Does playing online poker mess up your social skills?

[warrior1]

I think most agree that people who stay at home almost everyday and don't go out are very behind in life. Doing things like watching tv all day or surfing the internet are a few of the many things.

To anyone who plays online poker, does it messes up your social skills? The thing is i play online but just micro stakes. Like 5 to 10 dollar games. No income but i found out this is really keeping me inside the house, it just pays for my food and i still with my parents. I just do this for fun. Still in college and 22 right now. I do enjoy playing poker at the casino but I dont talk very much and get chatty. I think before i played online poker, I was decent when it came to talking. Then online poker messed me up. I think this goes the same with the guys playing XBox 360 halo but i dont play any games.

My goal was to someday be one of the best poker players ever and that was like a few years ago. Up till right now, i dont think i even improved one bit. Obvioulsy anyone trying to gamble for a living is taking a big risk b/c money is not guaranteed and health insurance you have to pay. Its like when i go out now and talk to people, i just dont know what to say and stay quiet. So i think i want to give other things a shot but most likely i wont be rich.

What jobs do most of you DJ's have, the ones with all the hot babes? I learned that most ppl who even play online player and are VERY GOOD ones that make a lot of money 100,000 dollars and up a year have VERY POOR SOCIAL SKILLS.

I never had a job before and never even been into an interview. Yes, i am 22 but i know theres a ton of ppl probably who never even go for a job when their 30. I am studying finance but taking intermediate level classes now.

Can you guys answer this question and also name me some other things guys do that are horrible b/c it hurts social skills. I think many people who play online poker and those xbox are social retards and I am beginning to be one of them. Back like 4 years ago, I was pretty cool b/c i never used the internet much so i talked to people pretty decently. Then this thing kind of started to make me speak very bad.



thanks.

 

[young pat]

Playing online poker, or xbox/ps3 all day doesn't hurt your social skills. There is no reason why partaking in any hobby of the sort would hinder social skills. Life is all what you make of it, if you refuse to talk to people, and become a hermit, the what do you expect from yourself.

I play some online poker, and xbox/ps3, but it doesn't run my life, as I have other things to focus my time on, and I venture out of the house and talk to people quite a bit. If you put in an effort to increase your social skills when ever you are out and about, then you should become better from sheer practice, if your not a natural, but if you don't "practice" talking to people much, then you cannot expect anything to get better. It's all what you make of it, even if you do spend 6-8 hours a day in front of a tv or computer, you can still take the time to talk to people, you should be able to increase your social skills in the process, AND spend your time playing poker.


As for the job's that might help your game, I have always been told, and witnessed that salespeople make the best DJ's. They are paid to sell something, and do it for 8+ hours a day 5 days a week. This translates very well to the game, if you can sell a fridge to and Eskimo, they you should be able to sell the concept of why you are so much better then the next guy.

 

[BadsnakeUK]

I went through a brief phase of online poker playing and found that yes it did make me a bit anti-social. That and the money factor were why I stopped (oh yeah and being cr@p at it). There are a lot better, more rewarding and social things to be doing with your time. Remember that every minute wasted is a minute you'll never get back. Make the most of it.

As for the job thing, I'd recommend looking at anything you can fit in around your studies. Its good for general self esteem to work, gives you a better idea of how the world works, can help you make contacts for future work (and social) plus the obvious financial benefits. It was actually a period of unemployment that made me far more anti social and hermit like than my spell of online poker playing come to think of it...

 

[Prodigy746]

Playing online poker, or xbox/ps3 all day doesn't hurt your social skills. There is no reason why partaking in any hobby of the sort would hinder social skills. Life is all what you make of it, if you refuse to talk to people, and become a hermit, the what do you expect from yourself.

I play some online poker, and xbox/ps3, but it doesn't run my life, as I have other things to focus my time on, and I venture out of the house and talk to people quite a bit. If you put in an effort to increase your social skills when ever you are out and about, then you should become better from sheer practice, if your not a natural, but if you don't "practice" talking to people much, then you cannot expect anything to get better. It's all what you make of it, even if you do spend 6-8 hours a day in front of a tv or computer, you can still take the time to talk to people, you should be able to increase your social skills in the process, AND spend your time playing poker.


As for the job's that might help your game, I have always been told, and witnessed that salespeople make the best DJ's. They are paid to sell something, and do it for 8+ hours a day 5 days a week. This translates very well to the game, if you can sell a fridge to and Eskimo, they you should be able to sell the concept of why you are so much better then the next guy.

I am going to have to say that you are wrong. First i play video games, online poker, and watch movies at home. I have watched all the poker videos on youtube and if you watch High Stakes Poker on Youtube you will realize that profesionally poker players are way more entertaining to watch. They always talk make jokes etc and highstakes internet players that come on the show are always quite. At one poingt in the show Sam Farah and Daniel started messing with the internet poker players how they never say anything and one guy admitted that online poker play has messed up his social skills. They laughed and said that they would bring a keyboard for him next episode.

I have also experienced this my self too. I am very busy person full time job+ full time college. On top of that half of the free time i get is spent on playing online poker, video games, and watching movies. I have noticed that my social skills have diminished because i dont have too much to talk about when i talk to people. When i used to go outside alot and hang out with friends i would alwas have things to talk about, like if i hear something from one friend i might pass it on to another or if i hear a joke i might pass it to another.

As for playing poker profesionally you will need to study the PROS. I have Watched all the episodes of High Stakes poker and all episodes of WSOP 2006-2007. I also read Doyle's book and those things tremendously improved my game, i am not very good yet but i would say that i am descant. You will learn to read people and bluff better when your read the book and watch the pros. I also like playing better live because in online poker you cant see the players therfore you cant see when they are stressing on you cant watch thir reaction which is very important in poker.
You will also learn to play poker the right way instead of how most people play it which is 2 card play. I never though 7,8 same suite would be a good hand or 5-7 of suit was worth playing. But those are Doyles favorite cards and ones you can do alot of damage with if you get the right flop. Most people play only AK AJ AQ and when they get a A on flop they are ready to go all in. I was that way and it killed my game in the bigenning... GOOD LUCK