Poker- Other People

I think I'm in a situation that a lot of people can relate to. My friends are all aware I play poker and think its stupid that I "gamble" so often. I understand I'm risking money, but I also understand that if I play well I'm at an advantage. When I say things like "I might play professionally some day" I get looks like I'm saying I'm going to be in the NFL.

It just seems like people don't get that its possible to make a living doing this if you know what your doing and you manage yourself correctly. I get that its a long shot, but I mean what is wrong with taking a chance in your life.

I'm only 18 now so I'm going to finish college and then maybe consider it, but I mean worst case scenario I fail and then go get a real job. I guess its just hard for those that don't understand it to grasp that poker is indeed a game of skill and not just a game of chance.

I think the Other People have a point. You are 18 and have no apparent real income from poker. Any charts to show for the last year?

Chances are your skill will not make you a decent income at poker any time soon.

I bet u cant show us a winning record so far.

U should learn some skills other than poker while u still have the chance.

Don't listen to your friends, they are just clueless sheep. However you should still take your studies seriously and see poker as an additional income stream not your "main goal" at this point in your life

its nice to have dreams but the odds are against you so focus on study and play poker on the side and aim to win as much money as you can online and then who knows you might be able to live your dream if your lucky.

you probably do have a better chance at making a living playing poker than you do at playing in the nfl though...i mean, i don't make a living playing either, but i'm just saying. especially when you're 18...you're making more than any 18 yr old playing football (unless its under the table).

i was a college athlete. i flunked out though. when i took the SAT's, i had a perfect score on the math and about the lowest score in the nation on the verbal section (HAHA!) ...but i hit (other than the olympics) about the highest level of competition you could hit for track and field. i made nothing! those pennies i make every night...more than i ever made playing sports.

but i can relate, my family kinda thinks i'm wasting time playing all this poker, and we do joke when i'm like "oooh! i cashed for $3!"...but it is fun and it makes me happy when i don't have anything better to do anyway. play the game and have fun...you're 18, so one of these days, you'll know if its really your thing or if its just a fun hobby, or if its just a phase

Actually I am a winning microstakes player--and I understand that its not likely to happen--and i'm going to college. My point I suppose is just how hard it is to explain to people that playing poker for a living is possible.

Thanks Ted I understand. Goodluck at the microstakes!

Ernster- yeah I definitely take my studies seriously, and for the time being yes, poker is just a hobby i want to make money doing, can it be more? perhaps

TheWall said:

I think I'm in a situation that a lot of people can relate to. My friends are all aware I play poker and think its stupid that I "gamble" so often. I understand I'm risking money, but I also understand that if I play well I'm at an advantage. When I say things like "I might play professionally some day" I get looks like I'm saying I'm going to be in the NFL.

It just seems like people don't get that its possible to make a living doing this if you know what your doing and you manage yourself correctly. I get that its a long shot, but I mean what is wrong with taking a chance in your life.

I'm only 18 now so I'm going to finish college and then maybe consider it, but I mean worst case scenario I fail and then go get a real job. I guess its just hard for those that don't understand it to grasp that poker is indeed a game of skill and not just a game of chance.

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Don't worry about what other ppl think, unless you know that THEY know what they are talking about, but most importantly finish your studies first.

Makwa said:

I think the Other People have a point.

U should learn some skills other than poker while u still have the chance.

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The other ppl sound clueless about poker to me, how do they have a point.
He said clearly that he is going to finish his studies first.

Ernster86 said:

Don't listen to your friends, they are just clueless sheep. However you should still take your studies seriously and see poker as an additional income stream not your "main goal" at this point in your life

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+1, Well said Ernster. .

Hey Wall, you have a little bit of time before you graduate college (definately the right move). In those 4 years you can dramatically improve your game to the point that you can make a living.

You might want to get a real job just to get some work and life experience. Even if you don't go pro, your poker can be a means of making extra money to supplement your paycheck.

Makwa said:

I think the Other People have a point. You are 18 and have no apparent real income from poker. Any charts to show for the last year?

Chances are your skill will not make you a decent income at poker any time soon.

I bet u cant show us a winning record so far.

U should learn some skills other than poker while u still have the chance.

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1) reread his post

2) dont jump to conclusions

I think it is fine to have such a dream. Some people don't understand poker and don't want to understand it, you just have to settle with that. Others you can educate on the game. Regardless both kinds of people will be more respectful once you start making cash on a consistent basis.

You should be happy that there is a misconception about poker's skill aspect that attracts so many gamblers that can be exploited.

Keep playing within your bankroll and just keep trying to build it up by taking shots at higher stakes when your ready. If you don't need to cash out to pay bills like most of us you should be able to do that if your a skilled player. Success in poker takes years, it don't happen over night. School is very important and you should strive to complete your studies. Poker will always be there when you finish school.

TheWall said:

Actually I am a winning microstakes player--and I understand that its not likely to happen--and i'm going to college. My point I suppose is just how hard it is to explain to people that playing poker for a living is possible.

Thanks Ted I understand. Goodluck at the microstakes!

Ernster- yeah I definitely take my studies seriously, and for the time being yes, poker is just a hobby i want to make money doing, can it be more? perhaps

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OK long as u stay in skul... I thot u were saying you were turning pro... he he... glad to hear u do well at micro, you will move up eventually.

As for playing for a living, point yr friends at the people who post winning charts here and elsewhere, and at the Net pros -- but their question will be: OK, so some people make a living (say 50K and up a year) with poker. How many (what percentage) of players; and how much time/effort do they have to expend to make that? And are you good enough to be one of those people and why?

Thats what I would ask if I was one of those Other Peoples.

GL!!

Me and my brother have been playing for the last 5 or 6 years, mostly in the local casino and we have done very well for ourselves there.

My Bro won a league where each £££ won = 1 point. over 1 month he finished with more points than second and third put together.

However when we tell people we play, they look at us like we are drug addicts.. We try to explain but its no good to some people... They won't listen.

My Advice... ignore them and listen to us instead!

Lol

It sounds like you have your priorities straight and that's great. Your friends are acting like mindless sheep as pointed out above. You know it is possible and the people here know it possible.

The question is, do you WANT your friends to understand or are you just venting? If venting, most of have been there or still are there, we have friends and family members that don't understand or worse - make Joan Rivers type assumptions without having a clue, without having done any research and without having any facts other than their own pre-conceived notions.

If you want to try to make your friends understand, maybe you should host a home game, then ask them multiple strategy type questions during the game such as "why didn't you make a bet, your hand put you at a % - % favor" or "Why didn't you make that call, your flush and open ended straight draw gave you this many outs and you this % to hit & this was your pot odds & hand odds" etc; You know what I mean, as soon as you start with all of your "poker speak" then maybe they will begin to have a clue about the game being more skill vs a gamble.

Either way, good luck and if no matter what you try you aren't able to get anything across to them then just don't talk to them about it, talk about other things (and maybe once in awhile throw in a statement about a big win you did, lol).

Easiest thing would be to give examples... people like Negreanu, Helmuth, Elky... hell the list is pretty long. There are hundreds if not thousands... shit maybe even a million or so (?) professional poker players. For these people their main income is derived from poker. I don't think you'd ever come across a professional roulette player or professional dice player. Explain to them that while luck is a significant factor in the game, your risk is always managed, and there are times when you know 100% that you are going to win, like when you've got the stone cold nuts. Most other times you put you're money in when you're better than a 50% favorite so it's certainly less of a gamble than any other casino game.

I think the primary lesson for you here is to not talk about poker with people who have no clue about poker. If you are an experienced player, your friends will be clueless to many concepts and ideas that you take for granted, and holding a conversation based on that can be an immensely frustrating experience.

I avoid poker conversations with my friends like the plague. If someone I'm just meeting for the first time asks me about my hobbies, I'll tell them that I play sports, enjoy hiking in the countryside and I may or may not just throw "I play a bit of poker too" in as almost an afterthought so I don't end up either getting quizzed for hours about basic things or have to listen to a half-hour long bad beat story about how my new acquaintance once lost 5 bucks in a home game when his Aces lost to J3.

Well I have been playing poker as a proffession for around 5 years now.
I have taken money I have profited on poker and started 3 buisnesses that are all still successful.
When I first started playing poker I was playing alot of live games mostly and still am mostly a live player,but do spend countless hours online.
I have seen alot of swings in poker and have gone broke more times than I can remember.
Not that im a bad player,but just because it is what happens from time to time.
If I had not started my own buisness when I first started playing cards then I would have never been able to handle the swings alone.
My family runs my buisnesess now and I recently moved on my sailboat full time.
I guess the moral of my story is that if you want something bad enough it can happen.
But also to make sure you have a fall back plan in case it happens real slow.

Meh. its hard. Unless u have a real good nack for the game, are fearless and start making lots of money to move up in the BRM then i'd say u've gotta pretty good chance of makin sum decent money of the game. But since ur young it's probs best to get a job and keep on grinding at the game. Heck mate ppl dont turn pro in a year. Can take a while. As for ur friends tell them to **** off and once uve won big tell em to **** off sum more haha. nah oj.

Thanks All and I totally agree that its just a dream. Ideally I'd like to at least play semi seriously in the future--where poker gains me some real money. Damn I love this game.

Really hard to do that...

i love this site more than the game haha

^^awe!!! group hug!