Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

Don't bother. No one wants to hear about your hands and your friends/family will only make like harder for you if you discuss your swings. And even if you go on a perpetual heater, you can't really discuss how much you're up because it's rude.

I had to stop talking about stuff with even random people because you never know whether they'll think it's a bad habit or something - I talked to my lifting partner about how I was on a good run and he was concerned for me being on a gambling binge.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

Ha. I usually just try to be vague. If they ask me about money I have no problem being vague, "I lost a little" or "I won a bit" or "I finished about even I think" usually appeases them.

The only thing I sometimes don't catch myself on is when someone asks something like "Wiggs, how do you play pocket pairs before the flop" and I come back with "I mean, are you first to open? How many big blinds is your stack? What position are you in. I mean it depends on all that, plus how loose or tight everyone is behind you. If someone raised how big was it? Just one opponent? Oh it also depends on how many people are at the table and how big everyone's stack is behind you." - And then they say "I just mean, when you get a pair, what do you usually do?" Puts me on life tilt and I wish I had just said "call" the first time.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ha. I usually just try to be vague. If they ask me about money I have no problem being vague, "I lost a little" or "I won a bit" or "I finished about even I think" usually appeases them.

The only thing I sometimes don't catch myself on is when someone asks something like "Wiggs, how do you play pocket pairs before the flop" and I come back with "I mean, are you first to open? How many big blinds is your stack? What position are you in. I mean it depends on all that, plus how loose or tight everyone is behind you. If someone raised how big was it? Just one opponent? Oh it also depends on how many people are at the table and how big everyone's stack is behind you." - And then they say "I just mean, when you get a pair, what do you usually do?" Puts me on life tilt and I wish I had just said "call" the first time.

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I'm out to dinner with my dad's wife's family. Her sister's husband is a finance guy (wealthy and retired ldo) and digs poker. He comes up to me during the dinner and goes, and I quote, "You have ace king and you read a guy for a pair, are you in or are you out?"

Post deleted by Mat Sklansky
 

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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don't do it, it's seriously a waste of time

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Yeah, I have had it blow up in my face more than once. My favorite is the way people think about your winnings, not that it was earned but more like it was found and should be shared.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

I will tell some members of my close family exact figures because I think they have a decent understanding that I have a proper roll for the stakes I play and losing a few thousand one day isn't that big of a deal.

I used to tell most anyone who asked me what I was up or down in a day but that was back when I was playing lower stakes and the swings were only in the 3 figure range. Now I'm more selective about who I tell because I don't want people to think I'm a degen because I've won or lost more in a day than some of them make in a month.

As for talking about specific hands I've played or strategy, forget about it, it's not worth the time. I don't know anyone personally that I can talk to about specific hands and not get extremely frustrated.

I also find it's always awkward having old friends or people I meet ask me what I do for a job, I never know what to tell them, most people can't fathom not having a 9-5 job because that's what everybody else does.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ha. I usually just try to be vague. If they ask me about money I have no problem being vague, "I lost a little" or "I won a bit" or "I finished about even I think" usually appeases them.

The only thing I sometimes don't catch myself on is when someone asks something like "Wiggs, how do you play pocket pairs before the flop" and I come back with "I mean, are you first to open? How many big blinds is your stack? What position are you in. I mean it depends on all that, plus how loose or tight everyone is behind you. If someone raised how big was it? Just one opponent? Oh it also depends on how many people are at the table and how big everyone's stack is behind you." - And then they say "I just mean, when you get a pair, what do you usually do?" Puts me on life tilt and I wish I had just said "call" the first time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm out to dinner with my dad's wife's family. Her sister's husband is a finance guy (wealthy and retired ldo) and digs poker. He comes up to me during the dinner and goes, and I quote, "You have ace king and you read a guy for a pair, are you in or are you out?"

[/ QUOTE ]
"I'm not just in, IM ALL-IN BABY WOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Then you hi-five!

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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wonder why people think it's okay to ask how much you win or lose, it's not like it's acceptable to ask how much my salary is a year.

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Because they don't equate gambling with an income as 99% of people do NOT gamble for a realistic living, its done as a hobby.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

[ QUOTE ]
wonder why people think it's okay to ask how much you win or lose, it's not like it's acceptable to ask how much my salary is a year.

[/ QUOTE ]

qft

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

Sigh, I totally thought everyone would be psyched to hear I play poker for a living... not true though. So far there's been a pretty even split between people who think it's neat and people who don't get it AT ALL.

My landlord's wife is in the latter camp - she really likes me but is completely convinced I'm delusional and for some reason don't realize it's all luck. She knows I was a physics major at Harvard too, and yet pays no attention whatsoever when I try to explain the math to her... gd it's tiltifying [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]