POKER AND THE FOLKS

I didn’t have a career. I didn’t have a mortgage. No kids. No responsibilities whatsoever. However, going into poker full-time was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make. What was I letting myself in for? No future. No proven income. No job security. No credit flexibility. A life as a hermit perhaps? Some would see it as an absolute grind, a path of doom and gloom, one which is perhaps determined by how much money you can extort from the naïve gamblers in this world. Not a pretty picture, but probably one that was envisaged by my folks. And so, I can’t blame them for having reservations.

Although I held these concerns myself, I knew in my heart that I had to give it a crack, otherwise I’d always be left asking myself the same question, ‘What would have happened if I’d given poker a shot?’ So, here I am, writing now as a full-time player, and loving every minute, even the extreme lows. I embrace the challenge and I’ll do whatever I can to make a success of it.

Selling the idea to my parents wasn’t the easiest task. I wasn’t even 100% sure myself. It was a new venture and I was going in somewhat blind. How can I convince them that I’m doing the right thing if I’m not too sure myself? Anyhow, the pitch didn’t go down too well at first. My mother wasn’t overly chuffed. I think, like most mums, she still considers poker to be gambling and perhaps relates it too closely to bingo games such as Roulette and Blackjack. This, I can understand, and I think the majority of mothers share her view. Also, as someone who hasn’t been to the casino or witnessed a live tournament in action, the image of a smoky backroom is all too prevalent. Dark dingy atmosphere with cigar smoke swirling across the room. Ol’ Frankie Knuckles on my left, Psycho Pete on my right, perhaps even dogs playing snooker in the room next door. Not an inviting picture for a mother.

Pops, on the other hand, wasn’t as cynical. Fortunately, he has recently taken up the game socially and is beginning to understand the mechanics of the poker world. Poker is a massive recreation in England, and there are many commercial possibilities. It isn’t just about sitting in front of the computer all day and all night. Therefore, I believe that he can accept my passion for poker as long as I utilise some of my non-poker skills. Whether this be contributing to updating, writing reviews, or whatever, I think he can remain satisfied, if not overly impressed. If I just sat around all day playing online, then I think even I would go insane.

So, there you have it. The folks aren’t crazy about the path I have chosen, especially when you consider the fact that they basically paid for my GCSEs, A-Levels, and University Degree. However, I think that, deep down, they understand that I have to make my own mistakes in this life. In this sense, they are very supportive and I am therefore unable to fault them.

I’m still only a month or two in, so I guess I should readdress this question further along the line, when the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared. At the moment, I think it's very much a case of them thinking, 'Let's see what happens'.