This happens with all sorts of jobs, people who don't understand them have zero respect.

I work as a software developer and constantly get asked to take a look at people's broken printers/monitors, or they have a weird error message that keeps popping when their computer starts up. I haven't a clue how to sort these things out and it's like "I thought you did this for a living" or "I'll even pay you if thats the problem".

I've said this once, and I'll say it again. GTFO and go back to OOT.

In other news, every time I'm engaging in a social situation in which someone tells the third member of our convo I play poker...I hate having to explain the whole process of transferring money through Neteller or whatever, and how it IS secure...and how they don't trust it and [censored].

What do you do for a living?

I work.

Trying to explain how you can't lose your rolls is like pulling teeth. Pisses me off typing this.

When you're enduring these people asking you all these inane questions and berating your play it's great having a 2p2er at the table or wherever you are. It keeps me sane. This conversation happened at a $20 rebuy at turning stone:

Old nitty guy: You're rebuying a lot.
gobbo who <3's rebuys: GAMBOL!
ONG: You've got a lot to learn, kid.
gobbo: LOL
ONG: I bet I've WON more rebuys than you've ever PLAYED IN.
gobbo: Looks over at smittymatt who is also at the table and we exchange a huge grin.
ONG: BUSTO!

got caught in another convo last night:

him: it's all luck. even the pros say it is luck to win the WSOP.

me: it takes some luck to win the ME which is only one event, but not to win at poker.

him: what do you call your 20 buy in downswing? it's bad luck.

me: variance. nevermind, i'm not going to argue with you dude, i've luckily won $8,000 playing poker.

gobbowned! he sure showed you.

did you let them know that through poker you've made enough money to buy 500 different tie dyed shirts?

Note that by 'won' he means 'chopped once we made the money.'

I tell them I'm in waste management.

uhh luck is a huge part of poker.

There is no luck in poker.

LOL so much of this hits home, It's really funny we all share the same type of crap.

I just don't tell anyone about me likeing poker, I don't ever say anything.

I learned the hard way.

Funniest though has to be watching you're donk friends play online. Anyone done this? Everyhand someone has the Nuts, they act as if the raise button doesn't exist.

Limit is rigged. I only play SH limit I just find it so much more exciting than NL, NL is only good if it's 6 max and you do it over 6 tables. I tilt watching someone play 1 table of NL

If you really want problems with the in-laws, take mine.

They have a son who gambled away about $500k of trust fund money.

They seem to think that I will do the same, on the same scale, unless reminded not to, *constantly*.

Random person who finds out I play poker and have supposedly made money at it: "So when do you get on TV? Does it take like 2 years at least?"

Me: "Yeah, usually you have to put in about two years before you can get promoted to TV poker."

Them: "Sounds about right."

Sooooo I'm at Bank of America trying to change my account over from my dads name to mine since I've had it before I was 18 and im now going to college. Of course it all gets set up perfectly in about 5 minutes.. I figure im going to be out the door when she brings up the topic of a "student credit card" to help establish my credit. Of course I go along with it and ask her about setting one up a low limit credit card. She asks me if I have any means of income(though I've made $2000 in deposits the last 2 months).. before I could think of a nice BS story like I "resell computer parts online" or "I work with one of my friends dad" my dad says "Online Poker!"

Honestly I was in BoA for at least 30 minutes listening to a 60+ year old lady telling me how gambling will ruin my life and hurt my family in the future. I even made the attempt to point out I play within my limits etc... and she tells me im going to become addicted like a drug addict & won't be able to control myself. I IMMEDIATELY told her I'd like to close my account and withdrawal everything($7500) in the nicest possible way. GOOOOOOOODBYE Bank of America.

so you listend to this old heffer yap about something she has no clue about for 30 minutes, then closed your bank acct with BoA because of it? Why didnt you just tell her you could care less and to please just finish the paper work on the cc. She doesnt own BoA, BoA's feelings dont get hurt by you taking your 7.5k somwhere else. Now you have to needlessly waste time opening a new acct.

Self owned much?

btw, you can have your own bank acct before you are 18. I think I opened my acct with bank one (now chase) when I was 16.

Yeah, you can have your own bank account before your 18 but not a checking account. Visa/Mastercard etc don't let anyone under 18 have one. Closing my account had more to do with my chances of ever getting a line of credit with BoA since I don't have a "job" and im going to be a family ruiner. I just figured I'd give her something to do for having such a simple minded opinion on online poker.

Self-beat? Nope, just figured I'd cut my losses and move the money to my other bank account at a credit union(ESL if anyones heard of it).

well i dont win that often at poker but i tell everyone i do lol i should be ashamed

Conversation
Girl: So do you play poker?
Me: Ya a bit online
Girl: Oh a friend of mine made like $700 online.
Me: (jokingly) So I've made like 15k
Girl laughs

Also I try to avoid letting people now I play a lot of online poker for all the reasons above which can be tricky because on my desktop I have pokerstove, sngpt, pokertracker, pokerstars, and pokerace and in my windows menu I have all of those plus Paradise, Party, Eurobet, Bugsys Club, Poker Office, Pokeroom, Ultimate Bet, and Empire Poker.

Just re-imburse him his $3.30 and tell him "here, it NEVER happened."

Paying $3.30 to quelch a recurring bad beat story is pretty cheap.

I'm so doing this next time someone tells me about a bad beat in a <$5 buyin game.

OK just got done sifting through this thread and I love it. It should be stickied. Here's my contribution:

Back in 2003 I basically was a broke recent grad and I played play money on Party and did really well in their nightly 2,000 entry NL Holdem tournies. After months of play money poker I explained to my brother how good I was becoming (play money...lol), anyway, he offered to stake me for like $500 or whatever.

I was like "sure, and you can have half my winnings..sounds good. i have no money right now"
Him: "Perfect, 50/50."
Me: "Yeah, but once I hit..say $4500 or so, and have paid you $2K, the deal is over."
Him: "WHAT!? NO! WTF. Thats bulls***!"
Me: I cant pay out 50% forever!
Him: Whatever dude...
Me: So..you're saying that if I made a million dollars from poker, $500K would belong to you? For staking me $500 bucks?!"
Him: Just forget it then!
Me: But...I will pretty much guarantee you'll quadruple your money with no work.
Him: Nahhhhh, forget it...you're going to be a little bitch about it.

Cut to a few months later (after I'd deposited $100 in Party), and I've run my bankroll up.

Him: "Are you winning?"
Me: "yeah, i'm up to ...$700 from $100 (or whatever it was)"
Him: "Damn, I should have staked you.."
Me: Sigh. "I tried to tell you.."

As far as my parents are concerned, my dad understands it completely (for a non player), and all my mom said was "be careful, that doesn't SOUND legal" one time.

And people... STOP TELLING ACQUAINTANCES that you play! wtf?? I could count how many ppl know I play on two hands, and they are all very good friends/family who are not vapid cavemen.

And it's not that hard to explain about how you wont go busto. I just say "i never put much of my bankroll at risk at once", etc..."I would have to basically bust like 20 straight times at a table for me to go 'broke'". They usually understand this concept.

Most poeople assume you bring all your money to the table every time.

Just tell her you're practicing for when you go into the clergy profession.