5 ms·

"The night after we got back, I took that 1k to the local casino and played in the highest cash game I could buy into. It was high risk but I didn't have time t

"The night after we got back, I took that 1k to the local casino and played in the highest cash game I could buy into. It was high risk but I didn't have time to grind it out at lower stakes. Luckily I went on an amazing heater, ran the 1k up to 10k and that was enough to last us until Poker Stars unfroze my account." That's a fantastic story my friend. It took some luck but also a lot of guts and self confidence to do that. Glad you managed it.

levosmetalo 13y ago
> That's a fantastic story my friend. It took some luck but also a lot of guts and self confidence to do that. Glad you managed it. Story is fantastic, but I'm not glad he did it. I would like it much more if he understood that gambling is a zero sum game except for gambling companies, and stopped playing it after learning a lesson.
- bermanoid 13y ago
  When the payoff for not hitting a certain monetary threshold is extremely negative and out of proportion to the amount of money in question (lose your wife/house/family/life) that can actually change that calculus, and taking a losing bet is your best move in the absence of other options.
- avalaunch 13y ago
  I'm well aware that poker is a zero sum game, at least as far as the exchange of money is concerned. That being said, that doesn't mean that playing professionally provides no value to society. As with any game or sport, there's a certain entertainment value provided to those that play as well as those that watch. Even those players that never make it on tv help to provide the foundation for the ecosystem needed to provide the entertainment on a global level, in the same manner that minor league sporting athletes help support the majors. All that being said, the entire reason I was devoting time and effort to my side projects was the belief that I could derive more meaning from life doing something other than poker. I was already trying to transition to something new. Black Friday just gave me a giant kick in the ass. Also, poker is not gambling, at least not the way I play.
  - shawabawa3 13y ago
    > Also, poker is not gambling, at least not the way I play. What you did that night was definitely gambling (buying in with 100% of your bankroll). Glad it worked out for you though
    - avalaunch 13y ago
      I understand the spirit of what you're saying. Typically risking your entire bankroll is a bad move because you're risking more than you can afford to lose. I'd argue that, in this instance, that wasn't the case. If anything, I was on a "free roll" of sorts. Winning that night would significantly improve my situation (allow me to pay my bills) where losing would not significantly worsen my situation - I'd still be screwed. There just wasn't much difference between having 1k and having 0 and I didn't have enough time to build slowly.
  - levosmetalo 13y ago
    Well, in that case I can only congratulate you for getting rid of the poker. I'm glad that you had a rational approach and kept kalm that allowed you way out. And about poker being not gambling, well I don't agree. However smart you play, as much as you count on the statistics, in the end of the day, there's still luck involved. Even if it were only pure skill game, you can't always know skill level of your opponents :)
    - oneeyedpigeon 13y ago
      "However smart you play, as much as you count on the statistics, in the end of the day, there's still luck involved." I guess absolutely everything we do in life is gambling, then :)
      - alxndr 13y ago
        Not everything I do involves competing with someone else for both my own and their money.
    - bmelton 13y ago
- joosters 13y ago
  Why do people insist on telling us that gambling is a zero-sum game, in an attempt to sound wise and knowledgeable? Do you really believe the are people who think that a poker game magically creates new money for everyone?
  - lmm 13y ago
    There are people who act like they believe that.
  - chii 13y ago
    > people insist on telling us that gambling is a zero-sum game people who insist on saying 'zero-sum' is really just passive-aggressively saying that the person indulging on said activity should've spent their time on other non-zero sum activity.
    - trothoun 13y ago
      Like SEO :)
  - zacinbusiness 13y ago
    I complain because I SUCK at poker and it makes me mad when smart asses take all my money :-) It's still a hell of a lot of fun though.
- hangonhn 13y ago
  I don't know... There's something "romantic" about the whole thing. Sometimes we have to do things that are irrational to experience life. It's sort of like climbing Everest. It makes no sense and still quite dangerous but people do it to satisfy some irrational yearning. The irrationality and the circumstances of his story are what makes it all so beautiful.

levosmetalo 13y ago

> That's a fantastic story my friend. It took some luck but also a lot of guts and self confidence to do that. Glad you managed it. Story is fantastic, but I'm not glad he did it. I would like it much more if he understood that gambling is a zero sum game except for gambling companies, and stopped playing it after learning a lesson.

bermanoid 13y ago
When the payoff for not hitting a certain monetary threshold is extremely negative and out of proportion to the amount of money in question (lose your wife/house/family/life) that can actually change that calculus, and taking a losing bet is your best move in the absence of other options.
avalaunch 13y ago
I'm well aware that poker is a zero sum game, at least as far as the exchange of money is concerned. That being said, that doesn't mean that playing professionally provides no value to society. As with any game or sport, there's a certain entertainment value provided to those that play as well as those that watch. Even those players that never make it on tv help to provide the foundation for the ecosystem needed to provide the entertainment on a global level, in the same manner that minor league sporting athletes help support the majors. All that being said, the entire reason I was devoting time and effort to my side projects was the belief that I could derive more meaning from life doing something other than poker. I was already trying to transition to something new. Black Friday just gave me a giant kick in the ass. Also, poker is not gambling, at least not the way I play.
- shawabawa3 13y ago
  > Also, poker is not gambling, at least not the way I play. What you did that night was definitely gambling (buying in with 100% of your bankroll). Glad it worked out for you though
  - avalaunch 13y ago
    I understand the spirit of what you're saying. Typically risking your entire bankroll is a bad move because you're risking more than you can afford to lose. I'd argue that, in this instance, that wasn't the case. If anything, I was on a "free roll" of sorts. Winning that night would significantly improve my situation (allow me to pay my bills) where losing would not significantly worsen my situation - I'd still be screwed. There just wasn't much difference between having 1k and having 0 and I didn't have enough time to build slowly.
- levosmetalo 13y ago
  Well, in that case I can only congratulate you for getting rid of the poker. I'm glad that you had a rational approach and kept kalm that allowed you way out. And about poker being not gambling, well I don't agree. However smart you play, as much as you count on the statistics, in the end of the day, there's still luck involved. Even if it were only pure skill game, you can't always know skill level of your opponents :)
  - oneeyedpigeon 13y ago
    "However smart you play, as much as you count on the statistics, in the end of the day, there's still luck involved." I guess absolutely everything we do in life is gambling, then :)
    - alxndr 13y ago
      Not everything I do involves competing with someone else for both my own and their money.
  - bmelton 13y ago
joosters 13y ago
Why do people insist on telling us that gambling is a zero-sum game, in an attempt to sound wise and knowledgeable? Do you really believe the are people who think that a poker game magically creates new money for everyone?
- lmm 13y ago
  There are people who act like they believe that.
- chii 13y ago
  > people insist on telling us that gambling is a zero-sum game people who insist on saying 'zero-sum' is really just passive-aggressively saying that the person indulging on said activity should've spent their time on other non-zero sum activity.
  - trothoun 13y ago
    Like SEO :)
- zacinbusiness 13y ago
  I complain because I SUCK at poker and it makes me mad when smart asses take all my money :-) It's still a hell of a lot of fun though.
hangonhn 13y ago
I don't know... There's something "romantic" about the whole thing. Sometimes we have to do things that are irrational to experience life. It's sort of like climbing Everest. It makes no sense and still quite dangerous but people do it to satisfy some irrational yearning. The irrationality and the circumstances of his story are what makes it all so beautiful.