are tournaments feasable sources of income?

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/8...sibility-playing-online-hsmtts-living-391798/
This may not apply to most people here since they are either casual players, or dont play high stakes tournaments, but it is interesting none the less to see both sides of the argument. The consensus of people who say they make money is to stake yourself so any money that results from a win is entirely yours and to pick tournaments carefully as some are far more profitable than others. Anybody here have a take on this?

Well big online tournaments have high variance, so if you are only slightly +Ev, then you might get into trouble.

From what I have heard online poker has become much tougher than it was a few years ago. I did not play back then, but thats what everyone sais.

My feeling is that is that MTT's are still profitable, but the higher buyin tournaments are reg-infested .

I think they can be profitable with a high bankroll. Low bankroll is probably better with SNGs and cash games.

cardriverx said:

I think they can be profitable with a high bankroll. Low bankroll is probably better with SNGs and cash games.

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Playing high stakes with a low bankroll makes little sense. The article was referring to people trying to make a living.

That's what I have heard as well Only. It seems with websites like these and tons of books people can pick up the game a lot quicker.

I'm a college student trying to pay for college with poker. I'll say first that it depends on your playing style. I am relatively impatient, so big MTT's are not for me. I play turbo sit&go's, and have had pretty decent success thus far. I have certainly seen tournament players make a living online, but you gotta have enough money saved up to handle the times when you aren't getting a big cash. This is opposed to someone like me, who pretty much makes a steady $/hour rate, since single table sit&go's, at least the way I play, are very low variance.

Good luck, and may the cards be with you!

If you don't mind elaborating, how do you play turbo SNGs so they are very low variance?

straytfrush said:

If you don't mind elaborating, how do you play turbo SNGs so they are very low variance?

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Multi tabling tubo sit&go's is fairly low variance by nature, if you play tight aggressive like I do. They arent' as low variance as regular speed, but they allow you to increase volume,and increased volume=lower variance. Why? Well firstly, 33% of the table gets paid, so it's easier to consistently cash. Also, at the lower stakes (I'm playing $16 turbos right now) there are 2 types of players that are extremely prevalent: the fish, and the guy playing like 24 tables at once. What does this mean for a guy like me, who usually plays 5-8 tables? It means playing against idiots, and people that have a ridiculously low VPIP%, like under 10%. They are very predictable, so all I have to do is avoid playing mediocre hands against them, and hopefully bust them when the blinds go into the 200/400 and beyond. All things considered, it isn't too hard to keep a steady ROI%.

Do you disagree? If so, I'm open to hear why. I've only been at it for a few months, but I haven't had many losing streaks.

straytfrush said:

If you don't mind elaborating, how do you play turbo SNGs so they are very low variance?

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STTs are extremely low variance when compared to MTTs regardless of blind speed. They might still be higher variance than NL cash though, assuming a relatively equivalent skill level.

Personally I only make money at MTT...

I am pretty bad at cash and not so good at SnG, but I shine in MTT. that's where I make my money and place more often than not.

Oh and btw, I will "flip out" on anyone who has software running while playin me on FTP. I am Draconian when it comes to, what I feel as, "cheating." I will report your ass, and I will get your account frozen. That's all I have to say to anything reguarding VPIP% or any other bullshit like that.

Feel free to try PT3 and HEM are legal on full tilt.

I recieved an email from FTP security refering me to their rules. It stated that any software that has information about other players' (hands and any other info included) that you were not around for is prohibited while FTP is running.

Now I may not know completely or even that well about what these programs actually do but from the context in which the young man was posting, I assume it tracks other players' hands info.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I would very much like to hear that these programs don't track other players' hands, but people don't tell me that...

PT3/HEM track every hand that YOU are involved in. nothing illegal about that.

also at OP, very, very interesting thread on 2p2 that you linked.

support means you aren't aloud to data mine by opening a bunch of tables and just watching people play. If you play at a table it is perfectly legal to use PT3 or HEM to track your opponents stats.

To the original post, it might be very difficult to make a living playing at the nosebleeds but I know quite a few recreational players who are able to nicely pad their income with midstakes games.

I am new here. Can someone tell me what PT3 and HEM are? Thanks

Mr_Gone said:

I am new here. Can someone tell me what PT3 and HEM are? Thanks

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Statistical programs that help you to keep track of all the hands that you have played. And how active and agressive your opponents have been.

This is allowed by FullTilt and pokerstars, but you are not allowed to have information on your opponents from hands that you have not played (data mining).

holdem profiler is an interesting one. it also has super HUD which is great for tournaments.

sorry for slight derail.

Back to the OP:

Taking backing in MTT is a pretty bad idea for online IMO. As we can just grind the mocros and build up keeping 100% of our big scores.

Taking backing in live is a whole different story and something I have no idea about.

Mr_Gone said:

I am new here. Can someone tell me what PT3 and HEM are? Thanks

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PT3 is pokertracker 3

HEM is holdemmanager

both of these are used to track your play/hands/profits/yadda yadda

well worth the price if your a serious grinder..or serious at all about poker

well before i play more sng and tournaments now i play more cash well for 1 simple reason fishing is much better on cash you can just change that table if there are no fish