limits pros play

What are typical cash game limits for pros, online and live? and what are the lowest limits you can play and make enough to live off, online and live?

Like the answers to a lot of other poker-related questions, this one is a great big fat "it depends" on all counts.

Starting at the top, the biggest regular cash game in a US casino is the Big Game at the Bellagio. That plays as high as $4/$8K in limit games, or with a $100K per hand cap in no limit / pot limit. Regular players in this game include Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra and various others.

Online no-limit games get as high as $500/$1000 blinds with no cap. Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Durrr, Urindanger and David Benyamine regularly play at this level. Full Tilt offers limit games up to $2/$4K.

There'll be people making a living from those levels all the way down. The lowest level you can make a living at really depends on your own quality of life values (assuming you're a winning player, obv).

Just for the sake of it, looking at Full Tilt right now (6:30pm Sunday, server time) these are the red pros that are on and the games they're playing:

Phil Ivey is waiting at three $100K NL tables, with nobody to play against. He's also three-tabling $40K PLO.

Gus Hansen: $40K PLO, on one table against Ivey

Ben Roberts: $5KNL
Ryan Daut: four-tabling $400NL
Morris Chestunt: $400NL
Macieck Gracz: $200NL

Louis Velador: two-tabling $1K PLO
Eddy Scharf: $1K PLO

Bruno Stefanelli: $8/$16 LO8
Hal Lubarsky: $1K and $600 NLO8, and $30/$60 Razz (NFI how a blind guy multi-tables, BTW)
Kristy Gazes: $200PLO8
Sigi Stockinger: two-tabling $100 PLO8

Diego Cordovez: $10/$20 Stud8
Esther Rossi: $3/$6 Stud8 and $2/$4 Stud

Roy Winston: $50/$100 and $30/$60 HORSE