For some of us Poker Pros, there’s a simple explanation of why we play, money. It’s common knowledge. Escapism is the actual intrinsic reason of why I play.
Poker players and non-poker players alike, people in general want to be rich, marry rich, be a billionaire entrepreneur/philanthropists, unbound by the same standards as the common man. We want to be truly free, not bound by the 9 to 5, not bound by common problems of survival and penny pinching. We don’t want it to hurt, every time we break out our wallet to go out to eat. We want to be able to provide, buy the things we want, and just not give a fuck.
I can’t speak for all Pros, but I can speak for myself. My range of work experiences includes retail, restaurant, sales. At my 9 to 5, I’ve had many positive interactions with supervisors, coworkers, customers, but I can also remember quite a few negative ones. These other variables in your work life contribute to the character you become, and if you get dealt a bad hand of peers at work, you might just turn out to be a shitty and/or depressive person. You can be amazing at your job and put in all your hardest work, but that paycheck you get at the end of the month won’t make you happy.
It’s easier to have to freedom to play 2 hrs a day, or 14 hrs if I wanted. It’s easier to sit at the table, talk with other people, have a little fun, and even browse on FB the whole day without the fear of your supervisor saying nay. You have so much more freedom at the poker tables than you ever would at the average job. You have so much flexibility in your schedule. Have you sat at your cubicle and looked outside and thought, “My, it would be so nice to enjoy that brilliant sun today…” Well, when I feel that way, I get up out of my chair and head to the beach to lay out in that sun.
If you only work 40 hours a week, then consider yourself lucky. There are some troopers that work 50 or more, and I have mad respect for you. 40+ hours per week is a lot of time to spend on something you dislike. Maybe a few of the upper middle+ white-collar workers enjoy their work, but most employees work because they are responsibly taking one for the team. They know that the steady paycheck will mean a lot to their dependents. They aren’t chasing their dreams, because chasing their dreams would be a gamble. Putting the house up for a second mortgage to go back and get a masters (to try and get your dream-job) would be a gamble. Using the kids college funds to finance a startup would be a gamble. Putting your time and savings into a passion or skill instead of earning a paycheck-thats a gamble.
There are 168 hours in a week. So is 40 hours, even a significant portion of your week? I would have to say yes, definitely. During those weekdays, 1/3 of your day goes to sleep, another 1/3 goes to work. You have 8 hours of recreational time, but wait, don’t forget about commute time, that’s another 1.5 hours gone. Theres healthy dinner prep for the kids, eating dinner, spending time with the wife/kids, work out, socializing with friends, TV. Just pick 2 or 3 from that list, and your time is up.
You essentially wake up to go to work, work, come back from work, reset your mind so you aren’t too tired for work the next day, and then wake up to go to work again. Thats why they call it the rat race, you keep running and running to reach the end, but you don’t realize that you are inside a fucking wheel.
Poker players and non-poker players alike, people in general want to be rich, marry rich, be a billionaire entrepreneur/philanthropists, unbound by the same standards as the common man. We want to be truly free, not bound by the 9 to 5, not bound by common problems of survival and penny pinching. We don’t want it to hurt, every time we break out our wallet to go out to eat. We want to be able to provide, buy the things we want, and just not give a fuck.
I can’t speak for all Pros, but I can speak for myself. My range of work experiences includes retail, restaurant, sales. At my 9 to 5, I’ve had many positive interactions with supervisors, coworkers, customers, but I can also remember quite a few negative ones. These other variables in your work life contribute to the character you become, and if you get dealt a bad hand of peers at work, you might just turn out to be a shitty and/or depressive person. You can be amazing at your job and put in all your hardest work, but that paycheck you get at the end of the month won’t make you happy.
It’s easier to have to freedom to play 2 hrs a day, or 14 hrs if I wanted. It’s easier to sit at the table, talk with other people, have a little fun, and even browse on FB the whole day without the fear of your supervisor saying nay. You have so much more freedom at the poker tables than you ever would at the average job. You have so much flexibility in your schedule. Have you sat at your cubicle and looked outside and thought, “My, it would be so nice to enjoy that brilliant sun today…” Well, when I feel that way, I get up out of my chair and head to the beach to lay out in that sun.
If you only work 40 hours a week, then consider yourself lucky. There are some troopers that work 50 or more, and I have mad respect for you. 40+ hours per week is a lot of time to spend on something you dislike. Maybe a few of the upper middle+ white-collar workers enjoy their work, but most employees work because they are responsibly taking one for the team. They know that the steady paycheck will mean a lot to their dependents. They aren’t chasing their dreams, because chasing their dreams would be a gamble. Putting the house up for a second mortgage to go back and get a masters (to try and get your dream-job) would be a gamble. Using the kids college funds to finance a startup would be a gamble. Putting your time and savings into a passion or skill instead of earning a paycheck-thats a gamble.
There are 168 hours in a week. So is 40 hours, even a significant portion of your week? I would have to say yes, definitely. During those weekdays, 1/3 of your day goes to sleep, another 1/3 goes to work. You have 8 hours of recreational time, but wait, don’t forget about commute time, that’s another 1.5 hours gone. Theres healthy dinner prep for the kids, eating dinner, spending time with the wife/kids, work out, socializing with friends, TV. Just pick 2 or 3 from that list, and your time is up.
You essentially wake up to go to work, work, come back from work, reset your mind so you aren’t too tired for work the next day, and then wake up to go to work again. Thats why they call it the rat race, you keep running and running to reach the end, but you don’t realize that you are inside a fucking wheel.