Only misstep was successfully barreling off three quarters of my stack in the 'Members Only' PokerVT tournament, although I felt aggression was warranted in both spots. Speaking of missteps, recently I found myself trying to explain my job to a member of the opposite sex. It's something I've attempted to do several times in the past -- I used to think it was best that I explain everything in thorough detail, but after being rewarded with blank stares and frustrating responses, I gave up.
It didn't seem to matter in Thailand. Most women I met here who asked about my profession were satisfied by "I work online." If that required clarification, I threw out a few buzz words like finance or investing. Then she'd nod, politely smile, and we'd move on to a different topic. Basically, I have become accustomed to lying about what I do, or at the very least concealing the truth.
I don't want this post to come off as sexist, because it's not that I think women lack the intelligence to fully understand the mathematics of poker -- I know several brilliant ones who do -- it's just that in my experience, when I tell men I play poker for a living they embrace the idea whereas most women give me a confused, disapproving look. That's especially true for women who may view me as a potential partner, and to be honest, their (albeit ignorant) skepticism is warranted. In a perfect world, I'd be able to fully explain what I do, how it works, and put to rest any qualms about financial stability, but unfortunately it's often tough to get past the stereotypes ingrained in us about professional "gamblers."
I remember I briefly dated one girl who despised my profession, the sole reason being because one time she and her ex-boyfriend took a trip to Vegas and he chose to play poker rather than hang out with her. Might as well hate all poker players and everything poker related forever. Sound logic, huh? But if she asked me today about what I do, I'd tell her -- Oh, I just work online.
No comments:
Post a Comment