So I know it's been said over and over again, but I will post this anyway.
A little history. I have been playing poker for about 15 years now, but only for real money for about 7 years. Anyway when I first started out on the low stakes my family thought I was just going through a phase. They never really said anything about it because really, I never brought the subject up.
Now more recently I have been married, have children, lost my good job when the economy tanked and quickly got a PT time to get by. I started really grinding out the MTT online and did REALLY well. 2k here, 3k there, etc. Now with my success I was of course proud of myself, and my wife as well. (even though she still thinks poker is like slots..)
When I try to explain how poker is a game of skill, reading people, calculated odds, and so on they basically brush me off and say "Gambling is Gambling, it ruins families, people pawn all their possesions, it's the same as being an alcoholic..etc.."
Now not that I give a rat's a%$ about what they think, because I really don't. I have also played in B&M before and did well and yet nobody can see that although morally it might be wrong, in my case I'm handling it responsibly.
So we come to the problem. My wife's family judges me now constantly, although I have always been extremely respectful to them, and everytime I come over to their house they always make stupid comments. "Lost any money lately?" "How's your gambling going for you?" stuff like that. I no longer play online anymore after Black friday so only B&M for me. It's getting to the point where I don't want to even attend their family functions anymore which is putting a strain on me and my wife's relationship.
Should I just put up with their stupid remarks and ignore them for the sake of my wife. Or just explode on them and call them out on their vices?
I know this all sounds stupid but I would like to hear feedback from other 2+2'ers and see if anyone else has been in this predicament.
Please excuse grammar mistakes...I type like 100 wpm.