I know I am not the only one who disappears for lets say 4 to 8 hours and tells family, friends, girlfriend, wife that we were doing something when we were really at the casino playing poker. I ran into a few players and some of the lies they say is that they are working late, volunteering, at church, at the gym, shopping for something. They answer their phones and just lie, its funny to me. One lady who knows my family, asked me not to tell anyone I seen her at the casino. So my honest question is what lies do you use to go play poker? I understand once in a while going to play cards, but what do you say when you want to be there all the time?

I asked my wife if I could try to be a professional poker player. I loved playing poker when I was younger, was very successful, and I believed I could compete at a high level.

She did say no the first three times I asked.

As a pathological liar for the first 28 years of my life I would have come up with something. But since then I have tried to live with integrity as in I don't intentionally lie to anyone anymore.

Except when I started playing poker about 22 years later. At first I blamed it on the invisible line surrounding a poker room. That when you cross that line all integrity bets are off. After a couple of years of lying again (in the poker room) I realized that I had lost my integrity. So I stopped lying in the poker room. It makes for some interesting conversations. Like when I am asked what I had and I say AA. And the guys go no you didn't what did you have? I get to laugh because yes I had AA and no nobody believed me anyway when I was telling the truth.

So the answer to your question is that I don't have to come up with any lies ever. My wife trusts me and I tell her when I am going to play poker. I'd rather that was the case than live a lie (which I can tell you won't work out from personal experience).

But more importantly over time I realized that if I was fighting with my wife I didn't play well. So we have worked it out so that when I leave to play poker its on a good note. If I was lying about playing that would not be the case, at least not as often.

I can't say my poker career wouldn't have been better if I had lied to my wife and/or got divorced because she found out about a lie and decided I wasn't worth it. I certainly haven't lived near a casino so it has been very arduous. But I am glad that I have been straight with my family and friends.

I hope you can find a way to work things out with the people you love so that they can trust you. And believe in you. Best of luck.

I have never lied to my wife about playing cards. However, in recent years, I've found she doesn't want to hear about it. So, I just say bye. She knows and doesn't care as long as all my responsibilities are met, which they always have been. As far as extended family goes, it's just a subject that rarely comes up.

Personally, I think if you have to lie about it, you have a problem.

Great post. As someone who was a pathological liar in the past, I also don’t like to lie if I don’t have to. Thankfully my girlfriend also plays poker so lying about poker is not a problem for me. Another reason I don’t like to lie about where I am is that people should know where you are in case there is an emergency on either end. It’s part of being a dependable person.

Lying at the table is part of the game. Off the table is another matter. It is just easier to tell the truth. If a significant other tells you that you can't play poker, you have to decide how significant they are to you. If they are, you'll stop playing. If they aren't, be honest and let them know that they can stay in your life if they want, but you're not quitting.

At the same time, I don't volunteer that I play to anyone. I've had lots of managers in my life who think I must be the most boring person in the world when they ask what do I do in my spare time. "Not much."

One time when I was a teenager I had to tell my parents a white lie bc I wanted to go to the beach and smoke weed one glorious summer day..

I found these two large rocks that made a perfect L shape that you could sit on…

Well I must have gotten too comfortable (and too high) bc I fell asleep on the rocks and came back like 3 hours later.

My parents (knowing I was up to no good) asked me where I was..

I replied “I fell asleep on a rock”

—-

20 years later and any time I’m late for anything my entire family chimes in “did you fall asleep on a rock?” Basically insinuating I got high.

—

The moral of the story is don’t lie to the close ones around you bc they can read you like a book. It’s better to be honest.

I use the app life360 w my wife for this exact reason. It also takes any temptation to lie off the table.

If you check lists about problem gambling, lying about going to the casino is always there.

But those same checklists include stocks as gambling
.. not saying it is not a bad sign if you have to lie about poker.

But there’s a difference between lying to your wife, parents and close friends and letting say coworkers/business partners and aquaintences know your business.

I’ve also lied to poker players about not going to casino so they wouldn’t ask for a loan.

Why would you have to tell your coworkers that you’re at the casino?

If I am on a business trip and my wife calls, I tell her I am playing poker. If a business partner calls and asks what’s up, I tell them where I am geographically and why I am there if that’s relevant. I can’t remember a single time somebody asked me where I am specifically.

Do random people call you and ask “are you at the casino?”.

I work part time in real estate and I work remotely so sometimes it does come up to know if I’m close to a certain property that someone wants me to look at.

The only people that ask if im at the casino are acquaintances/friends looking for a loan or put in.

That’s reasonable but also doesn’t require for you to lie.

Basically the same thing as saying “running errands in Midtown” instead of “at Walmart on 87th street, just found a great deal on Dr. Pepper. Lol.”

Having to lie about being at the casino means at least one of the two parties involved thinks that something is wrong with you being there. Doesn’t even matter if it’s about gambling, not spending time with your family or any other reason.

Ya it’s mainly to keep a professional image… the best is when your worlds collide and someone in business brings up poker and you can let them know you’re down w fight club

Still waiting for funny lie stories, very disappointed so far!

this has already been mentioned by madlex but needs to be resaid imo:

edit:


link doesnt work but its an image of 10 signs of having a gamboolin problem. Lyin to your family about yer gamboolin habits aint cool no matter how you slice it

I couldn't imagine being a grown adult and having to lie to my wife to be able to play poker. You're not 5 years old- if you want to do something tell you're wife you're going to do it, whether it's poker of anything else. Anything else sounds absolutely miserable. Even worse are the guys who say "my wife is so great she lets me play poker." Just pathetic.

I’m def one of those guys that is grateful my wife is cool… it’s more relative to other women who won’t let their husbands do anything.

I was playing stud at the Mirage when I overheard this conversation on a loud cell phone:

guy at poker table: hello?
woman on phone: where are you?
guy at poker table: you got me, I'm busted, I'm out drinking beer and chasing skirt.
woman on phone: no you're not, you're playing poker!
guy at poker table: ok, sorry honey, I'll be home soon.

Probably not original, but it made me laugh.

Far be it from be to give life advice but either poker is a life problem for you or it isn't. If it is, stop playing and seek help. If it isn't and your significant other has a problem with it anyway, your person or your hobby need to hit the bricks lol

OP must be trolling -- "what do you say when you want to be there all the time?" LOL. Tell your wife you're having an affair.

"I'm working late, honey" might be a losing player who's wife disapproves of him playing, or it could be a sibling who he doesn't want to know he gambles.

If you're a winning player and don't wanna tell you're wife your there every day and play for a living would be one of the most scummiest things to do (however I still have a friend who's convinced I need help for gambling addiction because eventually I'll lose everything).

Just tell her you're helping her with future divorce proceedings.

Show her Rounders.

If you feel like you have to lie all the time to your wife to allow yourself to play poker, don't worry about it, the problem will self resolve very soon.

I had a girlfriend who would call the casino / cardroom and ask the floor if I was there when I would go by myself. At professional venues, they would tell her that they can't confirm if anyone is in a cardroom over the phone (but they would always tell me when she called). At less professional places, they would just bring the cordless phone to my seat. lol