Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

...it was a mistake?

Just curious...
From
most of the posts I've read anyone who has played poker for their sole source of income
"loves it" - "would never go back to their old job" - "things are great now" - etc.
(and I would expect that majority of 2+ 2 ers to be winners in the game...)

But, I would like to hear if anyone (hope the Zoo gets lots of traffic)
thinks it was a big mistake for them to "go pro" (even if they made a lot of money...).
Other reasons could be: they are simply "not happy" - to "not feeling productive" - "lack of fulfillment" - "not feel they are doing meaningful work/contributing anything to society" - etc.

My story: I still work full time...haven't yet quit my "office drone" job, but intend to within the next 3-6 months.

Ps. Now that I think about it, being a pencil-pusher/paper-shuffler/office drone
doesn't really "contribute anything to society," so full-timers, please forgive me if that
may have insulted you! lol

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ps. Now that I think about it, being a pencil-pusher/paper-shuffler/office drone
doesn't really "contribute anything to society," so full-timers, please forgive me if that
may have insulted you! lol

[/ QUOTE ]

This is such a bs arguement, a majority of jobs do not contribute a damn thing to society.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

All of the above, except for the part about thinking it was a mistake.

The events of the past couple of weeks do have me thinking it may be time to move on to something else or go back to live play.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

Yea,
and that's exactly what I realized as I was wrapping up my post!

But, some people....myself included...take/would take some pride in
knowing they are performing a job/service where they are genuinely "helping people" or
"making the world a better place" - etc.
(note: "helping people" part with their money by playing TAG poker against them doesn't qualify! lol)

I guess you could make the argument that the world is already so f***ed up and is headed so fast
in the direction
of being even more f***ed up, that why should you bother trying to contribute anything?...if that's the case...but that's beside the/my point...lol

I mean, why try to better society when George W. is just going to
start wars without UN consent and flush Zillions of your tax dollars
down the drain and piss off the whole world b/c if he doesn't then "the terrorists win."

How's that for a bs argument?

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
I mean, why try to better society when George W. is just going to
start wars without UN consent and flush Zillions of your tax dollars
down the drain and piss off the whole world b/c if he doesn't then "the terrorists win."

How's that for a bs argument?

[/ QUOTE ]

This type of straying is gonna kill this thread which I'm actually interested in original quesiton.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

This is arguably the dumbest post I've ever read on 2+2. It's close, but I really think you may be in contention.

Also, check a post by me last week about thoughts on being pro.

ElSapo

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I'll check your post - thanks.

But my original question (forget about the George W. comment...lol)
I feel is a good one b/c you never hear about those who have "gone pro" and
quit for whatever reason (and not for just the obvious reason: b/c they went "bust").

It's a lifestyle change that I am 95% sure (barring a 2 outer on the river...lol)
I am going to undertake soon so I'd really like to hear if anyone attempted it and
found it to more or less be as bad as the dreary job they had before poker...

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
This is arguably the dumbest post I've ever read on 2+2. It's close, but I really think you may be in contention.

[/ QUOTE ]

What the hell? It's a good question. What's your problem?

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

It's a decent question.

But I really think that he's just seen posts from guys like me who really love the flexibility.

TStoneMD seemed really burnt-out really quickly as I recall.
And there are definitely other players on here who just didn't like it very much,..and after 6-12 months really really disliked it.

Some went back to their old jobs...there are others who I suspect feel kind of 'stuck' in poker (not sure though).


of course, part of the problem with this discussion is that those who get so turned-off by the game that they decide to quit are also not nearly as likely to keep posting on here either. So we just don't hear from them as much.

But I know we've heard from some of them.


Especially some of those who get too lost in it and practically blame online-poker for ruining their lives (GF is out the door, he's out of shape because he never leaves the house, etc etc).


The posts are out there somewhere....so anyone with links to some of the disgruntled ones feel free to share.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This is arguably the dumbest post I've ever read on 2+2. It's close, but I really think you may be in contention.

[/ QUOTE ]

What the hell? It's a good question. What's your problem?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that post. The other one, the one about all jobs contributing little to nothing to society, so what's the point.

His other post is a good question, and hence I made a post about it last week. So I don't really have a problem - what's yours?

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

Here is a link to a post by a guy a year later that has the correct approach (IMO) to going full time.

I've started my own businesses and the biggest challenge I found was the mental aspect. If you have the ability to stay focused when things out of your control go wrong you can make it successful.

If your of the mindset that you work best within a structured style of work (going to work the same time every day, leaving at a certain time, getting a constant steady pay check) then you may not be built for going pro. In watching other business owners these are the ones that I see leave for reasons for other than going "bust".

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

Read this guys advice. I think it's good.

I think his last paragraph is the most important. You absolutely must have a balanced life in order to be happy with this profession. This means different things for different people. Working in a solitary environment is hard enough. Couple that with working in an emotionally and financially volatile profession, then you have a recipe for disaster unless you have balance in your life.

As far as a lack of fulfillment and not feeling that I am doing anything meaningful... yes I have had those feelings. I am conquering them by doing volunteer work for a cause that is passionate to me, and this is providing me with a great amount of fulfillment.

I don't think you were really asking for advice -- you were really asking if anyone regrets it. I don't regret it, but I do regret not going into it with a more realistic mindset. Most people think FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM when they think of this lifestyle. It is a very over-glamourized profession. It is important to look at all of the challenges of this profession, and analyze whether or not you have it in you to properly handle all of those challenges.

-Sarah

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]

As far as a lack of fulfillment and not feeling that I am doing anything meaningful... yes I have had those feelings. I am conquering them by doing volunteer work for a cause that is passionate to me, and this is providing me with a great amount of fulfillment.

[/ QUOTE ]


To be honest, I've had these feelings in other professions I've been in too.
I do look forward to a time when so well-set in my income that I can devote some time to other things.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
It's a decent question.

But I really think that he's just seen posts from guys like me who really love the flexibility.

TStoneMD seemed really burnt-out really quickly as I recall.
And there are definitely other players on here who just didn't like it very much,..and after 6-12 months really really disliked it.

Some went back to their old jobs...there are others who I suspect feel kind of 'stuck' in poker (not sure though).


of course, part of the problem with this discussion is that those who get so turned-off by the game that they decide to quit are also not nearly as likely to keep posting on here either. So we just don't hear from them as much.

But I know we've heard from some of them.


Especially some of those who get too lost in it and practically blame online-poker for ruining their lives (GF is out the door, he's out of shape because he never leaves the house, etc etc).


The posts are out there somewhere....so anyone with links to some of the disgruntled ones feel free to share.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bisonbison kind of led the way for low limit online grinders. I think he pretty much stuck to 3/6. He went back after a while and got a real job and my impression was that he just found it too much of a grind after a while at low limits, but that may just have been my impression and not what he actually said about it. He also went from being probably the top volume poster to pretty much MIA around here after he went back to work.

He does still post in OOT, though, so you could always ask him about it. Although, while he's a friendly guy, he's never shown any inclination to answer questions that he thought were intrusive either, so ask at your own risk.

--Zetack

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I don't think it was a mistake. The fact of the matter is that I really began to hate my job, and nto want to go in at all. New boss pretty much killed my love for a company I had been at since just after the release of the PS. I am not doing as well as I had hoped, but my wife thinks I am happier, and I feel happier, so that's what really matters to me. The money will come, and I still send out resumes to stuff that looks like it could be good, and is local to where I live.

C-Dog

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I think BisonBison is a pretty good example of a guy who just wasn't feeling terribly fulfilled playing online-poker for income...and I think his feelings about this grew as he went along.

he got a job at Google and I believe was looking forward to working in a 'team' atmosphere again (or perhaps this is just what he said in the interview to get the job).

I'm pretty sure there are a couple of posts he made back in the day regarding his decision to get out of the full-time poker-grind.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

[ QUOTE ]
Working in a solitary environment is hard enough

[/ QUOTE ]

This would be the part that I would find most relaxing [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

So you're an intelligent, female, full-time poker player who is grounded, stable, logical, and
gives phenomenal career advice?

You wouldn't happen to be single, would-you?

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I've been playing SNGs for 9 months since quitting my job, and am having serious thoughts about going back to my previous career. My last job payed very well (IT support for the military in a warzone), so the money wasn't an issue for me so much as the freedom.

For the first 6 months is was great, but since then it's become more and more of a grind. The freedom is both a blessing and a curse -- I'm having trouble motivating myself to play regardless of whether I'm winning or losing. I think my biggest problem may be that I never had a true passion for poker--only a passion for the professional gambling lifestyle. The idea of being my own "boss," not having customers, meetings, a set schedule, etc. probably appeals to everyone. Without any external structure, however, you need strong discipline to succeed at this.

Still, I don't regret my decision, and I encourage anyone who honestly believes this will make them happy to give it a try. I'd rather try something and fail than wonder "what if?" for the rest of my life.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

[ QUOTE ]
So you're an intelligent, female, full-time poker player who is grounded, stable, logical, and
gives phenomenal career advice?

You wouldn't happen to be single, would-you?

[/ QUOTE ]

No [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Thanks for the compliments!

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

[ QUOTE ]
...it was a mistake?

Just curious...
From
most of the posts I've read anyone who has played poker for their sole source of income
"loves it" - "would never go back to their old job" - "things are great now" - etc.
(and I would expect that majority of 2+ 2 ers to be winners in the game...)

But, I would like to hear if anyone (hope the Zoo gets lots of traffic)
thinks it was a big mistake for them to "go pro" (even if they made a lot of money...).
Other reasons could be: they are simply "not happy" - to "not feeling productive" - "lack of fulfillment" - "not feel they are doing meaningful work/contributing anything to society" - etc.

My story: I still work full time...haven't yet quit my "office drone" job, but intend to within the next 3-6 months.

Ps. Now that I think about it, being a pencil-pusher/paper-shuffler/office drone
doesn't really "contribute anything to society," so full-timers, please forgive me if that
may have insulted you! lol

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to skip trying to incorporate the rest of the replies and just jump in. I have a full time job but I pretty consistently win more per hour playing poker than I make in salary (but it's fairly close). I actually like my job and adding in health insurance, retirement, other benefits and the fact that I'm guaranteed a series of raises by union contract means I probably make more at my job and I certainly will in the future (but that assumes I'd stay at my current limits instead of moving up where the money I might win could surpass my salary again) . But it's still work and it sucks to have to get up every morning, put on a tie, sit in traffic. Now unlike a lot of people I work the equivalent of 10 months a year so I'll have some full time poker time during those vacation periods if I want it.

My wife actually offered to let me give pro poker a try but I decided against it for a few reasons. 1) The benefits I get in addition to salary are pretty important and the older I get the more critical they'll be. 2) Having a consistent salary means I can plan to buy a home and do other things where borrowing money is necessary 3) Poker doesn't make the world a better place and in fact it probably makes it a little worse. Now this may true of many jobs, not mine, but I really don't want to explain to my daughter that I prey upon weak and stupid people so I can take their money away (I don't have a problem doing it recreationally).

My bottom line is if you don't enjoy what you're doing for a living you should probably do something else. If that means someone wants to be their own boss, quit their job, and play poker as a pro, cool. If poker is no longer fun when you need to win to pay the bills, getting some of that pressure off your back might be worth it. Right now poker accounts for about 1/4 of what I make a year and I'm ok with that. If by some snowball's chance in hell I win a major tourney, you better believe I'm going to quit my job, but I'm personally satisfied with playing poker recreationally and buying something nice for my wife or kid (or me) when I have a good run.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I am going on 2 years as a pro and I love it. Almost every day I get up I can't wait to play some poker (there are some days where I dont want to play lol). I am a competitive guy and I like the fact that the amount of my paycheque depends on how well I do my job.

It's definitely not for everyone though.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I think I'd wait to see whether or not they outlaw internet gambling before I went pro.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
And there are definitely other players on here who just didn't like it very much,..and after 6-12 months really really disliked it.


[/ QUOTE ]
Yep.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

Depends what you are quitting. If you were the manager of burger king and you quit to play poker I highly doubt you will be feeling un-productive or be any less fulfilled then you were prior to playing poker full time. If you're saving the manatees on the other hand and you quit to sit around your damn house and try and get rich you may not feel so wonderful about yourself.

Basically I believe it depends on why you play poker. People that play strictly for the money tend to be more likely to have problems. If you are playing because you love the game, and enjoy the freedom the life style affords then you may find you feel more productive and more fulfilled.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I'd love to go back to my old job, but I've been graylisted and I'm no longer employable in my chosen field.

I'm sure most 2+2ers would love to have my old job too.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to go back to my old job, but I've been graylisted and I'm no longer employable in my chosen field.

I'm sure most 2+2ers would love to have my old job too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, don't beat around the bush or anything.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to go back to my old job, but I've been graylisted and I'm no longer employable in my chosen field.

I'm sure most 2+2ers would love to have my old job too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, don't beat around the bush or anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, hell, lets here it

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I don't think that it was a mistake. I really didn't quit my job, more like the other way around, so I kinda backed into it since I was already playing a lot in my spare time.

It can be a mistake for some folks. There is no structure, so motivation and keeping oneself well rounded can be difficult. I think that is what I struggle with the most; sometimes letting my life get out of balance. It's easy to let time slip away and grind too much and burn out while neglecting other areas of your life that are important to your health and well-being.

Other than that, it's been great. I have a hard time picturing myself ever working for anyone else again after having this kind of freedom to define how,when and where I want to work.

Shauna

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

For the kind of storys you are asking about (people who have seen the downside of playing a lot of poker) I think you should visit the Psychology forum, where such things are frequently discussed.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

i hate poker but i cant imagine not playing.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

I'm going to reply to this w/o reading the other replies, so forgive me if this interrupts some hijack-discussion [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

The full-time transition was a great one for me just because of the contrast of how life was before that. Before full-time, I was going to school full-time, working a full-time job, and playing poker on a part-time basis (~20-25k hands/mo.). So, life was busy and I didn’t sleep much at all. But, it helped us get by and set me up for the opportunity of playing full-time.

Past situations aside -

I've NEVER regretted quitting my job to play poker full time. In fact, I'm in the opposite situation right now: I'm going to quit poker full-time and go back to a real job for the sake of my family (meaning – parents et al) and I'm going to be sad about that transition. I am sad about it. "I love play pokah. Pokah so nice." My wife got pregnant shortly after I started full-time poker. So, in my family's (wife and unborn child who we found out 2 days ago is a B-O-Y!!!!) best interest, we're moving back home where both of our parents and siblings live. I’m pretty darned sure that they don't like the idea of me playing full-time. At. All. So, for their sake I won't. It's not worth it. Sure, it's a HUGE cut in hourly rate, blah blah blah. But one thing I think that is key when playing full-time is to not let poker absolutely take over your life as I think it might have for others, especially at the cost of other people. Just. Not. Worth it.

In a real job setting, you always tend to think that there is so much more to life than working the job that you are working. You want to plan vacations, experience the world, to take the time and smell the roses so to speak. And don’t you usually find the time to do that? After work, do you go home and think about work some more? For some, yes they do. I'm not going to criticize that because some people have some pretty cool jobs and love what they do. But those people usually still find the time to fall in line with the rest of us who say "Heck no, you don't go home and think about work some more." You flip on the tv, you have a drink, you watch a movie, you spend time with your family, you go out to eat, etc etc. So why let that change? Don’t let a bunch of juicy tables get in the way of that activity. It will probably ruin you (I’m just guessing that this has been the pitfall of others). Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE this game. I love to work. So, I got to 'play' for 'work.' How ideal! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] That’s probably another topic I’ll address more of at a later date. But seriously, I love playing poker. Every Sunday afternoon for quite a while my wife and I would get together with friends and play for fun. I bought a nice table and we all loved it. No money was ever involved, just friendly competition and good times. Surprisingly, this actually helped my game a ton (seeing/hearing real fish play/talk about the game). More important than that, though, it kept me grounded. It cultured an enjoyment/passion for what I do more and more.

You also asked about the idea of feeling productive, fulfilled, etc. Well, for me I’m probably different than a lot of others around here. I'm pretty determined to not let a job dictate my self-worth. I don’t want a job to make me feel fulfilled. I don’t want to be characterized by the work that I do (except for those traits that do show themselves via the work place – work ethic, attitude, etc). I believe (in the sense of 'faith' more than the sense of 'knowing' though both are involved) in God, who created the world, who sent His Son to redeem mankind from our condition so that we could be reconciled to God. So, yes, let the haters chime in now. But seriously, my life is not centered around work. It’s centered around a life with God. That means taking care of my family. That means taking care of people around me. It simply means that there are more important things than the work that I do. Work is important, but it’s not the sum of life. With poker, I have more freedom to do these kinds of things than I normally would have at a 9-5. So, why not take advantage of that freedom while I’ve got it? There was always time to fit 40 hours of playing into a week. That’s why going home and getting a new job isn’t really that big of a deal. I mean, yeah, I’ll play part-time if possible. Remember, I love to play this game and it was great supplemental income at one time, so no reason that it still can’t be. Even though it means less money it’s not going to ruin me. I'm still going to love my family and love the people around me. Let me be defined by those two things. Everything else is just details. I bring this up because it might be one of the defining factors as to how I’ve managed to play full-time and not become a corner-piece of the internet. I just view life in a different way that others might. I’m not saying at all that people who don’t have faith in God aren’t able to have the same attitude about life that I do. They certainly can and do. I've been reading their journals. I just figured I might as well be transparent about things.

EDIT: I just read the poster who talks about his full-time job and the benefits of his job (insurance, retirement, etc). I will say that that is ONE regret that I have - is not setting up a health insurance plan before quitting my job. Slight flaw in my preparation. So, now I'm stuck paying for my wife's doctor's bills out of pocket. Not utterly terrible, but not good either.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'd love to go back to my old job, but I've been graylisted and I'm no longer employable in my chosen field.

I'm sure most 2+2ers would love to have my old job too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, don't beat around the bush or anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, hell, lets here it

[/ QUOTE ]
I was a screenwriter in Hollywood. I've met some of your avatars.

Since nearly all of the middle-management "executives" at the studios and networks are 25-35, no one outside their own age group is allowed to play anymore.

Although I'm now dealing with the same age group, actually younger, in poker, the only way they can get me off the table is to beat me. I don't mind a fair fight.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

I dont feel like writing an essay right now, but....
I will tell you that the way I describe it to friends is..." I am living the dream right now, I just hope it doesnt end"

So far I could not be happier (1 1/2 years). That being said I assume it would be a total grind if I were 8 tabling low limit-limit poker

The problem with asking your question here, is that most players who went pro and failed most likely dont check the boards too often, so you will not get a balanced response.
Think about it.... If someone is successfull are they really going to complain about playing a game for a living?

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think my biggest problem may be that I never had a true passion for poker--only a passion for the professional gambling lifestyle.

[/ QUOTE ]

It seems like there's a lot of this around here. If you don't love poker, I can't imagine how you could play roughly a million hands a year and not become quite depressed.

I'm no pro, but I've been putting myself through grad school on it for awhile, at least till I go busto, and I think if I didn't

1. love poker in a mooning, fawning fashion

2. play just about every form of poker

I'd go nuts. There are a lot of specialists around here, and while it's true, the vast majority of my hands are full ring lhe, I don't think there's a significant dropoff for me when playing anything else, except nlhe cash games, which I don't have the mentality for.

Tommy Angelo has some great psychology type posts. While his strategy advice is often suspect, I think he's probably the best in terms of explaining the mindset you need to be happy doing this as a profession.

Of course death valley and others are right in there assesment that most players go bust and leave these forums. Having a year's living expenses set aside, and 1000BB bankroll isn't easy for a lot of folks, but if you're really goint to make a go of it, I'd say you're living dangerously if you haven't proved to yourself that you're already able to bank this much of your poker winnings.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

there are lots of people who have jobs that they don't have a passion for.

Some of them do become quite depressed naturally.

I've worked a couple of jobs that i had zero passion for.

I worked one job that I had a terrific passion for that paid next to nothing.

I now work in online-poker which I have a sort-of passion for...but not hugely.

This is more than made up for the passion I have for the other aspects of life that I get to enjoy FAR FAR more than I ever was able to before in jobs that didn't allow me the kind of flexibility I have now (not just my day schedule...but also travelling when and where I want, etc).


Poker's okay.
Everything else that poker is allowing me to do and achieve is wonderful.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

BTW - right now I'm sitting outside my front-door soaking in the 70-degree temps on this gorgeous day...while getting my work in.

Somewhere else in this city are tens of thousands of people who are trapped inside some stuffy office environment just wishing they could ditch their job and enjoy the day.


If these people met me and knew how I made my income they would certainly not be saying, "That must really suck. I'm so glad I get to get up at 7am every day and come to my stuffy little office."

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think that
 

The only thing I regret is that poker doesn't help improve the world all that much
That is the only thing.

I've never missed out on the other stuff. The benefits other posters mentioned more than outweigh the trade-off I've made.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
BTW - right now I'm sitting outside my front-door soaking in the 70-degree temps on this gorgeous day...while getting my work in.

Somewhere else in this city are tens of thousands of people who are trapped inside some stuffy office environment just wishing they could ditch their job and enjoy the day.


If these people met me and knew how I made my income they would certainly not be saying, "That must really suck. I'm so glad I get to get up at 7am every day and come to my stuffy little office."

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not really shooting at you MicroBob, and at noone else in particular, but I think this discussion is a bit one-sided. I understand that MicroBob and others are basically arguing against the position "internet poker professionals have lonely useless lives", and I agree with you in this. But I think for the balance of things, it has to be stated that there are lots and lots of people who have "9-5 jobs" and are prefectly happy.

I also think that the "making a contribution to society"-thing must be taken into account. I'm not trying to be the geat moralist of 2+2 here, and have absolutely nothing against people earning their living through internet poker, but clearly, if everyone tried to make a living off of poker or comparable occupations, there would be nothing to earn in the first place. Poker is a means of moving resources around, and we should all be very happy that there are also people around who spend their days creating those resources.

Re: Anyone quit their job to play poker full time and now they think t
 

[ QUOTE ]
I also think that the "making a contribution to society"-thing must be taken into account. I'm not trying to be the geat moralist of 2+2 here...

[/ QUOTE ]


that doesnt necessarily have to happen only through ones job. what one does outside of their job can apply here.


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but clearly, if everyone tried to make a living off of poker or comparable occupations, there would be nothing to earn in the first place... and we should all be very happy that there are also people around who spend their days creating those resources.

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this is obviously true. however, it should be noted that not everyone has the same calling, opportunities or interests, which hugely factors into this equation.