Can Poker Save You
There’s a proportion of the population that will for ever believe that nothing good can come from gambling and card games such as poker and would scoff at the idea of the question – can poker save you? The fact is that poker is no more potentially harming to the player themselves or their family and friends than a host of other activities. Indeed a report this week actually states that playing online poker has helped someone to lead a better then life than they had in the past.
Is poker really that harmful?
You don't have to let poker turn you into a demon!
The usual recourse for the anti-poker lobby is that people waste money gambling it away rather than working at a regular job and saving money, then of course there’s always the old chestnut that a poker player must somehow be outside of the law anyway! The fact is that people seeking to make a living out of poker are largely just like anyone else – seeking to live out the dream that’s not 9 to 5; which is why many folk are envious of it. After all what’s different to living your dream as a poker player compared to spending tens of thousands or more trying to make it as a racing driver, pro golfer or indeed a top attorney!
An uplifting story of poker helping someone.
So, reading recently that a young man who was deeply involved in crime and gangs actually turned his life around by playing poker, is a truly uplifting piece of news. The basics of the story is that a young man from Sweden having served a prison sentence desperately wanted to turn his life around and yet, because of his criminal record and a prison sentence, couldn’t find anyone to employ him in a regular job. The people turning him down for work could well have been those very people who decry the idea of anyone making a living out of poker, but wouldn’t give the guy a break when he was down and in need of help! Anyway, he decided that earning money over the internet was his only hope and eventually settled on playing online poker as a way to earn a living. After a few ups and downs he is now quite successful, playing in poker tournaments around the world and living comfortably in Spain with his family. He readily admits that had he not been able to earn a living through playing online poker he would have returned to a life of crime.