"is that actually real money?"

lol all the time

also, "so when you win, do you get to take it out into your bank?"

Honest-to-God tears in my eyes, laughing so ****ing hard at that. Ty!

I just read through this entire thread, and I have been in all the same situations and gone through the same conversations. I found it annoying at the time and still try to downplay the fact that I play poker for a living around people that won't react well to it.

Having said that, these people aren't ALL wrong. I have been traveling the tournament circuit for almost two years now and I have seen a lot of the "top" players go broke. People that understand variance, bankroll management and everything else that comes along with playing poker still bite the dust all the time.

Poker players like to pretend that we are completely different from all of the degens at in the pit and at the tables, but no matter how you slice it we are risking money on an uncertain outcome. For every guy I know that has made it in the poker world I know 20 more that didn't make it and their financial/social/life situations are all worse then they were before they started playing poker.

All I am saying is that all these cautionary tales aren't completely unfounded, and it would do the people in this thread some good to at the very least acknowledge the possibility that they could go broke. Even aside from that, just realize that there is a reason why all of these stereotypes exist. Most people that gamble do fall into the categories that everyone keeps putting us in, so you can't really blame random religous freak or 70 y/o grandma for thinking gambling it wrong.

Let the flaming begin...

was in a homegame with a couple of friends and we don't take it really serious, we drink lots of whiskey and smoke cigars just for the fun. It's more laughing and drinking rather than playing serious. Not for a lot of cash either.
Last time a few guys from the Netherlands joined us and they didn't know I play poker daily and study the game daily.. One of those guys started to brag with his poker skills and was blah-blah-ing on about stuff he didn't know anything about. He knew some words like EV and he mentioned Chris Ferguson.. like wowz.. really, people that don't know anything about poker and talk about their view on the game is too hilarious. Reading books was bad, multitabling was bad, using 'programs' online was bad, OMFG... almost killed that guy barehanded. He said to me 'you don't seem to like me'.. good guess. His cousin was 3rd in EPT and a friend of him won the sunday million.. yeah right.. whatever you say.

I've started a new thing where I only talk about the BRAGs about playing poker. When chicks ask about it, I just talk about winning monies, people standing around a rail to watch me play, reading peoples souls when the cards hit the felt, and all the sexy bull**** WSOP/movie stuff. Going to see how that turns out. It's half a level, half exaggerated brag.

Also, don't sell money on poker sites to friends who think they can make a quick buck because it's inevitable that you will have to hear: "Dude, listen to this (insert bad beat story) and that's how I lost the $50-100 you sold me."

I love this one. Here is my new standard reply for that question...

I like this conversation. My friend (drunk) told someone I play poker online. She said "that is cool how do you do?"
I respond "I try to make more than rent each month."
Then this girl said "Thats cool I play online too. I play on Yahoo. Do you make real money where you play?"
In my head (No bitch I pay rent with monopoly money) what I actually said "No I just make Skalansky bucks." I knew she would not understand and drop the subject if I said that.

I've been lying to most of my friends and family about what I've been doing to pay the bills for a little while because if I told them that most of my income now comes from poker I think they would have an emotional breakdown.

Word. I have a real job and play poker part-time, but I avoid telling my family and the in-laws that I play. They get nervous about me playing $10 buyins, so I can only imagine how they would feel if they knew my online stakes.

I agree with those that are saying that telling people that you are working from home and playing poker part-time is much easier. It keeps your family from worrying about you financially and allows you the freedom to play without all the questioning, especially when they can see that you are very much financially independent.

I got a similar situation at my old job where I was telling this guy that was like two years older than me that I was playing internet poker. He said "yea I also played before but quit". Then I asked him what stakes he played at and he told me "25/50".

I was like damn, nobody playing 25/50 would ever work at a **** telemarketing job.. so I was pretty chocked but knew that this was bs, so I asked him; "why aren't u still playing at those stakes". Then he came with the best/most lame excuse ever; "My brother thought it was play money and lost it all". LOL!

If his brother lost it all, first of all he would have killed him, then he would have killed himself.

Guess alot of u guys get these people trying to be ballers then say "well I was playing 50/100 but quit.. this guy kept on steeling my blinds and sitting out so it got lame"

I've heard many of these same questions as a ticket broker... can you show me how? how much do you make? is that even legal? It's like I have to explain myself morally and ethically for a profession that is really nothing but what the market will bear.

It's so nice to see if I successfully make the transition here I'll get to avoid these sorts of questions forever. Oh, no? Not really? Damn.

Hey guys,

I just stumbled onto this thread. Great thread!

I only play part-time. Anyway there was this one time I was playing poker (live) and I get a phone call from some acquaintance. I don't know her very well, she is a friend of a friend. She's asking me for some stupid stuff that I was finding out for her, I think it was where she should buy a sweater or something. Then she says "Oh sorry is this a good time to talk?" when she was already talking for a minute or so

I say to her, "I'm playing poker at the moment, do you mind if I call you back tomorrow?" And she is like, "Are you gambling?! Gambling is wrong! You'll lose your money!" I said, "Are you stupid? Bye." Then I hung up

I think in general this is the correct way to approach awkward situations.

Should have said that instead, well maybe without the bitch part. Would have been much funnier.

LOL! I really gotta remember some of these responses for next time.

Oh **** I got a new one from last night. I was at best buy looking at computers and a guy was trying to help me figure out what I need. I had to explain to him what I wanted it for. He walks away and comes back to tell me this...

"Yeah I put $50 on FTP last night and was doing good at 2/4 then jumped to 25/50 and sat down with Chris Moneymaker. Moneymaker was destroying everyone he is probably one of the best players I have ever seen."

For probably the second time in my life I was speachless. I was gasping for air I was laughing so hard.

this thread reinforces that a lot of poker players are elitest douches

not saying all, but a lot

There are some funny responses in here, but stuff like "LTS PLAY FOR 5K HURRR" are stupid

so this is the thread where everyone shows what a pokernerd he is and that he got no social skills?

fine,let me join.

Last nite I sat as usual in a casino,and at 11.30 pm a guy said he will quit now cause he haz to work tomorrow.

I puked hard and laughed at him,told him better to read 20 pokerbooks and start 14 tabling teh whole day.

I iz cool,whut?

I did play for a living for 6 months but gave up on it. I was sick of the stigma associated with poker. Its not a respected profession among most of my peers. Let alone the stupid conversations I have to have with other so called poker players but the "you gamble for a living" you get from most (my parents..relatives..girlfriends parents..etc) other people. I'm sick of the constant argument that poker actually takes skill, time and dedication just like any other profession. Like the saying goes, Poker is like sex, everyone thinks they are good but most are terrible.

I still use poker to supplement my income. I have a great 9-5 job, but still love poker. I moved into a house with 3 roommates and poker has had a particularly negative effect. I cut my roommate in on some tournaments and whatnot and won him a decent amount (around 2k..well decent for him!!). He thought the game was easy to beat after that. I regret doing this..I've seen him lose that and more since then..I still play but don't tell my roommates how much I win or lose anymore.

Last night was a friend of mine's bday, I got text from a girl while I was out asking me what I was doing and if I wanted to go for drinks and says, "When do you work next?" to which I said "I'm on holidays".

Probably the best pro to being a poker player.... flexible hours

nice

reminded of the Monty Python sketch on "How to Play the Flute":

"You blow in here . . . . and you run your fingers up and down here!"