I am not yet "out" as a poker player. I used to go back and forth between two cities becasue of school and work. In School City pretty much everyone knew I played. I played three live tournaments, and final tabled one of them. In Home City my family knows, and a few other people, maybe 25 altogether. I'm now back home full-time.

I've had people scouting the live tournaments in Home City, and it sounds like I can cash pretty consistently. So once I get a live reputaion, I'm pretty much outed.

The biggest problem will be my church. I worked for 12 years at a rescue mission, so I completely understand the concerns about addictive behaviour. I understand it better than most.

I decided to tell my pastor first. He is a very intellectual guy, so I actually sent him a three-page letter, along with about 15 pages of relevant 2+2 threads. He read all of it.

(Mason, whenver I send someone 2+2 info, it's always attibuted, so don't ban me!)

In a nutshell, here's what I told my pastor:

1. My goal is to turn this into a part-time job, and if all goes well, maybe my full-time job.

2. I understand that many will think it's an addiction or a sin. I'm prepared for that reaction. So I want you to know first in case it becomes a big issue in the church.

3. I have been reading, studying, learning, and grinding for two years. I did a one-year trial run with play money before that. I am very serious about this, it's not a whim.

4. My wife was dubious at first, but now she is 100% behind it. The only problem now is that when I win, she says "I want more."

5. My wife has a good job and good insurance, and my employment situation is a mess for a lot of reasons. My kids are grown and on their own. I'm not actually risking very much.

6. I have done many other competions which had cash prizes, from 10K running races to chess tournaments. I don't see any practical difference.

7. There are no addiction issues here. I recently walked into a casino, looked around for an hour, watched the cash games, and walked out without spending a dime. I even found some free pop.

8. I decided to be a tournament specialist partly because of the moral/ethical considerations. In a tournament, no one can go all-in with his grocery money in the heat of the moment.

9. Once I am in a tournament, it it my obligation to do my best to win money for my family. If there happens to be an "action junkie" who wants to shove with J7o in my STT, it's my job to take his money.

10. I briefly discussed the legal issues, including mentioning that the UIEGA (I hope those are the right initials) regulates business, not individuals, and that the state of Michigan licenses charity tournaments, which is where I do my live playing.

After that there were a couple back-and-forth E-mails about questions that he had. He basically said that while he can't exactly endorse my decision, I certainly have the freedom to make that choice, and he wishes me well.

A couple weeks later, I sent him a joke which he thought was pretty funny. I got it from 2+2, of course.

A professional poker player is standing on your porch at 6 P.M and he won't leave? What do you do?


Pay him for the pizza.

Yes. He is about 1/3 through his coursework toward a Ph.D. in math (specializing in number theory, whatever that is). He "count cards" at casino blackjack as a hobby.

I get, "so do you know all the math?" me: "yeah: them: "then how could you ever lose?"

the concept that people think the best player wins, ie if you loser to some jackass people think hes better than you

I think all you would have to do is send him the story of Job. Just show that god is naturally a gambler and he made a wager with the devil that Job would not lose faith in him as god. The difference is you only cause people to lose money where as god's wager caused Job to lose his wife, kids, farm, ect. ect.

But it was ok because he got a better wife in the end. So I guess the ends justify the means. Im sure Hitler would agree with that...

People are idiots. They thing everything is either luck or the best wins. Which is why there is so much talk about clutch/choking in sports.

classic thread.

This one baffles me, they give him credit for winning, yet I bet you its the same people who think its mostly luck. No contradiction there.

"what if you and me just sat down and played for a day. I wanna get this _____ but it costs $1000"

busto friend who can't get a loan from banks: "think you could loan me $15K for a new car?"

Thats because winning at gambling games makes a person look respectable no matter how much of a unclassy jackass they may be, even if it was all luck. Thats why casinos are filled with losers.

My dad is a bookmaker and professional gambler and his dad owned horses etc, so anyone i meet who knows him sort of understands, even my Grandma on my mums side who is super religious gambles her sixpence on a saturday night with the card games.

So I emailed my girl this joke, Im at work and bored obviously, and she says: "Hahahah… that’s great. At least I know that’ll never happen to my baby"

^Thats having the nuts

all my friends kept asking me what i do all day/why i dont work this summer so finally i just snapped and now i tell them every up and down when they ask to the point that they will stop caring, its kind of theraputic

Better than Microsoft Bob?

All of these parent comments blow my mind. You sure have different kinds of families than I do.

I am 53. I was playing online recently, someone guessed that I was "old" and ask my age. I told him.

"Wow, props for being 53 and knowing how to use a computer".

I could have told him that I was a computer science major about the time he was born, but instead I said, "Thanks, I'll have to tell my dad that you said that. Maybe he'll put it in his blog".

Best post in thread.

It's not people's business, and in my experience no other profession of people really go around talking about their money anyway, and if they do its considered to be in very bad taste, so best to avoid it altogether.

Hey man you play poker?

Oh sweet me to.

I kill this home game.

.10-.20 usually like $5-$10 buyins.

We play tournies too (lol like 8bb poker)

1 night I made $75!!

Like really so much money just playing this cool new game called texas holdem?

Sweet I just try to get cards to match a lot.

Pretty easy man.

You wanna come play sometime?

Oh man I almost never talk to people about poker outside of people that play seriously online, but today I got into a discussion with a guy who had played a bit, but kept insisting that if you play the math correctly then you'll always win at limit poker.

He was also somehow convinced that a large pokertracker datamine revealed that people bluff 8% of the time, so just call the river based on the pot odds and the assumption that every villain is bluffing 8% of the time. Also 4-8bb/100 is a standard win rate for mid stakes full ring limit. Easy game, imo.

does anyone else get a kick out of talking about your biggest losses rather than your biggest wins?

The look on their faces is much more satisfying than bragging about a big win.

"Hey, you play poker?"

"Yeah."

"Tight. Have you seen the move 21?"

****ing instatilt.

"but why didn't you quit when ...."

Poker players are fishes in the real life...

+1D

explain

lol, this.

Also:
-U play online poker? isnt that rigged? how do you know their not rigging the cards dealt?
-bro i went to this casino once and i played a $500 tournament and it was my first time playing and it was crazy bro, i won and i walked out with 1500!
-but how much did you lose?