Poker as a Profession

[MrMuckets]

No Remorse, No Regret. GO4IT

 

[Sardonix]

Currently I'm unemployed (Laid off) and haven't been able to find work after being at the same job for 10 years. Secondly its my family thats helping with the financial and emotional support so highly doubtful the relationship will go south. My goal is to give it one full year of 1/2 NL and see where I'm at next year, if its positive then I continue. However if its not then I simply fall back to what I was doing. My plan is very basic and simple. I have put alot of time into drawing out a schedule with my family to discuss all the details so its not like Im dropping everything. I do however love and appreciate the responses

I love this response. I can see that you put a lot of time and effort into this decision. I agree with what everyone has said though. I am glad you are giving yourself a year to see how it all pans out. If you end up winning enough to continue, AWESOME, if not well back to the drawing board. Remember even if you dont make enough, and dont go "pro" you can always treat it as a part time job and do the type of work you were doing b4. My buddy had 2k said he was going to go to the cino everyday he could, he wanted to make a living playing poker. He gets up to 4k, hes pumped, he knows what he wants to do with his life, 2 weeks later hes broke. lol, Don't tilt, if you do you may never forgive yourself. I'm pullin for ya man, i really am, GL

 

[WEC]

[ x ] busto

See this thread.

Buy this book.

Also, realistically, you probably need to play $2/$5 NL live to make a living: that means a $50,000 professional level bankroll.

Have you considered becoming a LIMIT expert? Theoretically you could play $20/$40 on a $12K BR.

Good post...not many people realize a lot of older successful pros play Limit for a majority of their cash game play.

My suggestion to the OP. Just dont do it, dont try and make it as a pro. Hardly anyone can make it real long term playing professionally--yeah a lot of the kids are having a good year or two--but you have to make the nut every single year over 10-15 years. And even if you can, it can be a sad, rough, depressing life, especially if you exclude all/many other activities besides poker. It is the in thing to do, but best to play poker on the side and enjoy it and learn to work in a career that you can build on and live a regular family life.

 

[jordanbillie]

I have a friend who plays online "professionally" and I have seen it take a major toll on him. He had a good year where he made 30K+ in the first 3 months of the year and he let it get to his head and he took the rest of the year off. Then the next year he struggled to break even and he was really depressed. I guess what I am trying to say is there are a lot of other things besides money that poker can change, either good or bad.

From my experiences I would recommend playing poker more on the side of a part time or full time job, and consider playing "professionally" after you have a more sizeable bankroll. $8,000 is just not enough.

 

[Xavier]

What if like me you have don't have a career and can't get one?
I have a Maths degree but it has proven totally useless as I can't get a job, and have been trying for about a year.
So playing poker or writing a successful book I'm beginning to think are the only real shots I have at making any money and not just living with parents for the rest of my life on benefits

 

[nascarbabe]

I think you need to do whatever you feel is comfortable with your life. Take in consideration all the advice given here, pick out what you feel is most relevant to your unique situation and use it to your advantage. Just make sure you have a back-up plan in case all else fails. Much luck to you out there

 

[moeraj]

If you're able to make a plan that doesn't leave you out in the cold you should try it. You'll never know until you try.I would advise you to start at lowest limits until you grow a larger bankroll.If you have a whole year you don't want to start your new career with a big downswing and put pressure on your roll early.

 

[StormRaven]

Personally I would look at it like this.

Do you enjoy it?

Have you enough money to get by for the next 6-12 months if you don't win via poker.. could you take on a small part time job just to pay the bills?

Will leaving your job for 6-12 months (assuming it dosent work out) make all that much difference?

Do you have a family to support?

Basically if you are young, free and single, have enough money to buy food and pay the rent for a year and feel that if you quit your job next week, you would have no difficulties finding another in a year's time..... then why not?

Amen brother! Go for it! You are young without a family to support and are currently unemployed - hell yeah! If it doesn't work out for you - at least you tried! You won't have to look back on your life and wonder "what if...?"

*I would recommend you jumping up to $2/$5 - if you do well - fantastic! If you don't - move back down to $1/$2. I can tell you from my own personal experience that I am a much better $1/$2 player now than when I was before jumping up to $2/$5.

Best of luck to you! If it doesn't work out - so what? You're young, you can recoup and by golly you only have 1 life to live - live it!

 

[LizzyJ]

Maybe you can find a part-time job while trying to make it as a poker player. That way you would at least you will have some type of dependable income.