David "Viffer" Peat, in Card Player magazine interview, October 22, 2008 (Vol. 21, #21), p. 49, on what it's like to play poker for a living.
I'll be honest with you, I used to love the lifestyle, but I have realized that it is not fulfilling. The money keeps me playing, though. Let me tell you a story. About a year ago, I was playing in a $100-$200 game and ended up talking to this kid who told me that he was one year away from finishing law school, but he was going to give it all up to play poker. I told him that I would trade my lifestyle, and all of the money I have, to be one year away from graduating from law school and owing a bunch of money, but having a chance at a real life. Poker leads to a lonely life, and you don't ever get a sense of accomplishment. The only fulfillment for a poker player is winning money, that's it.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Poker gems, #174
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7 comments:
Yep, and some don't even make that much money. Whereas one could have a real job and just make a reasonable amount of money and not waste so much time trying to trap other people, but instead focus on a socially positive endeavor. So that is the ultimate question that anyone who has ever been very good at poker must eventually face.
C'mon guys...get a fulfilling hobby or something...start a business...start another blog, plant a garden, do volunteer work, make some kids...blah, blah, blah.
...and being a lawyer is that fufilling?
Kind of like those physicians who chuck it all to become a professional poker player... ;-)
Ha Ha Ha,
Conversations containing words like fulfilling, meaningful, real life etc make me laugh internally and commiserate with the speaker of such drivel. Read Kurt Vonnegut's "Galapagos" for a look at the problems of big brains. Or see the flick "Office Space", a fine examination of a variety of fulfilling jobs.
I play in Vegas for a living.
Makes no sense that people feel it's fine to take people's cash on nights and weekends and it's acceptable, but MAKE A LIVING at poker and now it's not fulfilling or not a socially positive endeavor?
I quit my SUPER stressful job as a computer programmer to play poker. I'm very happy now. Yes, it's a grind and yes, poker has many stressful aspects to it (when you lose, mostly!)
I feel people that disrespect poker players must be jealous - really!
Sounds like someone needs a girlfriend or a fun hobby. Life should be fun as should poker.
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