Blog: my poker story

[sjay2k]

It's quite long and I'm sure my memory has screwed up lots of the details, but

[lightfungus]

VN sjay. I love hearing these tales and much appreciate you writing your story up. The more I see everyone's story of their beginnings the more I see how everyone ran sick at the beginning...man I miss the days when the seas were stocked.

[2Tone]

Inspirational and enjoyable read. Thanks.

Can you clarify one point -- did you actually make $2100 playing 2/4 limit in seven days? If so, to me, that would be the most amazing part of the tale!

[Talking Poker]

Woohoo - TP shout out!

This is my favorite part... gets me excited in that Ryan Reynolds kind of way:

I also like your long term plan. Please teach us as much as possible before you call it quits. Videos, videos, videos!

[sjay2k]

Yes. Pacific only allowed one-tabling, but i played for pretty much the whole week and ran really well. i think i played some 3/6 in there too

[sjay2k]

thanks. thinking back i used to play a much more intuition based game. i used to make folds with big hands when i thought i was beat, before i knew about pot odds etc... maybe it's a better way to play, who knows.

[Zybomb]

Nice read -- but like ive originally said, have no clue why you'd wanna ever give up poker

[lightfungus]

I can see why he would, but I doubt he means completely give up. Poker's great but it's just a means to an end.

[Zybomb]

Unless he's giving it up for a job that is

1- equally as fun

2- can make him $200,000/yr + (or the equivalent when factoring in benefits and non cash pay) with the same or less hours

I can't

and even if that was the case why not continue to play on the side during ur spare time for extra $$

[Talking Poker]

I won't speak for sjay, but I know for some people, poker simply isn't rewarding enough for them... I'm not talking financially rewarding, but just in general. Some people want to feel like they are contributing to society in some way, and poker alone is not a way to do that.

For me personally, I've found a happy medium by doing some volunteer work. To be all poker, all the time - I couldn't live like that. I see what that does to people (I'm speaking mostly about live players - it's harded to tell how well rounded online players are) and I wouldn't want to be one of those people.

[sjay2k]

it's not what i want to be doing and i guess there's not a whole lot more to it than that.

speaking of which tp, i've been doing volunteer work for a politician, doing research work, helping write speeches and drafting bills. i think i'll quit soon because i can't wake up early.

i'm thinking i will save up enough money from poker, maybe work for an investment firm for a year or so, then start being a stock trader or something.

[Kurn]

You know, a person has to enjoy what they do or eventually it becomes a drag no matter how much money it produces.

I agree with TP on the voluntarism thing. If you feel you don't "contribute to society" by playing poker for a living but you make good money doing so, well, you have the money and/or the free time to find something that satisfies that need in you, so go ahead and do it.

Besides, poker will likely be around for a long time. You can always pick it up again in the future if you want/need to. Or just let it be for you what it is for the vast majority of people: an occaisional social diversion. I think stock traders play poker.

[lightfungus]

Don't let sjay fool you with all this talk of "not satisfying", he knows where the big fish lie.

[Wes]

I can't really think of a less fulfilling transition than from playing poker to trading stocks. It just seems to me to be a quite similar job of equity calculations. Although I suppose trading is probably more difficult and competitive so that may drive people to be more motivated and enjoy their job more. Don't think that at all comes close to the freedoms that being a poker pro entails though.

[Talking Poker]

Trading stocks isn't exactly a sleep in and make your own hours type of job either. There's usually not much action at 3 AM.

[Zybomb]

WORD

[melioris]

I second this. I am all for doing more with your life than being a poker pro (no offense to those that are, you know I love you guys and wish I had the skills to do it ), but I think that trading stocks is probably more immoral than playing poker.

[lightfungus]

Immoral? How do you mean? I'll also throw it out there that trading stocks is not going to be much different than poker...stress and all.