The Dream

We're all playing this game for one reason: to win money.

We see these shows about young 21 year olds renting a mansion in Vegas and playing the WSOP...

I'm only 18. I think why I can't do this? Make a $100k+ a year playing poker.

Why couldn't I get good enough to be able to consistently beat 400nl 8-tabling Rush?

Your takes on "The Dream?"

You can get good enough, if you are willing to do the work. I believe that people can achieve almost anything that they truly desire as long as they are willing to pay the price.

When it comes to poker I think a lot of people see the "baller" lifestyle and don't realize the work that the true pros have put in to get where they are today. Sure, occasionally someone like a Moneymaker luckboxes a fortune, but the people who consitently, year in and year out make the large money put in a ton of work on their games that we don't see behind all the glitz

So my question to you OP: how bad do you want it? What are you willing to do to achieve your dream?

This is my dream also so it better be doable. I am not after the "baller" life style and tons and tons of money, I simply just dont want to have to listen to some moron tell me what to do.

Hint (joke): Win 40 CardsChat freerolls = 2K$

Register a SnG for 12K$ WSOP Main event package - win it and your going to WSOP Main event!


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As for yer dream... well just do it!
Go in LA and win it all.

*Sorry if my advices seem like a 12 years old child but lets be honest the best things in life are simple .
So just make it simple.

I think with any walk of life, if there are other people already doing it then it goes to show that it's possible. As far as my own poker goals are concerned, I'm not thinking about specific end goals - I'm looking at the whole thing as a long-term project where I slowly work my way up the limits, making the correct decisions as often as I can. Playing poker for a living would be great and it may never happen for me, but I see what others achieve and I think "why not me?"

Tonight I'm going to try and satellite my way into the Sunday Million on PokerStars, a tourney I've never tried to play in before. I might not qualify for it. If I do qualify, I might get my backside properly kicked. The thing I love about poker is that you're potentially one tourney win or deep finish away from achieving some of your goals, whatever they may be.

I actually do not play poker for the money. First and foremost, I play poker because I enjoy the game. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm still happy playing poker for playchips.

Any money that I happen to win while enjoying my game is just a bonus.

I actually feel that there are many top pros that approach the game with a similar attitude -- that is, the money is actually secondary to the goal of beating your opponent and challenging yourself to grow.

Don't get me wrong -- I like money and I'm sure that those earning millions playing poker do too. I just think the money is actually not the main thrust for many of the best players... money by itself won't necessarily drive them to succeed, but crushing your opponents and being the best does.

I play for fun, it's only recently in the past year I've taken it more seriously by studying and I must say I think it was more enjoyable when I was playing purely on a fun on fun basis playing different games I wanted too. The only reason I went into BR managment etc was because I was losing a ton of money enjoying the game. I still enjoy the game, just don't lose anywhere near the amounts I do these days which is obviously a good thing and haven't deposited in 9months or so.

I think I'd enjoy playing as a pro, as in the real big pros but never would expect to get there, the dream is good enough lol. It would have to be a good well known pro too who earns money in other deals too, like Daniel Negrenu, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan etc. These players can afford to lose big, can afford down swings as they have back ups for living expenses from sponsored sites, stakes in sites, a salary from a site etc. I don't think I could be mentally prepared - ever for a self employed poker player so to speak. Someone who has to grind day in day out and know all their income comes from playing at a casino or online. This would take out all the fun for me and bring constant strain, the top pros don't really have this, they still get a very healthy sum of money with their endorsements to live a luxury lifestyle like your lawyers,doctors and so on even if they did lose their whole BR.

So yeah, I'd dream of being a top pro - not a 100% self employed pro.

As for moneymaker - I don't understand why people berate him so much. Sure he isn't up there with the top guns, but he didn't exactly win the WSOP and noone ever heard of him since. He's a winning player online with some decent scores and still does some very nice scores in the live circuit. He took a PCA deep run this year and came 2nd in the headsup NBC so I don't understand how you can say he is just a luckbox, it seems so many people say it that everyone just jumps on the band wagon and don't actually follow his results...

We play for different reasons. I play because I'm addicted to competition. Whether its poker, video games, board games, sports, tic tac to or go fish, I am addicted to competing.

Like most things people see on TV......
It looks easier than it really is, many of the 'pros' we see on those TV poker shows,
are or have been broke (some more than once).

The old saying "It's a hard way to make an easy living" is so true

Now having said that......

GO FOR IT!!!

I feel like its just that we don't have the money to play high stakes and the grind is the path to the dream. The Dream is achievable for anyone, some people just get a head start.

Just like me, your 18 and you got a lot of time to build a big bankroll. Unlike me, you already got a bread and butter game that you kill at ( $4 Rush OD.) Your way ahead of me in "the Dream". Hope to see you accomplish it!

it was always my dream to play at the world series of pokerand i will do that by having enought bank roll at by thime i have enought i will be ready for wsop i beleve that i can do it

I'd suggest picking up a book on Psychology of Poker because this statement above is wrong. People play for many different reasons.... knowing this (& figuring out why they do what they do) will help you to beat them on the tables. Many play to 'win money' but for many this isn't the main motivating factor by a longshot (ie. if it was, then why are there a handful of good players only playing $5 priv. tourneys when they'd likely be able to run with +ROI in bigger buyin MTTs... & when they can afford to be playing at a way higher level than they're choosing to play at?).

Why can't you be a pro... or make it in the bigshow? Who knows... maybe you can?? I'm assuming though that you might not be quite aware of the scope of this (ie. think back to the first couple weeks you played poker & I'm guessing (amongst friends) you thought you were pretty good at this game? (just assuming here but do know this is common), now consider how much more you know in the while you've been playing... then think some more & think about how much more there is to learn).
I can run fast but I doubt I'm going to win a 100m Gold Medal at the Olympics. I've KO'd alot of people (mostly while working) so why can't I get at 'er & shoot for kicking George St.Pierre's azz? (maybe I can?).

Maybe you will become an ass kickin' poker player.... but maybe not??

It is certainly possible. But you have to have good bankroll management skills and stick to them. You also have to realize that there is a definite factor of variance that will affect your results.

Why can't it be done sometimes?the answer is simple...

You need a little bit of luck on your way up!say you begin with a dry spell that puts you on non- ending bad beats that lead a major downswing!you won't have enough to cover that up and you're gonna get fed-up with this and stop fighting because you don't have enough money to do it and you're gonna be convinced to stop.

Now let's say you're one of the lucky ones who starts with an amazing heater that leads to a huge upswing.When variance finally decides to show up, you will be able to sustain the beats and learn from them and even if you go broke, you've only truly deposited very little and your morale won't be that hurt you can start again from your eaten bankroll or from zero and thus have a bigger chance to become a winning poker player.

All else is study, commitment, and playing. EVERYONE can do that!It's simpler than they say (if you are passionate and have a brain). But you can never affect variance and when it will strike so try to focus on the first part and pray (or do the rain dance) so that you would get a head start...If you don't and you truly did your best, at least you can blame it on variance and luck not yourself!

I say the dream is doable and Like so many others have said it takes a lot of work and extreme bankroll management.. but gl at being a pro by 21

I couldnt agree with you more. I play for the competition as well. Of course I like making money playing poker but the pure enjoyment comes from learning new ways to crush my opponents.

Well Put, I really enjoyed reading this, plz suggest some of the books you were talking about if you don't mind




Enjoyed reading this alot thx for taking the time out to Write it


Always Loving To Crush ppl

i really think that poker must be a recreation thing and dont count on it as a living as the always one bad beat away of getting busted some days you will catch no card , get on tilt and lose it all dont put poker as packup plan it is just another way to get little extra cash on the side

BRM tho