How often is the term "professional poker player" BS?

[DING-DONG YO]

[ QUOTE ]
I expressly don't say it despite living off my poker income for a few years now. It's ridiculous to hear the phrase said outloud. FWIW, I'm self-employed in the financial risk/money management industry.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is precisely what I would say. I don't know why people feel the need to tell others that they are a pro. It sounds really dbaggy to the layperson.

[SNOWBALL]

I have tried saying investments but people want details I can't give, and it sucks. I know nothing about finance

[Five-Star]

[ QUOTE ]
person: so, what do you do for a living?

me: I'm a professional poker player

person: oh... you make money doing that?

me: ya, I make pretty good money

person: but how much do you lose?


Only to be followed by the world famous:

person: so could i give you $100 and you'd double it for me?

me: (folds bill in half) here you go


[/ QUOTE ]
oldest joke in the world fyp

[EscapePlan9]

God I hate the "but how much do you lose" and trying to explain what I mean by "no.. I mean... this is my net profit... this is the money I MADE" to which they once again repeat, "but how much did you lose" AGHHHHHHHHHHHH I can't explain it!!!

[bb88]

Whenever someone says I'm a professional player I always try and correct them and tell them I'm really not that good. I hate talking about poker to strangers and don't understand why people bother trying. 99% of the time it just makes me want to smash someone in the face.

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm self-employed in the financial risk/money management industry.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would like to request a copy of your latest prospectus. I am always eager to explore new investment opportunities that might further diversify my portfolio.

[wazz]

'Personal Equity Trader'/'Equity Analyst' FTW

[jjflash]

[ QUOTE ]
I expressly don't say it despite living off my poker income for a few years now. It's ridiculous to hear the phrase said outloud. FWIW, I'm self-employed in the financial risk/money management industry.

[/ QUOTE ]

For no other reason than it hurts your game. Say you are visiting a friend in BFE (of course you are visiting because no pro really lives in BFE) and you introduce yourself as a pro poker player. Any prospective game that you were going to play is now less juicy than it was before. Either you won't be invited to play there or ever one will be trying to "show up the pro". Either way is not an ideal situation.

[LearnedfromTV]

I must just know unusually reasonable people. Except for my wife's family, I have none of these problems. I don't go out of my way to tell people what I do, but it comes up sometimes, and my friends and my wife's friends all know. When it comes up I get intelligent questions, people think it's pretty cool, but mostly because it's flexible and I work for myself and obviously enjoy it.

I think lying about it to cover being a slacker is retarded, unless you're doing it to get chicks, in which case it's a little pathetic but whatever as long as it works. Maybe there's a difference between being 26 and 20 on this issue. The people I know know I'm not a bull shitter so they assume whatever I'm doing is legit and give it respect.

My mother in law is an idiot though, and extremely judgmental, so I am familiar with the possible issues.

[nath]

[ QUOTE ]
Saying you're a professional poker player is like tattooing an L on your head.

[/ QUOTE ]
Why would you start writing "baller" with the middle of the word?