Do you play poker in pursuit of a career or as a Hobbie?

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cotta777

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Just wondering what the split ratio is on players here,
like are most on some kind of want to be a pro pursuit and investing hours and hours trying to get their.

Or is poker for you, purely a hobbie and something you have a love and passion for?
 
Syltan

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A long 5 years of trying to become a professional player, but from the very beginning to neglect theory. Ultimately aspire to a career but you can believe that poker is my hobby, which I dedicate almost all of their time.
 
mange1234

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As a hobby only.

Only recreational and as a hobby when I find the time.

I realized that, for me, pursuing a professional poker career or attempting to win any reasonable amount of money, is out of the question. As, my poker playing skills are limited.

But, that should not discourage others from seeking a professional career. You may have the necessary skills and personality to make the grade.

So, even tho I will never be playing for the big money, good luck to all who seek to do so.
 
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floweryhead

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I work for myself but there's a couple of months in the year where I make nothing. Therefore, Poker is kinda pays the rent for those two months...but there's no way I would like to sit in front of my computer for 8 hours a day everyday with 6 monitors glaring back at me. Another problem is that when I do pay the rent my bankroll is seriously dented meaning I have to spend a month grinding it up again before I can start making money again and it can be distressing dropping down three or four levels.
 
PapaC

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12 years ago I would use the word addiction in the worse way. A career is out of the question. I will always be an above average player at my own level. I dont want nothing else. I like to keep it fun. And I can make $50 last me forever at my level. But a hoppy, no not that either. I like as a hobby wood working. I build things you would never see much, and make a little money at it. Poker is just a little entertainment. About 6 hours a day. The rest of my time I'm right here learning the game. A guess what, I don't have a TV. Can't afford it. So it's just me and this old laptop, and this recliner,oh and FM
 
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benspocket

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as a hobby and i dont do that well either,lol
 
PCK

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Just a hoby for me,but i would like some day to becam a profesional player and play poker for a living
 
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carsguitars777

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I have a wierd history with poker, in my college years I played what I would call professionaly, i played long hours(60hr plus a week) and made enough to survive just on poker but it was not a cofortable living by any means, after college I got a real job and made 10x what I made at poker while working much more easy hours and only played recreationaly... now im wondering if I should make the switch back to playing for my proffesion as even though its long hard hours for very little money unless you are on a lucky streack, I think I was happier back then.
 
nc_royals

nc_royals

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Definately a hobby. My goal has been the same for the last several years. Make enough to pay for family vacation.
 
thetick33

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career I am going for disability cause have an issue with heart that limits me in life.

I did play poker semi pro for over 5 years did well.

Took last two years off till got sick again and struggled keeping work because of my limitations.

Now ive freerolled money into 6 of 7 US sites.

I am doing ok good start working way up need to now since am winning regularly get into bigger events move from the 100-200 to 1000 events and grind way up am starting to do 5 dollar buy ins have won nothing yet.

But today 15 events a 1st and 3rd and 5 more moneys so ok day up like 20

winding down now so gonna play a couple more late night ones see if still have some magic. Starting to grind a bit at tables too did yesterday when tourneys were not working at all lol.

Taking it slow. Have the time just keep slowly moving in up take shots at events that make sense small fields extra bonus money etc... Have very tight bankrolls since started back up 5 weeks ago but they are growing nicely.

I do plan on pushing all the way to the top of the heap if I can this time:)

We will see where I stack up. Have never went for it really.

Just played for fun to make extra money:) Even when did as part of life when was sick the last time and was semi pro I was never pushing it.
 
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donkcentralFF

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I'm very young and have only been playing for about a year and half... I have a ton of really good days and won several live/online tourneys... I would guess right now I would say I'm in between hobby/job... Lately I've been playing as strictly hobby (have issues lol) and not as a way to make decent sums of money... Have noticed that I've been enjoying it more since treating it as strictly a hobby... The stress of the game sometimes becomes too much for me to handle and causes me to make horrible degenerate decisions.. Happy though to step away currently and treat it's as hobby because I have noticed I've become happier in life.. In the next couple months I hope to pick it back up as a current career, but until than I hope to enjoy the pleasures of life!
 
Mark Gavr

Mark Gavr

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For me, the game of poker has passion and a hobby when I find free time , I play poker for fun .... so you can boost your bankroll , and it's not bad .
 
Landopope

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It definitely started as a hobby but the more I grow as a player and learn the game, the more it is becoming an addiction lol. I am still in school and very young so do not know where it could take me. I was a professional cod player about 3 years ago and believe I could see some success if I put the practice in.
 
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swingro

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I am a semi amateur. Poker is a hobby but i made some money over it playing the micros.
There are some requirements to becoming a pro. First of all you need to be sure you are making double or triple the money you are making at your current job . I am far away of making the money from poker as i make as an engineer at my current job. And i am from Romania where life is not that expensive. Probably it is harder for someone from UK, germany, netherlands or canada. Maybe 10 times harder. There are pros that moved to Thailand, Philippines or other country where life is nice and not expensive. Life as a pro is not easy and there are few that can pursuit it. Some can have a good life grinding and winning at 5 NL, others need to grind and be winners at least at 100NL. Here in. Romania a good 25NL grinder will probably have a better than average life.


Here is the funny part of a newsletter recived from BlackRain79.


But each situation is unique and I am not here to crush anyone's dreams. I am just here to provide some proper perspective from my experience. I recently came across one of the most hilarious and eye-opening PG&C threads that I have ever seen on 2+2. Two young guys (early to mid 20's) grinding NL2 and NL5 all day and partying all night in Cambodia. This seems insane to me and many others given how little they are making. However, anybody who has ever been to Cambodia knows that it basically costs nothing to live in that country. They are also young and having the time of their lives. So for them living on a beach in Cambodia grinding nickels and dimes all day still easily beats working some crappy 9-5 back in cold and rainy England. Who am I to argue with that?
 
Bee

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It started as a hobby, usually plays. Then I happened to have won some money. Now it's more than a game. I think I still am not serious about the game
 
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LornaMurray

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I had started in poker as a hobby and my interest, but now it seems like pro persuit.
 
hulinada

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I play to earn money but so far not much poluchaetsya, I think you need to find a good coach.
What do you think really now earn poker?
 
taban13

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I have a main work of poker playing in the evening when there is spare time. And the payoff for me as a nice bonus to the game itself. So poker to me is more of a hobby while I'm trying to play well.
 
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cotta777

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I'm very young and have only been playing for about a year and half... I have a ton of really good days and won several live/online tourneys... I would guess right now I would say I'm in between hobby/job... Lately I've been playing as strictly hobby (have issues lol) and not as a way to make decent sums of money... Have noticed that I've been enjoying it more since treating it as strictly a hobby... The stress of the game sometimes becomes too much for me to handle and causes me to make horrible degenerate decisions.. Happy though to step away currently and treat it's as hobby because I have noticed I've become happier in life.. In the next couple months I hope to pick it back up as a current career, but until than I hope to enjoy the pleasures of life!


That's the million dollar question!

Where to define the potential, and I feel part of the problem in the game is
players have moments of brilliance, alot of players, not all but alot do
these moments of brilliance are what bring people onto the career pursuit
we do well in a few tournaments or we win big a few times and we believe we are good enough.

Ultimately what counts long term is the consistency, the concentration and the discipline to make poker a career and actually hench my question how many are in pursuit of the dream>

It's often started from running well or knowing your A game is upto it.

For me the way I see it I believe we all have to forfil a purpose in life and, over investing in poker may be bad,

the best way to measure it is if your time investment + you life investment + your return investment is in balance.
 
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hobbs1991

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hi, i am new here! poker is definitely one of my favorite hobbies! and could consider it a career one day possibly! but for now i just enjoy sitting and playing when i can! thanks for asking!
 
theRaven68

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i play only recreationally and i havent had any kind of ambition to play professionally
 
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titomurcia1214

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Hello, I started playing 2 years ago and first took it as a fun, but so far I have learned that if one really likes this game that takes time which does not have a lot for my work and studies, but that short time that I have to play great step I think that basically my dream is to become a professional player
 
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GWU73

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Definitely a hobby. Maybe some day I'll do more with it, but with a job and a family, I just do not have time to build that kind of roll.
 
DaPirate

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Only play for the fun of playing/rush when you win a big pot and move up in the standings of a MTT. Have been fortunate enough to have won 2 trips to Vagas and entry into a couple wsop events but didn't finish in the money.
 
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