Justification of playing poker

[patman]

I've had no luck justifying what I do to my parents.

My Mum always tells me that my Dad is really worried about me. My Dad regularly says that my Mum is concerned about what I do. I think they've come across this strategy independantly of one another and I always find it amusing.

To be fair to them, they have promised to let me fly them to Vegas if I ever get to the WSOP final table. I think that's what it'll take to get them to accept my profession.

They manage to deal with it because they know I have a job (even though they don't know it's only part-time) and that I'm intending to further my academic career.

technically you could be furthering it by joining the "student poker league" ...and with your elequence you could lecture at evenings on iso 9001 best poker practise...what a career

[thetank]

Simon, why do you feel the need to justify your poker playing to people? If they don't believe you, sod 'em - get new friends who aren't inclined to think you're a liar.

   

I disagree.

Spending time with your friends outside the poker world is important. It helps to ensure you keep balance in your life. You don't want to be chatting about AK vs. AJ every time you go the pub.

These people should not be shunned because they don't understand. You don't need to take people and shake them till they see your point of view. Folks with different opinions can still get on well.

Playing poker for a living I miss out on the socialising that goes with work. Any non-poker friends I still have are very important to me. (although they're becoming fewer in numer recently as more and more they seem to be picking up the game themselves) A few of them think my eventual going bust is inevitable.
They don't mind drinking with me for as long as I can still afford to get a round in though 

[Graham C]

I never get a hard time for it.  Everyone I knows is almost pleased for me - it's really wierd.  I have got a few of my pals into it too. 

The only person I need to convince is the missus!  She's just not chuffed that I sit in the room with the computer whilst she's in the living room - I so need a laptop.  She's also unimpressed that I stay up till late playing, but that's a different issue!

[BigArmo]

Hmmm Simon,

Its difficult to convince friends & family because most will see poker as GAMBLING full stop, but doing the lottery is ok thats not gambling at all blah blah blah.

I was a gambler bandits,football,horses,dogs ect thank god i found poker i'd prolly be in rehab with no dosh but playing poker fills the gap so now i bet on the nags every now and then.

I found buying my Girlfriend a car helped her be more understanding  .

Non Playing M8's yes i've got Matt674 hes pretty crap at Golf to    

Regards
BA

[Wardonkey]

I am in the fortunate position that all my friends are very supportive of what I do. I used to work in casinos so my hours were very anti-social and I played a fair bit as well. Now I have more time to spend with my friends and family and happily I am making more money as well.

Anyone who knows me can see that my life has got better since I stopped work. Mostly they are inquisitive and or jealous rather than concerned or judgemental.

[thetank]

Non Playing M8's yes i've got Matt674

 

 

[bolt pp]

What justification? tell your friends all poker players are losers, AND BE PROUD OF IT!!!!!!!!

[The Dundonian]

Never ever justify what you do to anyone, it's a sign of weaknesss (except for your misses, oh, and your parents,..nearly forgot sisters ) apart from them then never try and justify yourself...ok so I forgot about my Aunt and my older brother, but never ever my younger brother or my mates up the pub, except for Big Stu of course!
Remember be a man! (sometimes)

[simonjjj]

Simon, why do you feel the need to justify your poker playing to people? If they don't believe you, sod 'em - get new friends who aren't inclined to think you're a liar.

   

I totally agree with this. I get bored about listening to my poker friends bad beats and whole the deck is constantly against them. You do need that balance.

I disagree.

Spending time with your friends outside the poker world is important. It helps to ensure you keep balance in your life. You don't want to be chatting about AK vs. AJ every time you go the pub.

These people should not be shunned because they don't understand. You don't need to take people and shake them till they see your point of view. Folks with different opinions can still get on well.

Playing poker for a living I miss out on the socialising that goes with work. Any non-poker friends I still have are very important to me. (although they're becoming fewer in numer recently as more and more they seem to be picking up the game themselves) A few of them think my eventual going bust is inevitable.
They don't mind drinking with me for as long as I can still afford to get a round in though 

[way_too_tight]

The only person I need to convince is the missus!  She's just not chuffed that I sit in the room with the computer whilst she's in the living room - I so need a laptop.  She's also unimpressed that I stay up till late playing, but that's a different issue!

Been there, tried that - didn't work out. I have no idea of the games you play or your skill level - I personally play a piddling little 1/2NL game - problem is I need to be concentrating all the time. It's no good making an EP raise, have your Mrs start talking about whats on the tv / what the Dog is doing / dinner for tomorrow / the Bosnian situation, only to look back and find that you got called in 2 spots and are 10 secs from timing out on an all red flop...

To summarise: I find I make bad decisions when I'm distracted. Being in a room with my g/f and a TV is enough to cost me dearly.

YMMV, HTH, HAND.

Bry

P.S. Your link says you have poker clocks - am I right in thinking that these are the regular analogue clocks set into a cards ornament rather than a blinds countdown timer ?

[matt674]

Non Playing M8's yes i've got Matt674

 

Non Playing M8's yes i've got Matt674

 

 

 

i've got Matt674 hes pretty crap at Golf to      

Ok, i'll give you that one - but i'm working on it........

[thetank]

 concluded basically we had nothing to lose as $200 was so far away from the money we had to had that it was worth the gamble.

I'm glad you posted it was a good read. Many have been in similar situations. So long as you have a contingency plan if it all goes wrong at the tables then there shouldn't be a problem.

Anthony Holden, in his book 'Big Deal', justified his year as a poker profesional in a similar way. They wanted to buy the house they were renting and didn't have enough dosh.

I've done something similar myself a couple of years ago, but that's a different story. Suffice is to say I had to go with the contingency plan 

The key point is that you and Mr Holden both discussed things through with the missus first and had her backing you up.

[bundle]

Sorry mate,  lost my bottle and deleted the thread as you were replying. It looked too much like a ME ME ME thread.

Just didnt see a way to explain without all the facts..

[Solver]

I know what you mean.

A soon as you mention playing for money to anyone not in the know they immediatley assume you're either losing or it's luck.

I don't need to justifiy my spending to anyone, but it does annoy me when friends and family believe it's all due to luck.

I've got logs now of the past 5 months of live play showing a consistant profit.  All I hear is "it's all right as long as your winning", but said in that annoying knowing tone of voice that they know better and really think it will all change and I'll start losing consistantly.

I've gone as far as showing logs to family now that show the sort of levels I'm playing and my profit.  Given my live play ROI for the past 5 months is 130% I've managed to convince them that even if I was to lose for the next 4 months I'd still be in profit.

I still get the feeling that they still think they know better and that I'm just being lucky.  I tried going into pot odds once and explaining how there is an element of skill but it was just lost on them. 

Nobody is asking for justification, they even point out that I don't need to justify it.  But it's my mission to make people believe that it's not due to luck!

Stu

[matt674]

Sorry mate,  lost my bottle and deleted the thread as you were replying. It looked too much like a ME ME ME thread.

Just didnt see a way to explain without all the facts..

So??? If you happen to be good at something then there is nothing wrong of being proud of that fact. I happen to be quite proud of my online record on pokerstars for the last 2 years and whilst i dont shout it from the rooftops every second day because there is a site on the internet that lists all the results from regular MTT tourneys on pokerstars then its there for the whole world to see.

If you have achieved something that has changed your life for the good then feel proud and share it with the world, i read your post last night before you deleted it and didnt think it was a ME ME ME thread.

There is a member of the Blonde forum who recently won a seat at the EPT event in France due to be played next week - he's made a point of mentioning that fact in as many threads as possible (i believe the last count was 14 or 15) and they were all about ME ME ME. As far as i am aware nobody minds that much because its a great achievement to have won a seat in one of the biggest events on the European poker calender. So we wish him and all the other blondites well for next week and hope that one of them brings home the trophy!! 

I'm sure that telling your story once will not make us all suddenly think of you as a big headed attention seeker!! I for one would like to see your reply last night reposted!!