why is there such a negative/ lazy stigma attached to poker?

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indahood193

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some days when i play tournaments i can end up playing for 12 hours or more, i barely even notice it tbh as it flies by. this can involve emotional up and down swings, as most people will be aware. considering that most jobs are 9-5 (only 8 hours and also lunch/ tea breaks etc.) then poker is hardly lazy. i only get like 5 minute brakes once an hour so if that's 12 hours that's only an hour off.
earlier today after i played a few tournaments in the morning he was going to work and i said that was poker harder than most office jobs etc due to emotional swings, mainly, and lack of breaks etc. he said that an office job was way harder. how? before i started doing well recently i think my parents thought i was wasting my time with poker. through the Summer i class it as my job and i work hard to improve/ win, so i don't see why this is any lesser than sitting in an office answering phone calls all day. anyone agree with what i am getting at?
 
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stado

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Most people don't ever realize how intricate of a game poker is and the time and effort that is needed to improve your game. I think it's because anyone can play poker, most people have played poker at some point in their life, and many of them have had winning sessions throughout their life so it's easy for them to extrapolate that it's just a simple game when in reality there is a lot more to the game than shows on the surface. Compare with someone going to work, someone can't just play doctor, or become an actuary when they feel like it. I think this leads to a bias that anyone can play poker, but not everyone can do job x, causing non playing pokers to view poker as something that is easy, and thus think poker players are relatively lazy and lack initiative.
 
dj11

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An office job is harder when you consider that they will probably have to deal with people in person, and with situations that go on way longer than a particular poker session.

But then remind him that he is not tilling the fields behind a horse either, and that comparison is equally valid to him comparing his situation to yours.

Then show him the money.
 
PurgatoryD

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why is there such a negative/ lazy stigma attached to poker?

Because anyone can play and with absolutely zero training. Notice that I didn't say that anyone can win. But anyone can play.

Not just anyone can walk in and work in certain fields without years of training first. So in that respect, poker looks to an outsider like a zero skill activity.

And to people who don't understand the game, poker also just looks like gambling, no different than playing the slot machines or the lottery.

Zero skill gambling all day = lazy slacker.
 
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spstevens

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I learned long ago that a large percentage of people see endeavors that have no set $ per hour as either a mystery/gamble or of dubious value.

I paid my rent the first several years of my marriage/working life (both are the same) with poker /craps winnings (total donkfest as in craps they were giving even money odds on hitting a 4,5,9,10 after the # was set....sit back bet the odds and collect :).

In spite of the winnings my wife/in laws always would state something to the effect of "what if you had lost ,it is not real income as it can't last blah blah blah".

I learned some time ago that it is fine to smile and nod when the subject comes up . It also is a bit gratifying that the whole family seems to want to have me as their partner in any game we play (those poker math and strategy skills translate well across the board on other games as well).

To end my rambling (and a bit inebriated diatribe) I will just say enjoy your game , look for validation in the poker community and let the rest be what it is as you have no control over it anyway.
 
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jcla6985

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Its hard to compare the two. What els3 can I say lol apples and oranges?
 
starting_at_the_bottom

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Never tell people you play poker, if you can avoid it, they just dont understand.
 
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indahood193

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I learned long ago that a large percentage of people see endeavors that have no set $ per hour as either a mystery/gamble or of dubious value.

I paid my rent the first several years of my marriage/working life (both are the same) with poker /craps winnings (total donkfest as in craps they were giving even money odds on hitting a 4,5,9,10 after the # was set....sit back bet the odds and collect :).

In spite of the winnings my wife/in laws always would state something to the effect of "what if you had lost ,it is not real income as it can't last blah blah blah".

I learned some time ago that it is fine to smile and nod when the subject comes up . It also is a bit gratifying that the whole family seems to want to have me as their partner in any game we play (those poker math and strategy skills translate well across the board on other games as well).

To end my rambling (and a bit inebriated diatribe) I will just say enjoy your game , look for validation in the poker community and let the rest be what it is as you have no control over it anyway.

i can relate to this, good post :D (except the part about the in laws, don't have a wife yet, although i am 19 tbf haha)
 
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indahood193

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thanks for all the other great posts too. we are mostly in the same boat haha, gl all!
 
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RamdeeBen

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Because anyone can play and with absolutely zero training. Notice that I didn't say that anyone can win. But anyone can play.

Not just anyone can walk in and work in certain fields without years of training first. So in that respect, poker looks to an outsider like a zero skill activity.

And to people who don't understand the game, poker also just looks like gambling, no different than playing the slot machines or the lottery.

Zero skill gambling all day = lazy slacker.

Eh? This makes no sense to your reasoning. The answers/reasons you give actually apply exactly the same to a job or poker.

Anyone can do any job too with no training, just like poker, anyone can play but like the job and poker, results won't be as good as someone with training in both fields.


Also op, I think the negative attitude from people is because they associate poker as degenerate jobless gamblers. Just ignorant uneducated people basically who think they have a right to an opinion on something they have no idea about or actually haven't bothered to research.
 
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BluffyouBAD

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My parents didnt take me seriously until they realized I play pretty much all evening Mondays and all night into early morning on Fridays. Then they aske a few questions and respected it more.

Then when I went to visit my parents and showed them my live play log which includes hours played live and winnings and what not. Now that they see its time consuming and profitable they are much cooler about it. They are always cool about my choices but they haven't called me a gambler since we had the poker talk lol.
 
Suited Frenzy

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Never tell people you play poker, if you can avoid it, they just dont understand.

HaHa +1 to this^^^

I'll admit that not everyone that I've told has understood. One very recent actually. I've been seeing a female that when I told her that I liked to play poker & go to the casino she said, "so how much do you lose a week". Hahaha...that's because I later found out that everyone she knows that "gambles", as she calls it, is in the hole a ton.

I tried explaining to her that I'm not one of those people who blows money like that. When I use money to play or bet, I have strategy & skill to back what I do. Her friends just don't have the mindset to be players.

I showed her proof of being a positive player & she said, "well that's good, I'm happy to see someone that I know be a winner". Hahaha
 
aero87

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More than likely, a lot of people call it lazy just because you sit there. Even though its not physically demanding, it is mentally.
 
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luckyhearts

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I was considering a long point/counterpoint rant....but I'm too lazy.
 
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aSAP

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I think it's mainly ignorance as you'd be surprised how many people consider poker to be 'gambling', admittedly I was one of them but once you discover the depths of the game you soon realise it is not.

To be honest he is probably just jealous because you're doing something you enjoy (I hope), and with more game time comes more experience thus improving your game play, which hopefully results in more profit.
 
PurgatoryD

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Anyone can do any job too with no training, just like poker, anyone can play but like the job and poker, results won't be as good as someone with training in both fields.

Well, maybe you're just a genius, but I certainly can't do any job! I can't perform surgery, I can't practice law, I can't design a hydroelectric dam, etc. And it's not just a matter of my results being not as good... I flat out cannot do those things!
 
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I think it's because in the old days, there weren't so many tournaments and more cash games. And playing cash games without control, you can lose a lot in a very short time. It's amazing how everyone have a relative that lost what he didn't had playing poker. My mom don't like poker because her dad lost a good amount of money at the tables.
 
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awaiting_cashout

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When you think of someone sitting on their couch playing online poker on their laptop at noon on a weekday most people would automatically think "lazy." They just don't get it. Anyone can play poker and get lucky for a bit or have a good run, but to get to be a consistently really good player it takes endless hours of practice, observation, analysis, and most importantly patience. It is more mentally demanding than many other 9-5 jobs I can think of.
 
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indahood193

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When you think of someone sitting on their couch playing online poker on their laptop at noon on a weekday most people would automatically think "lazy." They just don't get it. Anyone can play poker and get lucky for a bit or have a good run, but to get to be a consistently really good player it takes endless hours of practice, observation, analysis, and most importantly patience. It is more mentally demanding than many other 9-5 jobs I can think of.

very true. when i am not playing i am watching videos, reading blogs or thinking about hands. it is not as if poker is flipping a coin and hoping you guess right haha.
the mentally demanding part i also agree with, you have to concentrate for hours, because one mistake in a tournament can cost you a big score. and when your on a downswing it is really hard mentally also.
 
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indahood193

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btw, this was my brother who actually plays poker haha, but doesn't online yet. meant to say this in the post where i just say 'he' haha. he realises there is skill, he is not bad himself but as i said, doesn't class it as any form of work.
my Dad however when he came in my room and i was playing would say things like, why are you wasting your time with that etc. i recalled this when i got my biggest score though ;) don't just blame him though tbf, many people are ignorant of the game if they haven't played it (and even some who have.)
 
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Some people classify: not leaving the house for days, eating whatever food is laying around and staying up late nights on the computer as being lazy, or bum-ish; which is I'm sure how many people approach the game. However, everyone is different and you could have a job-like structure to the game as well, ie. waking up at 8, playing for 4 hours, taking a lunch, playing another 4 and calling it a day.

I think the key with poker is finding a healthy balance, which you hear about a lot of poker players starting to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into improving their game.
 
vinylspiros

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poker is: hard, time consuming, stressful. Its exactly the same as working from home. its like being a home stock trader. You got to spend endless hours in front of your pc,studying,analyzing, playing and at the end of the day, noone guarantees you a profit.

If that aint hard work, i dont know what is.
 
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people that don't play poker for real don't understand the emotional side of it. it is very stressful playing poker for hundreds of reasons. it can easily be compared to a job. the stress can cause damage to confidence and life choices if you don't watch yourself. poker is a very deep game and a even more emotional roller coaster. none the less I love it
 
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indahood193

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agreed on last 3 posts. when i'm on a downswing it can put me in an irritable mood for the rest of the day and sometimes longer. that's why it's good to do other things too i suppose.
 
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