Do you think you would be better off if you never discovered poker?

[ErickAA]

Ideally I think this should be a poll question, but I don't know how to set up a poll or even if I can. Druff?

Anyways, this is in response to Jewdonk's life story post on his failsite, which I recommend. If nothing else, he is a talented entertaining writer. I definitely think he is exagerating how good his life/money situation was in the early 2000's, but bottom line is I think Jewdonk was a semi-functional human being before poker, and then he discovered poker and whatever he had was flushed down the toilet.

It got me thinking how many people in the greater poker community who I think would have been much better off if they never played poker, and honestly I think that answer is most people, even the ones who made it and are still grinding away.

I actually consider myself somewhat of a success story, cause in my early 20's I was completely consumed by poker and cared about nothing else, and I was able to come out of it on the end with a college degree, decent career, wife, family blah blah blah. That being said, I believe I would have made more out of myself if I had payed more attention to my career growth instead of poker throughout my 20s. Now this is assuming I wouldn't have found some other demon to derail my life (in my case the most likely culprit would be sportsbetting), but I am going to go ahead and make that assumption.

Anyways, in all honesty does anyone think they are better off for their experience with poker, or was it a major/minor setback in life?

[LLL]

No.

Poker has never been more than a hobby for me. My weekly home game (when it ran) was something I looked forward to every week. I still enjoy playing and will rarely turn down an opportunity to do so.

[Yebsite]

yes 100%

[jsearles22]

No.

Poker has never been more than a hobby for me. My weekly home game (when it ran) was something I looked forward to every week. I still enjoy playing and will rarely turn down an opportunity to do so.

Poker is just a hobby, yet it is the only hobby that I have ever had that I could possibly make money at. Sure, sometimes it costs you money but what hobby doesnt? I went on a weeklong cruise one time with my wife and paid for the entire thing, excursions alcohol and all, just by playing poker for about 3 hours per night 3 nights on the ship. Tell me what other hobby you could do that with?

Poker has the potential to ruin someone just like anything else can. Its when you take it to the excess that it becomes a problem. From you short history here OP, it seems to me that you must have a very addictive personality. Not everything or everyone has to take things to the extreme to find it enjoyable.

[ErickAA]

I am talking about way more than just wins and losses. Overall I am up well into the 6 digits playing poker (and probably in the top 5% of posters on this forum) mainly from taking advantage of soft internet games in the early 2000s, so if you just look at it that way poker has been good to me (Today I only play live and I would honestly assess myself as basically a break even player, either booking overall small wins or losses every year, depending on variance)

But I think the opportunity cost of all those hours lost where I could have been developing my career and personal relationships have made poker a huge negative.

[LLL]

I am talking about way more than just wins and losses. Overall I am up well into the 6 digits playing poker (and probably in the top 5% of posters on this forum) mainly from taking advantage of soft internet games in the early 2000s, so if you just look at it that way poker has been good to me (Today I only play live and I would honestly assess myself as basically a break even player, either booking overall small wins or losses every year, depending on variance)

But I think the opportunity cost of all those hours lost where I could have been developing my career and personal relationships have made poker a huge negative.

That isn't poker's fault though.

You could say the same thing about watching Jersey Shore marathons.

[ErickAA]

That isn't poker's fault though.

You could say the same thing about watching Jersey Shore marathons.

I do not think there are many Jewdonks, Micons, Neverheebs and Neverwins walking around whose lives turned from promising into total fails because they watched too much Jersey Shore. I think it is very disingenuous to argue all addictions are equal. Clearly there is something about gambling (and alcohol and drugs) that makes it much more destructive to most. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, but that doesn't disvalidate the rule.

[Corrigan]

I do not think there are many Jewdonks, Micons, Neverheebs and Neverwins walking around whose lives turned from promising into total fails because they watched too much Jersey Shore

Do you think any of the above people would be happy working a 9-5 with a house in the suburbs? They would find something to provide excitement for them. If poker wasn't there it would need to be something else imo

[RobbieBensonFan]

Tough question.

I burned though a lot of money from 2005-09 chasing the poker dream. I look back on it now and realize just how ridiculous it was to try and make a living gambling. Basically I wasted the best years of my life, my 20s, sitting in a fucking casino while a lot of friends were down in Cancun chasing women.

To the original question, I never answer shit like this. Your life it what it is. I am willing to bet, 98% of those that took poker up as more than a hobby, regret it 100%.

I went to the AC over the summer and dropped $5,500 in the pits. I felt like shit afterwards for like two weeks. I used to have that feeling all the time in 2006/07 when I burned through a LOT of money on the poker tables. At least this time it was a one off, and Vodka induced, and I am fixing that as well now.

My point is, unless its a hobby, or unless you are part of the 2% that can make a living off of poker, you regret poker in your life. But you cannot do anything about it now, so get your shit together and move forward.

[LLL]

That isn't poker's fault though.

You could say the same thing about watching Jersey Shore marathons.

I do not think there are many Jewdonks, Micons, Neverheebs and Neverwins walking around whose lives turned from promising into total fails because they watched too much Jersey Shore. I think it is very disingenuous to argue all addictions are equal. Clearly there is something about gambling (and alcohol and drugs) that makes it much more destructive to most. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, but that doesn't disvalidate the rule.

Well, poker isn't gambling so...

[NaturalBornHustler]

Ideally I think this should be a poll question, but I don't know how to set up a poll or even if I can. Druff?

Anyways, this is in response to Jewdonk's life story post on his failsite, which I recommend. If nothing else, he is a talented entertaining writer. I definitely think he is exagerating how good his life/money situation was in the early 2000's, but bottom line is I think Jewdonk was a semi-functional human being before poker, and then he discovered poker and whatever he had was flushed down the toilet.

It got me thinking how many people in the greater poker community who I think would have been much better off if they never played poker, and honestly I think that answer is most people, even the ones who made it and are still grinding away.

I actually consider myself somewhat of a success story, cause in my early 20's I was completely consumed by poker and cared about nothing else, and I was able to come out of it on the end with a college degree, decent career, wife, family blah blah blah. That being said, I believe I would have made more out of myself if I had payed more attention to my career growth instead of poker throughout my 20s. Now this is assuming I wouldn't have found some other demon to derail my life (in my case the most likely culprit would be sportsbetting), but I am going to go ahead and make that assumption.

Anyways, in all honesty does anyone think they are better off for their experience with poker, or was it a major/minor setback in life?

I know one thing, you sure as hell would be a lot better off if you didn't discover sportsbetting.

That is for damn sure.

[ErickAA]

I know one thing, you sure as hell would be a lot better off if you didn't discover sportsbetting.

That is for damn sure.[/QUOTE]

Well, my personal life would probably be less contentious if I didn't bet football, as the wife doesn't really appreciate the time spent on weekends screaming at the TV. However, I don't really spend any time researching my picks, so doesn't drain too much time except on weekends or effect my work at all really (Although I am taking off work an hour early tomorrow to catch the Dallas-NY game, even though I haven't made a bet on the game yet, which I probably will at some point out of principle).

Like I said before, I had my worst sportsbetting year last year and lost $4000. I went to the casino yesterday and lost $2000, and I am still up $2000 over the last couple weeks. It really is a drop in the bucket compared to poker, both $$ and time wise.

[Muck Ficon]

No.

Poker has never been more than a hobby for me. My weekly home game (when it ran) was something I looked forward to every week. I still enjoy playing and will rarely turn down an opportunity to do so.

[Sloppy Joe]

Poker definitely provided a nice cushion of extra money while I was in college. I would grind a few hours on the weeknights online and occasionally play live in the fraternity house. I never made life-changing money but my winnings always provided me with money for weekend trips, formals, gas, weed etc.

I never really felt like chasing the game after Black Friday. I've been to Vegas twice since and only played poker on one of the trips. I still play in a weekly home game 1x/week where we play a mix. I've profited on the year but probably only a couple thousand. I go mainly for the banter and to hang out with friends, any money won is a bonus.

I wanted to be Phil Ivey for like three years but just abandoned the dream and now only play for the entertainment.

[SetofKs]

I do not think there are many Jewdonks, Micons, Neverheebs and Neverwins walking around whose lives turned from promising into total fails because they watched too much Jersey Shore. I think it is very disingenuous to argue all addictions are equal. Clearly there is something about gambling (and alcohol and drugs) that makes it much more destructive to most. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, but that doesn't disvalidate the rule.

Well, poker isn't gambling so...

Yes it is.

And to answer the OPs question, in some ways yes, in other ways no. Tough one

[herbertstemple]

NO.

Poker was a godsend for a few years when I really needed the money. I still really need it but the goddamn fucking christians cant keep their goddamn fucking mouths shut. Go to hell you goddamn fucking moron idiots. Keep your noses out of other peoples business Live your own life and leave mine the fuck alone.

Poker was good to me for a few years.

May it RIP

Betting other peoples sports picks was a really, really big mistake.

[SrslySirius]

Poker never made me very much money. It did affect my life, in some positive ways.

I always thought of myself as a creative person without talent. If only I could draw really well, or kick ass at a musical instrument, or have the means to make movies, I believed I could use my mind to make amazing things. This is a delusion that I suspect many untalented people share. I never could do any of those things, but when I was a kid I still drew shitty comics and dicked around on drums and guitar. Later on I made some crude stuff on the internet that gained a little bit of popularity, in places like ytmnd and certain messageboards. But the poker-related stuff was the first time a lot of people really took notice. It encouraged me to try a little bit harder and learn some new things. Having an audience made it more fun than ever. It led me to forming relationships, going to places, and meeting people that I never would have otherwise.

I'm still an untalented guy with delusions of creative potential. I haven't "made it" or banked any money, and what I've accomplished isn't really a big deal. But I'm glad that it all happened.

[pikachar]

Tine, need you to break this down for me... been up too long

To say that if something was cut out from you you'd be able to say if your better is complete bullshit.

Your actions do define you:
Example.... By telling someone to quit, and or stop something is a fallacy to the sort of Getting a Hooker to stop Hooking. Once you go down that road you can't stop, the human mind is defined by rewarding "good things" is what makes us top predators that we are on the food chain.

So, by saying, if you never found poker, then I'd be __________. Bullshit. If poker has ruined you then so be it, yeah it's a very fickle subject. Are you telling me that you don't get live reads on people when they look shady at the gas station? You can't snap off good odds of bluffing a cop out of a ticket by angle shooting him/her? Poker made you better in life, you became more observant, you can tell patterns, spot odd reactions, make quick calculations, and willing to put plans into action.

The true question you are asking is more like this....
Did poker made me better?

What I'm going to tell you, I didn't find poker, it found me. It's honed my skills on quick reads, psychology, and life in general.

The question you asked is delightfully fearsome. Look into your own eyes and tell me you weren't appeased with the notions of a great life, via mathematics, and a shot of work when you want to work. Don't fall for the bullshit, poker defined you, and that something you can't cut out... whether you were successful or a failure.

[sonatine]

have i made some fantastic friends through poker and poker sites?



did i earn a lot of loot and go on great adventures for a few years thanks to poker?



could i really fucking use the houses i mouse clicked away....?

[pikachar]

have i made some fantastic friends through poker and poker sites?



did i earn a lot of loot and go on great adventures for a few years thanks to poker?



could i really fucking use the houses i mouse clicked away....?

For those who disagree