Different types of players

I am not going to get into the different types of players that can be at a table( aggressive, loose etc). I am more talking about the different types of players that I know and also that I know are out there. I need to figure out exactly which one I am, which one I want to become and which one I never want to become.

Guys that play poker- This is the most common person I know. This is also the person that players like me can not wait to see at a table. Poker has become the new thing to do in a casino, so now when people get drunk instead of taking 1-300 and blowing it on red/black or roulette, they come to the poker table. These guys think that any ace is worth pushing all in, they think an 8 outer getting no pot odds is worth calling all their money. yes, these guys will win some money, but overall, these guys will never win and will always ship their money. These are the guys that will sit around with their friends, and they watch it on tv, but they are not poker players, and they are relying soley on what they see on tv to dictate their play.

Poker Players- These people not only love the game, but they are good at it. Over time( be it a 15 hour session or if you are tracking by weeks/months etc) they will always end up making money. They can play with anyone, and they are always confident in their ability to suceed no matter what game at what limit they are playing. These guy know when to make the call, know when to fold, know how to manage their money etc. These guys all still have jobs, they do not play poker full time, but when they do, they are good at it and they do it knowing full well they are going to make money doing it.

Ametuers and Pro players- In my mind the biggest difference between the 2 of these players is the bank roll. Both of these types are poker players and whatever their game is( tournies vs. cash, hold em, omaha etc), they know they are good and they know they can make money doing this. A pro has a huge bankroll and/or they have backers. There are thousands and thousands of ametuers out there who are just as good as the pro's, but they do not have the money to sit down and do a 1k tourney every day or have 5k to sit a bigger limit cash game. Both of these types of players know the exact limit they should be playing and they know when to walk away. Most ametuers are playing to build up the bank roll to become a pro.

I have played with pro's both in a tourney and in cash games. Terry just played in the main event and he was against tons of pros. The thing about poker is that yes, some people are going to be better, but just because someone is a pro, doesnt mean they can not be beat and that they are that much better. More times then not, the difference comes down to money. An example is people watch High Stakes Poker and talk about how good or bad these guys are. Negranue lost over 850K in 5 hours last time that was on. That was not all his money, and the other guys playing that are losing, can afford to lose. To a porfessional poker player, losing 15k is like me dropping a penny and not picking it up. I am not sure I want to be a pro, but for now, I know I am a poker player and I know I have the skill to be at a table with anyone. The key is sitting at the table and playing the limit that fits my bankroll.