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

[Nathan Williams]

No point in trying to explain it to non-poker people or even many recreational poker players. There is still an incredible amount of ignorance about the game out there (which in some ways is a very good thing) and it is just something you have to learn to deal with if you take the game seriously.

 

[jcdagenius]

tilt control is something people over look to much. that's why phil ivey is so great because he never really tilts out. if you can control tilt think you have a edge alone off that.

 

[pokerjack43]

people with the strongest opinion tend to know the least

few year ago at a party I got in a "what do you do" conversation with some strangers.

This was right after the boom so 2004 time and most people were getting familiar with poker but still a little clueless.

I was playing professionally then, read: got fired for staying out playing all night and just kept playing without looking for work.

so when i was asked what I did i said professional poker player, most of the guys nodded and said cool, i have no idea if they thought i was lazy, cool, crazy or what. but one guy went crazy. cursing me out, calling me insane and that i didnt have a clue, that I was the dregs of the world and scum for doing it. said he was a recovering gambling addict and he knew more than most etc. to be honest we almost came to blows. The arguments he was making were really offensive.
I made the point that, long term luck will be balanced out by skilled knowledge of variance and getting it in good. At that time I was a better player than I am now and was at least confident that I was getting it in with an edge most of the time. So, if I only bet when the odds are in my favour then there is little difference to playing the stock market or playing poker.

His counter argument was: Yes but the dealer can make it so he can get 21 anytime he wants.

It was then I realised that A he didn't actually know what poker was, b had truly repugnant and unsubstantiated view on a subject that he literally had 0 experience of and C the people who argue the most usually know sweet FA about what they are talking about.

Turns out later that this guys gambling addiction was slot machines, and he'd lost maybe 2 grand in one once.

At the end of the day people will think almost anything they like about you based on very little evidence or reasoning. paying any attention to them whatsoever is harmful to your sanity. or to put it another way, so what if they think you're lazy, **** em, if they knew how to do it they would be doing it.

 

[indahood193]

few year ago at a party I got in a "what do you do" conversation with some strangers.

This was right after the boom so 2004 time and most people were getting familiar with poker but still a little clueless.

I was playing professionally then, read: got fired for staying out playing all night and just kept playing without looking for work.

so when i was asked what I did i said professional poker player, most of the guys nodded and said cool, i have no idea if they thought i was lazy, cool, crazy or what. but one guy went crazy. cursing me out, calling me insane and that i didnt have a clue, that I was the dregs of the world and scum for doing it. said he was a recovering gambling addict and he knew more than most etc. to be honest we almost came to blows. The arguments he was making were really offensive.
I made the point that, long term luck will be balanced out by skilled knowledge of variance and getting it in good. At that time I was a better player than I am now and was at least confident that I was getting it in with an edge most of the time. So, if I only bet when the odds are in my favour then there is little difference to playing the stock market or playing poker.

His counter argument was: Yes but the dealer can make it so he can get 21 anytime he wants.

It was then I realised that A he didn't actually know what poker was, b had truly repugnant and unsubstantiated view on a subject that he literally had 0 experience of and C the people who argue the most usually know sweet FA about what they are talking about.

Turns out later that this guys gambling addiction was slot machines, and he'd lost maybe 2 grand in one once.

At the end of the day people will think almost anything they like about you based on very little evidence or reasoning. paying any attention to them whatsoever is harmful to your sanity. or to put it another way, so what if they think you're lazy, **** em, if they knew how to do it they would be doing it.

that was a interesting story, thanks for posting. with that guy you mention my initial thoughts, before you said how he didn't even know what the game was, was that why does it matter to you if he was a gambling addict? it is his own fault if he can't control himself, some of us have some self control and won't burn away all their money like him. so say even someone who just plays roulette/ blackjack once or twice a month, so what. this is pure gambling but they are not some degenerate like him, so i think him telling you what to do is ridiculous, his own deficiencies are not akin to your own. the fact you are playing poker, where there is a skill edge, further makes his argument stupid and irrelevant.
but yeah, totally agree how these people that know nothing about the game seem to think they know it all and should give you advice- aka don't play it despite the fact you make money and love the game (yeah, great advice!)

 

[PurgatoryD]

His counter argument was: Yes but the dealer can make it so he can get 21 anytime he wants.

I hate it when I've got the nuts but then the dealer shows 21. LOL!

So, it was that point in the "argument" that you realized you had just wasted 15 minutes of your life that you would never get back. Great story, BTW!

 

[pokerjack43]

I hate it when I've got the nuts but then the dealer shows 21. LOL!

So, it was that point in the "argument" that you realized you had just wasted 15 minutes of your life that you would never get back. Great story, BTW!

it was at that point in the argument that I relaised this man, in all likelyhood, had never really gambled. He claims to have lost thousands playing slots. but I doubted it.
someone told me later he lost 2k playing once.

I'll use the mathematically proven formula of F=s/bs (fact = story divided by BS) to determine that the 2k was probably €150 or so, and it was the only time he gambled.
It was just the level of hatred to me for playing poker. Not sympathy or warnings, or advice or anything normal. but pure hatred because I admitted to gambling.

like with most things, people just do not like what they themselves are unfamiliar with or don't understand. So they will either attack it or belittle it. So they belittle poker playing as being lazy and not contributing.

th emost ignorant of this type of person will simply ignore all atempts to improve their knowledge.

Like when you try to teach your gran how to use a VCR
"Oh, i just don't get all this modern technology"
Gran, you just push the red button to record"
"Its all very difficult and complicated."

 

[vinylspiros]

it was at that point in the argument that I relaised this man, in all likelyhood, had never really gambled. He claims to have lost thousands playing slots. but I doubted it.
someone told me later he lost 2k playing once.

I'll use the mathematically proven formula of F=s/bs (fact = story divided by BS) to determine that the 2k was probably €150 or so, and it was the only time he gambled.
It was just the level of hatred to me for playing poker. Not sympathy or warnings, or advice or anything normal. but pure hatred because I admitted to gambling.

like with most things, people just do not like what they themselves are unfamiliar with or don't understand. So they will either attack it or belittle it. So they belittle poker playing as being lazy and not contributing.

th emost ignorant of this type of person will simply ignore all atempts to improve their knowledge.

Like when you try to teach your gran how to use a VCR
"Oh, i just don't get all this modern technology"
Gran, you just push the red button to record"
"Its all very difficult and complicated."

^^^^^GENIUS^^^^^hahahahahahah. Man your posts are very well written and so interesting due to these little examples. Good stuff. I also hate it when im talking to someone and they never understand what i mean especially about poker.

I dont talk to anyone about it anymore as i have come to understand that : it takes a doctor to understand another doctor the same way it takes a poker player to understand another poker player.

You cant expect people to instantly understand and believe you when you talk about variance and outs and fold equity and bb/100. Its just a waste of time and mental effort.

Talk ONLY to other poker players about poker. Noone else.:cheers:

 

[Reptar7]

few year ago at a party I got in a "what do you do" conversation with some strangers.

This was right after the boom so 2004 time and most people were getting familiar with poker but still a little clueless.

I was playing professionally then, read: got fired for staying out playing all night and just kept playing without looking for work.

so when i was asked what I did i said professional poker player, most of the guys nodded and said cool, i have no idea if they thought i was lazy, cool, crazy or what. but one guy went crazy. cursing me out, calling me insane and that i didnt have a clue, that I was the dregs of the world and scum for doing it. said he was a recovering gambling addict and he knew more than most etc. to be honest we almost came to blows. The arguments he was making were really offensive.
I made the point that, long term luck will be balanced out by skilled knowledge of variance and getting it in good. At that time I was a better player than I am now and was at least confident that I was getting it in with an edge most of the time. So, if I only bet when the odds are in my favour then there is little difference to playing the stock market or playing poker.

His counter argument was: Yes but the dealer can make it so he can get 21 anytime he wants.

It was then I realised that A he didn't actually know what poker was, b had truly repugnant and unsubstantiated view on a subject that he literally had 0 experience of and C the people who argue the most usually know sweet FA about what they are talking about.

Turns out later that this guys gambling addiction was slot machines, and he'd lost maybe 2 grand in one once.

At the end of the day people will think almost anything they like about you based on very little evidence or reasoning. paying any attention to them whatsoever is harmful to your sanity. or to put it another way, so what if they think you're lazy, **** em, if they knew how to do it they would be doing it.

This story would be hilarious, except our legislators view poker like this as well, and so poker won't be legalized until they wisen up, or at least realize they can make tons of money off it.

 

[groggy44]

To be perfectly honest I think people are jealous. They wish they had your skills and could apply them doing something they actually enjoy. Poker is a journey, the grind at every level is amazing. From the micro stakes and winning $14 all they way to the nose bleed games when you lose $800,000 in one session and have to say, I'll get'em tomorrow.

For those that say, well anybody can play poker. I tell'em, anyone can play golf too, but no one is ever going to make as much money as Tiger Woods makes playing the game. I can shoot a basketball but at 5'9, I'm in no danger of making a roster. I can sit in a doctor's office and press on your belly and say "does this hurt?" I could actually defend a lot of criminals at trial just as well as some of the sleps do. I can teach math at the jr and high school levels. There's all sorts of things I can do but that doesn't make me a successful professional.
As I always tell people "If you ain't paying my bills, blanking my blank(guys, you know what I'm talking about) or buying me beer, your opinion does not matter to me at all

 

[Vex444]

Ok I see both sides to this but lean towards the parent side not because I think it lazy game but because of priorities. A job is a sure income. To have poker as your professon you have to be ok with losing your money. The op lives at home under parents roof. He not supporting himself. So if he wasn't living at home would he be able to pay for a roof and food and still pay for poker? Need to be able to support yourself first. If you strike an agreement with parents or spouse/girlfriend that they will support you while you try to establish yourself as a pro that another thing but you havent done this. If you have a job full or part time and play when not working your you be taken more seriously. Once you have the bankroll to support yourself and play poker go for it. Anything else is irresponsible and a pipe dream. Besides you a young guy if in college your social life must suck if online all the time. Plenty time for poker later enjoy your youth and get out there.

 

[Weissr]

Ok I see both sides to this but lean towards the parent side not because I think it lazy game but because of priorities. A job is a sure income. To have poker as your professon you have to be ok with losing your money. The op lives at home under parents roof. He not supporting himself. So if he wasn't living at home would he be able to pay for a roof and food and still pay for poker? Need to be able to support yourself first. If you strike an agreement with parents or spouse/girlfriend that they will support you while you try to establish yourself as a pro that another thing but you havent done this. If you have a job full or part time and play when not working your you be taken more seriously. Once you have the bankroll to support yourself and play poker go for it. Anything else is irresponsible and a pipe dream. Besides you a young guy if in college your social life must suck if online all the time. Plenty time for poker later enjoy your youth and get out there.

Nicely put.

Most pro players (not the select few in the upper echelon) make an average income and could probably do much better ($ wise) if they had a job/career with yearly raises, pension, medical benefits etc... If you are not consistently crushing the tables (1.5 to 2x) from what you would be making at said job, I would say it's better to leave poker as a hobby.

And yea, while in college definitely live it up as much as you can. Nothing worse than getting out of college with only some lonely nights in from of the computer to remember.

 

[indahood193]

cheers for the recent answers. nah i do go out and that but i have something like 4 months off during the Summer so i need to stay in some of the time haha. i am definitely not thinking anything like going pro atm, just trying to make as much as i can through the Summer and then go back to Uni in September.