Why do you play poker?

Simple questions, why did you start playing poker and why do you play poker now?.

Myself I started just because I enjoyed watching the way people reacted (sigh I was studying sociolagy at the time ) and the back and forth, the bluffs and the fact you could see the cards made it intresting to see the big bluffs and laydowns. I should say this was watching whatever shows came on UK television, one in particular was a reality show where a group of people where taught poker and played for alot off money. That was the show that launched Liv Boree who had never played before and it was intresting veiwing.

Why do I play now? Well I havn't really been playing for the last few months so I suppose I am intrested in others reasonns for playing.

i started cuz a lot of my friends were making a lot of money playing right when the moneymaker boom happened.

I guess I figured I'd try it and then realized that I love the game

Got out of highschool and didnt know what to do so basically decided to play poker.

Money is good to have....

I think I'm better than the average micro player.

I play poker because it is changing every hand... and because of the way it makes me feel when playing a tournament... i am still nervous when a big hand comes.. or trying to bluff at a big pot... I do wonder what will happen when i lose those little nerves... hopefully it will never happen, but i am sure when that day hits it will be the end of poker for me... i play for the thrill of the money

i play poker because my whole family plays, we get together for 5 dollar buy in's every now and again its fun and if you win you get bragging rights and that is why i play poker but i started playing poker about 6 yrs ago, it all started with my kid sister coming to visit from out of state, she was telling me that it was fun and easy to learn so i went out and bought a wsop video game for the xbox from there i went to the casinos on the indian reservations and played for real money from that i went to online poker to play tournaments and freerolls

For me... It keeps my mind activate at the end of the day my brain would be a cabbage over wise....

Just enjoyment as well....

I like to play games from chess to sudoku to computer wargames, poker is the best of the bunch. The money is nice but secondary.

I play because it's about all i can do anymore. My heart is in very bad shape so i can not exercise even a little. All i can manage is to sit at the puter and click the mouse. It is a strain on me to get up and go to the bathroom. I get back and i am huffing and puffing for five minutes.

Yeah it sucks to be me.

But poker is fun for me so it's ok.

I play because poker is a 'sport' ahem, and it looks good on my CV when I say I play sport daily! I got into poker by accident really, just playing a few donkfests round at mates houses over a few beers and decided I wanted to learn the games finer points. Downloaded Ladbrokes poker about 3 years ago and never looked back. Cant say I've made much cash out of it, but probably not far off even overall.
Used to be very relaxing playing a few low stakes games after day at work, cant say it relaxes me anymore unfortunately. I do enjoy the buzz though. Whether i'm winning or losing.

In fact 2 years ago, I didn't even know NLHE poker existed (I live in France), I just already played on live regular poker, and it was fun, but not so much finally.

And one day, by chance, I saw a WPT on TV, and I found this completely fun. Quickly, I registered on a lot of poker rooms and played mostly freerolls at the beginning.
This was about 1 year and 6 months ago, and at that time I was unemployed, and spent hours playing online

Now, I have a cool job, but I move a lot, and have really few time left. But I try to play when I have some free time, and still enjoy a lot NL online poker

I started playing because my friends were. I got hooked right away, it was so much fun. I started out playing freerolls until I figured I was good enough to play with my own money. I have only made a few small deposits into poker sites but i have been able to win on a regular basis, but I still only play low stakes. If I made a decent cash I would withdraw the money, but now I'm learning BR management so I will try to build it up to move up in stakes.

Well I guess I started playing because of money.
Plain and simple.
When I started I could play poker and make alot of money and gamble on blackjack or slots or three card poker.
I really never thought about saving the money back when I started playing,just a means to have free money to blow in the casino.
Now I still play soley for the money but I do not spend it at the casino anymore.
Instead I spend it on fishing and golfing.

I started playing because of a night were i hosted a game in the clubhouse where i worked. I was living upstairs at a golf course in South Carolina and the GM asked me to keep an eye on the game tonight in the clubhouse and get what ever they want, drinks, food etc. Watched for about 10 hours and the pots were in the thousands. It was omaha Hi/lo.
At the end of the night a guy named dog gave me a tip of 1200$ and said thanks for all the help. Every wed and sat night i played omaha hi/lo for about 5 years and did very well. Some weeks i made more playing poker than i did at my job. It has carried over for about 20 years and i play today.

A few friends introduced poker to me and I learned how to play it very quickly. Took me about a week to finally learn that a royal beats a four of a kind, and that four of a kind beats a full house etc.... They don't play much poker anymore, but I still play poker because I enjoy playing and consider myself great at the micro stakes.

I like the fact that it is a game that if you get real good you can make a living at it.Also that smarter and more experienced players have a edge. I like the fact that there are different levels witch gives people a chance to start small and move up when ready.

I started playing online as i'd been playing in the backroom of a pub for a year or so with work mates and wanted to play more often.

i play now half the time for something to do but for the rush when your deep in a tournament or in a big cash pot

I have a very competitive personality. I've also always loved strategy games, psychology, math, etc. When it came to poker, I realized I was a natural... the money I win is a good side-effect.

I play for the money and because its a fun way to make money. Most other hobbies cost you money, so might as well focus on one that can make you rich

Hi i playing poker about 2 years, i start with friends because they tell me about new game and obviusly money, in my experience in mexico the poker is a new part of the life, the poker in mexico growing about 3 o 4 years and is not too much time, now im playing poker because i love play poker and i want to be a good player

Sorry about my english

My uncle got me playing in his weekly stud game i quess since i was 10 or so.Always loved poker,but hay i would roll high dice for $20 bucks a roll when i was 10 also (with my poker wins DAMN I MISS BEING A KID.)

boredom

I started when I watched the wsop on espn, just got hooked on it. Then slowly developed a interest towards the idea of playing online. Having a job barely only pays rent and food every month is not the ideal life. Trying to slowly develop more skill and patience to make the extra cash for a better life.
I play now cause I'm already years and years behind those who started way before it was shown on tv. GL all.

I started playing poker on the advice from a friend here at CC. I've only been playing for the 4th week ever and it is certainly exciting, especially now that I'm staying in much longer...about 2 hours now! I stay playing poker so that I win money someday.For now though, this is a learning curve for me...although the adrenalin high is nice! I like to play now & am hooked!

i play poker because it is not gamble.there is no house edge.and you can make money on you own.

I play poker because it is the best timekiller. When you at work in office, open FT or PS and you will be home faster than if you'd fell asleep.

Some good answers here, is there any different reasons you continue to play or have there been periods where you took time away from the game for any reason?

i took off a year actually... just got too wrapped up in it and played it like 6 or 7 hours a day... so i took of some time... and just picked it up about 3 months ago and I am really trying to not get too wrapped up in it because its not my job... So yes.. i have taken time off and it helps a lot!

This is where I am at I would play a simular amount and I am just coming back to it after an extended break. Although I did get to complete Diablo 2, Doom3 and (nearly) fall out3 in that time

haha awesome games, personally i liked Duke Nukem..! Poker is easy to get addicted to because its sooo much fun...

I started playing because it looked fun and almost everyone I knew was playing it; friends, relatives, etc. Then I kept playing it for pocket change just because I thought I could make money. I thought I was better than the average, but I guess I wasn't. But still, the thrill was still there. Then I started playing online thinking I could make money. Dropped $700 on tilt playing with college money, but would make that back up 4 times later. Then I just kept playing for the dream of making it in poker, but that dream only happens for a very short minority of players, but dreams don't come true if you don't dream right?

My Grandpa was always big into cards games, so he was always teaching me card games when I was young. My favorite has always been Texas Hold'em! I love the thrill to playing, from bluffing just to getting straight out lucky.

Because I love to play cards. My whole family plays cards and games and poker is right up there with one of our favorites. It's a great past time and lots of fun. Truthfully, I've never understood how someone couldn't love to play cards but I've met a few. Good luck at the tables!

I think it was the year Greg Raymer won when I first saw it on TV and thought it looked fun so I followed one of the ads and first started out with play money before finding freerolls.

I played with a game called governor of poker. I played a lot with that game and later I decided to try it with real opponents, plus I can win real money online. :-)