Talking poker outside 2p2
 

How do you talk poker to people who arent very deep into it ?

Most of my friends / family know I play but know very few about the game, when they ask if I am up or down for the day, I never really know what to answer (I play 5/10 - 10/20 limit so I have decent swings for people outside of poker). So most of the time I got away with I am up 70$ or something that sounds very reasonable.

Also I am 21 (well will be in 2h !) so most of my friend dont have a lot of disposable income and for them 100$ is a lot of money so I kinda try to avoid those discussions but they are pretty curious about me playing poker. It usually doenst bother me but I told them I had a 2k downswing in a few days and I couldnt take the stupid answer they gave me, loosing 2k didnt put me on tilt but they did.

So how do deal with this ? Do you just hide it ? Do you just avoid it by saying "yeah I am up a few" no matter what ? Or do you try to explain them ?

Not really looking for a miracle answer, just to see how people deal with it.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

I usually just say something like "sometimes I win, a large % of days I lose, in the long run, good players tend to win, today I lost 20k etc"

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

i just don't talk poker with people who don't have a deep understanding of it. people that don't get poker and try to talk poker with me usually end up not liking me.

as for the question, tell them that your results are within the expected range given your expected winrate and variance.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

How do you mean "talk poker?"

Are you itchin' to talk about hands or talk about how to play hands? You probably need different kinds of friends then the ones you have currently.

Not to say get rid of the current ones of course.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

im in a very similar situation OP...i found that there really is no way to talk about it...they know i play and they play sometimes but have no understanding of the game...just let them think you are lucky

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

never give figures, only relative amounts. e.g. "i've winning more than my share recently", etc.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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How do you mean "talk poker?"

Are you itchin' to talk about hands or talk about how to play hands? You probably need different kinds of friends then the ones you have currently.

Not to say get rid of the current ones of course.

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Nah I meant in general, when they start asking you "what did you do this weekend ? oh you played poker online ? how did it go ?"

yeah talking about specific hands is even worse.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

You don't have anything to gain and plenty to lose by being forward with your finances to people that do not need to know. Especially when those people have a lot less money than you do. Anything from being pestered for loans or resented for your wealth to outright robbery is possible from the wrong people knowing about you having a lot of money.

So disclose as little as you can get away with. And just downplay your net worth in general. Talking about money is a bad habit anyway.

And don't talk about poker at all with people who aren't deeply into it. It will be boring for them and frustrating for you.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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

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
 

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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?"

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
 

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[ 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?"

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"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
 

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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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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]

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

who has friends that dont play poker?

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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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!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL quoted for AWESOMENESS!!! AMIRITE?!?!?!?!!!!!!

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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Uh cause with most other jobs people have a reasonable idea of how much that person makes. Lighten up they are just asking a question and making conversation, you don't have to answer it specifically.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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Uh cause with most other jobs people have a reasonable idea of how much that person makes. Lighten up they are just asking a question and making conversation, you don't have to answer it specifically.

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To people that just want to compare peens, I always want to scream something about being a millionaire, but settle with "I do alright"

Although some [censored] friend of a friend the other day told me that I "didnt do anything for a living" and "no really, do you wait tables or something" at which point I point I set down my scotch, literally gave him the talk to the hand gesture, and told him "I dont like you, go the [censored] away"

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

i feel like my poker evolution is held back due to the fact i dont have friends the are really into poker like me. most of the best players have a small group of friends they talk with about strategy. i need some new friends

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

I learned a long time ago that there is a point somewhere between $1,000 and $20,000 in winnings where people go from being excited for you to resenting you or they think you are a lying PoS.

Also, a poker playing friend of mine would sometimes share my results with his buddies, almost without fail he got the "yeah, but how much does he lose?" response. If you ever tell people how much you make, you can be sure thats what they're thinking.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

I usually dont get into specific numbers. 'Normal' people can't comprehend the swings related to my gambling lifestyle. Up a little/down a little are my canned answers.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

I have friends that play poker. That doesnt mean they actually play for money however. Talking strat. with some of my friends would be akin to talking to a tree.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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i just don't talk poker with people who don't have a deep understanding of it. people that don't get poker and try to talk poker with me usually end up not liking me.

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This is dead-on. NH.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

happy birthday!

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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who has friends that dont play poker?

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haha

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

if someone asks you how much youre up/down i think its a pretty clear indication that he doesnt know what hes talking about.

if the person knows poker he just asks what stakes and game you play.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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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?"

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LOL!!!

Xaston,
how did you reply?

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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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!

[/ QUOTE ]

Clearly the correct play.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

The worst part is when people get jeelous, feels like that happens alot for me. And I don't even make that much, just much more then the average kid of my age. I got no problem with people who think I'm crazy/dumb/follish when I have big looses but when I know someone is jealous it's not fun. And you get some really frustrating questions from people who play but don't understand the game at all too, oh well, I guess I have to try and not to talk poker with friens/people in general anymore. It's just har to dodge when everyone knows you're playing.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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happy birthday!

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ty [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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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 ]

So which is it? In or out?

Seriously though, I understand the desire to talk to non-poker people about poker. It always seems like a conversation I want to have and that it would be interesting to talk to a friend/family member about it, but every time I think that its ends horribly. Do yourself a favor and find a way to avoid the subject.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

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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]

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The vast majority of people do not see poker as a game, but strictly as a form of gambling. I even have a couple of friends who play for fun on an occasion and they don't get it either. If I have a big score, in their mind I essentially just hit my roulette number.

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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]

[/ QUOTE ]

The vast majority of people do not see poker as a game, but strictly as a form of gambling. I even have a couple of friends who play for fun on an occasion and they don't get it either. If I have a big score, in their mind I essentially just hit my roulette number.

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This is so true. When I told my Dad I was playing he got real upset and told me all these stories of successful people who lost millions of dollars gambling. I asked him which games they played and he told me "Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, etc." but not poker. I tried to explain that in poker you aren't playing against the house, but in his mind its all the same. Once I started winning the argument he switched gears and told me I'm going to lose because online poker is rigged. I asked him to prove this, and he could not, but of course I cannot PROVE that it's not rigged either. (And the whole Absolute thing REALLY didn't help here) So I just ended it by saying I'll stop playing online and start playing live in A.C. instead!!

Re: Talking poker outside 2p2
 

And hopefully it will stay this way. If everyone understood the ins and outs of gambling it would be horrible. So cmon guys be carefull what you wish for, and at least you can make it more fun by saying something along the lines " I am such a degen and gambler that no one will be ever jealous"