Is 40 too old to start?

BelgoSuisse said:

I like Americans. They are so optimistic .... and so naive.

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I like french ppl who accidentally speak english.

rhulp1 said:

as long as you dont fall asleep. Look at Doyle he is still playing!

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Yeah Doyle is a great example. I watched him playing a few times. With his huge experience he's almoust unbeatable, he feels danger, feels when he can bluff, when to throw. Amazing what he does in poker.
Btw he will visit Hungary in September. So if someone wants to see him live (from this region - central europe), check out Doyle klub website.

like Brunson told: for poker cant be too old! sure you can play and after for a while u can be good player

Never to old(unless your dead).

Just remember this. If you play for fun right now and are not to good, it all changes when you learn proper play.

For example, I started playing a few years ago after watching some wsop final tables. I thought this was how you play. Pick up a hand and shove your chips in the middle, bluff with air, and so on. What i didn't realize is these people had already made it through a huge field playing a solid early game. The end game in tournaments is totally different from how it is played early.

I started off playing a cheap ass video game for the Playstation 2. I was killing the game on expert mode, so I thought maybe I was a natural. Then my friend introduced me to playing for play money online. Again I was doing very well. Finally I made my first deposit at PS. It was $25 and I started playing 2 table $1.80 or so(can't remember buy-in) sit n goes. First one I played I won. I remember thinking to myself "Damn I'm great" (not even kidding!) and I was instantly hooked. It goes without saying I lost my original $25 within a week.

From there I searched the web for poker books. I was into tournament play and didn't care for the cash cames. So that led me to read reviews and the one that got the best IMO was "Harrington on Holdem". I started reading and couldn't put it down. Had it read in 2 days. I then proceded to deposit $50 more into my account. To make a long story short, I have never had to pull money out of my pocket to deposit ever again.

Anyway I guess the point I'm trying to make is playing poker to gamble is a blast! Once you start learning the proper way to play it starts taking the fun out of a LITTLE. You look at the game in a different way and you become one of the top third of players that make money. It is fun in a different way, but still fun none the less. To continue making money(online at least) you will have to keep learning .Since I started playing the competition online has gotten much better. I just recently discovered I can only concistantly beat the low levels and I want more than that. It truely humbled me and now I am back to devoting a portion of my playing time to learning.

So continue to view and participate in this forum, keep reading, and most importantly keep playing. Practice makes perfect. You can go from a beginner to making a slight profit in no time as long as your not afraid of a little reading and math.

You are never too old to play poker! All you need is determination and belief in yourself. Also study a lot.

arahel_jazz said:

I wish I was 40... again...
Hell, I think 50 is not too old to start anything! Well, maybe not trying to date 25-year-olds....

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I hear ya

its all about the attitude if you want to learn learn but dont use your age as a crutch
your only as old as the girl you feel

never 2 old

its never to old to play poker u can start playing anytime

I think being older have certain advantages over most young players out there. I assume you would much more mature and financially stable than the most of the younger players. Unless your hotheaded and lives under the bridge with a laptop and free wifi. =)

I was 52 when I played my first game of poker. I have done pretty well over the past 18 months from a standing start so 40 is definitely not too old. Good luck.

BelgoSuisse said:

I like Americans. They are so optimistic .... and so naive.

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American = nose to the grind stone, sweating it out.

French = nose in the air thinking the world still revolves around them.

Wow... and Thanks.

Well, it seems that I've really opened a can of worms on this subject!

Many thanks to all who responded and offered advice.

Maybe the question arises... am I just to stubborn or curious, to fold when I can see I'm beat, and I have to make the call? (but thats another thread!)

And as for the USA vs France debate... blame the Canadians!

Take care all and I'll see you at the tables...

Age doesn't matter pal. There's nothing wrong if you're start playing folder at 40's or 50's......or even 60's. I saw last time on TV years ago, on a live poker game, that a 60+ year old man has involved in a competition, and he's good too.

It's never too late. Poker is for all ages.

The older you get, the better your BR management probably.

me and u are very alike only the age lol im half your age but started playing in may too and real money occasionally only in june / july ..
i dont think its ever late to start..
especialy in online poker u get sooo much expirience in a very short time !
so i think u will catch up quickly ..
good luck

dweezel said:

I disagree. If you have the desire and the attitude, you will do the other things necessary to become a good player, like educate yourself and such.
All the knowledge in the world won't make you a good poker player, but combine that knowledge with the desire and a good attitude about yourself and the game and you will succeed.
True they are not the only factors, but they are key.

Good luck OP .... I'm 53 years old, been playing for 4 years, have 3 online bankrolls all started from scratch, and a live bankroll that keeps on growing.

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I'm with you, dweezel. I'm a little older like you, have been playing about four years off and on. I have the time and inclination to do the studying, plus I have money of my own and I've been able to stick to a budget for quite a lot of years now, so bankroll management is easy. I can start a bankroll from nothing, or put money into an account to jump start it -- neither is a problem. I'm completely capable of learning new things. I'm still able to read, to think, to sit on my butt in front of the computer and click a mouse for hours on end, and I am quite able to laugh at myself when I do something dopey. My patience is better than when I was young. I don't have to worry about whether I am wasting important years of my life playing poker when I should be getting a career going. I can do what I want with my free time. I've cashed in 2 live tourneys and dozens of online ones. The final table is not a foreign place and does not cause my heart to beat wildly.

The things that matter as far as poker is concerned: The real life cards are pretty small and a bit hard for my older eyes to see. (However, I can play that up at a RL table, and people start to underestimate me... which is a nicely profitable situation for a bit. It takes awhile before RL players realize I am winning hands and taking their money. I don't look or act scary. ) I do not do well driving 3 hours to a casino and 3 hours home on the same day. But, you know, I can stay in a hotel overnight and am just fine. My stamina is not as great as a 30 year old's. The thought of a six-day long event is unpleasant. Two months of WSOP sounds like torture. Playing poker for a living sounds like a bad idea. I am not as fearless as a 20 year old. I can't multi-table more than 4 tables comfortably online. I don't like staying up all night. I may fall asleep while playing if I try to play all night.

I can't think of any other negatives of being older. It's a positive that the young guns don't notice I am at the table for awhile...and my little FT cowgirl is equally unobtrusive.

I'd say that yes playing poker at a younger age might help you with experience but no the age you start playing poker doesn't really matter. It really depends on the person playing remember age is just a number and doesn't characterize someone. Actually playing at an older age maybe be beneficial to the poker player because usually the older you are the more conservative you play and what i've learn throughout my years playing poker that being conservative pays off in the long run i also tested these two theories in the poker tables although playing aggressive may lead to instant gratification and leading your bankroll to grow rapidly that is the most dangerous way to play especially if you have a small bankroll already. Playing conservatively i was able to make 1100 dollars off of the first 10 dollars i deposited in FTP and that was my first week of playing (i only spent able 3 hours a day or 7 days). So like i was saying playing poker at an old age and young age doesn't really matter and if anything playing at an older age you are probably at an advantage over something who is young that just started playing poker.

the way I see it is if you still havent got Alzeimers yet, than your not too old

No way, I feel that Poker is a mind game, and you only get wiser with age. Keep playing