Imo there are 2 primary motivator factors when it comes to playing online poker:

1. You can make money playing online poker AND/OR
2. You enjoy playing online poker

Im interested to see what catagory people put themselves in.

Secondly, do people think it is possible to be a long term winner at the game if you do NOT enjoy playing online poker?

Lets assume these questions are based on a large sample size where you can get an accurate answer to each question.

wat

Money is no good if you hate how you make it. May as well do gay porno if you're ok with it, more money and if you don't seem to care then there you go.

^thanks for that, standard response from the majority of posters on this site

hookers + blow

Very few people get the privilege of making good money loving what they do.

are you for real? - the majority do not like their day job

Then they should quit. If you hate what you do you may as well find something more profitable to hate. I guess that's my point.

What if their current job is more profitable? Not everyone is a 20something with above average intelligence that can just **** around and still make enough money. Some people are ******ed and have bills and kids.

More profitable than what? Lots of jobs are more profitable than online poker but still not enjoyable enough to do.

I have bills (a lot of them) but I'd still quit my job if I hated it. But then again, it's not like I work at a McDonald's. I guess your opinion changes based on your own personal experiences.

It's a little outside my range of expertise, but I'm guessing gay porn doesn't actually pay that well.

Possibly, I haven't looked into it. But I hope you can see my point. If you don't answer "both" to the poll you probably should find something else to do.

you can tell us - it's ok

This is flat out wrong for the majority of posters on this board. Most of us are 20ish, still in college, and have very little actual job experience beyond whatever ****ty summer jobs we were in before discovering poker.

Secondly, do people think it is possible to be a long term winner at the game if you do NOT enjoy playing online poker?

yes, why wouldn't it be?

If you don't answer "both" to the poll you probably should find something else to do.

this is pretty wrong imho ... you can play poker solely because you enjoy it and don't care about the money even if you win it ... other way around when you don't enjoy poker more than another job where you can work at home and choose your own hours, but poker is 4* as profitable, why would you need something else to do?

on topic, I enjoy poker, but I probably wouldn't play it if I wouldn't make money with it bc other things are more enjoyable

I voted "You can make money". I enjoy playing, but if I rank the two options it's not close.

Agreed. On the other hand I wouldn't wouldn't play if I didn't enjoy it either.

What's your PRIMARY motivator. Just because you enjoy playing doesn't mean you have to enjoy playing as much as you enjoy making $$$.

The money I make pays for my education, travels etc etc. This is worth alot more to me then the pleasure I get from playing. And it's not close at all. I would have thought it was like this for most of us but looking at the poll I guess I'm wrong.

I voted for the $$$. I by no means dread or dislike playing poker, but if I didn't make decent money playing a silly game I sure as hell wouldn't spend 10-20 hours a week sitting in front of my computer playing/learning. There are a ton of other things I would rather spend my time on, unfortunately they don't pay.

this is a dumb thread and i refuse to post in it

qft

I love the money, I love the game and I love the challenge... The challenge of getting paid directly according to your level of skill where only the sky (= Ivey Deathmatch) is the limit. The challenge of staying focused and controlling your emotions. The enjoyment of finding leaks in other peoples games and exploiting them. The thrill of outplaying good players. The exhilaration from playing huge pots. Etc etc...

I also hate normal dayjobs. I've had many jobs and really enjoyed a few of them but they've all lacked the option to choose my work hours. I love the freedom of being able to live wherever I want (or afford). And to travel.

I was a musician for a few years before I got into poker. It was a similar mix of frustration and a daily grind but also these wonderful moments of achievement and joy that you cannot experience at a "normal" job.

I also like being in control and responsible for my actions/results.

As a musician you experience plateaus all the time, it's something you have to get used to. Poker is also similar in that manner. You need to have the endurance to stick it through during bad times and breakeven stretches.

Meh .. end rant. Happy Valentine's day y'all!

Very true, and one of the reasons why I quit a while back was because I couldn't stomach it and endure through the breakeven/losing stretches.

I definitely don't disagree that it is most likely an experience thing. I do disagree that it is an age thing.

I think most who have answered missed the word "Primary." The 3rd option shouldn't be in the poll if the OP is interested in just one reason. And this of course means that I wouldn't have posted because I wouldn't pick just one, and therefore we wouldn't be debating. Oh well.

Huh? The reason there's a 3rd option is because guys like you would pick it. Shouldn't be too hard. If money is your primary motivator, vote 1. If the joy of playing is, vote 2. If you rate them both equal, vote 3.