Baby Boomers Set To Retire - Second Income's Sought!

Baby Boomers Set To Retire - Second Income's Sought!
By Al Spath

Okay, okay, so I fall into to this category, but I'm not alone. The so-called "baby boomer generation" is nearing retirement (some early retirement), and many of them are now seeking ways to "supplement" their income, or are searching to find something to do to occupy their new found time-off!

Although the age of most internet players seems to skew the balance towards the younger ages (I'm sure a factor is a few under-age players checking the over 18 block on their internet agreements too), more and more "senior" citizens (omg, that's me too) are finding that computers can be friendly, and very profitable. After all, the boomers have some of the necessary qualities that make for excellent players: patience, experience, wisdom, and all the time in the world.

Large portions of these "boomers" were not computer "accepting" individuals, as they may have resisted change as the "techno-era" came in, and then jobs were eliminated for colleagues when businesses down-sized and more programs (instead of programmers), began to replace the work force. It's only after the influx of home computers, younger family members introducing their parents and grand-parents to much more user friendly software, or when the "boomers" were forced to utilize a computer at work when their one-time secretary position was replaced by an office pool, and they had to submit their work via an electronic document, did they finally enter a "portal." This strange, and sometimes unfriendly portal seemed like a dark hole for years and only after necessity, did the use of the computer become more and more part of their daily routine.

The fear (first of the keyboard), and then of the cyber-monster (seemingly run by complicated software), and engineered by someone at Cal-Tech, was quite a difficult task to conquer for the novice "boomer" who was more comfortable on their IBM Selectric. Up until that time his/her only exposure to a computer-type device was his/her son's Atari, or Commodore 64 system. This is where they also got their butt's waxed when not understanding the mechanics involved in operating "joy sticks" and the fact that the younger folks were playing countless hours a day on them, perfecting their eye coordination and sharpening their reflexes. Yes, a bit of nostalgia might come to mind when I mention Packman and Space Invaders, but did you ever master it, or did you just get frustrated losing to an eight year old like me?

Although many boomers are retiring and opening up a ton of jobs for those ready to fill the void, most of the friends I have are quickly discovering that the internet offers "new opportunities," and with the click of a mouse can be transported to hundreds of online sites, some offering quality instruction, like www.pokerschoolonline.com, and yet others offering an opportunity to play for real money, like the biggest of them all www.partypoker.com. Each offers the client an opportunity to learn and earn as they play, albeit somewhat different approaches. On the live sites, with real money players, your poker education comes at a cost, and using an ATM card, a credit card, or one of many internet electronic banking payment sites will quickly document your "poker progress." While at schools that you pay a monthly, or yearly membership, you get to learn in an environment that is rich in information, full of opportunity, and safe enough to make mistakes.

Making money online is not easy for everyone, but the ones who are succeeding have a number of characteristics in common: they are bright, they know math is part of the big picture, and they have plenty of time to be patient enough to learn how to win. Now, I'm not saying that all seniors, or for that matter "boomers" are have all three of these basic qualities, but I'm guessing a lot of them think they do !

Now, anyone for a game of Donkey Kong?