...buy a road bike and ride...great exercise at any level...you can putter around all summer in the sun and as you get in better shape you can start climbing mountains or big hills...not only do you get a rush from accomplishing a tough climb but you also get to fly down the other side at 35-40 mph....but the best thing about riding (or any kind of exercise) is that after a ride poker is just fun. I can't explain it, maybe the endorphins do it. I won't even play on a given day unless I exercise for at least an hour.

[Paluka]

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unnecessarily harsh IMO.

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I had to be harsh if I was going to be sincere. I have been a dick to him, and I do think most of his posts make him sound like a total moron. But my advice to him on how to make himself happier was genuine.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is not necessary to be harsh in order to achieve sincerety.
bill c

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I meant that if I wasn't harsh, he would know that I was just giving into pressure and appeasing the people in the thread who said i was being a dick.

[TStoneMBD]

i told you not to reply, yet you do so because you have to defend your idiotic remarks to prevent looking like a ** dip*. you failed. good job.