Making the Vegas Move...Good idea or bad?

I am thinking about making the move the vegas and take a shot at going pro and have a few questions and concerns that maybe some can help with, but let me give a little backround on myself.

28 years old (playing poker 9 years)
As bad as it sounds I have never kept track of winning percentages
I have a rough bankroll of 8k
I play 2/5 live games only
Despite not being up on lingo my game is solid and I mix it up well.
My bankroll is not only used for poker but other investments with solid returns

I have touched basis with a couple other "pros" who have rooms for rent but I do not know how much of a good idea that is.

What is a realistic adequate BR for that Limit?
How should I best prepare for the trip mentally ?
Is it wrong not wanting to study poker as I would a college course?

I just feel that some poker strategy is over rated and people emphasize it too much. As complicated as poker can be and is I just do not see the need. I learned from the game and people (and thats how I make my decision in every hand). Is that a bad approach?

Vegas has the biggest unemployment rate in the country. around 16% i believe. so if all fails, im not sure your gonna be able to rebound easy

Doesn't sound like a recipe for success tbh.

From what was given above. I would say don't do it, you aren't serious enough. I'll hit on them one at a time.

As bad as it sounds I have never kept track of winning percentages

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Without never keeping track of your winning percentages, how do you even know if you are a winning player?

I have a rough Bankroll of 8k

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Vegas isn't cheap and that $8k(not even really if you have it tied up with other investments) is not going to go very far. If you had a solid $8k, that would only be ~15 buy-ins for your limit. For one thing, that is leaving yourself fairly vulnerable to going busto with a small bad streak. Also, that isn't taking into account rent, food, everyday needs, etc..

What is a realistic adequate BR for that Limit?

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For just playing, not living/other investments, and for the limit that you're wanting to play, I would say absolutely no less than 10K, but realistically if you're wanting to live off your winnings, then 20k would give you more of a pad for variance. What would be a better idea would be to just move down a limit. Why will you only play 2/5 and not 1/2? Your bankroll in no way supports 2/5, but it would support 1/2.

How should I best prepare for the trip mentally ?

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Here you said something that sparked my eye. You should go on a trip out there for two weeks maybe. See if you can rent a room for half a month and see what happens with that first. If you are successfull, then maybe you can think of it. But KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SESSIONS. You will never know if you are winning or not otherwise.

Is it wrong not wanting to study poker as I would a college course?

I just feel that some poker strategy is over rated and people emphasize it too much. As complicated as poker can be and is I just do not see the need. I learned from the game and people (and thats how I make my decision in every hand). Is that a bad approach?

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You're wanting to make poker a living, but not willing to put in time for study with it? You are pretty much saying that you are wanting to make money and put nothing into the process of it, which will more than likely not work. In my professional medical field, we have to have a certain number of Continuing Education Units(CEU's) every year in order to stay up to date with what is going on in our field. There are conferences in many industries all the time for similar reasons. If you are wanting to make poker your livelihood, then you should be putting in the Continuing Education, because there is always something you can analyze, study, and calculate away from the tables.


With all of this, you definitely are not ready for the move. I would say your first step should be to move down in limits and start tracking your winnings from wherever it is you're playing now and see what you come up with after 6 months. If you are doing great and padding your BR, then take an extended "vacation" to Vegas and see how that treats you. Once again, if that works out successfully, then come back around with some real numbers and ask again. Right now you are just asking for failure IMO. Good luck.

I'm still wondering if I'm reading typos or if this is a level from a former member...

As bad as it sounds I have never kept track of winning percentages
I have a rough Bankroll of 8k
I play 2/5 live games only
Despite not being up on lingo my game is solid and I mix it up well.
My bankroll is not only used for poker but other investments with solid returns

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Each of the above items by themselves would give me pause, but all of them together raise all sorts of alarm bells. This has to be a level.

a level?

absoluthamm said:

a level?

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You don't think so? It just seems almost too preposterous not to be. You know we've had some former (banned) CC members come back and post totally off-the-wall n00b posts just to watch the fireworks ensue, so I'm always skeptical when I see 1st posts like this.

If the OP is serious, then I'll simply offer my opinion that based on the information posted -- assuming it is complete and he doesn't have some huge nestegg he's not telling us about -- then I would strongly discourage him from making this move. It would seem he has a LOT to learn about playing even serious recreational poker, let alone professional poker.

Yea, I know what you mean Dave, I just didn't recognize the term. Post something like this then never show up again.

It sounds like OP might have some talent or he just ran into a prolonged heater playing some soft live games in his home town. But there's no way he has the discipline/dedication to make it on such a slim/nonexistent margin for error in Vegas, where every degen with a dream, not to mention a ton of more skilled/experienced players grind their asses off.

OP, if you have other "solid" investment opportunities, I'd say go for that and continue to play poker, but yes, ffs move down in stakes, study the game and track your sessions/winnings.

Let me clarify a couple of things.

My poker Bankroll is not my overall bankroll. The 8k is strictly winnings from poker. another 10k is for what ever else I do.

Poker education clarification. I do not know all aspects of "hybrid" poker but what I do know is that there are two types of learners in this world; ones who study by way of books and lecture and ones that get out and get here hands dirty (me). At a table I am the guy that could care less about who taught you poker or how many hours you have "studied" the game. My only concern is getting as many chips of yours in my stack as I can . I mean that humbly.

I have played at Bay 101, Commerce, and all of the rooms in Sacramento and for a number of years now. In those years I have met "pros" to "fishes" and only difference is level of play and seriousness. And they taught me one thing; Poker is just a series of checks, calls, raises, and folds, when timed right pay off.

I know some are going to say I am a donk because I am not talking variables, variances, implied pots odds, position, etc....but you know what that shit goes out the window all the time especially by "pros", hence busto. People are not machines and I am the type of player to bring out the dark side of humans on a table.

P.S

I was looking for some advice for people who are actually "pros".

IMO you should have at least 100 buyins for your level, and enough savings in the bank to survive for a year.
So I would say 50k bankroll, and another 50k non poker backup money for your level.
And of course a good track record, consistent results and a plan.

Now I realise most pro's did not start out with that, and that you are not going to listen to me.
So go ahead, move there, try for yourself, and find out the hard way.

edit: Oh almost forgot the most important thing. On top of your bankroll money and your backup money you should definetly have a non refundable ready to use bus ticket back home.

Hey,

Only skimmed the OP and this thread but my advice would be to move to California if you are going to play poker for a living. Southern California has always been a great place to play (and live) and Vegas is notoriously slow and nitty beyond the major tournaments that come to town every so often.

That's all I got, but figured it was worth posting. Sorry I don't have more time to expand but on the simple question of Vegas or Southern CA for a poker playing prospect, I would always advise Southern CA.

There's other reason too like lifestyle etc. Vegas is a horrible place to live TBH. Not to mention you better have great control of yourself and any leaks/vices that could destroy you there.

Dave

I say go for it.

dmorris68 said:

I'm still wondering if I'm reading typos or if this is a level from a former member...


Each of the above items by themselves would give me pause, but all of them together raise all sorts of alarm bells. This has to be a level.

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Do ya kinda mean like > ___ , one scotch & one beer?

fwiw, I'm thinkin' of moving to NYC & start up a Chiropractic clinic. I'm not gonna go to school for it though... way too easy.. I mean. get 'em up on the table, a twist here a twist there.... CRACK!!.. done.! Pay Me! know what I'm sayin' I seen it done enuff I know it'd be ez peezy.

dominoking916 said:

Let me clarify a couple of things.

My poker Bankroll is not my overall bankroll. The 8k is strictly winnings from poker. another 10k is for what ever else I do.

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If you are talking about going on an extended break until the 10K living expenses run out, then sure do it, you might even make it as a pro.

If you are asking advice as to whether 8 or 18K is enough to be properly bankrolled for poker (bearing in mind the lowest stakes available are 1/2 and 100 buyins comes to 10K for that) then no you are not.

Its also a pitty you haven't monitored your winnings over a period of time as most people overestimate their winning if nothing is written down.

go for it man, worse case scenario u will lose, but u will have a story to tell

<8k bankroll for 2/5? Never kept track of your winnings?

It's easy to run hot and crush games over short periods of time. Sounds like you probably haven't run into much if any negative variance yet. Trust me, it is inevitable. The "long run" in live poker is extremely long due to how few hands you see per hour.

Nothing wrong with taking some extended trips to Vegas (2 weeks+) and taking shots, but certainly don't make a fully committed move out there yet.

ahh vegas - the poker players wet dream, as for what you've said i'd vacation there for a month or so see how it pans out, then come back home and decide however i feel ur roll/ knowledge of the game should be alitle higher relying on live games alone is a drag man.