Why do you play poker?

I know this seems like a random question, but I find it interesting none-the-less. Why do you play poker? Is it for the money? The rush/excitement? The fame? Or is it your own little sanctuary, a place that relaxes you? Or something else?

I’m only asking because I just recently go into an argument with one of my closest friends. He asked me why I was getting back into poker. I told him flat out that it was because of the money. Do I think I’ll win a ton of money? Highly unlikely. However, it’s a dream. Don’t get me wrong. I love the excitement, the mental challenge, and the comradely of it. However, make no mistake, I want to win money. Big money.

He basically called me a sell-out, and accused me of playing for the wrong reasons. He considers poker his little sanctuary, a safe haven to get away from the stresses of the world. I completely understand. He has three kids, all under the age of 3, and works at a job he hates. However, I find it hard to believe that the majority of poker players aren’t primarily playing for the money. Am I wrong?

Ok excellent question, I have many reasons why I play, so I will make a list.

1) I really enjoy poker, I look at it as a sport and I'm very competitive.

2) I love the adrenaline you get when you get a bad beat, or make a ft, or you win with AA vs KK or you win some huge pot, basically you know what I mean I hope.

3) of course I play to win money, in fact I got myself a nice laptop because of poker with my winnings.

4) I got some good friends because I started playing poker, I joined a friendly site CC and met cool people and learned stuff.

5) When I play with my friends and family at home, I enjoy having a good time and spending time together.

6) Poker is a game of skill, not luck like some say.

7) I'm not great at math but I really enjoy the math behind poker, pot odds and stuff like that.

8) I'm sure there are more but that's all I can think of right now.

yes, fun question

because I'm good at it?

been on a bad spell recently, but it doesnt matter. just played a bit less, and have been on vacation in VT anyway.

because I love it? very vague answer, and had I not had all these cocktails I could elaborate.

BTW sorry folks. I just got the goofy message that said I hadnt posted for a bit. As I said, been on a dry spell and nnot plaing much at all, mostly playing lower stakes to get my fix w/out blowing my br, and been on vaca.
should be back now....

been fixing my leaks on micro.

been reading and not posting mainly out of frustration and anxiety, to see how everyones doing. saw zachvac go deep in sun. mil, gg sir wp imo. saw others too, just didnt feel like TYPING about cards and such.

win win win

Im pretty sure the only reason I play poker is to make money, I will be doing 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week of playing in the future. I love the challenge of playing different opponents, and how pretty much every hand can be played in any way. Current year goal is to make supernova on Stars.

Its not going so hot right now but thats because I have a small bankroll atm Once I make a serious deposit at the end of the summer ($5-$10k) ill get the ball rolling for some serious multitable 200nl.

I used to play a ton of basketball. The last several years I've had some injuries that have held me back. I've played poker for 6 years, but since basketball has been put on hold I've turned to poker for the competitive fix.

I love outplaying people not by "getting lucky" playing 80% of the hands dealt to me, but playing a solid TAG game. I've had some good results and feel that I might even be a better poker player than a basketball player.

Playing poker does however have draw backs vs. basketball. If someone hit a lucky ass shot vs. me I could just play better defense or maybe throw I little elbow as I set a pick or something aggressive. In poker if I get a bad beat I can only continue to play a strong TAG game. If I switch things up and bet more I'm just asking for trouble. So when I get a bad beat to take me out of a MTT I can only do a couple of things punch a way, drink some beer and punch a wall, or just be a grumpy little bitch all day and take it out on everyone I know. Poker love hate relationship indeed!!!

1. I enjoy the competition.
2. The money.
3. That adrenaline rush you get when you're all in and about to take down a huge pot if you can just avoid your opponents outs on the river. The rush isn't quite as big when you've got him drawing dead, but it's not stressful either.

^^^^this, and more.
Ive finally found something I consider Im good at, and love to play it any time, day or night!

Every thing Bob said plus this little side bar


I have no illusions of being great and turning pro, I can hold my own at most tables and i enjoy the game.

I play because it's always been something i've loved to do & i am good @ it.

The free $$$ isn't bad either LOL

First I play poker because it is mentally challenging. As humans we must continue to develop our minds, or they will fade. You can see a direct correlation of the mind and its strength due to its usage. Why does poker give me the highest value of mind usage? Nothing is ever the same, it is not an everyday job, or brushing my teeth, or going to the bathroom. All the time spent playing poker is extremely educational, and can be used to high value.

Secondly I play poker because it is a exciting game.
I love all strategic games like risk, rpgs, and anything you can build teams and be in versus. I like the challenge, the reward, and even the loss. Just in the act of competing I am happy.

Lastly I play poker because it is highly profitable.
All you need to win is 1.

^^^excellent post, Tom.
welcome to CC, if i havent already said it to you, nice to see another penguin(avater), we have a few already!

money is a good enough reason, but not too many ppl make money from online poker, it relaxes me more than anything i've ever found after my bouts with chemo, & if you've ever had chemo you know what i mean

hope it's going good with you, liza, I remember your intro thread.
Nice avater, btw, that is Ms Minelli, right, or am I blind?
She's hot, anyway!
GL

Well, I started playing Poker (5 card draw) back when I was 5, when my grandfather taught me, which he also taught me how to play chess around that time. At that time, it was just a chance to have fun and hang out with my grandfather.

I didn't really get into poker until about 2 years ago, when my roommate at the time (who was a big poker player), wanted to teach me how to play Hold 'Em and Omaha. I declined at first, because I didn't think I would be able to get into it, but eventually caved in. I started to get into it, and after 3 months of playing, I entered my first tournament (30 player free bar tournament), and I won. I won 20 bucks and didn't have to put in any money, so I can't complain. I was hooked after that.

I play because I enjoy the game. If I can make some money out of it, that's great.. if not, no big deal. I also play because I meet some different and interesting people as well.

Well, being a stay at home mom sure has its challenges..so when I am feeding my little guy a bottle or just holding him to make him happy I play poker. It ends up being an all day affair mostly. I am now addicted to it. I also love the competitive side.I love to win...yankeenut23

well i've went from nothing to $101 in about a couple months, a friend loaned me $5 i gave it back & still on top, looks like i may owe her some
guess i'll have to break down & deposit soon

I play poker because, like most gamblers.. I crave the action. It's not always about the amount of the wager. Someone once said, "If you don't have action, you don't have anything."

Stu Ungar was the same way. Read the book "One of a Kind" if you get a chance.

If you don't have action, You don't have anything.



Aloha

1. for fun
2. to win money
3. competition
4. and the adrenaline rush I get when I play in tournaments

I play poker because I like the competition, I like to win, its fun, and I like the action.





Oh yeah I love that money too!

I honestly didn't think I'd get this many responses. I find them quite interesting. I guess I was thinking I’d get a universal answer.

The mental challenge is probably the 2nd most important reason why I play. Like a member posted above, if you don't use it, you lose it. In my opinion, even though I'm relatively new to the game, there are very few sports that are as mentally challenging as poker. Chess and golf come to mind, however they pale in comparison to poker. Not only is it an analytical game, it also requires a unique intuition that I believe is unparalleled in any sport along with a little bit of gamesmanship/showmanship and luck. Being able to read another player is probably the toughest skill I’ve come across in a long time.

i like the competition and the game. of course a hope of winning some decent money. a way to pass time when nothing is going on. a way of meeting some nice people and new friends. a stress reliever of a different sort. lastly i just like playing poker.

I agree with Liza (I wish you well btw) my number one reason is :
It's sooooo relaxing. I work from home, have a young child plus one on the way, my days can get stressful. PLaying poker midday helps me unwind, and forget about all the stress.

Reason #2 is the adrenaline rush

Reason #3 is the money, but it's a distant third b/c I have much more difficulty playing online than in home games (which sadly I don't get to do that much anymore)

very good question!
I play for a bunch of reasons, money is only a small part of it.
I enjoy the game and I used to be able to play live a lot and with 4 small children thats just not possible anymore.
Its a rush and its something to do while the kids are at school LOL

can a mod sticky this please?? I think this a very good thread and would be good for beginners to post in it. Just my opinion, thx.

^^^^I second that emotion, bob.

ok let me put it this way. I don't believe you, unless you're making a whole lot more than most of us, you have to have another motivation for playing. If you're making 6 figures, I'll believe you're playing for the money. There's just too much work, and too much mental stress, downswings, etc. to make it tough for someone who truly doesn't enjoy the challenge and working to get better.

Personally money's definitely a part, but a lot of it is the challenge of playing. I like playing against good players, being able to out-think them, or else get completely schooled and go back and maybe learn some more. I enjoy getting better and working hard to see the work pay off, in the form of money mostly, but the work is what fuels it. I think the reasons I play baseball and poker are extremely similar. They're both extremely similar in and of themselves, they have simple rules but unique situations can come up every day. And both for getting better there's no substitute for hard work. Whether it's working on a swing off the tee or in a cage, or studying how you play certain hands and figuring out the most profitable line.

So sure I'm loving the money aspect, being as when I had my first job at $7/hour I thought that was a ton, and now am making $11/hour just to break even through fpp bonuses, and also get to keep the profits (although recently they've been losses, stupid downswings). So sure now the money's a factor, but mainly it's the challenge and working to get better, and seeing the work pay off. Like most people I'm a pretty competitive person, so I enjoy putting in work to get better and win.

Fun
Money
Women

Zachvac

I’m sorry. That was not what I meant. I don’t play poker strictly for the money. I love the competition, the mental challenge, and the excitement. Those are all reasons why I play. However, I’m not going to lie. The money has a lot to do with it. Actually, I should say the dream of winning a lot of money has a lot to do with it. I don’t think anyone can deny that money doesn’t play a large part of it. If that wasn’t the case, then why play for money at all? Why not just play amongst friends?

I think the majority of us could agree that we’d love to be able to bet a couple hundred thousand dollars on games, fly around the world, enjoy the cars and women, etc… It’s the poker dream. Like you said though, there’s more to poker than just money. But in my opinion, those reasons are a distant second.

It is a very interesting Q. There's been lot's of BS said in this thread, so lets get the truth out. Everyone plays poker to try to make money (If you deposit and play for cash ), play poker to "relax" ?, don't believe that, prolly the most stressfull thing besides a divorce and moving home. The biggest "rush" in poker is checking a flopped boat to the river to trap a call station. If your playing just for the rush, your a losing player, the thrill of winning will always lead to loose play. OK that just about answers all the previous posts, now I'll tell why I play.
One day, maybe, I'll win a life changing monster tournament. I play to win every game I play because I'm a competative person ( comes with the turf when your sons an Olympic Gold Medallist) and know that with the required amount of luck ( needed in tournies ) I'm good enough to win. I play mostly forum buyin games cause that's where the best players are and despite the suckouts, at least the all in calls are justified. If my KK gets beat by 44 for eg, at least the caller beat a possible AK push ( the most overrrated hand in poker ). To tell the truth, we all aspire to improve our "game" online, to be able to compete in, and win, at live games for big money. If that's not the case and you consider yourself a serious player, your deluding yourself. Being a part of a great community like CC is a bonus, because most of the members will teach and advise you on how to play better and in doing so, show you how to beat themselves. Becoming firm friends is another bonus, If JuicyQ, Daks or Nick rapes me in a game, ( do Nick actually play,lol ) or even Rex for that matter ( kiddin Rex ) I don't flip out and get lippy, it's the nature of the game, the sooner you realize that, the better player you will become. I'm waffleing now, you get the message?

I like to play to relax and forget about everything else, and I enjoy playing some of my games with friends just to chat. Or when in a mood playing with random ppl and just trying out new methods, finding something that works. But mostly I just enjoy the game

I play for the chicks.:-p

Really though, the feeling I get in my stomach when I don't cash but get far, get beat on the river, win on the river, bluff a hand, read someone perfectly. I don't really play for money.

I play for the lurve of da game.

yeah, money's a part of it, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I play micro, purely cause I dont want to deposit any more money online(one deposit, 3 years ago), but I too would love to take down one big tourney, I guess by a satellite in, etc.
But, I DO play poker to relax, and always have. I work nights, a pretty boring job, so all thru the night I'm dreaming of when I get home, and maybe play a couple of hours of poker, just to unwind. It's a great way to chill out.

BTW PH, what did you're son win the medal for, and when? Congrats, you must be very proud.
KD

^^^ Agree 99%! The only time I have a "relaxing" poker game is when my bandmates & I sometimes play $1 or $2 freezeouts after rehersals. Then we're all playing because we enjoy the game & playing it with friends more than for the $4-$8 "jackpot". We screw around, talk smack, & generally just have a good time; at those times the money is secondary to just relaxing & having some fun with some good friends.

I play live for the money, adrenaline rush, and the challenges. Nothing better than flopping the nut straight, then getting all your money in with your opponent drawing dead.

Playing online is mainly to kill time, I've only got about $15 in my online account. Been trying to grind the $2 SNGs but having some bad luck.

I enjoy playing poker mostly because it is a personal journey in indentifying those character traits I have that have impeded or held back my game, and then taking corrective measures to bring the needed traits into my comfort zone. I also find that poker is not just experiential in nature but also requires you to do reading to acquire reliable knowledge from which you can become a better decision maker. What is interesting is that those traits that inhibit you from succeeding in playing poker are mostly the same traits that hold you back from reaching your full potential in life. So you might contend that poker is a paradigm that can be used to advance character traits in general.

I also have enjoyed meeting new people as I have played and developing friendships. I enjoy the competition and do get a thrill out of winning a tournament or freeroll, especially if it comes from the hard work I put in to better my game.

I also enjoy reading what my peers have to say about poker, and while it is not the only enjoyable thing to do in life, it certainly is one of them; one road I am glad I decided to travel down.