Playing poker with a full time job

vassiriki · Jul 8, 2016

do you think it's manageable to play poker and work 40 hrs a week being successful at both? cash games are ok, i believe they can be played no problem but are there also players like myself work 5 days 40 hrs a week and play tournaments that'd last 7-8 hours bearing in mind the time zone differences and etc.

detroitjunkie · Jul 8, 2016

it depends, do you think you can do it? define successful at poker? In the hay-day of USA online I worked full time 40-50 hours a week and played for about 10-20 hours a week at low stakes, made about $3k a year and paid for a ton of fancy vacations and some house renovations. To me thats successful enough.

You will want to be able to play on Sundays and during high traffic times, if you can do this you should be fine

Dragic004 · Jul 9, 2016

I worked full time, 40 hours a week, and i play poker for a 30 hours a week for sure. Somethime, a playing on my job too

But if you want to play seriousle, its not recomanding, take a lot of energy

PapaC · Jul 9, 2016

I believe you should think about what's the most important to you. The 40 hours a week working has to be at the top of your list. That's your bread and butter. If I was in your shoes I would work my job to the fullest, and if I play some poker during the week days.I would play only cash games and some MTTs on the weekend. Playing cash will let you leave when you want to. Or you may get deep into a MTT and something comes up and you have to go some place. I just want to say this one thing. I can see how your job and playing poker will be in conflict with each other. What you like most is what you will focus on the most. All I can really say is take your time, go slow , and don't take poker to work with you and don't bring your job to the poker tables. My friend, I wish you all the best,

proud2Bwhack · Jul 9, 2016

it would be hard to be successful without the job actually. play on your day off more because it does take energy, and it also takes flow so playing longer sessions with small breaks during will help you grow faster.

redmast · Jul 9, 2016

For the job you have poker then this is a normal amount of time. I'm in the evenings playing in tournaments and spend on it about 20 hours a week. I can not leave the tournament in half and then continue when I like. If you play in a cash you easier. For me cash 1.5 K per year mean my annual salary. But I do not get to the cache to be in profit. I do not play on it.Good luck to you.

vassiriki · Jul 9, 2016

thanks everyone, all comments seem to be very helpful i appreciate that. i believe i'll go along with the common idea, play it when i'm free to do it and on my off days to get pleasure out of it. thanks again!

CHILOWWW · Jul 9, 2016

now i am one of the players tant is working and come playing is great and very funy i go learn all todays to controled my emotions daily.

satirist · Jul 9, 2016

I think that you can use your part time play to your advantage: on one hand, you can relax and play a few easy SNG's to just play for leisure or whatever you do to unwind, and play your cash games legit. On the other hand, you can tend to your entire bankroll 100% efficiently and only play your high-percentage win range games and play make it or break it every table you're at. Of course, this may have a lot to do with whether you multi table or not, but that could be for another thread. While working full time, myself, I'd say, I have to keep that balance of leisure and gravity as best I can.

Oleg196 · Jul 10, 2016

Do not rush to give up work for the sake of poker. Thanks to the work you have money. You can invest in poker and gradually gain experience in the game. And only when you notice that poker began to earn the same amount (preferably more), you can think about the transition to the pros.

Syltan · Jul 10, 2016

It is difficult but it is possible, I do not care I'm devoting all my time to poker but my friend works two jobs and plays poker MTT!

BigJamo · Jul 10, 2016

vassiriki said:
thanks everyone, all comments seem to be very helpful i appreciate that. i believe i'll go along with the common idea, play it when i'm free to do it and on my off days to get pleasure out of it. thanks again!

Just a couple of hours after work will keep you poker happy.

PapaC · Jul 10, 2016

I got one more reply to this. You keep the job and on pay day you are happy because all the bills are paid and you have some to add to savings and still have the I Want This and That money, which brings on a lot of positive thinking and when you have that mind set, more than likely you will do some winning. In my experience, this is very true. But remember this one thing because it happens a lot. When you win real good one evening, say like double up your BR, and it's time to stop and get some things done, eat, etc. After doing all that poker will probably come to mind, and you see that you could play 2 more hours, instead of watching some TV before bed. You pick poker because of thought like, "I doubled up so I could double it up again". or "a few more hours playing won't effect my job" or "They say I need more experience at the tables, so I have to play more." Look around and there are a lot of post about going back after a good run, and they all say the same thing."I lost it all in just a short time. I just don't know what happened. "It has happened to me. GL to you.

vassiriki · Jul 12, 2016

PapaC said:
I got one more reply to this. You keep the job and on pay day you are happy because all the bills are paid and you have some to add to savings and still have the I Want This and That money, which brings on a lot of positive thinking and when you have that mind set, more than likely you will do some winning. In my experience, this is very true. But remember this one thing because it happens a lot. When you win real good one evening, say like double up your BR, and it's time to stop and get some things done, eat, etc. After doing all that poker will probably come to mind, and you see that you could play 2 more hours, instead of watching some TV before bed. You pick poker because of thought like, "I doubled up so I could double it up again". or "a few more hours playing won't effect my job" or "They say I need more experience at the tables, so I have to play more." Look around and there are a lot of post about going back after a good run, and they all say the same thing."I lost it all in just a short time. I just don't know what happened. "It has happened to me. GL to you.

thanks mate but i love my job. playing poker is also smt i love but i see it more as a way to control myself bette and giving better responses to whatever i encounter in my life. of course, i have the dream to play in a big poker tournament e.g. ept's to start with. i'd be extremely happy to build a bankroll which would allow me to participate in these kind of tournaments. i also tried to play pro 4 years ago but i got bored highly enough just in 1.5 months because i was not getting out of home and even it got me to get in trouble with my flatmates and then i dropped it off. i can't make it full time even though i was very successful then

L0RDVAD3R · Jul 12, 2016

vassiriki said:
do you think it's manageable to play poker and work 40 hrs a week being successful at both? cash games are ok, i believe they can be played no problem but are there also players like myself work 5 days 40 hrs a week and play tournaments that'd last 7-8 hours bearing in mind the time zone differences and etc.

detroitjunkie said:
it depends, do you think you can do it? define successful at poker? In the hay-day of USA online I worked full time 40-50 hours a week and played for about 10-20 hours a week at low stakes, made about $3k a year and paid for a ton of fancy vacations and some house renovations. To me thats successful enough.

You will want to be able to play on Sundays and during high traffic times, if you can do this you should be fine

i think detroit has got the right idea. unfortunately most lower stake/decent payout tourneys take waaaay too long to play on a work day. some sites do have various forms of 'ZOOM' play to help speed things up massively, and are probably a good idea for pumping out those hands played numbers, but i feel theres a limit to what you learn from them, as you'll jump table as soon as you fold, and learn very little about the players at your last table.

I personally stick with the cash games and occasional double up type games mostly. Weekends can be very profitable at the right time of day,as many players are breaking the 1st rule of poker - DON'T PLAY WHILST DRUNK. But since it's the weekend, i often break that rule myself, and become one of the victims of 'seeing double syndrome'. No those are not 4 A's i'm holding whilst playing NLHE, it's only 2 and the other guy flushed me before the turn card, but i recon if i go all-in, i'll scare him off.. DOH!

mrDredlexa · Jul 13, 2016

It is not safe. but it is desirable

jwlaw35 · Jul 13, 2016

I have a hard time getting poker time in with the job I have with tournaments running 7 to 9 hours it makes it hard to juggle.. stick to cash games if you don't have time to play the tournaments..

XChin · Jul 13, 2016

Yeah I'd definitely stick to cash games, 40 hours a week plus tournaments can get too much.

TimovieMan · Jul 14, 2016

vassiriki said:
do you think it's manageable to play poker and work 40 hrs a week being successful at both? cash games are ok, i believe they can be played no problem but are there also players like myself work 5 days 40 hrs a week and play tournaments that'd last 7-8 hours bearing in mind the time zone differences and etc.

Play cash instead. Much better for time management.

I find that working 40 hrs per week and playing 2-3 hours per day is perfectly manageable. But I have no aspirations of playing poker professionally, so that helps.

qkamara6ina · Jul 14, 2016

It depends of you but if you work so much don't play long tournaments, probably any hipper turbo or just turbo, or may be cash .. cause in long session after work you will can't play with all your potential.

PW300 · Jul 19, 2016

I work 40 hours a week and try to play poker most nights and it is difficult. I've started mtts, which i've sometimes gone deep into, and I don't end up going to bed till the early hours of the morning. Then i have to get up for a full day's work having only had a couple of hours sleep. I'd much rather be playing poker than going to work but work gives me a steady income were as poker does not.

Fernanda37 · Jul 19, 2016

that depends of many aspects, the only one who can know that are you!

Doblador bus · Jan 23, 2017

I think that more than a full time job should be a hobby, and to work from this you are left without life

Sonny87 · Jan 23, 2017

I have a fulltime job and on occasions have had to call in sick because of a deep run in a tourney, i agree stick to cash if you have no time.

Alex Sentsov · Jan 24, 2017

I think this is unrealistic. Just not enough time. You need to choose the one.

Playing poker with a full time job

vassiriki

Rock Star

detroitjunkie

Visionary

Dragic004

Enthusiast

PapaC

Legend

proud2Bwhack

Rock Star

redmast

Legend

vassiriki

Rock Star

CHILOWWW

Rock Star

satirist

Enthusiast

Oleg196

Rock Star

Syltan

Legend

BigJamo

Aussie Elite

PapaC

Legend

vassiriki

Rock Star

L0RDVAD3R

Enthusiast

mrDredlexa

Enthusiast

jwlaw35

Rock Star

XChin

Rising Star

TimovieMan

Legend

qkamara6ina

Rock Star

PW300

Rock Star

Fernanda37

Rock Star

Doblador bus

Rock Star

Sonny87

Rock Star

Alex Sentsov

Legend

About CardsChat

Our Community

Our Site