Originally posted by Hlynkinn
Buy her a ring and tell her you bought it for money you won playing poker...
Lifetime poker pass....
I actually did that ♦ Hmmm success with it have been so-so, still make sure that you plan your times you play carefully and remember where you your priorities are in life.
My wife doesnt like/understand most things I do or why I do them, so if I cant convince her to accept it I just do my best to ignore her.
A good relationship shouldn't be about understanding everything, but about accepting that there are differences.
Good thread.
Most people do think of poker as gambling and for most players it probably is. The Pro's u see on TV like Hellmuth, Ferguson, Negraneau, Harmen, have been playing for more than twenty years and know the strategy of playing and winning. Those are the guys and girls we see, but most people only know about the gambling. In Canada gambling is legal now ("Gaming") so there isn't any legal barriers as there used to be and still are in some other places. So it's a lot easier to get involved without any experience and more acceptable in general.
I think the best strategy for those who don't know how to play "the game" is don't ask, don't tell. I have had real jobs that people "respect" and think is "earning a living" but some of those jobs should be illegal and the way their business is run is illegal but the government doesn't do there job to stop the bad apples. So "a real job" isn't necessarily a better or more legal job.
If your "addicted" you may have a problem, I know some of them, they play all the time and mostly lose and perpetually spend the cookie jar money, gf's don't like that.
I play every day as long as I have the time and don't let it interfere w/ work, school or play w/ scared money or then u will have a problem.
Having the time and resources to play, helps. Nobody w/ a 50$ bank roll has the resources of a Gabe Kaplin who can "afford" to lose "7 million dollars" "learning" how to play. His gf should be pi**d. But being the creator of a hit 70's sitcom he can afford to lose while he learns.
Most players would have gone bankrupt losing that much or much less than that and been just another sorry poker tale to hear about Most of us can't afford to learn the way Kaplin did.
gl w/ the gf
P.S. I was a losing player when I started and lost all my "BR", I did't have 7 million but if I had that would be gone too, it's allot easier to lose using money u made outside of poker. Have an affordable BR (set that aside for poker) and only use that to play and you should never go broke following the rules at PS and the gf or spouse or even parents should never know the differance or that u even play until.......... they see u on the TV playing with Negraneau and Kaplin. ♦
well .. if you are spending enough time with her and she doesn't have a feeling you like poker more than her then I think she just have to accept it .. if not then that girl is not for you, seriously
lot of people have hobbies they love, if it is fishing, tuning cars, etc, but having a poker as a hobby means also source of minor (or later major) income and I think every girlfriend or wife should like it .. at least mine does and she is really supporting me which I'm really happy about
just try to show her your profit and how it is touching the skies and tell her that in a long run it is a matter of skill - or how else is it possible to win WSOP main event multiple times (Stu Ungar) or get to lot of final tables every year (Negreanu, Matusow, ..). if she still won't listen, just start drinking alcohol as a hobby and she will regred hating poker ♦
completely agree with lennert..
if one acts like an addict, GF will conceive him that way 
.. if u act normally and most importantly DONT TALK EXCESSiVELY ABOUT POKER while having some romantic time together, there shouldnt be a problem..
at least from personal exp.. some 3months ago my GF decided to call it a day with me after 2y. I thought poker was one of the reasons, and it well might have been at the time.. bcs i was having too much of ineffective approach.. was making written notes about players.. played 0.01/0.02 SSS NL. addicted begginer :)) .. no database etc.. now ROFL at this
now i play much less, and earn much more of course, currently playing NL0.25/0.5 SSS and NL0.1/0.2 BSS and whats more.. i ve done some practical changes in life, and it seems were finding the way back.. 
if she still won't listen, just start drinking alcohol as a hobby and she will regred hating poker ♦
LOL ♦
