I play part time 1/2 cash to supplement my income i have five kids a wife the whole nine im am doing well building a bankroll i am dreading going back to work full time in the spring i collect and play in the winter months now my question is at what point do i move up stakes build a big enough roll that i am confident enough to leave my miserable backbreaking labor intensive 16 hours a day six days a week job i hate so much to be my own boss work for me and rely on me to support my family and be happier with life. I have my oppinions on this but i want here what the community has to say
I think people will say you need at least 6 months of living expenses saved up and have a solid bankroll. The general consensus for live casino poker is around 15-20 buy ins (although many of us start our live rolls at 1/2 with less). But since you want to try to make a living off it, I'm guessing most people will say you'll want double that if not more in your roll
Poker is a cruel game and you've got to consider not only your own sanity and expenses but also that you have a family. That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with grinding while working a job to build your roll and take shots sometimes with the safety of your job to fall back on. Nothing wrong with taking shots at a dream. But you've got a family, got kids, sounds like they depend on you. So stick to your job even if it sucks while working on your dream. Save money as much as you can, build your roll up as you get better at the game. It's going to be a lot less stressful on you to grind and play if you know your ability to put food on the table isn't dependent on how the cards fall.
So stick with the grinding but stick with the job too. Maybe if you do better and have a deep roll over time you can consider what some do and keep at least a part time job with some benefits while playing more to balance the risk.
Chase the dream but be smart about it. Don't risk loss of ability to provide for your kids to play cards. And while I don't have kids, I think it's fair to say, don't let the time at the tables cause you to miss the milestones and miss the time you'll never get back with them if you're not there with them.
It's all about risk management and balancing your life.