Going pro, need advice

[David macdonald]

Hello guys/girls,

I have decided that I want to leave my job and play poker, I have no intention of going out to win big I just want to earn enough to get by and I will see where the journey takes me. I have played on stars since 2006 and I want to give all my time to the game online and live. I will start with £50 deposit on Wednesday and I will gradually build my cash at the cash tables and play at least 1 tournament per day. I am fully aware that this is going to be a tough grind and it won't go my way all the time. So firstly I want to add to my poker book collection, does anyone know of any good poker books? I think negreanu would be the best but does anybody have any good books about strategy? I will also use my poker tracker to monitor my stats.
Thanks

 

[Reload]

I can only tell you that, if you're going really to follow that line, at the beginning you should NOT leave the job. And i mean not only, firstly, for your own good (unless you are an Hellmuth, Negreanu, you know), but also because if something goes wrong, you still have monthly cash to continue investing, on a regular basis.
Don't leave your dream, but don't kill it right from the start, and your life too.

 

[8bod8]

Good luck!
Maybe you can setup a ''CC going pro'' and get advice from Ryan, Jeff (and more?) in exchange for insight in the process and the startup?

 

[JJP]

You need 6 months at least of living expenses covered before you trying to go pro. Poker has a lot of variance, and without that cushion you will eventually hit a downer, that could break you.

I would also advise treating it like a job, have a set schedule and show up every day and grind just like a normal job.

Good Luck

 

[bonanzaJay]

My bankroll building tactics

My name is Jason 'O Rourke and I'm an Irish poker playing fanatic. As a pro managing your €50 starting capital is your biggest challenge. Follow this advice. Stop the cash games until you build your bankroll to 50% profit margin of your starting capital. Cash games can be really brutal. You can lose your starting capital. Stick with the MTT, s Min cashes are usually 15% profit on 5% investment. That's 2/1 on your money. Trust me that's good.

Only ever invest 5% of your starting capital in any MTT. Stick wit this over each month. When you show a 150% profit margin of your $50 INVESTMENT, you will know you have what it takes to be a professional. Oh, and keep the job.

 

[David macdonald]

I can only tell you that, if you're going really to follow that line, at the beginning you should NOT leave the job. And i mean not only, firstly, for your own good (unless you are an Hellmuth, Negreanu, you know), but also because if something goes wrong, you still have monthly cash to continue investing, on a regular basis.
Don't leave your dream, but don't kill it right from the start, and your life too.

I know what you mean and I agree but I think I'm going to give it a go, I have a plan to get by without my job and I will have a low income so I don't need to worry.
Thanks for the honest advice Its very much appreciated.

 

[David macdonald]

Good luck!
Maybe you can setup a ''CC going pro'' and get advice from Ryan, Jeff (and more?) in exchange for insight in the process and the startup?

Yes that sounds good, could be a plan.

 

[David macdonald]

You need 6 months at least of living expenses covered before you trying to go pro. Poker has a lot of variance, and without that cushion you will eventually hit a downer, that could break you.

I would also advise treating it like a job, have a set schedule and show up every day and grind just like a normal job.

Good Luck

I will have myself covered before I make any decisions on doing this. I would not do it unless I know I will be OK, we will see what happens on my journey.
Thanks

 

[David macdonald]

My name is Jason 'O Rourke and I'm an Irish poker playing fanatic. As a pro managing your €50 starting capital is your biggest challenge. Follow this advice. Stop the cash games until you build your bankroll to 50% profit margin of your starting capital. Cash games can be really brutal. You can lose your starting capital. Stick with the MTT, s Min cashes are usually 15% profit on 5% investment. That's 2/1 on your money. Trust me that's good.

Only ever invest 5% of your starting capital in any MTT. Stick wit this over each month. When you show a 150% profit margin of your $50 INVESTMENT, you will know you have what it takes to be a professional. Oh, and keep the job.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate that.

 

[CTAPYXA]

Hello guys/girls,

I have decided...

Bad choices in life. "..and gradually I will increase my money at cash tables and play at least 1 tournament per day." Your words. Believe me, 83x old man, you will be left without movement with a huge amount of food at the computer and reduce the life. You want this?

 

[terryk]

Any journey starts with that first step towards that goal,,,, congrats David. :icon_flow You can do it.

 

[Deedgee]

I wouldn't even think of going down this road until you've tested yourself within a time sample, at least a month, and if you're only playing online, I wonder if you've made withdrawals on Stars already.

 

[hugh blair]

Hello guys/girls,

I have decided that I want to leave my job and play poker, I have no intention of going out to win big I just want to earn enough to get by and I will see where the journey takes me. I have played on stars since 2006 and I want to give all my time to the game online and live. I will start with £50 deposit on Wednesday and I will gradually build my cash at the cash tables and play at least 1 tournament per day. I am fully aware that this is going to be a tough grind and it won't go my way all the time. So firstly I want to add to my poker book collection, does anyone know of any good poker books? I think negreanu would be the best but does anybody have any good books about strategy? I will also use my poker tracker to monitor my stats.
Thanks

If had 50k bankroll for poker would still not leave a 50k a year job.
This only remotely makes sense if you are in low paid employment and after taxes and travel costs to work maybe childcare costs too you would be better off on state welfare.
Hope you succeed though good luck.

 

[Iryna Stryzheuskaya]

This is a very bold, but controversial decision. What work do you have now? What do you dislike about your work? Maybe it makes sense to change jobs and leave poker as a hobby? Poker is not the easiest money. But I wish you good luck.

 

[sparky112]

Hello guys/girls,

I have decided that I want to leave my job and play poker, I have no intention of going out to win big I just want to earn enough to get by and I will see where the journey takes me. I have played on stars since 2006 and I want to give all my time to the game online and live. I will start with £50 deposit on Wednesday and I will gradually build my cash at the cash tables and play at least 1 tournament per day. I am fully aware that this is going to be a tough grind and it won't go my way all the time. So firstly I want to add to my poker book collection, does anyone know of any good poker books? I think negreanu would be the best but does anybody have any good books about strategy? I will also use my poker tracker to monitor my stats.

Thanks

Play behind the blind, and on the button, unless you have a top set in hand and when that happens just put in enough to push the all in junkies out and try to see your flop, if it works out then slam it in before some catches a straight or trips on ya..
Good Luck its a tough way to make bucks but patience and long hours are the keys, Also watch table close the program will switch from all low cards (straights, to High cards to flushes) if you are patient you will see the tables mood
sparky112
Gary

 

[roger perkins]

i retired at 52 and played for about 5 or 6 years. I started with a 50K bankroll. There are extreme swings when trying to do this for a living. I mostly played live and travelled around Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Miami and Palm Bay all in florida. I played at least 6 days a week playing cash while waiting to play a tournament. It is a hard life lots of work and long hours. Make sure you have a big enough roll that you can survive the down swings. GOOD LUCK

 

[xxgsaint5501xx]

Hello guys/girls,

I have decided that I want to leave my job and play poker, I have no intention of going out to win big I just want to earn enough to get by and I will see where the journey takes me. I have played on stars since 2006 and I want to give all my time to the game online and live. I will start with £50 deposit on Wednesday and I will gradually build my cash at the cash tables and play at least 1 tournament per day. I am fully aware that this is going to be a tough grind and it won't go my way all the time. So firstly I want to add to my poker book collection, does anyone know of any good poker books? I think negreanu would be the best but does anybody have any good books about strategy? I will also use my poker tracker to monitor my stats.
Thanks

Dyou live in your parent's basement? Otherwise with the level of stakes you will be playing off a deposit of 50, you will be homeless

 

[TravelerLloyd]

sparky, you play like I do...LOL...man I would almost think we were brothers with identical play for Texas Hold Em!

Play behind the blind, and on the button, unless you have a top set in hand and when that happens just put in enough to push the all in junkies out and try to see your flop, if it works out then slam it in before some catches a straight or trips on ya..
Good Luck its a tough way to make bucks but patience and long hours are the keys, Also watch table close the program will switch from all low cards (straights, to High cards to flushes) if you are patient you will see the tables mood
sparky112
Gary

 

[TravelerLloyd]

hugh blair; are you saying state welfare pays more than his dream of being a pro poker player?

I hope that is not the case! Dude you can do it, even though most of these things are correct, you can overcome the odds and build yourself a bankroll while someone supports you for now. You wont be able to pay rent, buy food or anything like that, not even date, until you get your skills up over $2,000 per month from poker and allow for swings up to $10,0000 per month on a very bad run and you should be fine.

That way you can pay your rent even when you don't win until you start winning again.

I was never a pro, but at one point I was pulling down weekly fuel money for my vehicle and able to eat a meal or two at McDonalds and do a few recreational things from poker.

I never made it to see if I could go further because the poker rooms had all closed, I am just now knowing that they are back. Now this was from online poker. When I tried to play live, they ate me alive like feeding guppies to sharks, it was very hectic.

So I am not sure what format you will be playing but I would wait until I buiilt a bankroll up to about $15,000 before moving oin my own place and then try to get pro like those other guys playiing MTT and such. Frontier has cheap flights to Las Vegas and I think you can do it man if your poker skills are up to par.

If had 50k bankroll for poker would still not leave a 50k a year job.
This only remotely makes sense if you are in low paid employment and after taxes and travel costs to work maybe childcare costs too you would be better off on state welfare.
Hope you succeed though good luck.

 

[hugh blair]

Quote,
hugh blair; are you saying state welfare pays more than his dream of being a pro poker player?

No am saying it pays better than low paid work if got taxes travel costs and maybe childcare creche costs to consider.
40 hours freerolling and welfare would pay more than minimum wage no added costs.
But I plan on working 25 more years until age 65 getting 1.5 or 2 million euro including overtime in a 9 to 5 job no matter how big or small my poker roll.
Health permitting of course it is exactly like you said I like this hard in the poker yard.:top:
Lot of the best pros have sponsorship by sites,books,internet channels,coaching or other revenue streams to reinforce their results on the felt.

 

[TravelerLloyd]

My Poker Pro Goal

I am going to keep my goals within my means, I know the sharks out there will tear me a new butt hole, so I dont fool with them and I amint leaving the fence open for the dog.

I stay as clear as possible from sharks other than to get thier autograph and a selfie if possible.

So if I play online I think, and believe I could possible earn $250 a week from $5/$10 NLHE and that comes to $12,000 a year with a week or two off.

So being careful and with the variance and running into sharks, whales and piranhas from time to time, I think this is possible what do you think.

I am just about average poker player! I figure I would play 5 hours a day or until I won my $50 for the day?

 

[mk0523]

Good luck on your goal. It be better if you try to find something that you love to do other than poker to make a living from. You will be a lot less stressed out and it will be satisfying and rewarding.

 

[FIERROS]

Good luck on your goal. ​

 

[EvertonGirl]

Good Luck, I wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[belizebum]

I say "go for it" Honestly life is too short. What's the worst that can happen? You go broke, you get another job. Big deal. What's the best that can happen? You kick butt and turn that $50 into millions. Good luck and keep us posted.