how much do you actually enjoy poker?

[El Diablo]

morph,

"limon - there is no "comaraderie" in poker, at least not at any stake you consider meaningful."

I don't think that's true at all, especially among higher stakes live game regulars. Tons of strong friendships get formed between people who compete very hard against one another.

[El Diablo]

Matt,

"i would turn down $2.5 million hard cash to quit poker for life without a thought. "

I hope someone really rich puts you to the test.

[private joker]

[ QUOTE ]
a couple of friends of mine have been on serious losing streaks recently and i asked them, if given the choice to never play poker again but just receive a check each month based on their historical win rate would they take it? both said yes. i told them both that that is the reason they are losing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ask them again when they're on winning streaks.

My point is basically this: you say the fact that they don't love it enough to refuse the check is the reason they're losing. You say they're on a downswing because they don't enjoy it. You have it backwards: They don't enjoy it because they're on a downswing.

It goes to what daryn and dids are saying: we don't always have the same level of enthusiasm for the game; it wanes and waxes along with our variance. But we maintain an overall positive winrate in the long run because we're good, winning players.

A number of people who like their jobs have periods where they hate it. But they like it enough that they took that job over other options. But most people would retire instantly if they still received checks. That says nothing about their work ethic, laziness, or enthusiasm. All it means is they can manage their time better -- they could now relax, travel the world, spend time with friends and family, and engage 100% in frivolous entertainment with no discipline towards working.

Someone said only a degenerate gambler would refuse the check. In a way that's true, because I think the need to play would indicate some sort of addiction to it, but then again while some people play poker not because they love the game but because they love gambling, others (I include myself here) play it because it's a fun source of income (sort of like having a job as a movie critic or travel writer) and they don't like gambling at all. In either case, the discipline it takes to continually make +EV decisions and maintain a long term positive winrate constitutes WORK, whether you love it, like it, are ambivalent about it, or even hate it.

[morphball]

[ QUOTE ]
morph,

"limon - there is no "comaraderie" in poker, at least not at any stake you consider meaningful."

I don't think that's true at all, especially among higher stakes live game regulars. Tons of strong friendships get formed between people who compete very hard against one another.

[/ QUOTE ]

El D - not sure I agree with this, but I agree you can make friends at the poker tables. I just don't know if you will experience a sense of comaradarie while you are at the tables.

[Matt Flynn]

[ QUOTE ]
Matt,

"i would turn down $2.5 million hard cash to quit poker for life without a thought. "

I hope someone really rich puts you to the test.

[/ QUOTE ]


yeah me too. do they tell my wife or not? that might change my number. ;-)

[Ghazban]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
morph,

"limon - there is no "comaraderie" in poker, at least not at any stake you consider meaningful."

I don't think that's true at all, especially among higher stakes live game regulars. Tons of strong friendships get formed between people who compete very hard against one another.

[/ QUOTE ]

El D - not sure I agree with this, but I agree you can make friends at the poker tables. I just don't know if you will experience a sense of comaradarie while you are at the tables.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with the masked man on this one. While I haven't played astronomically high, I have experienced quite a bit of comaraderie in uncapped 5/10 and 10/25 NL games. Granted, it isn't the same as the usual vibe of a lively 2/4 limit game but it's far from a serious or oppressive atmosphere.

[limon]

[ QUOTE ]
morph,

"limon - there is no "comaraderie" in poker, at least not at any stake you consider meaningful."

I don't think that's true at all, especially among higher stakes live game regulars. Tons of strong friendships get formed between people who compete very hard against one another.

[/ QUOTE ]

i was referring to home games but this is true as well.

[turnipmonster]

same for me also.

[AZK]

[ QUOTE ]
limon,

i would turn down $2.5 million hard cash to quit poker for life without a thought. $5 million i would take. i would also never turn pro unless my whole business and family life collapsed.

matt

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is insane. Can you go into a little more detail about why you said this? What's the difference between 2.5 vs 5M? You make a good living and are well-settled with what sounds like little hanging over your head in terms of debt/money issues. I don't see the difference in 2.5M. I also don't see your winrate from today til you stop playing coming anywhere near 2.5M...you love the game that much? I don't think there is anything in life that I love enough to not pass up for 2.5M. Is that sad or respectable? Does it mean I'm too shallow that I'd give up a lot of things for 2.5M or does it sound grounded that I'm not attached to anything? Hmm.

[Klompy]

I'd take the check. I'm with everyone else on that I love it when running good, but it really puts me in a bad mood while losing. I think the main reason I'd take the check though is that I would have free time to do things that I enjoy more then poker, so yes, I enjoy poker, but not as much as many other things in life.

Also there's a large difference in enjoyment between opening up 9 tables and grinding for hours, and the type of poker that I actually play for fun which would be live casino play, or mtt's.