It's so ironic that when I wasn't winning much I felt like I was completely focused on trying. Now that I've been doing really well for a while, I just want to stop playing. It just feels like it's slowly killing something inside and I'd like get out while I can. I don't know what I'd do instead though. Then there's a certain lifestyle attached to it that makes it really hard to be given up.

What % of regs/pros have some degree of sociopathy?

I also feel that way, but I recognize there's nothing else I could do that would generate the same amount of $ and offer a similar amount of flexibility. Though I'm not sure if I'd still call it flexible because it essentially requires I have the most ****ed up sleep schedule of all time (to maximize profitability), however I'm not FORCED to if I don't want to. I don't answer to anybody and if I just really don't feel like working, I don't.

Like, when I'm losing I grind my ass off to get back to where I was (always upstuck lol). Then, when I have large winning periods I get very complacent and sometimes even avoid playing because it's the only time I don't feel stressed to some degree.

I've accepted that this is just the life I'll have to live for another few years until I can transition into something a bit less stressful without sacrificing a large monetary amount.

I've been dealing with an identical experience.

As for the sociopathy question, dunno, but I'm very confident that it's higher (and probably substantially higher) than the percentage of sociopaths in the population at large.

If there was a way to verify it, i would bet that 80%+ of all established pros (4-5+ years) are full blown sociopaths. And that most regs that play often and win have some sociopathic tendencies.

Lmao I'll take action on that. Where on earth do you get this from?

Lol poker must be the only job you get into for the "flexibility", and is able to keep convincing yourself how "flexible" your hours are, while you willingly slave away long hours at odd times (with a lot of "pros" making less/hr than they would've at mcdonalds).

Bar tender tho..

Common sense?

Look at general characteristics of a sociopath and then compare it to all the scummy **** you see from regs and pro. Table hopping, seat changing, subtle and not so subtle angles, superficial charm/ friendship towards whales, colluding/ softplaying against other pros,TRYING TO LOOK AT OPPONENTS HOLE CARDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A HAND/ PREFLOP etc etc. I've seen very few pros choose ethics/ morals over short term profits even if it means burning a bridge or two.

3% of male pop are sociopaths. GL getting that to 80% just because someone plays a card game lots lol...

Also don't know many regs/pros who I'd describe that way at all...

Also,

I don't know your background and you don't have to disclose much, but what's your general plan for ^? I've been looking into different things myself.

Care to elaborate? How do you think poker's changing you for the worse? Actively doing anything to balance things out?

That's coming from you dude. The majority of pro and regs feel that way too, and that's probably one of the scummiest things that can be found in poker... it's actually CHEATING but sociopaths say it's justifiable because it's dog eat dog and an edge is an edge. I mean ffs what more proof do you want. I wish I could bet on this

Snowball, didn't you have some side gig / investment startup thingy (I'm too lazy too look back a dozen+ pages to find it)? I guess that fell thru / didn't take off?

GgoodluckG

snowball - seriously, get out while you can. I just took 6 weeks off takin care o SPC and it is insanely difficult trying to get back into the swing o things. Being away for that long and seeing how nasty and miserable the environment that the casino is is truly mind numbing. Sure its low impact/ez money...but at what expense? I do my best to maintain balance and am pretty damn good at it. But this industry takes its toll, and it is in fact a hefty one imo

If you are having these thoughts being only a few years in, imagine what you are gunna think down the road 10/15/20 years. I promise it only gets worse.

I'm still doing something on the side so I don't have to play full, full time.

Oh definitely not doing it for more than the next few years. I havent been playing at a serious level for too too long so still got some fuel left to burn. Yeah, balance is super important. I seriously believe that poker rewires people's brains for the worse.. longer/earlier you start doing it, the more likely you get messed up for life. Something about staring at those 13 numbers and 4 suits for hours on end.. I see it in people around me, especially the people I know really well. (Hence the sociopathy question in an earlier post) I recently realized how important it is for me to keep one foot in the outside world at all time. (Ok that can be pretty scummy too but it still has its fair share of wholesomeness)

Started using dating sites recently. Might post stories here for the lols


Just got matched with a guy who has a pic of him sitting with a pile of chips from my local casino... tournament chips. Occupation: entrepreneur.

Perfect match ❤️

Oh god. MTT players make me sick.

Poker incentivises low empathy and attracts a lot of competitive people who like to make their own rules. A lot of the recs I meet aren't particularly kind people either. Nature of a progress/profit driven boys club also.

Lots of regs I meet tend to be friendly but I think there's a trend of individualistic, short term thinking rather than a desire to help the world/community. Some notable exceptions of course. Not that people are speaking to me about their long term goals and aspirations outside poker success.

but he's sitting on PILES!!! MOUNTAINS!!! how can you resist?!

Did I say you could stop playing m8? get back to work!

Poker has changed me in ways both good and bad, with different effects over time. After having played over 10,000 hours of live poker, I've come to realize that poker breeds negativity. Many people who play poker are unhappy people who are playing poker socially to fill some void in their lives, many of those people are losing $ and are frustrated about it, and many of those people are delusional and/or have degenerate tendencies. It's impossible to spend a lot of time in such an environment without being influenced by it. In my own experience, I've become more negative in general (i.e, more oriented towards negative thoughts and a negative outlook on things) and more cynical about human nature.

That being said, I've also met some of the most interesting people I've ever met through poker, and it also accounts for almost all of the most entertaining and/or fascinating personalities I've come to know by this point in my life. As a socially anxious person, I also feel more comfortable and at home at a poker table or in a poker room than I do just about anywhere and am very grateful for that. For the most part, although I still see plenty of sexism, I've noticed that, as far as race, class, occupation, etc. there are few environments where people are treated more equally than at the poker table, and I have come to appreciate that, too.

I haven't been doing much lately to balance out the negativity. Truthfully, I enjoy live poker less currently than I ever have in over a decade of playing the game seriously, and I can't wait until it's a more optional part of my life than it currently is.

Agreed that poker is a fairly negative environment in most instances.

I've had a lotttt of people ask me for help/coaching (who I know outside of poker), and I turn every single one of them down. Their odds of success aren't high, and even if they succeed, I don't feel like I'm doing them any favors by bringing them into this "world".

100% of all human beings have some degree of sociopathy

Seems like every month the % of sociopathic regs online gets lower.