is it because you like the mentalities of the game or because you believe you can beat it and so make money out of it. were you motivated by seeing big winners' game or rewards? Moneymaker effect has made wsop main event so popular because the average joe believes they can make millions just by being fortunate. poker became popular because it is not fair to begin with. thats why so many donks play poker and not chess. because in chess you dont get the joy of beating a better player. in poker theres this delusion often enough to attract bad players in the game so they can come again and again to lose more and more. and it is the motives that make a losing player i believe. if you see poker as a means to an end your end being money and financial stability then you miss the point. you should play poker because you like the thought. i like playing poker even with fake money, even though i know its not real poker because you dont care that much for fake money. but i am a very competitive person so i want to win even if the reward is just a chance to boast at my friends. but i play with fake money only with friends live, cause online fake money means donkings and absolutely no poker thought. but yeah you see my point. whats your reasons for playing? are they the same from when you got into the game? how do you view the idea of going pro (if you get the skills of course)? would you like to play poker to make the same money than in another job?