Poker versus life

[Shysti]

How do you gauge that they value poker over life anyhow? I mean do you do it by the hours they put into it? Is that any different than people who play basketball for a living or soccer?

[Lucky]

amazing how so many of the people who "hate" poker play 6-8 tables.

Here's an idea, play fewer tables, actually get reads on people and outplay them. Yeah, if you're playing 8 tables waiting to hit sets on donks, pretty boring. But if you're playing 3-4 tables actually devising a plan to take each persons stack at all of your tables, its a lot more fun.

[one_eye_mike]

You think because you see Phil Ivey on tv playing poker you know what his lifes about? You have no idea how much poker he plays.

[swings100]

An extremely misguided post from someone who is obviously crying out for balance in his life because he's discovered he's not really that interested in cards afterall. Move on to your next fad young man, and don't disrespect a game you've barely got your feet wet in.

[Python49]

I agree witht he part about phil ivey having all this money and still playing poker all the time. Yes, if I were him id be using that money to do alot more things other than play poker.

[send_the_msg]

[ QUOTE ]
An extremely misguided post from someone who is obviously crying out for balance in his life because he's discovered he's not really that interested in cards afterall. Move on to your next fad young man, and don't disrespect a game you've barely got your feet wet in.

[/ QUOTE ]

this comment is stupid, he's realizing what everyone will come to realize one day, poker is a waste of time.

[SteelRing]

[ QUOTE ]
life sux
poker sux

[/ QUOTE ]

i sux

[Noose]

Seems like I didn't really express myself too well, because no one is really wondering why people do value poker over life. I don't see that playing poker to burn you out if the right way to go, when you've got the luxury of playing as much as you like and what's good for you healthwise.

I don't see myself disrespecting the game. It's given me more than I ever could've imagined and I still love to play, I just don't like to wear myself out by playing sick hours (yes, grinding 8h/day is sick hours when you play 6-8 tables, I don't know how people do it for long periods of time) and I don't get it why people keep on doing it, even if it's hurting you in the normal life.

Being a poker player you don't have to work sick hours if you don't feel like it, and I happen to like the luxury of being your own boss and play whenever I feel like it. It keeps you fresh and interested, which are rather important things when it comes to playing your A game. It may not be the best option monetarily or gaining ground to go to the top, but at least it keeps you sane and more healthy.

And then few quotes:

[ QUOTE ]
If someone handed you $10M, would you seriously never play poker again?

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't my point at all. No I wouldn't stop playing, cos it's something I love to do. I just don't love to do it 40 hours a week when I don't have to.

[ QUOTE ]
If it's a passion, whether it's flipping burgers (those people who work in fast food all their lives) or playing poker, if these people are happy and love what they are doing, then by all means it is their life.

And I don't find anything wrong with it, as long as they enjoy what they are doing, and do it for the love of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, valid points there.

I guess I'm just not enjoying it enough if I don't like to work full weeks?

I played all the time when I started out, but like I said, then my honeymoon with poker was pretty much gone and I didn't feel the urge to play everyday. I think that was mainly good thing, since at least I didn't have an addiction to the game (I'm a gambling nature) and I can easily keep couple of weeks off. When I get back to action, it's always really fun and it continues to be usually around couple of weeks like that. At least when I play somewhere around 20-30 hours a week, which is decent.

[ QUOTE ]
amazing how so many of the people who "hate" poker play 6-8 tables.

Here's an idea, play fewer tables, actually get reads on people and outplay them. Yeah, if you're playing 8 tables waiting to hit sets on donks, pretty boring. But if you're playing 3-4 tables actually devising a plan to take each persons stack at all of your tables, its a lot more fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

I still don't hate poker, quite the opposite. I guess I was pretty unclear in my first post.

I play a lot of tables because it keeps me in the game and always involved in a hand. More easy for me to concentrate, because there aren't so long time waiting for hands I can play. And no, I'm not a set miner, and everybody who's played against me knows that. I play at Party with almost the same nick as I am here. One more point: going to autopilot without reading people is lethal, even at $1k NL.

[ QUOTE ]
You think because you see Phil Ivey on tv playing poker you know what his lifes about? You have no idea how much poker he plays.

[/ QUOTE ]

No I don't know, that's why I said "at least they portray themselves like that".

[ QUOTE ]
An extremely misguided post from someone who is obviously crying out for balance in his life because he's discovered he's not really that interested in cards afterall. Move on to your next fad young man, and don't disrespect a game you've barely got your feet wet in.


[/ QUOTE ]

Could you be a little more arrogant, Swings? I could give you a cheap shot like this, but it's not gonna take this discussion anywhere. But don't tell me anything about disrespecting the game just because you read one post.

[ QUOTE ]
this comment is stupid, he's realizing what everyone will come to realize one day, poker is a waste of time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well it isn't, but excessive playing don't do you anything good.

[swings100]

you're disrespecting those who love playing because you're essentially saying that anyone who chooses to spend a majority of his time at the poker table is 'wasting' their time. How can you make that kind of assessment? How can you comment on anothers threshold of how often they do something they love? It's not a 'waste' of time for many of us to play 40+ hour weeks, and many of us would also become burned out playing 8 tables at the internet reclusively. But you're forgetting there's poker outside of your computer, and it can be very sociable, and is in no way unhealthy like it is sitting there not leaving your house playing 20 tables a day without interacting with another human being.

[_TKO_]

[ QUOTE ]
Seems like I didn't really express myself too well, because no one is really wondering why people do value poker over life.

[...]

And then few quotes:

[ QUOTE ]
If someone handed you $10M, would you seriously never play poker again?

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't my point at all. No I wouldn't stop playing, cos it's something I love to do. I just don't love to do it 40 hours a week when I don't have to.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think I missed your point, but I did make that post in deliberate neglect of your central argument. Still, I do think both your original and clarification posts are missing your answers to two important questions:
1. what is life; and
2. what is poker?

[ QUOTE ]
I don't get it why people keep on doing it, even if it's hurting you in the normal life.

[/ QUOTE ]

Many people are driven by success. For some, poker is a hobby; for others, it is work. I think the source of the varied replies in this thread is based on the idea that poker can fall into both categories, as evidence by yourself when you said you would not stop playing even if you didn't need to play to live.

Maybe I can encourage you to elaborate on what things should be valued over life?