Poker as a career

[Dontdropout]

I would like some opinions on my decision. I am 22 years old and recently graduated with an associates in science from a community college. I have been playing poker since 17 and consistently since 18. I have played millions of hands and thousands of hours. The past few months I decided to take a big step and actually play proper bankroll management. I started with $700 and played avg stake of $15 dollar turbos as <30bb stacks are my specialty. I can easily sense my skill over these opponents and results show I was able to consistently profit around $100 a day I turned the $700 into $3k but finals came up and I had to take a break I also took $600 and took a shot at live 1-3 which I felt I had a huge edge in the game most tables were 2-3 regs with the rest being older people or just fish I like to go on the weekends ended up losing but got it in good. I know I can make 25k a year with my associates but I have a strong feeling that my poker game can make me more. As long as I follow proper br management.

 

[sryulaw]

our from 700 to 3k, you have a very good ROI from what we saw !! I think it's too high Buy you started, have a lot of Regs in this buy in! if I were you, I would invest your money with private lessons with the professionals, I would take a course online, study hard !! because poker has been raising your level very fast! more frankly I was surprised by your ROI !!

 

[Dontdropout]

Thanks I've felt that my game has been good for a while but i often go broke because I lack BR management or get drunk and lose it lol. I watch a lot of twitch and pick up things on my own I feel that it helps my game, I don't do much studying but remember what they say during streams. My roi is good but I put around 8 hour days every day.

 

[Nano5722]

As i said before in another topics to another people here the best decision is to have job and play poker in your free time. 25K a year is it much or not? Looks like depends on the Country you are living in. Will you be healthy playing poker as a professional 24/7 ?
Anyway this is your decision, if you think that this is your destiny - go on, try hard.

 

[James_Moria]

As for me, I think it's better to have a real job and poker for your free time

 

[Sprockett]

I think you should wait out of the limited information you give. First off all, Is 3 K your current bankroll? I would consider $30K a small bankroll for going pro. You should also have saved up a minimum of 6 month of living expenses. This is money you should be able to earn playing poker, while holding a job.

I also want to ask: Are you a proven winning player? Running $700 up to 3 K is good, but can you do it again and again. You will have bad beats, coolers and days you dont play your A game. How god are you when things go agains you? You also said you have blown your bankroll more than once. Bankroll management is a skill just like hand reading and patience. This is a crutial skill for a pro.

These things beeing said I have no idea how good you are, but my advise is to build up a big BR and prove too your self that you have the dicipline and skill before taking this big step. If you have no obligations (as in living home with your parents) you can give it a go, as you dont have much to lose.


Just my humble opinion.


Sprockett

 

[r21sp]

I would advise you to hire a good coach who would analyze your game and point out the weaknesses in your game! I am sure that with due diligence and patience you will succeed!

 

[maykmar]

If you think you have the potential and desire to do it, I do not see why not,

 

[Dontdropout]

I think i fend pretty good they were times when i would go on 10 or more buy in downswings but things would turn around pretty quickly. I do live at my parents but only plan to live here for another year.

 

[playinggameswithu]

Dude realistically "pro" poker is a hell of a profession,you need a Ph.D to play the game consistently profitably. Most poker "pro's" are broke as hell for good reasons. The cash game rake is high frequency,revenue based,percentage cut which means the majority of the money goes exponentially to the rake. Poker consumes your life, the culture is notoriously poisonous. The level of disrespect towards money is in the poker culture which is a fatal mistake. I would say get a profession not poker. I'v seen to many people quit terrified of being homeless because they lost. Remember in poker you can lose for no logical reason besides downswings that includes Phil Ivey's 2015. Stay away from poker as career use it as a lucrative hobby and get a profession.

 

[Helloween]

Choosing poker as your profession is only your personal decision. No one can look into your soul and understand how this decision can affect you in the future. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with this, the main thing is the variety of your leisure time with some hobby, since the losses do not have a positive impact on the psyche of any person. If you are morally stable then forward and with the song)

 

[OzExorcist]

You're using words like "sense" and "strong feeling", which rings some massive alarm bells for me - especially when you're only talking about a sample size of a few months playing with "proper BRM".

If you're a bonafide long-term winning player then you should have access to data that tells you exactly what your win rates, ROI, etc are. You shouldn't need to be going on senses and feelings because you should have the actual numbers.

 

[Sil3ntness]

As mentioned above, I think the smartest thing is to focus on your career outside of poker FIRST. Once you got a stable career going, play poker on the side for additional income.

Playing poker for a living can have its ups and downs. It becomes less fun whenever you are depending on that money and it can be soul crushing when you have a lot of downward variance.

Also you can take the benefits of a job for granted: Builds your resume with job experience, potential vacation benefits, bonuses, and etc. Poker can be very difficult the higher you move up in stakes. A lot of people are trying to get to the top so it definitely will not be easy to make a living from playing poker. So in summary, continue to play poker, but do it as a hobby until you start to notice that you are making a whole lot of money making poker.

There are some people out there that went from small stakes to the nosebleeds out there. So it can be done, but take your time and enjoy the journey!

 

[Fastone2]

Keep your day job.

 

[imhighhommie]

You're young, give it a shot if you'd like. The lifestyle is very hard and not very rewarding. I'd advise playing poker as a hobby that sometimes makes you money homie.

 

[Klito]

You've done so good .. Good luck on your goals

 

[Milosika1991]

You have my friend's support, judging by these results, I think you have great chances to earn good from poker and make progress in your poker career ... I wish you a lot of luck at the tables

 

[Andrei Korolev]

Good growth of your bankroll,this speaks to your successful game.Good luck...

 

[AlexBlade]

I guess that you should have a plan B. Don`t dive into poker, I know a lot of people who tried to play to make money for living... All of them lost. gambling is a risky hobby.

 

[YoSoyMarce]

of course you can make a career un the poker world, everything depends on the enthusiasm that you put

 

[Helloween]

I guess that you should have a plan B. Don`t dive into poker, I know a lot of people who tried to play to make money for living... All of them lost. Gambling is a risky hobby.

nothing surprising, in professional sports, science and just in any other profession, only the best and persistent reach the top. Is not it?

 

[BriceNice]

simple, you said you can make 25k with your associates degree right? The second you make 25,001 dollars, in poker, quit your job and focus on poker full time.

 

[LxixDude]

Playing pro-poker is hard work. You have to commit to it if you want to be profitable.


I just tried going pro over the last year. Perhaps some of my lessons learned can help you in deciding what to do.

I was making small but consistent wins when I decided to try going pro. But after 6 months of playing pro and tracking my game I realized I was not making a profit over all. I was making a small loss, just a few dollars or so, but still a loss. That ends up adding up and depleting your bankroll.

• You are a professional so be professional; be responsible in your life outside the game and in the game.
• Be disciplined - schedule the time you will play; you're a professional now so it is work, schedule the time you will be working.
• Make yourself accountable to some other people; both other professional players and non-players. Especially when it comes to the Bankroll Management.
• Stick to a budget - you may have made good winnings before but now you will be drawing funds out of your bankroll, and that can end up depleting you funds fast.
• Don't forget to set time aside for study and developing your game. You mentioned watching online videos. That won't cut it anymore if you want to be professional. Get a coach, maybe some online courses -RedChip.com is a good place to start.
• Develop the quality of your life outside of the game.

There are so many other things I could say, but these come to mind first. Lastly, as my first coach asked me, Can you do anything else to make money. If the answer is yes then why do you want play poker professionally?

 

[vov4ik]

You are good at playing and winning, you are doing well, but there are times like losing money in poker, I agree with some people that you need to have a normal job - and play poker in your spare time and get both pleasure and profit, but when winning a lot, you can quit your job and not work, but just live and earn poker, but for a constant poker game you need a good game experience-good luck-and money to buy good expensive tournaments and play cash games in decent cash games, but your decision if you feel that you can play and get more from poker, then I wish you good luck!

 

[Oussama Qarbach]

I don't see why you shouldn't, Poker is a great game if you are not taking the big risks. I get what you are doing, and hope you continu on this path.AT: AVOID being drunk or mad ad loose it all