Why is it ok to ask poker players how much they make? - Page 4

Barrin6 · #31 03-21-2006, 01:34 AM

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Is there any other profession where this is acceptable? I have all kinds of people, some I barely even know, ask me how much I make a year or per hour. But if I ask them, it's incredibly rude? Wtf? Is this socially acceptable or have I just been encountering rude people?

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I don't really care if people ask my how much I make in my work or at poker. I don't feel it's a contest. I earn what I earn and that's good by me.

I have no idea why everyone is so sensitive when it comes to talking about money.

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Usually anyone who asks you how much you make are thinking that you are some degenerative gambler. I personally hate it when people start going around asking me how much I made. And if I tell one person, they tell all. Suddenly they think poker is the "[censored]"

Good way to advertise to fish though.

On the other hand if you're a losing player it wouldn't be a good idea.

K-Slay · #32 03-21-2006, 02:09 AM

I've made the mistake of going into specifics of what I make with non poker player friends. It was definetly a mistake and is now a situation I like to avoid. A simple "I do ok" does it.

GoblinMason (Craig) · #33 03-21-2006, 02:11 AM

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I usually just say "I do pretty well" and most of the time people get that I don't want to go into specific numbers. I find that that works well, letting them know that i'm not some kind of addict, not having to tell them any numbers while at the same time not being too hostile.

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This is pretty much what I do. I usually then change the subject by giving a quick explanation of why poker is beatable.

-Craig

Nikla · #34 03-21-2006, 03:08 AM

Talking hourly rates with other pokerplayers is fine. Out in the realworld with civilians it can be pretty fishy to talk about how much you make. Unless it's with a superficial girl you're looking to hump.

bernie · #35 03-21-2006, 03:46 AM

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Simple. People don't see it as a serious source of income. They see it as just a trip to the cardroom to gamble.

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Bingo.

Most people view it as just something you do for fun in your free time, and hence asking you how much you make or how you've done in a session isn't anywhere close to asking someone how much they make at their job to them. This is probably especially true of college kids where any decent amount of money you've won gambling, as opposed to earned at a job, is a big deal.

I also agree with the comparison to scoring points or goals or whatever in sports. If you said you play basketball, someone would probably ask you what position, how many points/rebounds/assists/whatever, etc. Similarly to poker, $ made/lost is the only measure of success people know of in poker.

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I think a comparison to asking someone you see on a dock that's fishing and asking them if they caught anything is pretty close. To me, people have the same meaning behind it.

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Victor · #36 03-21-2006, 05:49 AM

one problem with telling them the the current amount is that the next day i can and have lost all of it.

pokerdan1201 · #37 03-21-2006, 06:11 AM

I will just usually tell them some months im in profit and other months I break about even. I don't think it is particulary rude to ask about it though, wouldn't you ask someone how much they had won if they said they had won a bet? To people who do not understand the poker scene, it is just gambling. Simple as