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smidjet
Rock Star
Silver Level
have you talked about this with your girl. i know mom didnt much care for dad playing for a living but after he got injured he could not work being a builder. he has suggested to me in the past to plan yearly trips to play sats for big mtts in wsop and try to make the big score but not to quit school or working. he said that even though you can make a living at poker it is basically non productive and a person should ought to be productive
Mr Sandbag
Legend
Silver Level
Best post so far.
I'd also like to add that if you really want to play poker for a living, your goal shouldn't really be to grind 1/2 for the rest of your life. Use it as a bankroll builder and eventually move up to higher stakes - at least 2/5.
The1AceJack
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Thanks man.I just personally 'know' that life isn't meant to be spent doing what we think is the "right thing" (safe/secure thing, usually) if that thing doesn't make you happy.
And I think it's best to eliminate as many "what if's?" as possible -- so that years and years from now your left with stories rather than wishful thinking.
Vhyre
Rock Star
Silver Level
If I tried doing it for a living I can almost be sure I would lose the love for it i have. Its exciting and at times stressful, but too much of anything is a bad thing. I do ok and make a little side money and Im happy enough with that. Playing poker is something to look forward to and a big tourney in my reward for a long week of the other grind.
burgdogky
Enthusiast
Silver Level
In any career doesn't everyone want to climb the ranks of the corporate ladder? Get paid more for doing less? Isn't this true with poker, or any other career? Why would you want to play live, knowing you would get better benefits ( rakeback, perks etc) and more volume online, which means more money? If your going to do it , do it all the way.
Also, if you can't win online you probably can't win live. I don't know you but I suspect that's why you don't want to play online..
Also, if you can't win online you probably can't win live. I don't know you but I suspect that's why you don't want to play online..
Mr Sandbag
Legend
Silver Level
Live and online are very different. You can put in more volume online, but the skill level in live games is generally much worse overall.
I prefer live games myself. I find it boring to stare at numbers and names and prefer to interact with faces and chips. It's an entirely different atmosphere.
Matt Vaughan
King of Moody Rants
Bronze Level
Have to agree with Sand here.
The "if you can't win online, you can't win live" is pretty much false, as there are a number of players (even some established live pros) who are successful live but less so or not at all online. Frankly, they are two different games.
The "if you can't win online, you can't win live" is pretty much false, as there are a number of players (even some established live pros) who are successful live but less so or not at all online. Frankly, they are two different games.
PoKeRFoRNiA
Legend
Bronze Level
Americans can't play poker online unless you play on bovada, carbon, blackchip. it's nearly impossible to put any volume into these sites. And they don't offer rakeback or bonuses for American players. Only pokerstars and full tilt offer that option since there are/were lot of people in those sites.
I've been playing live and rake is ridiculously high, especially in California non-Indian casinos. $1 rake every pre-flop + $5 anytime it hits the flop. While live players at $1/$2 are horrible, it's very hard to make a living playing $1/$2. The best session I had this year, I made roughly $800 net profit, playing 5 hours. But that's when I'm having a really good session. Is that really worth abandoning my job? I'm a math teacher getting paid 48k while tutoring professionally in mathematics for $50/hr. There's no risk involved with my job. I work between 8-14 hours a day. There's no way I'm giving up my profession and my job to play poker at $1/$2. Unlike online where you can buy into the tables upto 100bb and even have auto-rebuy on and top-off, in live games, especially in California casinos, you can only buy-in for $40(20bb) at$1/$2, Hollywood Park being $40-$100(20-50bb) while not being able to auto-top off and only buy-in when you're half-way down. Larry Flynt's Hustlers Casino offers $1/$3 blinds but buy-ins are $60-200(20-66bb). Due to being short-stacked compared to online, variance will be lot higher compared to online since showdown frequency will be lot higher..
I beg to differ with the online vs live. I've seen horrible online players do well in live games. But of course, I rarely see live players do well online. Online is way harder indeed.
Mr Sandbag
Legend
Silver Level
Ughhh. I don't think I could play with such short stacks. The skilled players lose such a big edge. I don't understand the 40bb limit for 1/2. I feel like a lot of players just avoid the game entirely because of it.
At my local casino, rake is high (10% of postflop pot up to $6, plus $1 for promotions), but we can buy in for $200 max and $50 minimum. It is also busy pretty much 24/7 and filled with awful players.
It is also important to note that the cost of living is different depending on location. I couldn't imagine trying to make a living at $1/$2 in California, but here in Ohio, $300-$400 a week is enough for someone to pay the bills. Granted, you'd still have to put in 50 hours a week, but it would definitely be possible for a winning player.
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turtelliusshellius
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Honestly, I'm a dreamer too and I agree with you. If you want to play for a living and can fulfill that possibility with solid play, go for it. I'd say continue down your current lane and KEEP SOLID RECORD OF YOUR EARNINGS. See how much you make per hour over the long term (at least 1000-2500+ hours of analysis). Then I'd recommend these rules (these are a set of rules some pro player friends of mine use as well as rules I use when I play myself *minus the payment rules since my bills are paid through my business earnings).
1. Never buy in for less than 50BB at NL games and 25 Big Bets at FL games.
2. Never invest more than 5% of your Bankroll in a single buy in.
3. If you lose 2 buy ins, get up, go home, and skip your next day of play for meditation and analysis of "why" (never get the "I'll win it back" mentality)
4. Keep your bankroll and spending money separate following this structure
a. At the beginning of every week, establish your starting bankroll amount (I'd recommend starting at $10,000 or more if you are planning on playing between 1/2 to 2/5 NL or 5/10 FL)
b. At the end of every week refill bankroll to starting bankroll amount established at the beginning of the week.
c. Take remaining profits and put half into your bankroll to establish new beginning week bankroll amount while continually increasing your bankroll (allowing you to play bigger games as time goes on)
d. Take the other half of remaining profits and pay yourself with them.
This structure allows you to pay yourself weekly like a job, keep proper bankroll management, continually build your bankroll so you can play larger games later in your career, and pay your bills as you need. If you get on a bad run and lose, you don't get paid for the week, but get to start over the next week without losing too much of your bankroll. My friends have all found success with this structure as did I before I started my business (which I used poker earnings to do so with...so consider this as a possible future option as well because entrepreneurship is much more secure than poker and just as satisfying). I hope this helps, and good luck, run well, play better.
1. Never buy in for less than 50BB at NL games and 25 Big Bets at FL games.
2. Never invest more than 5% of your Bankroll in a single buy in.
3. If you lose 2 buy ins, get up, go home, and skip your next day of play for meditation and analysis of "why" (never get the "I'll win it back" mentality)
4. Keep your bankroll and spending money separate following this structure
a. At the beginning of every week, establish your starting bankroll amount (I'd recommend starting at $10,000 or more if you are planning on playing between 1/2 to 2/5 NL or 5/10 FL)
b. At the end of every week refill bankroll to starting bankroll amount established at the beginning of the week.
c. Take remaining profits and put half into your bankroll to establish new beginning week bankroll amount while continually increasing your bankroll (allowing you to play bigger games as time goes on)
d. Take the other half of remaining profits and pay yourself with them.
This structure allows you to pay yourself weekly like a job, keep proper bankroll management, continually build your bankroll so you can play larger games later in your career, and pay your bills as you need. If you get on a bad run and lose, you don't get paid for the week, but get to start over the next week without losing too much of your bankroll. My friends have all found success with this structure as did I before I started my business (which I used poker earnings to do so with...so consider this as a possible future option as well because entrepreneurship is much more secure than poker and just as satisfying). I hope this helps, and good luck, run well, play better.
PoKeRFoRNiA
Legend
Bronze Level
This year, I was playing live at casinos and then recently, I've been playing lot of home games through meetup site. I haven't been to casinos for over a month now. Home games are lot more social and best part is, no rake. They have games low as $0.25/$0.50. Initial buy-in can only be $20 and then you can rebuy upto $40. But now, they changed it that if the cash game has gone on for at least an hour, then you can buy-in for $40. So I'm happy about that. Although it's still 80bb opposed to 100bb, I'm not gonna complain because it's still way better than casinos and best part is there's no rake, although I still tip the host and the house whenever I come out with the profit.
While most average buy-ins for home game tournaments are $40, they even have tournament as low as $13($10+$3) with $10 1-time rebuys. 2200 starting stack and blinds start as low as 5/10.
Home game $0.50/$1 has a buy-in of $40-$100. Although I haven't played it because it's only hosted in few places, I mostly play $0.25/$0.50 cash games because games are extremely soft. I would say if someone's serious about making money through poker, then they should consider home games by looking up poker meetups through meetup site. It's what I did and I think it's way better than casinos.
newbie in training
Legend
Silver Level
Id agree the no rake thing is going to be a huge plus not to mention the spfter play but id save satuday and friday nights for the drunk people at casinos pick em off as I like to say in 1.10 mtt on bovada haha
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2
pick em off as I like to say in 1.10 mtt on bovada haha Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2
Fieldsy
Rock Star
Silver Level
Online is harder because at casinos a lot of people are on vacation and getting loose. Those who play for a living at live games are maybe just as hard or even harder than those online. When you get good at live games, you learn a who other tactic than online, the social aspect.
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iKingOfHouse
Rising Star
Bronze Level
Sorry to dig up what is such an old post but... did you ever decide to run with this? I have just given some consideration to quitting the daily grind (7 days a week, long hours) and switching to a "career" in Poker.
My biggest issue at the moment is whether or not I am going to have the mental capacity to play poker for hours on end. As a casual player I have done OK over the years, but then I guess it's a lot easier when you can drop in for 5/10 min here and there for a bit of fun. When you HAVE to play to pay the bills it becomes a different game.
My biggest issue at the moment is whether or not I am going to have the mental capacity to play poker for hours on end. As a casual player I have done OK over the years, but then I guess it's a lot easier when you can drop in for 5/10 min here and there for a bit of fun. When you HAVE to play to pay the bills it becomes a different game.
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Cstarker27
Enthusiast
Silver Level
This is what I have come to learn in playing poker for a living. Break down your salary to an hourly rate and see what that would translate into and what type of winning player you would have to be to meet your salary. A $40k/yr job breaks down to just under $21/hr. To achieve $21/hr at the $1/2 games you need to average 10+ BB/hr. And from everything I know and to all that I have spoken to, to do 10BB/hr means that you are among the best at this level. Now you also need to have a large enough sample size played so you have a true idea of what your win rate is. Some say a minimum of 1000hrs played is a large enough sample, I say 5000hrs. Then you know what type of win rate you can expect playing poker. I personally would advise against trying to make a living at $1/2 poker, because it’s not much of a living. You will have down swings where every play and every read you make is the correct play... yet you still lose. It’s just part of the game. You can expect to hit downswings where you can lose up to $3k or more. All the while you are still coming outta pocket to pay the bills. However once you you start to move into $2/5 & $5/10 there is real money to be made. I currently play $2/5 & $5/10 and can attest to being to make a decent living. Between the two stakes I made just under $90k (around $46/hr). That works out to 9BB at a $2/5 level consistently and about 4.5BB at the $5/10 level. I hope this was helpful.