Poker and IT

marius · 09-03-2006 3:16pm #1

From reading Nicky's thread below I was amazed at just how many people on this board worked in IT (and how many of us dislike it!). I was going to try to put a poll together but realised I:
a) didn't know how
b) was too lazy to find out
c) didn't have the time as I work in IT

any ideas on why so many of us play poker? Is it because most of us dont really like out jobs? Or because we all have internet access all day long?
Is there a correlation between the skillset of a poker player and someone working in IT?

Is poker just for geeks?:D Too many questions?

Iago · 09-03-2006 3:47pm

Working in IT and playing poker require a logical mind, people are drawn to IT because they think in a logical step by step way. The same reason that a lot of people in IT like/play chess for example. It's just the way they're wired.

I've an IT BA but I actually work in Marketing, maybe that's why I'm not a great poker player, I've become far too creative and less logical

cardshark202 · 09-03-2006 3:56pm

It is weird alright. I study IT in college but poker has been quickly destroying any IT skills I'm either learning or have learned. I've no time for college anymore...

Gholimoli · 09-03-2006 3:59pm

Iago wrote:

Working in IT and playing poker require a logical mind, people are drawn to IT because they think in a logical step by step way. The same reason that a lot of people in IT like/play chess for example. It's just the way they're wired.

I've an IT BA but I actually work in Marketing, maybe that's why I'm not a great poker player, I've become far too creative and less logical

i agree with this seen as i was mad in to chess as well for a while.

ianmc38 · 09-03-2006 4:03pm

I used to be a very good chess player up until I was 17 or so, then stopped playing. used to play it most days online.

I also played Scrabble everyday for about 18 months online. Another superb game.

marius · 09-03-2006 4:24pm

ianmc38 wrote:

I used to be a very good chess player up until I was 17 or so, then stopped playing. used to play it most days online.

I also played Scrabble everyday for about 18 months online. Another superb game.

You scare me - are you sure you are not actually me in disguise? Replace 17 with about 15 when I gave up chess for the much more interesting 'smoking' also never player scrabble online but still consider myself the greatest scrabble player ever:D

ocallagh · 09-03-2006 4:36pm

I have worked in IT for 5 years. I used to play hours and hours of chess online. I was addicted to it. Then I discovered poker and that has pretty much taken over as the dominant hobby now! I agree with the posts before. It's all to do with logic.

I bet you're all athiests too...

azzeretti · 09-03-2006 4:36pm

Iago wrote:

The same reason that a lot of people in IT like/play chess for example.

Ah Chess. Iago, do you remember sitting in at lunch time on the top floor in school and getting check mate'd by me in four moves?
Them's were the days!:D
I'm also in IT, not sure what attracted me to poker though, maybe the free availablity of the internet?

marius · 09-03-2006 4:42pm

ocallagh wrote:

I bet you're all athiests too...

Very much so...
saw this on a t-shirt LMFAO....

If Jesus comes back again we will just kill him again.

ianmc38 · 09-03-2006 4:48pm

marius wrote:

You scare me - are you sure you are not actually me in disguise? Replace 17 with about 15 when I gave up chess for the much more interesting 'smoking' also never player scrabble online but still consider myself the greatest scrabble player ever:D

Unfortunately, 7 years later I still find the intersting hobby appealing.

Iago · 09-03-2006 4:51pm

azzeretti wrote:

Ah Chess. Iago, do you remember sitting in at lunch time on the top floor in school and getting check mate'd by me in four moves?
Them's were the days!:D

Yep, I also remember beating 4 people at a time on a regular basis during those lunch hours as well as taking the Best Chess Player Award (how sad is that) at graduation!

simpler times my friend, simpler times.

The Gecko · 09-03-2006 4:52pm

IT & Poker

Most likely a coincidence - or the fact that everyone who posts on boards at this time of day has access to a PC during working hours. Therefore they are most likely office based. Which means if you remove all those who work in construction, manufacturing (shop floor), Retail (shop floor) you now have a significantly smaller sub set of people, then take your average - blah blah blah we are all geeks

Yesterday got talking to a friend I literally grew up with (but haven't seen in a long time) playing hours and hours of Chess and it turns out he is now playing THP all the time on-line.

See its the Chess not the IT

celticbhoy · 09-03-2006 6:28pm

I think that to be good at poker, chess or an IT job you need to have a very analytical mind. But you can also have an analytical and not happen to do any of the three.

My point is that being analytical makes it that much easier to play well at poker and chess etc. So there is a slight correlation there id say. The best players I played against in college were computer programmers. Analytical minds calculate pot odds and weigh up situations better than most.