Is 40 too old to start?

I'm not really what you'd call a seasoned veteran, in fact I only started playing poker in May! And only went online to play for real cash in June!!!But watching as many games as I can on TV, I see players with 8 years experience under their belt at the tender age of 24, or under!!

Have I really missed the gravy train or is 40 too old to START playing poker?

Of course not! It's not like you're trying out for a sports team or anything

As best I can recall, 40 is a bit old for The Tellatubbies, unless of course you are from California. That's about it. Have fun.

Absolutely not, just be prepared to study study study. I believe its easier to get into when your younger just for the fact that you have been in school (college or HS) and are more likely to study and grasp concepts from literature. However please don't think that I'm saying an old dog cant learn new tricks (I'm 22 so I think I know everything and anyone over 30 is an old dog to me ). You can definitely learn!

EZ Kenzie...u trying to keep winkie all 4 yerself? 40 is fine to begin your adventue into poker i think. After all its mostly patience and thats supposed to get better with age?? Good luck just keep open mind and read poker books alot!!!

Do 40 year olds hate money?

You are 8 years younger than I was before I started....it can be a lot of fun...but put in a ton of hands somewhere (micro's not freerolls). I would be glad to help if I can. And btw welcome to CC......the awesomest place for poker on the web!!!

I didn't get serious about poker til I was 40. I knew how to play 5 card draw and stud, but never even heard of Holdem til I watched Moneymaker win the '03 WSOP on espn. I've been hooked since. I've read books, and watched every poker show on TV to learn what I could. Good luck.

ur never too old to b playin poker. Hell doyle brunson is lyk 70 summit and in this years WSOP i think the oldest player was 93!!!

All i can say is that if u put time n dedication into learning the game then u can make sum money off it. Jus dont expect to making big bucks in ur first yr or two. In these first years ur gonna b reloading ur bankroll and learning from ur mistakes.

Go play in a a tourney at a casino for a small buy-in and jus enjoy the game and have fun!

Hope this helps

No you are not to old. I didn't play serious poker until I was over 40. Played some in my younger days but nothing like I do now.

Just a note-watching how they play on TV is not a good way to learn poker. Go to the strategy section were there is tons of info to learn from.

Best of luck.

I was also 40 when i started to play and also learned about the game of Holdem from TV. First off it is definately not to old. Second don't try to learn the game from TV you will be broke fast. I would however say that you must first be playing because you love the game or you will go nutz trying to learn and get better. Second don't over do it with higher buy-ins or sticking alot of money in at first get your feet wet see what you think then move foward from there. Good luck.

I wish I was 40... again...
Hell, I think 50 is not too old to start anything! Well, maybe not trying to date 25-year-olds....

Welcome to cc and please feel free to ask any questions as there are a lot of people here that are willing to help. I've received a ton of help myself and 40 is knocking on my door soon. Just think, in 10 years you're going to be a seasoned pro looking back on this and laughing! Have fun and check out many of the helpful articles here to help you get started.

It is not too old because my father started at 41 and he realy enjoy from it so do what you want to do. GL.

I started at 35 and have only been playing online for about 7months ,definatly not too old.( i am 36 now )

i started playing on the very small cash games and have learnt a lot since my online play.just play with in your means and dont let you emotions affect your choices.(i am still playing the small buyins)

good luck mate.CC has helped my play so u in good hands.

Lazmansa

I played in my first real world in person tournament when I was around that age, so the simple answer is, "Nope!" You learn the game, and sharpen your skills. You can take down your share of the prize money.

Welcome to world of poker and hope to see you on the felt soon.

Cheers!

I started playing on line 7 years ago. Am nearly 72 now. Only problem I have is much longer than 2 hrs. I lose my concentration.
DuaneK

I think it depends on your background.

If you're an engineer who has played a lot of chess, go, backgammon and bridge before, switching to poker at 40 should be a piece of cake.

If you've always hated math and never played one of the above games before, there will be a lot of rewiring to be done in your brain in order for you to become good, and brain plasticity does decrease with age. So while it's always a nice hobby to start, your chances of becoming really good are pretty slim, imo.

You may never get to be world class starting at 40, but you should be able to be profitable at some level. Top level chess players start to lose some of their stamina or endurance or mental capacity (or something) by age 40, but there are a few that maintain their strong play even older than that. I was a tournament chess player for many years, and now at age 45, I don't think I could ever reach my previous level of play. My brain just doesn't want to work that hard. But I am enjoying learning and studying poker at this advanced age!

On a related note, I've discovered that studying poker books is easier for me than chess books. I think they must be easier to write, too, although at least with chess nowadays you can run all the variations through a computer to make sure you don't miss anything. There's certainly no shortage of chess or poker books coming out all the time.

Not necessarily. Surely you have heard of mature students ?

I was nearly 36 when I achieved the most recent of my degrees. I passed out top of my year group and the University invited me back the following year to deliver a talk to the next intake (nearly all younger than me) about the secrets of my success with the course.

Not a brag, just a little reminder that some older people might actually be sharper than some of the youngsters. Never judge a book by its cover.

If you're talented, you won't need year to beat the 24year old players with 8 years experience. Good luck to you at the poker tables

Of coarse not! I ask you this, how old were you when you started messing with a computer? And now look at were your at with that skill, you've found how to get to the web, and play games!

Noway!
I started playing poker 5 months ago and I'm 32. :-) I think it needs about a year to become a good player, so you have a lot of time.
I just advise you to start it in small rooms, not just in PS and FT.

Definately not - why let the kids have all the fun

Age dont mean nothing in poker, unless you are getting ready to have a heart attack.

Somebody once asked a older man who was studying a MBA if he knew he was going to be 65 when he was going to graduate, the man replied he was going to be 65 regardless of the graduation.

Why would 40 be too late to start? I tend to think as a 22 year old player that I started playing too young as I tend to want everything right now and not grind it out.

As per usual in life, your desire and attitude will be your only determining factor on how well you do or how far you go. There are always going to be people how try to hold you back in a subtle way (read several post above) or flat out tell you it can't be done. Boils down to how motivated are you.

hell no, 40`s not too old, im 64 and still going,, gl,,,,,,,,,buck

i'm sorry but this is not true. desire and attitude are factors indeed, but saying that everybody can become a good poker player with those alone is just plain wrong.

of course 40 is not too old to start, check this forum out you will get heaps of helpfull hints, its never too late!!!

I am 31 already... only started to play poker....not very old, but really hard.....and I am from Russia....sorry for my English...

For what it's worth I have been playing poker since I was a teenager, many years ago but only learned about Texas Hold'em back in 98 when Scotty won the main event.
One of the best lines to ever come out of poker "You call, it's gonna be all over baby!"

So for the last 10 years or so I have been studying and playing Hold'em.
I play in a monthly live game, numerous other home games, go to the casino's here in Southern California, and Vegas as often as I can and play in as many online games as time permits.

So far I haven't gone broke, have had a great time and made some money, trophies and a quite a few good friends playing poker.

So I guess it's never too late to start playing.

Oh BTW I'm 59!

Just take the blue pill and you'll be able to play for four hours straight. Anymore than that and you might want to consult a physician Welcome to CardsChat.

Maybe 41 but definatly not 40.
I agree with what mortis said.
Poker has no real age limit to it.

I disagree. If you have the desire and the attitude, you will do the other things necessary to become a good player, like educate yourself and such.
All the knowledge in the world won't make you a good poker player, but combine that knowledge with the desire and a good attitude about yourself and the game and you will succeed.
True they are not the only factors, but they are key.

Good luck OP .... I'm 53 years old, been playing for 4 years, have 3 online bankrolls all started from scratch, and a live bankroll that keeps on growing.