Misconceptions

Bond18 · 08-22-2009, 08:44 PM

The recent conception of this blog has had an interesting affect on my personal life. I got used to anonymous comments and judgments being made about me on the internet a long time ago from my years spent posting on forums and stopped affecting me a
long time ago. However, getting the opinion of people who have met me and their perception of how I would be based on the blog or their thoughts having previously known me is far more relevant and interesting for me. While bored in Africa I went back
to reread a few entries to see how I came off and started to understand where they got these impressions. Still, I feel a number of misconceptions have arisen as a result of this blog about both me and people close to me so I’d like to use this ...

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DarkerThenBlue · 08-23-2009, 05:19 AM

As a loyal reader of your blog I have a few thoughts on this post. If you only read specific blog entries, I could see how a person could come to the conclusions that you are an arrogant, mysoginistic stoner. Since I beleive I've read every blog post you've put out in the past year, I get where you are coming from. You are very self aware and I think you generall yconvey what you hope you convey. Don't worry...

You are living a dream that most young men have. You have the financial resources to travel, to do whatever you want with few restrictions. How many 20 something year old guys wouldn't be enjoying the "fruits" of this lifestyle. Girls, booze, weed.... I for one certainly would have. You are downplaying the fact you only won 70K in a tourney. I have a pretty good job and thats like 95% of my yearly salary. You have been blessed with talent. Don't underestimate that. The reason you have been able to do what few others can do is because you are a really good poker player.

Now that I'm older I would hope I would make different choices if I were to have the financial resources you have now. As a 43 year old with a family etc. that's a life I can only look back on.

I enjoy your blog primarily because it does remind me of 20 some odd years ago when I was a college student. I started hosting a 3-4 night a week poker game at my house and soon became a very consistent winner. While the amounts I won were paltry, it often gave me the spare spending money to go out and party and have a good old time. Of ocurse we never even heard of Hold 'Em. We played 7 card stud and exotic variations of 5 card draw.

There comes a point when the partying and bad behavior goes from fun to destructive. I never really reached that point, but I could see myself going down that road if I hadn't have gotten married, started a family etc.

I now play poker, almost exclusively on line and am moderately successful at low levels. I hope to retire in 10 years and use my poker income to supplement my retirement. With all of the other things that I have going on in my life....18 year long marriage, 2 teenage kids, church, work, political activism, volunteer work, I have to really work to squeeze in 10-20 hours of poker in each week. Obvioulsy rolling a fatty doesn't really fit into that lifestyle.

I will tell you that I have never been happier as a person as I have tangible and hands on successes in my life that will last longer then the memories of a good party.

I enjoy your writing because I can look at your life with a mix of nostalgia, envy and pending doom. I think you are self aware and dsiciplined enough to know when to pull back from the line. The road is littered with former poker players who got there because fo their own personal demons. I think you can avoid that from wht I read about you...but I say a prayer for you every time I read your blog.

As a devout Christian I think you need to focus more on doing the Barry Greenstein thing...then the crazy frat boy thing. But I think you already know that and your trip to Africa (and your admiration for Barry) shows me that you want to move in that direction. Not that Barry isn't a player, but I think his focus is more on family, charity etc. But Barry and I are older and (well at least in Barry's case) wiser.

In any event, I look forward to reading abou you Africa trip. I pray for good luck for you and for you to make the right choices moving forward.

A loyal and concerned reader

Chip Tarbutton
purplerapture06@yahoo.com

flwaless · 08-24-2009, 07:57 PM

Man I hate blogs -- except yours, Bond. It's nice to see someone reflect on things at a young age while still being dutifully degen! Keep livin' good and keep the stories comin'. Now, if only I could get good at poker...

brad2002tj · 08-25-2009, 10:37 AM

GL when you get back to the grind Tony. I always like your blogs fwiw.

08-22-2009, 08:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bond18 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 151	Misconceptions The recent conception of this blog has had an interesting affect on my personal life. I got used to anonymous comments and judgments being made about me on the internet a long time ago from my years spent posting on forums and stopped affecting me a long time ago. However, getting the opinion of people who have met me and their perception of how I would be based on the blog or their thoughts having previously known me is far more relevant and interesting for me. While bored in Africa I went back to reread a few entries to see how I came off and started to understand where they got these impressions. Still, I feel a number of misconceptions have arisen as a result of this blog about both me and people close to me so I’d like to use this ... Read Full Post

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08-23-2009, 05:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
DarkerThenBlue Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 3	As a loyal reader of your blog I have a few thoughts on this post. If you only read specific blog entries, I could see how a person could come to the conclusions that you are an arrogant, mysoginistic stoner. Since I beleive I've read every blog post you've put out in the past year, I get where you are coming from. You are very self aware and I think you generall yconvey what you hope you convey. Don't worry... You are living a dream that most young men have. You have the financial resources to travel, to do whatever you want with few restrictions. How many 20 something year old guys wouldn't be enjoying the "fruits" of this lifestyle. Girls, booze, weed.... I for one certainly would have. You are downplaying the fact you only won 70K in a tourney. I have a pretty good job and thats like 95% of my yearly salary. You have been blessed with talent. Don't underestimate that. The reason you have been able to do what few others can do is because you are a really good poker player. Now that I'm older I would hope I would make different choices if I were to have the financial resources you have now. As a 43 year old with a family etc. that's a life I can only look back on. I enjoy your blog primarily because it does remind me of 20 some odd years ago when I was a college student. I started hosting a 3-4 night a week poker game at my house and soon became a very consistent winner. While the amounts I won were paltry, it often gave me the spare spending money to go out and party and have a good old time. Of ocurse we never even heard of Hold 'Em. We played 7 card stud and exotic variations of 5 card draw. There comes a point when the partying and bad behavior goes from fun to destructive. I never really reached that point, but I could see myself going down that road if I hadn't have gotten married, started a family etc. I now play poker, almost exclusively on line and am moderately successful at low levels. I hope to retire in 10 years and use my poker income to supplement my retirement. With all of the other things that I have going on in my life....18 year long marriage, 2 teenage kids, church, work, political activism, volunteer work, I have to really work to squeeze in 10-20 hours of poker in each week. Obvioulsy rolling a fatty doesn't really fit into that lifestyle. I will tell you that I have never been happier as a person as I have tangible and hands on successes in my life that will last longer then the memories of a good party. I enjoy your writing because I can look at your life with a mix of nostalgia, envy and pending doom. I think you are self aware and dsiciplined enough to know when to pull back from the line. The road is littered with former poker players who got there because fo their own personal demons. I think you can avoid that from wht I read about you...but I say a prayer for you every time I read your blog. As a devout Christian I think you need to focus more on doing the Barry Greenstein thing...then the crazy frat boy thing. But I think you already know that and your trip to Africa (and your admiration for Barry) shows me that you want to move in that direction. Not that Barry isn't a player, but I think his focus is more on family, charity etc. But Barry and I are older and (well at least in Barry's case) wiser. In any event, I look forward to reading abou you Africa trip. I pray for good luck for you and for you to make the right choices moving forward. A loyal and concerned reader Chip Tarbutton purplerapture06@yahoo.com

08-24-2009, 07:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
flwaless Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1	Man I hate blogs -- except yours, Bond. It's nice to see someone reflect on things at a young age while still being dutifully degen! Keep livin' good and keep the stories comin'. Now, if only I could get good at poker...

08-25-2009, 10:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
brad2002tj Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 36	GL when you get back to the grind Tony. I always like your blogs fwiw.