I agree with Stu Ungar. To become a professional, your main source of income has to be from poker. I had bankroll upto 20k but it doesn't make me pro because I'm not dependent on poker and still pay for my apartment, food, car, insurance, etc from my job aka teaching students. Poker is my hobby. To become professional, I have to be able to make a lot of money through poker where I can quit my job. Poker has to be your main income. 20k is just an amount to START playing professionally but not an amount to determine if you're professional or not. My bankroll is currently at 11k and has been dropping a lot lately. But I do know what I'm talking about because I've had my hands on 20k but it didn't prove me as a professional.