Thoughts: Somewhat of a Response to Stacking_Kids

[pokerprochris]

Back to the micro stakes forum for you

[Hero_2_Zero]

i dont play .10 .20 i play .5 1 and i earn enough to mean im comfortable whilist at college. So trot on and get ure kicks punching ubover ure wieght in 25 50

[bruin]

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I don't know where all this is going but I think I'll just wrap it up...I walk into my living room and look at a really nice TV that a 20 yr old college student probably shouldn't have. When I look at that TV I don't think to myself "wow, I'm soooooooooo lucky to have that...I'm sooooooooo glad idiots stuffed my pockets with money for the past 2 years"...I look at that TV and think about the 10+ books I read when I started out...I look at that TV and think about the hours of time I've spent on 2+2...I look at that TV and think about the hours of discussion I've had with great players about amazing complicating hands...I look at that TV and think about waking up one day 2 yrs ago after going bust for the first time in my life...I look at that TV and think about being so frustrated for 3 weeks straight during a 20 buy in downswing...I look at that TV and think about playing bruiser HU 30 months ago at $3/6 NL and not having a fckin clue what was going on and not sure how I could possibly learn from this and then waking up a year later realizing that everything was starting to click b/c of that match...I look at that TV and feel a sense of pride for finally being really really good at something...I look at that TV and, quite frankly, feel like I fckin deserve it. I used to look at that TV and feel like it was merely 1 stop along the way...now I look at that TV and fear that it's the end. I think this is the point I'm getting at. We worked hard. We struggled. We earned it. Now it seems like it's all being taken away for no reason. [censored] most of are actually pretty grateful and have a real perception for the world around us...but it still sucks and to assume we should happily exit this lifestyle is pretty mind boggling.


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absolute gold, in every way.

[AJFenix]

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think about what you want see yourself doing 15 years from now.


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With all the war in the world, I'll be happy just to be alive.

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hey guys fyi online poker isn't going anywhere

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Yes.

[BigUpS]

Hmm...I'm not sure about you guys, but I don't really picture myself doing anything 15years from now. I'm only 20 and so much can happen in just a year or two, why even try to guess whats gona happen 15 years later. The present is at least more predictable. There's a goldmine out there and if the government is unable to shut it down, I'm going to keep drilling and get as much as I can.

[edge]

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Anyone can become a good poker player.

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Not true at all. You're entirely underestimating how much natural ability plays into this. Most people's minds don't work the way ours do.

Just take a look at the people who play slot machines. Take a look at the people who play the lottery. Have you ever tried to convince someone that the lottery is a phenomenal scam? It doesn't work at all, because their minds are not wired in that way.

I think that anyone could learn poker and be able to beat 1/2 NL. That can be done entirely through a chart describing what to do in each situation. Simple. I definitely do not believe that anyone could learn poker and be able to beat 10/20+. There's just too much going on beyond the basics that you learn from TOP or some chart of stats, and most people will simply not grasp the subtleties.

Edit: The kinds of people who can learn to be very good at poker are already playing it, because they have been drawn to it for some innate reason. I would expect it to be fairly rare that someone has a lot of natural talent for poker and was never drawn to play and learn about it.

[AZK]

Ok fair enough. I agree 5/10+ probably have to be somewhat special, driven. fucktons of money at 1/2 - 3/6 anyone.

[fsuplayer]

ari-

i think u way over estimate how smart the 'average' american is. this isnt avg of your friends or people u went to college with.

[xxThe_Lebowskixx]

Ari- Did you take gym in high school? Most of those kids were a few pegs off completely retarded.

[MagicNinja]

I used to want to be a concert pianist. I poured my whole life into it. I loved it, I enjoyed practicing but it was still work in a way, like poker is. When work is passion. At the moment, my whole life is poker and then enjoying the spoils on the weekend so i don't go nuts from devoting my whole life to a card game.

The fundamental difference is that unless I was the very best pianist in the world, and even then, I still wouldn't be able to get the large sums of money I have earnt through poker. You can replace being a pianist with basically anything, there's just no other way I know of besides poker to make a huge amount of money at when you're young, even if you work REALLY REALLY hard at it. Art? Writing? Even professional athletes. Maybe if you're truly a Balla you could, I guess thats the only similar thing I can think of.

That's why you should be thankful for the opportunity you have.

: Oh, by the way, I thought it wa sa great post.