While we're essentially all out here gambling and we're all facing the same risks - there are certain players who evidently don't mind 3betting and then calling a 4bet shove with Q8s and others who are convinced there underpair is good.

At what point is it no longer fair game and we're straight up exploiting others for our own benefit? Poker professionals don't contribute anything, they don't make anything, they don't provide any services, they just prey upon and leech off of others who don't know any better. How is this technically any different from running a 3 card monty game or some other kind of scam/con. Are we really any different from Bernie Madoff?

Most importantly - why is it that I strive so much to build up my BR and one day have enough BR to play stakes high enough where I can quit my 9-5 job and just become another one of the leeches?

I've won over 3k in online poker playing micro stakes and others have won exponentially more than I have. With the amount of winners and those who win enough to support themselves one can only ask where is all the money coming from? Why do losing players keep reloading?

One thing I do is keep a database of the worms, not the fish but the players so bad that even the fish eat them up. Whenever I log on the first thing I do now is check in on these players - see what tables they are at and try to join up and exploit them.

Does any of this make me or you bad people? If done in another light we may be treated as con artists, why now is this being glorified and why are people such as myself so eager to become one of the pack?

use the search, this has been discussed extensively

try searching poker theory forum, and it's over the same points you bring up

This belongs in the Philosophy forum, but imo how is a professional poker player any different from a professional athlete? What services does Tom Brady actually provide to our society? Is this any different from the service poker players provide?

You ask the question "why do losing players keep reloading" and this is where the answer lies...because it's worth the money to them. Spectators pay money to watch Tom Brady throw touchdowns, yet nobody tends to question his morality for doing what he does.

it's just a game...stop overanalysing things

quote if you saw op's sn and insta didn't read his post

you are exploiting no one that doesn't understand the risks. can you name ten people....no wait, I'll make this easy.......can you name ONE person you know that plays poker unwillingly?

you exploit an opponents strategy weaknesses..... you are not exploiting the person.


edit: I forgot I quoted this specific passage.
dream of playing professionally >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> playing professionally

Most people gamble for fun and play with money they can afford to lose. At least with poker, players have a chance, unlike many other gambling games where the player often has a mathematical disadvantage.

I struggled with these questions everyday I played! I'm much happier and productive now without poker (though I'm still curious what will become of the substantial br I had on FT, hence why I browse every couple days).

Working towards eliminating these kinds of "unnatural" and unproductive situations that you mention is what we could be doing rather than perpetuating the destructive capacities that the global economy and our society bring to us:

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

Check out the one made this year---I doubt any questioning soul would regret seeing it...

fwiw - I still think there's a place for competitiveness, games, sports, so on, but the money attachment I don't think is helpful. Believe me, you don't need it to have fun or get good at something.

Honestly I'm not someone to hype anything unless it really, really gets to me, and this film is pretty spot on in my eyes.