Hello! I have seen that many players, both professional and amateur, are pigeonholed in a "social imaginary" of the poker player. It seems that in the eyes of other people the players are all gamblers, naive or gangsters haha. I tell you something that happened to me, when I told my parents about poker that they wanted to take me to the psychologist, they believed that I was hurting myself and that I was falling into a dangerous vice. It was only when I made my first $ 50 that they began to see me with different eyes. And they understood that this is not a game of chance, but of strategy. And you? How did you live that stage in which everyone thought about you? I would love to read your stories.

my loved ones still treat this with some distrust, but this is not critical
of course if I had quite often profit from this and good winnings, they would probably change their minds in a more loyal direction

Hi.
Poker is a hobby for me and frankly, I don't care what others think about my passion for the game. I like to spend my free time playing poker, it gives me pleasure and it's important for me.
Good luck.

Depends on the society i guess. In my country poker is considered gambling like other casino games by majority of people.

best thing is to not worry about what anyone thinks even friends and family members. That takes away from the focus needed to be good at poker and actually constantly win. You are here to live your life not what ever they want you to be.

Here in my country most of the people also see the poker players the same way as you mentioned and don't even consider that poker can be a real job. I rarely tell to other persons that I play poker, because I got tired of the negative reactions. Only my friends and my family knows, my parents don't like that I play because they think it's a waste of time, but they already accepted.

Ernie Scherer was a poker player who had some good WSOP cashes. In the 2000's, he brutally murdered his parents for the insurance money, and to hide the fact that he owed them thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of dollars.

I watched a couple of different hour long, high quality reports (like Dateline and American Justice) about the case. I was appalled at one of them (Dateline?) where every interview with people he knew, most of whom he was scamming, were asked questions like "did you really think it was safe to date a poker player?". To which the response was something like "I knew it was dangerous, but that was part of the attraction" or some such nonsense. It was absolutely ridiculous. The whole "feel" of the show was that he was obviously a criminal because he played poker, then he stole from everyone he knew, and finally brutally murdered his parents - of course, you would have to be blind not to see this coming. WTF?!?!

There was not a single interview with a poker player, nor any talk of how a "normal" player approaches the game or their life. It was assumed that all poker players are murderous criminals waiting for their opportunity to kill for profit.

And we see the same thing today with the murder of Susie Zhao (Suzie Q). WITH ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE, people in every web forum "know" that it had to be a gambling related killing or a sex transaction gone bad. Pity the female poker player even more than the rest of the criminals.

hi hi!!!
yes i agree - likely worse for a girl?
if i tell a civilian i enjoy play poker on internet for monies...
they often assume i deviant, bad girl
poker not generally viewed as proper activity for a "nice" girl

I have tried to explain it to many people I know, I gave up trying lol. Ironically, my father who is a super genius (trust me, I do not follow in footsteps) was actually open to, or rather...understood the angle/interest when I brought it up. Not just from a monetary perspective in his reaction, but instantly knew it is a game of skill and a great hobby.

I think people in general do not 'get' it, unless they play and enjoy it for themselves. It's just how it goes...

Poker players are usually called gamblers.

I think there are two different issues at play here, one (as mtl mile end notes), the media take which is often superficial and cliched. But the generalized media view of many things is absurd - teenagers are ingrates, lawyers are sleazy and politicians can't be trusted.

Then you have the poker world view, the real view, where players sometimes lose their bankroll and scam others, where there are rivalries and animosities...but the public does not see a lot of this.

So, I believe it cliched thinking there is an genuine real world view that poker is some kind of degeneracy. Many simply do not play so do not understand it. That does not automatically mean disproval. In fact if most were assured there are pros that make money but many recreational players also profit I think many would be positive.

Finally, if you look at popular culture poker/the casino has been featured in many films but regularly featured in one franchise - the Bond films.

Casino Royale, Dr. No, Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Golden Eye have all featured featured an ice-cool Bond in 'black tie' playing Texas Hold'em, Baccarat and Chemin de Fer. Bond at his most glamorous.

Correct me if I am wrong but I do not believe I have ever heard anyone detail they liked the films but for the casino, card playing scenes. One poker scene from Casino Royale has been watched 10 million times on You Tube - the second scene 13 million times. Life at it's most fabulous.

I have the same situation, all my friends, relatives, everyone says that poker is a casino, poker is a fraud, nothing can be won in poker, even when I show them money and things earned by poker, they still do not believe that poker can be earned for a living, I'm tired of it and I just stopped explaining to everyone, they ask only for one purpose, to show their dissatisfaction with my occupation, and why do I need it, normally, I don't need it, skepticism and negativity.

Originally Posted by mtl mile end

Ernie Scherer was a poker player who had some good WSOP cashes. In the 2000's, he brutally murdered his parents for the insurance money, and to hide the fact that he owed them thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of dollars.

I watched a couple of different hour long, high quality reports (like Dateline and American Justice) about the case. I was appalled at one of them (Dateline?) where every interview with people he knew, most of whom he was scamming, were asked questions like "did you really think it was safe to date a poker player?". To which the response was something like "I knew it was dangerous, but that was part of the attraction" or some such nonsense. It was absolutely ridiculous. The whole "feel" of the show was that he was obviously a criminal because he played poker, then he stole from everyone he knew, and finally brutally murdered his parents - of course, you would have to be blind not to see this coming. WTF?!?!

There was not a single interview with a poker player, nor any talk of how a "normal" player approaches the game or their life. It was assumed that all poker players are murderous criminals waiting for their opportunity to kill for profit.

And we see the same thing today with the murder of Susie Zhao (Suzie Q). WITH ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE, people in every web forum "know" that it had to be a gambling related killing or a sex transaction gone bad. Pity the female poker player even more than the rest of the criminals.

You Tube

hello! i think it depends on what man usually do after/before playing poker, it depends of society where he lives, depends his parentd friends)

Originally Posted by jaymfc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3wXRnUyVo

fixed my vid above

Undoubtedly, everyone has the right to their own opinion. But, personally, I do not care what others think. I just play poker and get money and fun.

i think poker is seeing as gambling, not a game. they dont know the tecnique of the poker.

The poker player has a hard time fitting into society because people see the game of poker as chance and associate it with vices and gangster games that only those types of people or money people play, Personally, in my social circle and family it has cost me a lot for them to understand what poker is seen from a professional perspective as a way to earn a living or work an office, in reality poker for me is like a style of life and a way to get extra money doing what I love and love until I become a 100% professional player.

Poker to many here in the UK is considered gambling, and associated with online betting with the bookies, horse racing and casino.

Stories of many families destroyed with people suffering bad losses to the bookies due to their gambling habit.

I find it hard to convince others that poker is a game like chess.

That we can enter tournaments on freeroll and even win some money to build a bankroll and then compete in micro stakes tournament.

I know because I was one of them and it took a relative staying with us a week to show me how it is a game that is possible not to incur heavy losses. But in fact, can be a good income for someone that is not able to go out to work any longer.

Society may have a negative attitude to poker because it is a gambling game, and many do not know that much depends on you and that it is not roulette, especially many examples when people who are sick with excitement lose their apartments and so on. And the fact that poker can be a job many people can not imagine.

unfortunately every poker player is frowned upon by the majority, as a large part still considers gambling. My family also did not support me at the beginning of the game, and they said that it was a game of chance and that I would only lose money, that this would not give me a future. And it was just like you, after I started withdrawing my first dollars in the game, they already changed their easy opinion, and nowadays they give me full support to play.

It is not pigeonholed in the same way to the recreational, or to the loser or to those who win the bracelets and are great millionaires, they are well seen, successful, winners, with liveliness, with fortune, those of us who do not progress are seen as vicious, gamblers and no prestige