So when somebody asks you "What do you do for a living ?"
And you say "I'm a Professional Betfair Trader". What responses do you get ?
Question
I'm quite selective about who I tell. If it's someone I know, or a friend of someone I know then I might tell them that I bet on sports for a living, then go into explaining that I use computers and mathematics. They'll generally find it quite cool and are quite interested.
Other random people who ask me, I just say I'm a computer programmer - which is true. I just don't go into the details.
Other random people who ask me, I just say I'm a computer programmer - which is true. I just don't go into the details.
I spent most of my life allowing my emotional state to be determined by what I thought other people thought of me. Most of those people were not in hindsight in any way important in my life.
It's taken a long time for me to understand my own nature and I know that other people can easily wound me. I "need to be liked". Probably as a result of being serially assaulted (smacked in the back of the head, kicked in the balls, punched) by kids at school who didn't like me answering most questions in class. I wasn't trying to show off - I knew the answers and loved the interaction with teachers.
So that's a long way of saying only a couple of very close friends and my wife know anything about this aspect of my life.
It's taken a long time for me to understand my own nature and I know that other people can easily wound me. I "need to be liked". Probably as a result of being serially assaulted (smacked in the back of the head, kicked in the balls, punched) by kids at school who didn't like me answering most questions in class. I wasn't trying to show off - I knew the answers and loved the interaction with teachers.
So that's a long way of saying only a couple of very close friends and my wife know anything about this aspect of my life.
I have definately found it detrimental to relationships/friendships, to mention numbers.
Maybe my daily swings are too big, for most to 'get their head around' .. but, althou I am willing to go into detail, if a family member wants it .. I tend to lie, when mere acquantantships ask.
Recently, I have begun playing golf with a hedge fund guy, who is taking 5 yrs off, after a payoff. He 'gets it' .. so, maybe its just u need a certain mindset, to acknowledge that the figures are just that.
Maybe my daily swings are too big, for most to 'get their head around' .. but, althou I am willing to go into detail, if a family member wants it .. I tend to lie, when mere acquantantships ask.
Recently, I have begun playing golf with a hedge fund guy, who is taking 5 yrs off, after a payoff. He 'gets it' .. so, maybe its just u need a certain mindset, to acknowledge that the figures are just that.
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The dog of ry
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:17 am
I still haven't answered this question for myself.
Only my close mates know what I do, and I have given up telling people. For a while I was saying I "trade markets", but that led to everybody assuming I was talking shares etc, and conversations quickly went down a path I literally have no knowledge in.
My mates are really quick to introduce me as a "pro punter", and I hate it. Some people look down their nose straight away, as if it's some dodgy way of life and others latch straight on wanting to know my secrets.
I've now started to say I'm a bookmaker. Some assume it's similar to an accountant (usually people with zero knowledge of gambling), and for some reason people are generally more accepting of that answer? Which makes no sense, as I lierally consider the corporate bookmakers here in Australia as the scum of the earth.
I also don't discuss numbers. It would only lead to jealousy from mates, and extreme worry from my mother!
Good thread.
Only my close mates know what I do, and I have given up telling people. For a while I was saying I "trade markets", but that led to everybody assuming I was talking shares etc, and conversations quickly went down a path I literally have no knowledge in.
My mates are really quick to introduce me as a "pro punter", and I hate it. Some people look down their nose straight away, as if it's some dodgy way of life and others latch straight on wanting to know my secrets.
I've now started to say I'm a bookmaker. Some assume it's similar to an accountant (usually people with zero knowledge of gambling), and for some reason people are generally more accepting of that answer? Which makes no sense, as I lierally consider the corporate bookmakers here in Australia as the scum of the earth.
I also don't discuss numbers. It would only lead to jealousy from mates, and extreme worry from my mother!
Good thread.
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ShaunWhite
- Posts: 10362
- Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:42 am
It may only be human nature, but I really dislike with the way people judge each other by what they do, or what they own, or who they know. I think that comes from years of being in City IT and having posh boys looking down their nose at the very people who created the systems, without which they'd be estate agents or party planners.
So, it might make be a cantankerous old b@stard but when people ask me what I do for a living I usually say "as little as possible" and move on. If they press the point I'll say "well I had a decent career for 20 years and now I live on my investments". Not a word of it a lie and dull enough to make changing the subject a breeze.
I think technically I'd probably call myself a "Wager broker"
Seriously though, what do you guys use on things like car insurance application forms? I've been putting "Retired" for years because a) how i feed myself really isn't their business and b) any real attempt to explain it to the uninitiated would put you in the 'extreme risk taker' category.
So, it might make be a cantankerous old b@stard but when people ask me what I do for a living I usually say "as little as possible" and move on. If they press the point I'll say "well I had a decent career for 20 years and now I live on my investments". Not a word of it a lie and dull enough to make changing the subject a breeze.
I think technically I'd probably call myself a "Wager broker"
Seriously though, what do you guys use on things like car insurance application forms? I've been putting "Retired" for years because a) how i feed myself really isn't their business and b) any real attempt to explain it to the uninitiated would put you in the 'extreme risk taker' category.
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ShaunWhite
- Posts: 10362
- Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:42 am
That's a moving posting gazuty, and one that will no doubt resonate with many of the wonderful outsiders, mavericks, obsessives, geeks and go-it-aloners that make up the trading world.gazuty wrote:I spent most of my life .....
I got fed up trying to explain, reason and defend myself - nobody understands it, they think you are a gambler, or a work shy loser
Recently, I changed tack - I told a few people that I work for Betfair, which in a way I suppose I do.
That got a far more positive response, despite the fact that bookmakers have the morales of a peadophile
Recently, I changed tack - I told a few people that I work for Betfair, which in a way I suppose I do.
That got a far more positive response, despite the fact that bookmakers have the morales of a peadophile
Really?Euler wrote:I tell them I'm a porn star, that somewhat confuses them but somehow seems acceptable."What do you do for a living ?"
I'm very happy watching your face on trading videos, Peter. However, the thought of seeing your bare ass pumping away isn't acceptable at all
It all started with a friend of mine announcing, after arriving late for a party, you must ask Peter what he does for a living, it's fascinating. So I thought I'd turn the joke on him. It took him a couple of hours to realise what was going on. This was in LA as well, so it sort of fitted. You can imagine the follow-up questions I got!
When someone asks I just say that I'm a day trader which is technically correct. I rarely get follow up questions after that answer which suits me just fine. I avoid going into too much detail, but if they do want to know more I just say that "it's hard-to-explain boring stuff similar to Forex trading" and that normally kills that part of the conversation.
I'm not ashamed of what I do and think there's no need to actually lie to people (especially family members), but the problem with sports trading is that it's such a niche profession and that makes it very difficult to explain to laymen, that's why I find that vague answers work best for me. Of course, one of the advantages of being in a niche profession is that there's plenty of room at the top, but you also actually get to choose how you're perceived by others.
Only my closest friends and my siblings know that I'm actually a sports day trader and they (more or less) understand how it works, my parents don't even care too much about the details as long as I am successful.
I'm not ashamed of what I do and think there's no need to actually lie to people (especially family members), but the problem with sports trading is that it's such a niche profession and that makes it very difficult to explain to laymen, that's why I find that vague answers work best for me. Of course, one of the advantages of being in a niche profession is that there's plenty of room at the top, but you also actually get to choose how you're perceived by others.
Only my closest friends and my siblings know that I'm actually a sports day trader and they (more or less) understand how it works, my parents don't even care too much about the details as long as I am successful.
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JollyGreen
- Posts: 2047
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:06 am
I tried to explain to people but gave up many years ago. I just tell them I work in bespoke software. That prevents them from asking me to fix their virus crippled PC!
Pretty much the same as all the other posters already, keep it broad in most cases and usually along the lines of 'I trade on the movement in sporting odds a bit like a financial trader does with the price of stocks' and only go into further detail if really asked.