Money, money, money...

[aflaba]

Money, money, money…

Fellow 2+2ers,
I have a problem

Pretty much everyone who knows me knows I’m playing poker seriously. Very often when I talk with people I don’t speak to very often poker comes up in the conversation. I don’t mind talking _poker_ with them. It’s just that almost every time the topic of money comes up in conjunction. Most conversations about “poker” go about like this:

- So I hear you’re playing poker. Are you good?
- Yes, I’m good. I better should be since I play it every day.

- Do you make money at it?
- Yes, I better. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be playing every day.

- Well then how much do you make?
- I’m making enough to support myself and buy stuff I want. Enough to keep me satisfied.

- How much?
- I don’t want to get into specifics about numbers.

- How much? Have you made $1.000, $10.000!?
- I told you, I don’t want to get into specifics.

Then there is a short uncomfortable moment before I change the subject.

I really dislike that the topic of money has to come up so often. Before I started poker I almost never had conversations about money. Now, in one form or another, I talk about money several times a week. I’m getting really tired of it. I understand people for being curios, I know would be, but still I’m getting increasingly frustrated every time it comes to a conversation like the one above.

I’ve tried the approach of telling people how much I make too, because I don’t like to be all shady about it. When I hadn’t made very much money yet people usually just got impressed and amazed. The more money I made, the more people seemed to just become offended. So now I tell no one.

Talking money is getting really frustrating. How do you guys handle this? Is it just a normal part of adult-money-making life that I need to get used to? What is your advice on how to handle it?

I don’t want the money I’m making to affect my life in any other way then that I just have money.

Help needed, really

[bear187]

Tell them you sell drugs instead. They'll stop talking.

[Ianco15]

I have a few buddies I play with regularly and we talk poker a lot too. But with anyone else, the conversation turns into a similar one as yours. I really don't like talking about money from poker with other people either. It's uncomfortable. I don't really have a solution to the problem, I'm just saying that I can relate.

[fnord_too]

I don't have a problem telling people how much I have made. I don't think anyone has ever been offended.

[Caruso329]

I can also relate. My mother knows I play poker online and my girlfriend does as well. These are the worst two when it comes to talking about my money. I'm a student right now and jobless, but I have enough money to survive on for now. Whenever I say I don't have enough money for things such as eating out, movies, etc, they always bring up my poker winnings. I've tried to explain to them the concept of having enough money to account for variance, but I'm sure you can guess what they have to say about it. Anyways, I'm trying to avoid talking to anyone about how much money I make online, or even the fact I play online.

I do however talk to a few of my poker playing fraternity bros about it. But only because they're interested in getting better and don't pressure me into it or whatever. I don't tell them to brag, but merely to encourage them. IE I lost 7 deposits before I started winning and look at me now!

[The Bloke]

So how much do you make?

[mach3]

Why do all of these people know? That's your first problem. I can count on one hand the # of people who know how I pay the bills. Save yourself the trouble - most people will not understand. I get the feeling you like people asking you about it - make you feel cool. If someone presses you over and over - say you're into value investing and risk management.

Seriously though - there is no reason you should be running your mouth. And never discuss the amount of money involved.

[aflaba]

I'll actually try that next time. For real.

... depends who asks though.

[aflaba]

thanks.

Still nice to hear more people are experiencing the same thing.

Hopefully someone will bring the perfect solution, or in second best case some concepts about it.

[aflaba]

That's good.

I have gotten the feeling that people have reacted much less then happily when I tell them. They (like 3 people out of 5) get all serious and don't really know what to say. They seem much less than "happy" that I am making alot of money so easily. Tinder of jelousy I feel. May be in my own head though, that I am afread that they will react that way, and therefor think they do react that way. But I don't think so. Or it maybe becouse I'm acting so shady about it.