I can understand this problem live, but online I feel zero empathy for any opponant. They are just a souless automaton trying to take your money. Make sure you turn off player images. You don't want your opponants to be anything but a blank circle on the screen.

This has to be a level or the OP is just incredibly concerned for the well being of anonymous donkeys donating their money on their internet. I'd have to bet on the former.

I literally LOL when I'm collecting chips from players playing a game for money they have no idea how to play. Like someone else said , if you feel any remorse at all , this game isn't for you.

The only emotion I feel for them is usually pity at the fact they're so clueless. I don't tap the glass or berate anyone at the tables but I can't feel anything at all for those not intelligent enough or willing enough to invest a bit of time in learning a game of skill which costs them money to play.

The biggest semi-reg donk at 9 man sng's at the 16$ level who's lost 16k playing them used to constantly berate people and call them f'n idiots constantly after he'd lose all his chips with bottom pair to them.

I should feel remorse for some of these tools ?

This problem is about a billion times worse live than online. Online I've NEVER felt remorse because the person is a million miles aways.

Live, a certain amount of empathy is only natural especially when you get to know the people you are beating. I mean, usually you talk to your neighbors and form that table bond...

The worse beat I ever put on someone was a guy who let everyone know that he had gambled away his child support and rent in blackjack and needed to win $2k or else he'd be evicted. At the time I sat down it seemed like he'd been running over the table and he had $1.5K in front of him. Long story short, I stacked him pretty bad. Bluffed him out of $400 which put him on tilt and then a few hands later I stacked him when he tried to get fancy and c/r me on the turn but I check back and then on river I hit my gut shot. He bets, I over shove a ridiculous amount, like $1.2k into a $250 pot, he snap calls with top set, and BOOM, busto.

He was practically crying when he got up and left...

But its not my fault. And the truth is, if I didn't felt him, someone else would have because he was the biggest donk in the world.

Ultimately, the way I resolve it internally is that its nothing personal, and if its not me that takes their money its going to be someone else so it might as well be me.

I can kinda understand the OP. my brother railed on me on kind of a moralist rant (which makes no sense with him being an agnostic/atheist, not totally sure which) about the fact that I use poker as a source of income and that I'm taking advantage of addicts and ignorant people.

I countered with a story of a friend who we banned from our home game in college that was both terrible at poker and showed clear signs of addiction (asking to borrow money with ridiculous vigs to play more). Even so, it definitely stuck with me and even affected my play over the next week or two.

I got over it mostly simply by reminding myself that it's simply not my responsibility to tell these people how to spend their money. If they find this entertaining to play, no matter how bad they are, well that's their thing. Should beer companies stop producing beer because a few people that buy their product will become or are currently alcoholics? Of course not.

Just remember that last bit

Although I love winning money, I still hate it when I win off of someone who seems desperate. I will still take it though...I got kids to feed..

The worst I felt was when I was at the borgata last month on a 1 week vacation and there was someone at my table who was from the same exact town I'm from.

She was a curious one. She was asking me lots of questions but I tried not to give out too much personal detail so openly. Very first hand I get dealt Queens.

2 early limpers, couple folds, action on me 2 off button.

I make it $13, Action folds to villain in the bb. She calls and gives me this painful look. Looked like she was scared but at the same time pissed? Oh worried is what it was. She looked worried.

2 limpers fold.

Headsup to flop.

Flop comes KQJ with flush draw. she checks, I bet $20something. She calls.
Turn comes off suit 9. I said "aw ***" as soon as the 9 hit. which was a mistake on my part but it was my first hand of the day. She checked, I checked back.

River comes another offsuit 9. She insta shoves $100something and I announce "snapcall".

She turns over trip 9s with an ace kicker...

As I am pulling in her chips shes talking to herself saying "I am so unlucky" repeatedly. I tried to avoid eye contact but she just sat there looking at me. I look over and she looks so depressed. I felt so bad but deep down inside I was happy that I won the hand because the 9 on the turn pissed me off.

My dad and my sister gives the me same crap atleast twice a week. My dad always says that I am taking hard earned money from others. My sister says that my dad was be happier if I was working hard for my money.

I always respond to my sister with "Bitch, we talkin about hard work now? Hard work? You don't think losing your weekly paycheck for 6 months before becoming a winning player was hard work?" "Those were the hardest working times of my life"

Actually I don't say that to her but I will one day. lol.

As for my pops. I think he just wants me to take over his business. Which I could but he is afraid that I will gamble with the profits. Which I probably will.

You freakin' kiddin' me??? Does Drew Brees feel bad when he obliterates a defensive secondary and torches them for 4 touchdowns, 450 yards and a 133.4 passer rating? Does Kobe Bryant feel guilty when he humiliates a "playoff contender" by racking up a triple double?

Come on man, get REAL! No real competitor feels bad about winning. It's not as though anybody is FORCING these idiots to play poker. They make the conscience decision to take their money and sit at a table and hope to win. Do you think they'd feel bad after taking your money?

Give them their money back.

this, poker really isnt the game for you! these are the types of questions i get asked though from people and i laugh and move on

Poker is on the gray ground and one needs to accept that. There are smaller and bigger problem players and one is taking part in taking their money and making their lives more miserable. Only if one is playing the game for the game and getting higher and better, having ambition, it's fine to play, and I would like it to be scored like chess and then there being commercial money and sponsored things that the best players especially can make money at.

There are often players at even higher tables that shouldn't be there because they are weak, but if they can afford to play those limits, I can reasonably think they can afford to lose also and they have good incomes, though not that even most players hitting there are so, them usually being some fast shots by lower limit players and then they often recover the lose if they lose, or they will start playing less as being afraid of losing anymore like that, but usually players can recover with their salary also, but still, one is there taking their money and that's a part of the nature of the game one is to accept and think what's ethical and what isn't, it not being that clear that it's unethical to take their money and give them a lession.

What others are doing is not a point at all; if you kill someone and take his money and say that someone else would have done it if you wouldn't have, I think you are pretty out of your mind then. And we all die in the long run, so no problem killing anyone for a good reason like getting his shoes or something.

Some people have the mentality some don't. Poker for profit may not be for you. You can still play for fun. There's nothing wrong with that.

I don't even think about it. Players voluntarily enter the game and I don't interfere with that. Bad players inject cash passively into the games and keep them going, it just happens.

Poker thrives on bad and new players, there has to be cash injection from somewhere that's why poker sites are constantly giving out signup bonuses and guaranteed prize pool tournaments to suck in more players and bring old players back.

It's the same in any competition.
Trading for a living means profiting on other investors mistakes, crushing their portfolios with good decision. For sure it's not live, you are no seeing them, but just think about all these professional traders out there who are living on the back of so many small investors...
Think about the Olympics, you are crushing days, weeks, months or years of efforts, some guys spent thousand of hours while having part-time jobs or even full time ones training for them. And in some minutes or even seconds, all their efforts are crushed by a better competitor.
That is the nature of competition, if you enter in it it's because you are ready to get your ass kicked on a regular basis and getting back up everytime with the same smile on your face because you know you will get them in the long run.
Don't feel pity, take their money. It's the nature of this game.

i used to feel bad as well when stacking donks but when I got stacked, had no money for gas, food, rent, fun, and i like **** this