I sometimes wish
I used to wish that on-line poker was around when I was younger.
My theory was the gifts bestowed on the young would have allowed me to seriously make a go of playing online poker for a living. As a young man (and a student especially) I had a lot of time, a reasonably sharp mind, and decent stamina - by which I mean I could have played long sessions without my play deteriorating markedly as I tired.
I used to dream that if only the opportunity to relieve less skilled players of their money was around then I'd have been able to attempt, probably succesfully, to live the life of a poker pro.
I wonder about these opportunities, but I've recently concluded that online poker could have really ruined my life.
Firstly, I doubt whether I would have been able to graduate with the additional distraction of poker to contend with alongside those of cheap alcohol and lively nightlife. As a student I was something of a lazy scrote, waltzing through exams without working too hard. I came a cropper a bit at Uni and realised I had to do some work, but typically didn't realise early enough and didn't do enough work when I had figured it out, so graduated with a poorer degree than I really wanted.
I struggle to believe the younger me would have been able to manage my time between the studying and this great game that I hoped would become my livelyhood, and I can't see how I would have graduated at all. I think its a miracle anyone graduates now to be honest.
Secondly I was given a single job offer when I graduated, that I accepted. This job has lead me into the career I am in now - one that I love and that pays quite satisfactorily. I suspect I would have declined that job, and opted for the mixed blessing of a year out - with, naturally, the year spent trying to cut it playing poker. This would probably not have been a disaster - I'm sure I'd make some money - but I have my doubts about whether I'd have been able to return to world of real work as easily as I would like, when I either went bust or got bored.
Both of which lead to what I've concluded would be a nightmare scenario. Actually making a small-ish salary (lets say £20k) playing poker and being trapped playing it. The more I was a poker pro, the less employable I'd be, without having had any years of real employment behind me to fall back on. And the more I'd be playing a solitary hobby, usually late at night (to catch the Americans) with the turn of the card deciding my income that month.
The longer I played it, the less I'd enjoy it, and the more like work it would become. The thought of taking poker and turning it into a terrible grind just fills me with dread.
I would also have struggled to maintain any kind of social life, 'working' online not lending itself to social networking.
I've been reading another blog recently (which I'm not going to link to) and this is precisely what seems to have happened to the author. He seems a nice young fellow who some time ago decided to play poker for a living. Hearing his tales of bad beats is heartbraking, because when he does badly he has to worry about paying the rent, and when he does well, he just has the same degree of financial stability as anyone else. Someone who has taken a superb hobby and turned it into a terrible job.
Some part of me may regret not having had the opportunity to play poker when younger, but the greater part of me thanks my lucky stars, as it probably saved me from myself.
My theory was the gifts bestowed on the young would have allowed me to seriously make a go of playing online poker for a living. As a young man (and a student especially) I had a lot of time, a reasonably sharp mind, and decent stamina - by which I mean I could have played long sessions without my play deteriorating markedly as I tired.
I used to dream that if only the opportunity to relieve less skilled players of their money was around then I'd have been able to attempt, probably succesfully, to live the life of a poker pro.
I wonder about these opportunities, but I've recently concluded that online poker could have really ruined my life.
Firstly, I doubt whether I would have been able to graduate with the additional distraction of poker to contend with alongside those of cheap alcohol and lively nightlife. As a student I was something of a lazy scrote, waltzing through exams without working too hard. I came a cropper a bit at Uni and realised I had to do some work, but typically didn't realise early enough and didn't do enough work when I had figured it out, so graduated with a poorer degree than I really wanted.
I struggle to believe the younger me would have been able to manage my time between the studying and this great game that I hoped would become my livelyhood, and I can't see how I would have graduated at all. I think its a miracle anyone graduates now to be honest.
Secondly I was given a single job offer when I graduated, that I accepted. This job has lead me into the career I am in now - one that I love and that pays quite satisfactorily. I suspect I would have declined that job, and opted for the mixed blessing of a year out - with, naturally, the year spent trying to cut it playing poker. This would probably not have been a disaster - I'm sure I'd make some money - but I have my doubts about whether I'd have been able to return to world of real work as easily as I would like, when I either went bust or got bored.
Both of which lead to what I've concluded would be a nightmare scenario. Actually making a small-ish salary (lets say £20k) playing poker and being trapped playing it. The more I was a poker pro, the less employable I'd be, without having had any years of real employment behind me to fall back on. And the more I'd be playing a solitary hobby, usually late at night (to catch the Americans) with the turn of the card deciding my income that month.
The longer I played it, the less I'd enjoy it, and the more like work it would become. The thought of taking poker and turning it into a terrible grind just fills me with dread.
I would also have struggled to maintain any kind of social life, 'working' online not lending itself to social networking.
I've been reading another blog recently (which I'm not going to link to) and this is precisely what seems to have happened to the author. He seems a nice young fellow who some time ago decided to play poker for a living. Hearing his tales of bad beats is heartbraking, because when he does badly he has to worry about paying the rent, and when he does well, he just has the same degree of financial stability as anyone else. Someone who has taken a superb hobby and turned it into a terrible job.
Some part of me may regret not having had the opportunity to play poker when younger, but the greater part of me thanks my lucky stars, as it probably saved me from myself.
posted by PP at 11:32 PM
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