Prose from a Poshboy

[Mitch]

Thought you might like this, being the huge football fan you are....

[dwayne110]

I think 'intensity' is the wrong word dave. Paying attention / concentrating on the task at hand for an unusually long and consistent period of time, I'd agree with to an extent. I'm a rec who's worked in pretty intense sales roles for most of my career... long stressful hours, but I know incomparable to the stress of a doctor working 14 hour shifts, etc. I have played online for 10-12 hour practically uninterrupted stints. What I would agree with is the heightened, consistent focus on the action, particularly when playing zoom as the play is so quick you have to be constantly alert. I think the word intensity gives an air of suggesting it's a more arduous task, which clearly isn't correct. When I've played online for such periods its because I'm having fun doing so! One significant point is a player may be focused in the extent they're continuing to go through the motions of playing, but due to tilt/fatigue etc they're playing sub-optimally. I'd argue this occurs a hell of a lot across a large proportion of players, and clearly means at these points the player isn't 100% focused.

[gouty]

Are people really saying that having a good job and then only playing poker when on the piss is not ideal?

All this intensity and concentration talk seems to take the enjoyment out of the game.

I am nearly certain that players who can play more than 6 tables profitably could learn day trading strategies and earn more money which they could then pump into the poker economy whilst on the piss during the evenings.

[rfgqqabc]

Day trading can't be that easy. I know of one poker player who got a job and several other offers with his cv largely being a pro poker player. I really don't think its as easy as you say though.

[gouty]

Day trading can't be that easy. I know of one poker player who got a job and several other offers with his cv largely being a pro poker player. I really don't think its as easy as you say though.

Neither is multi tabling online making say £30k+ per year. I can't do either for clarity but they both seem similarly challenging and share certain attributes.

[rfgqqabc]

Day trading can't be that easy. I know of one poker player who got a job and several other offers with his cv largely being a pro poker player. I really don't think its as easy as you say though.

Neither is multi tabling online making say £30k+ per year. I can't do either for clarity but they both seem similarly challenging and share certain attributes.

Starting bankroll reqs would be a large barrier to entry.

[gouty]

Day trading can't be that easy. I know of one poker player who got a job and several other offers with his cv largely being a pro poker player. I really don't think its as easy as you say though.

Neither is multi tabling online making say £30k+ per year. I can't do either for clarity but they both seem similarly challenging and share certain attributes.

Starting bankroll reqs would be a large barrier to entry.

Good point. I never thought of that. Doh.

[polerization]

Disagree strongly with David.

There are many real-life jobs which require intense concentration, 40 or 50 hours per week for an entire lifetime, & when failure would not cost MONEY, but LIVES.

I knew I'd never explain this point properly, yes I know there are lots of very high pressure, intense jobs out there but they wont expect you to work 10 hours straight in one day at full intensity surely?

Surgeon for example, obviously lives depends of his/her levels of focus and if they were performing life-saving surgery from 8am to 6pm straight without a single break then that sounds like it would be very dangerous*. Comparing poker to a job like that is a complete disgrace but this point point is defo the one similarity, and just refirming that when someone has played 191 hours of poker it's defo a good bit more than 191 hours in most jobs.

*I'm not saying that a big chunk of a Surgeons working week is spent being idle, and I don't really know as have no practical experience outside of watching scrubs, but assuming there are less intense, focus heavy aspects to the job which will take up a chunk of their working week, as well as breaks/lunches etc

So not intensity, or pressure, we're talking prolonged focus..

I've always played poker for recreation, so probably not in the best position to answer that first hand, but 'Phil Ivey' who's regarded as the best player in the world always seems focused and I'm pretty sure I read in an interview somewhere that Johnny Chan would suffer from Migraines after long poker sessions because of the amount he has to concentrate..

Their is also the factor that we play poker because we love to do it, it's meant to be 'fun. Not many office jobs are fun sat behind a desk for 10 hours agree with most points here though about intensity poker is way more tiring than people would think -_-

[scotty77]

The reason why I love playing poker for a living is that while I work hard, I never feel like I'm at work. 

Think that the day it becomes like a real job is the day that I quit and look for something new.

Main stress is of course when you are on a downswing, as you no safety net.  In the working world there is support, advice and the law on your side.  With poker you are essentially alone, hence why having a core group of 3/4 poker friends is so so important as they are the closest thing you have to a support system.

[SuuPRlim]

All these points are defo true, idk wat sort of mess I've made of this lol, I hope people don't think I'm trying to convince you all that poker is comparable to doctors and pilots I'm defo not lol

Intensity meant (to me) that you're either at 100% focus or not, I think poker is kinda like that, obviously you can not be at 100% if you like but you'll be getting a paydock lol so may as well be sat at home watching big break on series link ;-)

A regular 50hour working week in a lot of jobs won't require 50hours of 100% focused work, or at least in the job I did it certainly didn't...

Also,  Phil Ivey is famous for playing very short sessions, both live and online. Isildur is quite a good example of why we shouldn't play when not 100% focused lol

Hope I've not offended anyone by mistake somehow lol I know I've explained myself v badly because I agreed totally with bangbang...who Tikay also agreed with saying he disagreed with me, dammit lol and +1dwayne post.

Now I've burnt my potatoes!

[Geo the Sarge]

All these points are defo true, idk wat sort of mess I've made of this lol, I hope people don't think I'm trying to convince you all that poker is comparable to doctors and pilots I'm defo not lol

Intensity meant (to me) that you're either at 100% focus or not, I think poker is kinda like that, obviously you can not be at 100% if you like but you'll be getting a paydock lol so may as well be sat at home watching big break on series link ;-)

A regular 50hour working week in a lot of jobs won't require 50hours of 100% focused work, or at least in the job I did it certainly didn't...

Also,  Phil Ivey is famous for playing very short sessions, both live and online. Isildur is quite a good example of why we shouldn't play when not 100% focused lol

Hope I've not offended anyone by mistake somehow lol I know I've explained myself v badly because I agreed totally with bangbang...who Tikay also agreed with saying he disagreed with me, dammit lol and +1dwayne post.

Now I've burnt my potatoes!

Lol, even housewives should stay 100% focussed :-)

Geo

[SuuPRlim]

haha A*

[celtic]

haha A*

[david3103]

Disagree strongly with David.

There are many real-life jobs which require intense concentration, 40 or 50 hours per week for an entire lifetime, & when failure would not cost MONEY, but LIVES.

I knew I'd never explain this point properly, yes I know there are lots of very high pressure, intense jobs out there but they wont expect you to work 10 hours straight in one day at full intensity surely?

Surgeon for example, obviously lives depends of his/her levels of focus and if they were performing life-saving surgery from 8am to 6pm straight without a single break then that sounds like it would be very dangerous*. Comparing poker to a job like that is a complete disgrace but this point point is defo the one similarity, and just refirming that when someone has played 191 hours of poker it's defo a good bit more than 191 hours in most jobs.

*I'm not saying that a big chunk of a Surgeons working week is spent being idle, and I don't really know as have no practical experience outside of watching scrubs, but assuming there are less intense, focus heavy aspects to the job which will take up a chunk of their working week, as well as breaks/lunches etc

Takes 15hrs to swap a heart...

http://www.itv.com/news/2013-07-31/bright-future-ahead-as-patient-swaps-an-artificial-heart-for-a-real-one/

[cambridgealex]

I'm feeling a change in the wind...Over 3 months and 20 live tournaments without a cash - tomorrow IS going to be the day that streak ends. Confidence. I have 115k through from thursdays online leg which is alright, probs just above average, and got a good feeling about this one. GET THERE MINCASH!

Almost all the heroes have made day two as well. My entire house- Stato, PJ even thigh. Plus the future Mr and Mrs Deadman, Jack, Mitch, Nick Hicks all through. Could be some really fun tables tomorrow, really looking forward to the battles! One of us has to win one of these one day...

Played two good sessions of cash last night and tonight, losing a big chunk last night and winning it back tonight. Satisfying. Really enjoyed both sessions, back loving the game!