I dont study dont work just play poker, i was told by this guy that he could make more money than me in his summer vacations grinding in the kitchen, i screenshot my roll and send it to him, he was kinda shock and said i should study and find a real job and that poker is only luck, that eventually ill lose because the house always wins........

This rings such a bell.

Also; "how can you know what cards they got if you can't see their faces?"

i think a lot of ppl suck at explaining stuff...

ofcourse ur grandma or some 45y old housewife isn't going to understand but if you can't explain to 95% of your friends how you can win money at online poker you need betters friends imho

1) poker is a game of decisions
2) in the short term there is luck, long term the one that makes the best decisions wins [use crappy analogy that gets the point across to a game or sport or hobby they play/have]
3) i only play vs players that play worse than me, if no such players are at the table i get up

it's rly not that hard

also, somebody responding with something like 'gambling addiction' doesn't necessary mean they don't get it

like, i have a friend that understands the above, but still think i might get addicted to the thrill and lose everything ... and that's a legitimate concern; there are a lot of solid grinders losing a lot of $$$ taking -ev shots ... or look at what happened to grimstar

I like bragging about big losses to my friends who know I make more then them. My hopes is that it would alleviate any jealousy (although there typically isn't any, at least they can think, 'wow, I could never lose $3k in a day and be fine with it, no way I could play poker for a living, to each his own'). And for those that are jealous... it's not like the world of poker isn't available to them.

I do this too to a couple of friends, don't think they care

(and btw, the 'can you double my 200$ if i give it to you' responses are just ppl that don't rly care but want to give a response bc they want to be nice most of the time ... it's not like ppl say that actually pull out their wallet and expect you to do it)

Ahaha, just discovered this. Thanks for bumping. Read it all and heard almost every line quoted in here.

Especially the "can you really cash that out?" - yea - "why don't you do it now?" and the "yea but what if you lose it all" ones.

The "I play too, but not for real money, just for fun. But I'm good!" guys are THE worst.

imo

people telling me stories like "i hate playing poker with my friends, they never fold and always play with trash hands"

QFFT

when i mention online poker : "but poker is about being able to read other people so its not the same"

this is the usual 90/5 who couldnt make a read on anyone if their lives depended on it

Try being this person in a small city. Every family member you have is constantly telling someone they know how to fix computer issues. And then volunteering you to fix their friends pc problems.

Yeah Im surprised there wasn't more

"oh you play poker? I don't think i could play poker because i dont have a good pokerface, i'd just start laughing"

or, alternatively,

"I'd be a really good poker player, i'd just smile all the time so no-one would know what i have. In fact, i think im going to start!"

Sorry I didn't read all 52 pages so I don't know if any/all of these have been mentioned. Here are my top ones...

1. "If you're a professional, how come I never see you on tv?"
2. "Wow, have you ever been on tv?"
3. "Do you wear sunglasses when you play?"
4. "When you win xxx do you quit for the day?"
5. My hair stylist, "my boyfriend says he'll play you for $100 a hand"

"So do you play on your VISA card? That is pretty dangerous."

"How do you know you won't lose everything?"

I really hope people at work don't find out about me playing cards. We are all the same age, just out of school, and each of us makes the same salary. Although, I live downtown, have a car paid in cash, many more toys, and 100k sitting in the bank waiting to buy a house. When are they going to say... "Ducy..."

(3 Years ago) Me: "Oh, by the way, I play poker online."
(3 Years ago) Girlfriend: "Gambling is bad. I don't like it."
(2 Years ago) Me: "Still think poker is bad and that it's gambling?"
(2 Years ago) Girlfriend: "No I know you are good at it but I don't like it"
(1 Year ago) Girlfriend: "Don't talk to me about poker anymore. I don't like it."
(6 months ago) Girlfriend: "My parents and I worry because we don't think you tell anyone the full story."

I don't like telling people how much I make, but given the situation, I was like, "Alright. Check out my bank account, and showed her $80k and $15k online".

(6 months ago) Me: "Still think poker is bad and that it's gambling?"
(6 months ago) Girlfriend: "Then how come you don't spend more on me?"

adl;kjfasdf;lkajse;rlkjasdf;lkasdf

lol

I'd hope you dumped her 3 seconds later.

If I say I play poker I have to tell people how much I lose! Then there is an awkward silence.

i'm in med school so i get the whole
"aren't you worried about losing $300 000 when you become a dr. since you gamble so much?"

yes. i'm going to gamble my life away cause i suck at life.

No. I went out and bought a 30" monitor. Booya

A friend of mine that I work with frames paintings in his home during his spare time usually during the evenings. He makes about 5 or 6 hundred a month. He spends about 60 hours a month doing this. This works out to be only $10/hour.

Nobody ever asks him:
- is your spare money worth your time?
- is your spare money worth the time away from your family?
- are you addicted to framing paintings?
- what do you do with all the money?
- isn't boring sitting in your basement framing paintings every evening ?
- what is the secret to framing?
- isn't a good frame just luck?
- when I see guys framing on TV they are horrible anyone could do that.

Likewise nobody has ever said to me but they have to him:
- wow, you must be very good at recognizing patterns
- your math skills/education have really paid off
- that's an amazing gift/skill/talent you have

I make a heck of a lot more money than him and have put just as much time perfecting my 'part time job', but gain no respect. This doesn't bother me at all, however. My extra money goes to my wife and family, trips mainly...Mexico, skiing, etc. etc.

I suppose people have a problem with the fact that for those of us that are profitable we provide no meaningful service to anyone around us. I never debate this, however my family and those that benefit from my travel and many other purchases do.

"Is that real money?" "NO, but I mean is it REAL money and can you use it?" "But, it is really yours then why don't you take it off?'

more or less the standard convo.

also when playing in a home game for 5 euro (just for fun with friends who don't know poker and want to play it) and I lose 5 euro a good friend of mine starts telling me how he should have played it and how I should improve my game (he can't beat 5NL on partypoker)<

two people i have told have instantly started screaming the amount i told them to random people. Won't speak to them again.

i have only recently started to make a decent amount of money monthly(used to be a tourney donk ldo).

But anyways my old conversations used to be "ya i know i had 1000 on here yesterday and now i have 750 on here now, i am in a little downswing ill get it back"

then i get the "you should cash out now before you lose it all"

this would be a weekly conversation(partially because i was transitioning to cash, and also because i was running awful at points)

now if i make 5k in a week, i still get the same thing(you should cash it out before you lose it all)

I only talk to my roomate and my fiance now about my weekly ups and downs, everybody else i leave in the dark.

It is just easier to not discuss results with anybody that has no concept of cards. Trying to discuss variance with anybody that hasnt taken a stats class is damn near impossible sometimes.

and obv. if i talk to some of my friends that play mostly brick and mortar they think i am on a heater, running well etc. And it also sounds like i am bragging(which i want to avoid).


I have no problem telling people i play cards, just how much i make.

sssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooo true.

Unless they play poker as their main source of income there is no way I'm talking to anyone about variance or strategy. If they bring it up with me I stick to 1 word answers and change the subject ASAP.

good to see everyone seems to be a winner!