Why I don't tell people I play poker. - Page 14 - Poker Beats Brags and Variance

Yeah. I spent the last three years working at Microsoft. Strangers who want you to troubleshoot Excel for them are at least as annoying as the poker things mentioned in this thread.

OMG I have serious Excel issues, can I PM you?

On a sad unrelated note, counting university and work, I would guess I've used MS Excel an average of 5 times a week for the past 7 years ... and it sux

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11-10-2006 , 12:48 AM

#327

Jeremy517

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Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 7,022

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Try being knowledgable with computers. Anyone time you step in to anyone's house...

Yeah. I spent the last three years working at Microsoft. Strangers who want you to troubleshoot Excel for them are at least as annoying as the poker things mentioned in this thread.

You must not use it properly, because Excel is pretty much great.

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11-10-2006 , 12:55 AM

#328

bluey

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,585

excel is prob the best microsoft product ever btw.

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11-10-2006 , 01:16 AM

#329

WORKAMENTS

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 35

Quote:

Try being knowledgable with computers. Anyone time you step in to anyone's house...

Yeah. I spent the last three years working at Microsoft. Strangers who want you to troubleshoot Excel for them are at least as annoying as the poker things mentioned in this thread.

You must not use it properly, because Excel is pretty much great.

Weak attempt at sarcasm saying I have excel issues lol. It is a pretty solid program, esp I can't just go and start randomly installing cracked copies of matlab/minitab/etc. on a company computer.

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11-10-2006 , 04:38 AM

#330

Ken_AA

veteran

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,385

Its funny. I've had very good experiences with telling people I play poker, casino whore, and bet on sports seriously.

1) my mother is constantly trying to roll me for casino whoring after she watched my make 1K on my lunch break when I hit it big at CON. When I explain I already gnomed from her IP address and rea address she yells at me.

2) When I had no idea what I was doing the first three weeks of my new job I mentioned I was paying most my bills through online gambling I was given instant respect ( I work with 20 women, I'm the only male on the job) as being a smart person.

Ken

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11-10-2006 , 05:34 AM

#331

protocol

grinder

Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 512

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"Did you win?" I of course, made the mistake of telling him not only that I won, but how much I won, which resulted in "hey do you think I could learn how to play? I'm not a pro but I'm pretty good. " Maybe I should offer him HU for rolls?

Umm, it sounds like he just wants you to teach him how to play. Help the guy out.

He has watched me play a couple times which I wouldn't mind at all if he didn't constantly ask questions like "WOWZA YOU HAVE LIKE TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THE TABLE, YOU COULD LOSE THAT ALL IN ONE HAND HUH?" which I of course, couldn't, because I was 9 tabling 1/2 NL and it's somewhat difficult to lose 10 buyins spread between 9 tables in 1 hand.

It drives me crazy when clueless people watch me play and give their ******ed opinions on what to do.

Example:
I have some hand on the river that obviously needs to go to showdown.
"Dude you gotta fold that"
I call and lose the pot.
"I told you you should've folded"
"No, it was the right play"
"No it wasn't. You lost."

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11-10-2006 , 06:34 AM

#332

tubasteve

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Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 14,283

My only deal is with my parents thinking its shady, and with people i know asking me to turn their $20 into $200. I wanna just be like "STFU n00b I [censored] $20 after breakfast, come back when u can stake me for 10k" then take out a 20 and light it on fire.

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11-10-2006 , 04:36 PM

#333

fire_fly

adept

Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 872

Quote:

I mentioned I was paying most my bills through online gambling I was given instant respect ( I work with 20 women, I'm the only male on the job) as being a smart person.

Ken

jesus, where do you find these ppl? How 20 strangers assume something positive when you tell them you play poker just sounds like a fantasy world.

I f*#(ing hate telling ppl I play for pretty much every reason ppl already said.

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11-13-2006 , 01:07 AM

#334

freekie

journeyman

Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 305

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Just answer "Yes, I AM addicted. Addicted to huge sums of monies yo!!!"

Then challenge them to play heads up for their yearly salary. Or better yet offer to flip them for it.

hahahaha you is crazy my friend! i like it

my mom phones me sometimes and sums up [censored] about my gambling addiction (there were 2 addicts in my family

)

this thread is really cool... i decided not to talk about how much i make anymore, because i think it is not very nice regarding my friends....

planning a vacation to thailand for 3 weeks and pay for it cash

but they have to work for it 6 months, they know it is pocketchange for me... i do not want it to get between having fun with my friends

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11-13-2006 , 01:32 AM

#335

punter11235

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Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,210

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Try living in a country where 95% of the population never heard of holdem. Whenever I tell someone I play poker for a living they think I'm playing 5 card draw with Clint Eastwood or something.

I am in the same situation.
People who dont know abotu poker (like everybody but few of my friends) usually think I am degenerate addict and they are afraid I will pull out a gun or something...

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11-13-2006 , 02:31 AM

#336

GT123

adept

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 920

I always avoid talking about playing poker for a living. People either think you are a liar, genius, or an idiot. You can tell by the look on thier faces. I was recently put on the spot at a dinner get together with family and friends. It was awfull.

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11-13-2006 , 02:43 AM

#337

GT123

adept

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 920

Example of conversation:
Friends Mom: What time do you usually play?
Me: Sometimes in the day sometimes at night, whenever I feel like playing.
Friends mom: Wow, you have a feeling when to play? (With the a dumb look on her face like I am a degenerate.)
Me: Not a feeling of luck, just when I feel like playing.
Friends mom: Squints at me with a disgusted face.

Gawd,I felt like strangling her.

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11-13-2006 , 03:13 AM

#338

Dan87

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Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 10,079

you shouldve been like

"yea at 4:20pm i go allin with whatever hand i want because im hiiiiiighh as a kite and have the feeling"

throw in a "GAMBOL GAMBOL" somewhere in there

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11-13-2006 , 03:21 AM

#339

einbert

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Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 14,911

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My old boss found out through the grapevine somehow. She asked me lots of questions about it for a while, then told me her dad left her mom and has been a degenerate low stakes grinder in California for her whole life.

Sorry lady, tell your dad thanks for the monies.

I'm always afraid to meet someone who'll be like "My dad lost his life savings playing online poker."

My response: "oops"

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11-13-2006 , 04:11 AM

#340

Oubliette

journeyman

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 349

I can just hear Will Smith now...

Parents Just Don't Understand!

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11-13-2006 , 04:23 AM

#341

tomtemor

grinder

Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 690

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you shouldve been like

"yea at 4:20pm i go allin with whatever hand i want because im hiiiiiighh as a kite and have the feeling"

throw in a "GAMBOL GAMBOL" somewhere in there

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11-16-2006 , 02:50 PM

#342

Gildwulf

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Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 23,491

BUMP

WOW, NEAT THREAD

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11-16-2006 , 03:25 PM

#343

Nologo

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 288

Both my parents know I play poker. They both understand that it's beatable and are glad I have a way to make some extra money.

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11-16-2006 , 03:41 PM

#344

NoMeansYes_

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,509

People who don't know you play poker, just joke about something when they ask you what you do for a living. "I write emails pretending to be nigerian and scam people out of money"

For people who know you play poker, who cares what they think just tell them you lost it all and are now pretending to be a nigerian scamming people out of money.

btw, this doesn't work great against nigerians if they know you play poker or not.

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12-06-2006 , 03:29 PM

#345

Bill King

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,564

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FF,

Ask your friends parents to coinflip for their yearly salary.

lol.. AI blind?

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12-06-2006 , 03:40 PM

#346

bmxicle

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 625

i didn't tell my parents i palyed poker until i had made like 70k, and i still live in their basement lolol.

I don't really get stupid questions that you guys seem to, obviously people are curious, but everyone i have told (and i do avoid telling people like the plague) has atleast pretending to be understanding and is just curious about how it works. I guess i don't talk to alot of dumb people which is nice.

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12-06-2006 , 04:33 PM

#347

vikefan24

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,334

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i didn't tell my parents i palyed poker until i had made like 70k, and i still live in their basement lolol.

How old are you?

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12-06-2006 , 04:35 PM

#348

DING-DONG YO

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Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 8,616

He's 38

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12-06-2006 , 04:42 PM

#349

NfldPwns

journeyman

Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 383

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People always want to learn how to do it too or the cliche... "Hey man, what if I give you $300 of my money for you to double it, can you do that?"

or when someone tells me that I should quit now so I don't lose it all. I just don't tell my friends at college anymore how much I make, the novelty has kind of worn off too.

LOL, its sick how often I get this.