Prose from a Poshboy

[skolsuper]

He doesn't get jealous that the game clearly loves you more than him?

[Fenix35]

I think that the opportunities poker presents in your 20s can in fact outweigh building future career options by doing the 9-5 grind or whatever even if the monetary gain is on a similar level. I may be extremely naive but I've always been a big believer in life experiences and I honestly can't think any of other careers which offer the same kinds of flexibility and freedom without absurd barriers to entry. I'd even go as far as to say that even if you played poker for 5-7 years in your early 20s, travelled the world playing a card game, had some amazing memories that will last a lifetime but came out of it with only £2-3k in your bank and the cv gap it still wouldn't be a failure. You really do only live once and you're only young once. Good luck spending your summers in Vegas grinding the world series, renting balla villas in Marbella with mates etc, once you try to start a family or have young kids etc. I mean im sure you could still manage it all but psychologically it won't be the same. You won't want to spend a month away in Vegas and it will be far less enjoyable if your missing your newborn kid or the emotions now on going on that 100 buy-in downswing can only be multiplied once you realise that it's almost your kids quality of life you're affectively gambling with. It makes a huge difference having responsibility for others and just savour the moments now, go out and explore the world, live the dream as most other people worldwide will never get such opportunities.

Being a pro poker player does require discliplines and many do fall at various hurdles through life leaks such as drugs, pit gambling, slacking. It also doesn't hurt you to dedicate a little of your time building on life skills so that if the time comes when you have to jump into the real world you're more set-up for an easier transition. But until then keep having fun, making memories and living the lifestyle that most of the population would be extremely envious about.  It can be tough at times, and it can certainly be a grind, but at the end of the day, just keep loving the game!

[luvtheUni]

I guess life experience is important and nice, but... to be honest I dont think going to an EPT and playing drunk counts... haha. I guess it depends on the personality of each individual. I just think that there are a lot of cool jobs out there that can give you a lot of enjoyment and quite a lot of flexibility without the risk factor. Maybe its just me, but I am under the impression that almost everyone does it strictly for the money (I include myself under this category). Of course if you really enjoy the game a lot, then its a no brainer. I just assume that nobody really enjoys grinding NL200 or whatever...
I hear you say "untaxed" a lot... dont you have to pay taxes for poker winnings here in the UK!?!?!?!?!?!?

[mondatoo]

I think that the opportunities poker presents in your 20s can in fact outweigh building future career options by doing the 9-5 grind or whatever even if the monetary gain is on a similar level. I may be extremely naive but I've always been a big believer in life experiences and I honestly can't think any of other careers which offer the same kinds of flexibility and freedom without absurd barriers to entry. I'd even go as far as to say that even if you played poker for 5-7 years in your early 20s, travelled the world playing a card game, had some amazing memories that will last a lifetime but came out of it with only £2-3k in your bank and the cv gap it still wouldn't be a failure. You really do only live once and you're only young once. Good luck spending your summers in Vegas grinding the world series, renting balla villas in Marbella with mates etc, once you try to start a family or have young kids etc. I mean im sure you could still manage it all but psychologically it won't be the same. You won't want to spend a month away in Vegas and it will be far less enjoyable if your missing your newborn kid or the emotions now on going on that 100 buy-in downswing can only be multiplied once you realise that it's almost your kids quality of life you're affectively gambling with. It makes a huge difference having responsibility for others and just savour the moments now, go out and explore the world, live the dream as most other people worldwide will never get such opportunities.

Being a pro poker player does require discliplines and many do fall at various hurdles through life leaks such as drugs, pit gambling, slacking. It also doesn't hurt you to dedicate a little of your time building on life skills so that if the time comes when you have to jump into the real world you're more set-up for an easier transition. But until then keep having fun, making memories and living the lifestyle that most of the population would be extremely envious about.  It can be tough at times, and it can certainly be a grind, but at the end of the day, just keep loving the game!

Couldn't agree more.

[Junior Senior]

I think that the opportunities poker presents in your 20s can in fact outweigh building future career options by doing the 9-5 grind or whatever even if the monetary gain is on a similar level. I may be extremely naive but I've always been a big believer in life experiences and I honestly can't think any of other careers which offer the same kinds of flexibility and freedom without absurd barriers to entry. I'd even go as far as to say that even if you played poker for 5-7 years in your early 20s, travelled the world playing a card game, had some amazing memories that will last a lifetime but came out of it with only £2-3k in your bank and the cv gap it still wouldn't be a failure. You really do only live once and you're only young once. Good luck spending your summers in Vegas grinding the world series, renting balla villas in Marbella with mates etc, once you try to start a family or have young kids etc. I mean im sure you could still manage it all but psychologically it won't be the same. You won't want to spend a month away in Vegas and it will be far less enjoyable if your missing your newborn kid or the emotions now on going on that 100 buy-in downswing can only be multiplied once you realise that it's almost your kids quality of life you're affectively gambling with. It makes a huge difference having responsibility for others and just savour the moments now, go out and explore the world, live the dream as most other people worldwide will never get such opportunities.

Being a pro poker player does require discliplines and many do fall at various hurdles through life leaks such as drugs, pit gambling, slacking. It also doesn't hurt you to dedicate a little of your time building on life skills so that if the time comes when you have to jump into the real world you're more set-up for an easier transition. But until then keep having fun, making memories and living the lifestyle that most of the population would be extremely envious about.  It can be tough at times, and it can certainly be a grind, but at the end of the day, just keep loving the game!

Good post.

Its all about getting the right balance. Not everyone can or will succeed in the game, in fact very few will truly succeed long term or beat it hard enough that they wont have to worry about the ramifications in later life of being behind the curve in a particular career or being skint and starting at the bottom at 30 with no employment record to speak of. The game might not even be around forever and as you get older real life gets harder, demands from others are higher and the time needed to devote to the game and improving is less available. So whilst youre making sure you are loving the game, its certainly good to keep one eye on what the future might hold outside of the game as thats where a lot of those that are grinding or lovng their twenties in the game will end up when they hit 30 get married, have kids etc.  its not because they stopped loving the game but perhaps because the game became less important in the grand scheme of things or because perhaps the game no longer loves your life.

Anyway, less waffle, I think the camel was right, time to change my username to something more fitting....like oldgit.

[kinboshi]

Junior Snr.

[DMorgan]

Great shout from Boshi

[cambridgealex]

Disaster start to the month - one of my worst ever losing days.

Started like a dream too, ran like god in the first 4 levels of the deepstack, spun up to 150k, avg 35. Then after the break it just went catrastrophically bad. First lost a massive pot where someone opens T9o utg, peeled my 3bet, then did a huge c/jam on Q94 and found a 9. Would've had 180k if I held there with avg 35. Then he proceeded to play every hand, huge allins, playing like he had to win every chip on the table within the hour. He busted a double average stack by peeling 53hh from the bb in a 6 way pot, and opening jamming 6x pot on K87hh, called by AK and the lucky guy in the bb with 77 who held for a sickening 200k pot when the average was 40.

I lost a whole bunch of hands which are too boring to report, then got in my final 25bigs with KQss in a spot where it was probably not great to get it in (it definitely wasn't lol) but I was so fed up, I'd had enough I just got it in and lost vs JJ.

Then I went to play cash. Oh dear. Was never gonna end well. Game was good, everyone very loose and splashly, lots going in pre. Decided to take a very thin 3b/5b/call with 99 for a 1.7k pot and couldn't hold vs AK.

Then lost AQ aip vs 22, 2xxAQ for the rubs. Then played a weird hand with 89 on J94 getting involved in a 3way allin vs QT and KT. The KT guy had opened, cbet, QT guy flatted. I c/raised to £135 to get it in/fold out the original raiser who I was pretty confident I was beating. He put it in for like £200, then the guy who flatted the cbet also called which I wasn't expecting, I had to call, and was actually infront. The original raiser had for some reason just called allin basically on the flop with a gutshot, and the other guy had QT for the up and down. Q on the river killed me and gave to pot to the (imho) least deserving of the villains!

Really fed up, had £250 left and just stuck it on roulette, gg.

Bad day.

[rfgqqabc]

Table games are absolute nut low. Before you next play, think of the money in real note form and give it a real monetary value. This sucks for poker but a penny saved = a penny earnt!

[smashedagain]

Table games are absolute nut low. Before you next play, think of the money in real note form and give it a real monetary value. This sucks for poker but a penny saved = a penny earnt!

No shit

[SuuPRlim]

#lovethegameandthegamewillloveyou

#workedoutfineforyoubuthow'slildavefindingit?

haha fml. reading this as I wake up from the most ridic 70 hour bender ever. About to go through my stnd "what's going wrong with me life!" moaning whenever I'm hungover.

Alex is a smart kid, he'll do just fine. All the rofling around is amazing and the stories are incredible - Just make sure by 35 you're not a withered gambler and those stories are all you have.

[cambridgealex]

Really fed up, had £250 left and just stuck it on roulette, gg.

Alex is a smart kid, he'll do just fine.

ORLY

[SuuPRlim]

Really fed up, had £250 left and just stuck it on roulette, gg.

Alex is a smart kid, he'll do just fine.

ORLY

HAHA

Just make sure by 35 you're not a withered gambler and those stories are all you have.

Hi there Kettle, Pot here, just ringing to tell you how very black you are.

[smashedagain]

Really fed up, had £250 left and just stuck it on roulette, gg.

Alex is a smart kid, he'll do just fine.

ORLY

HAHA

Just make sure by 35 you're not a withered gambler and those stories are all you have.

Hi there Kettle, Pot here, just ringing to tell you how very black you are.

Ha ha . Greeky and me have just had a similar pot/kettle exchange on mondos $35 thread

[GreekStein]

such a shame dtd is now a casino.