Thoughts: Somewhat of a Response to Stacking_Kids

[yoursmine]

[ QUOTE ]
everything is relative, of course, but for me, my real job's billing rate is $2K an hour. So, if you are satisfied with 3 or 4 hundred/hour, then maybe poker grind is OK, especially if you are 22...better than some dead end job probably...but, if you aspire to being the best poker player in the world, obviously you are not going to be satisfied with a few hundred per hour...so, either go for it, or enjoy the nice TV.

For me, poker is my golf game...so, to the young internet players, my question is what do you really want to do with your life? Grind it for an OK hourly rate, or, aspire to world class poker, or get a real job and create value in the world? Personal decision really, but, think about what you want see yourself doing 15 years from now.

[/ QUOTE ]

It never ceases to amuse me how out of touch with reality rich people seem to be. Its as if everyone makes 4.16 million per year like this guy.

As for the poster who talked about physicians salaries vs the top 1 % of poker players...yes its not close. The poker players make WAY more.

[fsuplayer]

no way the avg top 1%er poker player makes more than 120k. not even close.

[SlowHabit]

[ QUOTE ]
no way the avg top 1%er poker player makes more than 120k. not even close.

[/ QUOTE ]
Really? I thought top 5% make more than 100k/year since everyone seems to have BR of over 100k.

[Gregg777]

[ QUOTE ]
no way the avg top 1%er poker player makes more than 120k. not even close.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're telling me if I make more than $120k annual I am in the top 1% of all players?

I think it needs to be better defined.

If you include anyone who has ever played poker, then yes, for sure.

But if you mean of those who play regulary, I wouldn't think I was anywhere near the top 1%.

[MagicNinja]

Err no, you definitely are in the top 1% if you make 120k+.
You're talking to a group of people who all belong to this subgroup so it's hard to believe.

[AZK]

FSU, KKF -

I guess I've jsut been around smart people most of my life... I think you are right, I am probably overestimating

[DLizzle]

I agree with OP 100%. I feel lucky in the sense that something I like to do and am good at rewards me with relatively large amounts of money compared to jobs of my peers. But in general, I'm not lucky. Everyone had or has the opportunity to do this, but they didn't. I'm 20 years old, I honestly do not care about creating value for society, but I do love making money. Why the hell shouldn't I be allowed to do that? If anyone of these people who tell me to get a real job want to do that, then put it in the hard work that I have and do it.

I'm not sure what kind of economic system would compensate people on how much "value" their work creates for society, but it's not capitalism. I'm in the market for cash, and there's certainly a large supply of it, and I'm using my skills to get it fairly. I don't see why people have an issue with it, other than it 'just doesn't seem right' to them, which seems to me like jealousy, misunderstanding, and/or ignorance, but who knows.

[Fhil Ivey]

everytime I read posts like this I feel like I should stop treating poker like it's my occupation. I DONT WANT IT TO BE MY OCCUPATION, POKER IS BORING DAMNIT!

[gummy d]

Unless you own your own buisness when you go to work you know you are going to get paid x amount. If your in the service industry and dependent on tips, then you'll get what people give you etc...
Regardless of hours and ability etc.., You may loose money playing poker. You are risking something. Not in the long run you say, and that's a fine argument. Doesn't matter.
Playing poker is more analagous to trading stocks, or even opening your own buisness than working. The more you know about the market (including inside information - ie. HUD's)
the more likely you are to profit.
I only recently started seeing profitable changes in my game online and have never played big. However, regardless of money, td's comments about time invested, aspirations and what not ring very true for everyone who plays online poker for any significant time period.
Zeebo- Online poker is not even remotely like a video game.

[AlienBoy]

Plenty of people go to college, and never do anything with their life thereafter.

Other people DON'T go to college and ned up making over 6 figures.

There are winners and losers in everything - and here, poker parallels life.

You could have skill as a lawyer, and make loads of dough. Or, like most lawyers, you could just make a decent living. This is true for everything vocation, and poker is a vocation.

Some people may say that poker is not a vocation - it is only entertainment.

Well, f*ck them.

I'm an artist in the film industry, who didn't go to college, and who makes more than most lawyers. My exclusive reason for my work is that people want to be entertained. If people did not want entertainment, I'd be on the street.

A poker pro's art is ephemeral - the momentary art of each hand.

Bobby Fischer's art was the art of each move he made.

In theater, the art is the ephemeral art of the actors - and so on.

There is no difference.


To outlaw poker, is to outlaw chess, and theater, and art, and all entertainment, period.



AB