Damn Ringer's Poker Blog

So i’m an idiot. I’ll explain that in a second. First, go to vinnyvt’s blog and watch the 30 minute video he embedded there. Its called I.O.U.S.A and is completely worth your time. If you are reading this on facebook, www.vinnyvt.com. If you are bored at work and don’t have a boss around, I’d recommend using your time wisely and watching.

Ok onto stupid me…

For those that don’t know, Monday Night Football was in charlotte last night. It was fantastic, and we tailgated heavily for it. It was a great time. However, we were tailgating right by my old employer as they are right uptown and have the cheapest lot for the panthers stadium within reasonable distance. We fired up the burgers and fired up all sorts of delcious. Sure enough a couple of my old bosses show up. Both of whom were in the meeting to let me know i was canned. Granted I really like one of the guys, and obviously don’t blame either of them. If i was in there spot, i, without a doubt, would have cut me too (maybe even earlier than they did). This isn’t the stupid part. One of the bosses who is 29, is a man genius, and i would generally call him a friend. I am in a fantasy football league with him, and often times run into him at the bars and am myself around him. He knows that I play poker and do well. I don’t think he knows how well but he knows that i’m capable of making a living and am not an idiot. However, the other member of the ‘firing squad’ (as i shall now refer to them as), is a little less personable, and never took the time to get to know me. Naturally, I’m about 8 beers deep and start talking with the less personable one. He’s asking exactly what i’d expect him to. The following conversation took place:

Boss: How ya holding up, boss? – I’m not sure if he actually called me boss, but it seems to flow
Me: Its going great
Boss: How’s the job hunt coming?

And shit… I don’t have a response. I mean I don’t even know what to say. I could bold-face lie to the guy and say its coming great or slowly or something to the lines of any ideas? But no I’m 8 beers deep, and apparently stupid. I say “Its not, I’m not even looking right now”. Of course he asked why, I say I have other things going in my life. I figure that would be enough, but alas it was not. He starts going off about its not a terrible idea to get into other occupations which now that I think about might be him telling me that i was a shitty engineer, but whatever. I could have just rolled with that, and likely the conversation would have ended. No no, not 8-Beer Ringer. I bust in with “well actually i’m playing poker for a living now”. DOH! I spend the next 5 minutes back-pedalling and making it sound like it was just for making ends meet and i really did want to be an engineer (which i do).

This being my first real experience with dropping this bombshell on someone who doesn’t know me at all. I get a blank face like i just told him “I can see jesus and we need to take our clothes off and go to him”. Whoops. He doesn’t get it. I’m an idiot, and look like a complete degenerate as well as lazy. Stupid me. It also probably doesn’t help for a reference in the future (which hopefully I can still get from cool boss, who i’m pretty sure knows how smart i am)

So my question to you poker pros and normal people is this. How do you say your occupation out loud to unknowns and not getting looked at like you just got caught screwing your neighbors cat? Or is there just no way normal people understand that poker isn’t the same as putting my rent on red?

I figure smart people will understand that another smart person would have a well thought out plan… but maybe everyone just assumes I’m an idiot. So there it is, I’m an idiot.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 10:56 am and is filed under Life Related, Poker Related. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.