Going Pro

Culchie

El Stuntman wrote:

Put it this way - do you want to be stuck in an office five years from now staring at the clock ticking oh-so-slowly around to 5.30pm and wondering 'what if?'....

This isn't really the way to look at it.

I'm going to be a stick in the mud as usual.

I think if you've graduated from College you should carry on with your career. Poker isn't going anywhere, it'll be there on your PC whenever you get home, or you can pop down to your local casino wheneber you feel like it.

Having a job and a career isn't about being stuck in an office. If you have the balls to try pro poker then it strikes me you have the kop on not to get stuck in a dead end job either.
BTW, by the time you're 35, I doubt there will be 'offices' anyway.

Make your life interesting while you are young, meet people, travel the world, learn how to ski.....don't worry about moving pixels on a PC screen.

By all means have a bash at it for the experiment, even then I'd say you're wasting a summer you can't get back.

Interesting to note that the 'old fart' posters on the thread are offering differing opinions to the 'young bucks'.

ChipLdr

I've spent 5 years at school doing subjects i didnt wanna do and then 4 years in college doing a subject that only slightly appealed to me. I now have the opportunity to finally do something that i love and i will work damn hard at it.

Some great posts by the way. I hope i can come back in the winter and report good progress but if not i'll never have the regret of trying it out.

If i lost the $3000 i'd rather lose it doing something i like rather than at horses,roulette or some crazy gamble gamble game. This may come across as a negative attitude but i'm prepared for the worse.If i fall on my face then so be it but i dont want that feeling of what could've been if i dont take this opportunity!!!!

Of course in the future there will be more bills and more respoonsibilities that might change my career but when the 10th June rolls along the Tournament director in me will scream SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL .

5starpool

Culchie wrote:

BTW, by the time you're 35, I doubt there will be 'offices' anyway.

Oh by Christ I wish this were true.

AmarilloFats

Chpldr,
The very best of luck..This is from the hustler. Like it.

Gordon: I don't think there's a pool player alive who shoots better pool than I saw you shoot the other night at Ames. You got talent.
Eddie: So I got talent? So what beat me?
Gordon: Character.
Eddie: Sure, sure.
Gordon: You're damn right I'm sure. Everybody's got talent, I got talent. You think you can play big-money straight pool or poker for forty straight hours on nothing but talent? You think they call Minnesota Fats the best in the country just cause he got talent? Nah, Minnesota Fats's got more character in one finger than you got in your whole skinny body.

Gordon: Eddie, is it all right if I get Personal?
Eddie: Whaddya been so far?
Gordon: Eddie, you're a born loser.
Eddie: What's that supposed to mean?
Gordon: First time in ten years I ever saw Minnesota Fats hooked, really hooked. But you let him off.
Eddie: I told you, I got drunk.
Gordon: Sure you got drunk, the best excuse in the world for losin'. No trouble losin' when you got a good excuse. And winning - that can be heavy on your back too, like a monkey. Drop that load too when you got an excuse. All you gotta do is learn to feel sorry for yourself. That's one of the best indoor sports, feelin' sorry for yourself. A sport enjoyed by all - especially the born loser.

pok3rplaya

Culchie wrote:

Poker isn't going anywhere, it'll be there on your PC whenever you get home, or you can pop down to your local casino wheneber you feel like it.

I don't think this is true. Your average NL player is slowly getting better and better. I don't think this game will survive for an infinite amount of time in a state that ensures it stays as profitable as it is at the moment. Players are copping on, poker skills improving books and other information is becomming more plentiful and widely available. Lots of long term players have said that party 25NL tables are way tighter now then they were back in the day (though this is unsure because there was a different blind structure in the cash games, I still think it has some meaning though).

I say milk poker for all you can now while it's still juicy. I don't think it has long left to live in its present state.

And plus.. in what other accesible job could you make a quarter mil a year at 21yo?

Cianos

ChipLdr..

Playing professionaly is going to effect you in ways that you cant appreciate right now.

Just always remember that you can get out at any time, there are many things far more important than making money, and the highest income doesnt mean the best life.

Also, make sure you have a means to vent the negative energy from poker because it is unfair to take it out on family/friends.

fuzzbox

pok3rplaya wrote:

Your average NL player is slowly getting better and better.

But they still suck at PLO ... and deuce-seven triple draw is only new ... thats gonna be next .... the games continually evolve.

ianmc38

Cianos wrote:

ChipLdr..

Also, make sure you have a means to vent the negative energy from poker because it is unfair to take it out on family/friends.

Very important point. I've vented it on the wrong people way too many times at this stage.

Beware of the downs. over the last two weeks, I estimate bad beats have cost me in excess of 8000K. after a stream of them, the last two days ive been playing crap poker as a result on some sort of perpetual tilt. Believe me it doesnt do your frame of mind good, and its not even my own cash that i lost over the last two weeks.

If I were you my friend, I would look for something else to do half of the time, because the poker highs will be just as good, but the lows won't be the end of the world because youve got outs -

TacT

Go for it and the very best of luck. Be sure and let us know how it goes. Been making steady money at .50/1 for over a year now. I've never had a month of loss but I have had one lousy month where I made a pitiful profit but I'm still persevering and taking money off the fish. Biggest downswing to date has been €560 in a week and my biggest winnings for a week was circa €1200 between a small mtt win and my cash game profits. Just think long term and try not to let the fish get to you.

I did the same thing in March of last year with a $1K bankroll and it has worked out nicely (despite everyone thinking I'm a lunatic for having such a low bankroll). Take regular breaks, don't play for too long and make sure and put some aside for holidays. I'll be gone for over a month the Summer myself

Chomp

My first post, so hello to you.

Hi ChpLdr…I have a few points on your original post.


1. Honesty and Reality
You seem to be disregarding your 2 losing months, and only concentrating on your 2.5 winning months. Why? Why are you only counting your wins/losses from March, when you started playing in January? Half of your year's play to date has been spent losing. (I know you've changed games, but see point 3 below on this issue.)

This kind of blinkered vision is very, very dangerous for a poker player IMO. Are you sure that June won't see a repeat of January and February rather than March and April?

I think you are not in control of your psychology here – a deadly error for any poker player. This kind of wilful disregard of losses is not a good sign. Here's a FACT; your profits since January, almost half the year, are c. $3,000 (c. €2,000). Those are not your profits since March. They are your profits since January. That is a fact that you should not hide from.

You seem to have simply disregarded 2 whole months and are basing your calcuations on your latest rushy 2.5 months of play. Any poker pro will tell you that this is a disastrous approach. If you try to convince yourself that the last 2 months is the "real" poker you and that those silly first 2 months you spent losing were just a warm-up for the real show, then IMO you are in no position psychologically to move forward with your game.

Think VERY long and hard about how honest you are being with yourself on this point.


2. 10,000 hands is 20 days full time poker play
If you play 6/7/8 hours a day at say 80 hands an hour at a shorthanded table, that's c.500 hands a day, so 10,000 is about 20 days of "full time" gameplay.

You are considering professional poker on the basis of 20 days full time play.

Please, please be honest with yourself here. 20 days of full time play. Say it again to yourself. 20 days. Think about it. People spend 20 years playing the game and still come out a loser in the end. You have spent 20 days making modest profits and think you have it cracked. I make no comment on whether you have cracked it or not, but please, please consider the 20 days issue.

IMO, 20 months is the time to decide if you have the ability. But not 20 days.

PLEASE, PLEASE consider this point carefully.



3. Changing games/stakes
Ok, so you changed games and your profits started growing. Fine. But when you change games/stakes (say from Limit to No limit, or .5/1 to 1/2) you almost always experience a rush. This is because you are extra-concentrated trying to get the feel of the new game. You watch every hand and play cautiously. This is almost always true, even if you move up a limit. And that rush can easily last a couple of months

But what about in 3 months time? Will you still be that concentrated on the "new game"? Will the "newness" of the game wear off? Will you find youself back to your January/February game and not your March/April game? Why do you think that the 2 months spent toiling at the full handed table will not be repeated in 2 more months toiling at the SH ones?

You are still experiencing a new game rush IMO.

The difference for you at the moment between being a losing player and being a pro is that you dropped 4 players and moved to a different site. Your game hasn’t improved, you have just shifted the scenery a bit. Think about that carefully. That is a monumental jump on the basis of very peripheral factors.


4. Short handed v. Full Tables
There is a HUGE difference (as you've noticed) between SH and full tables. Shorthanded play is a much more aggressive and intense game.

If you are going to play SH alone, you need to be very, very focused, never have any down-time at the table and always play aggressively. Even a 2 hour session is tough. This is an extraordinarily tiring and stressful way to play poker. You must consider this.

Moreover, why did you lose at the full tables? It is still the same poker game after all. The same hands, the same odds, the same BR management, the same skill of players (essentially). But you lost? Why? Are you seriously saying that a 10 handed game beat you but a 6 handed game, no problem? Does that make sense? Does losing those 4 players make the difference between being a loser and being a pro? IMO, absolutely no way.

This approach, to me, with the greatest respect, is not the psychology of a pro. You should be able to beat both games. Being confined to only being able to win at short handed games is far too dangerous.

Deep down, I think you might know this but are not acknowledging it to yourself.


5. Moving Up
The difference between, say a .5/1 game and a 1/2 game is ENORMOUS. Never mind moving to a 2/4 game or higher. The jump in skill levels are exponential from one level to the next.

You need a whole new set of skills to beat a 2/4 game than you did at the .5/1 game. So the assumption that moving up the ladder is inevitable (as you seek to increase your profits) is mistaken. You will need to learn and lose at higher stakes before you win at them. Please bear this in mind.

Beating .5/1 for 6 months doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready for ½, so base your calculations moving forward with this in mind.


6. A Sunny June Day
Playing poker on a wet January evening after college is easy. It is a fun hobby. Playing it at 11am on a lovely June morning is quite another. Lose €200 before lunch on a sunny day, and you still have another 4 or 5 hours to go to pay your rent.

This is when the game can become very, very unpleasant indeed. How will you concentrate in the sun? Do you have the discipline? Can you fold 8 hands out of 10 for 8 hours, 6 days a week?


7. Your age
When I was 21 there is NO WAY ON EARTH I could have sat at a poker table for 7 hours a day and folded 80% of my hands, hour after hour, day after day, month after month. No way. Impossible for me at that age.

Maybe you are different and I don't want to patronise you - I'm sure there are many world-class 21 y/o poker players! But it is not every 21 year old. Discipline and self-control at that age is in many ways unnatural. Mother nature is telling you to be adventurous, spread your oats, chase women, spread your seed, fight your fights, become a hunter-gatherer. That is 100% natural and healthy for a 21 y/o.

But that is not compatible with being a stone-cold pro poker player (unless you are Gus Hansen). Please consider this the next time you fold every hand for 3 hours and loose your entire stack on a silly, tilty draw.


8. You will give pro play a go no matter what!
I know you will listen to all the advice here. I know you are probably a smart guy and want to learn. But here's the problem: the only real way to get a poker education is to pay for it. That is the only way. So in the end you will listen to all the advice you can, but you will still give full time poker a go. I can 100% guarantee it. Even if a World Champion came on here and told you it was a terrible idea, you'd still do it.

That is not a criticism of you at all. It is merely a reality. You will only feel at ease with yourself if you give it a go. So don't feel bad if you disregard advice, then loose money. That is part of the game. You need to make and pay for your own mistakes.



9. Talent
There is always the outside chance that you are a natural talent at the game. The Ronaldinhio of the tables. That is not impossible. If so, fill your boots at the tables and disregard all advice, especially mine!

If you are a natural talent and find you always come out ahead every month for a year, then it is just possible you are one of the gifted few. If this is the case, you'll know soon enough and should certainly ignore the advice of a mere hoofer like me!

But if you are a normal mortal (only time will tell) then I think you will struggle to turn a living wage in your first year. Maybe you’ll finish ahead, but I don’t think you’ll earn your current $1,500 pm. That is my honest opinion, and I don’’t want to piss on your chips. I'll be very interested to follow your progress in the coming months.

................

BTW, I am a very average poker player. I love the game and try to pay my rent playing full handed 1/2 NL ring games on various sites (I play .5/1 when running cold). Some days I win $300, some days I loose the same. But it is all about the steady, long-term movement, either up or down.

There is nowhere to hide from your bankroll. It is either going forwards or backwards. End of story. You can choose artifical cut-off points if you like (“Ok, I start playing for REAL today!”) but only the long space-time continuum will tell you.

Luckily for me, I have been modestly up as I have tried to improve my game over the last 3 or 4 years. I still struggle to make my target €900 p/m, but slowly and surely I am getting closer to it. I think that after 5 years of playing, several hours a day, 7 days a week, I might meet my goal at some point in the next year or so.


Finally, and most importantly, good luck and ENJOY the game. Losing poker as a fun hobby is a high price to pay unless you are really going to clean up.


Peace,

Chomp.

El Stuntman

Deleted User wrote:

Beware of the downs. over the last two weeks, I estimate bad beats have cost me in excess of 8000K.

Are you Bill Gates?

kincsem

ecksor wrote:

Not sure about the last one but I've had all of the other situations at least once and I've only been playing for a little over a year ...

kincsem wrote:

Going 60 or 70 hands without winning....

I once went through the first 63 hands in a PokerStars tourney before I won a hand. When I looked at the hand history I though I had played reasonably. There were dozens of unplayable starting hands, followed by never hitting a flop, and never having the position or chips to steal.

I'm now trying to reach the ton.

I was just trying to test if the new pro had a bit of mileage under his belt. I once thought I could be a successful horse-racing gambler until I realised that a 5% profit margin (the public lose 15%-20%) had to be matched with a €500,000 a year turnover to yield €25,000 a year. That broke down to betting €1,500 a day, every day of the year. :eek:

ChipLdr

Chomp wrote:

My first post, so hello to you.

Hi ChpLdr…I have a few points on your original post.


1. Honesty and Reality
You seem to be disregarding your 2 losing months, and only concentrating on your 2.5 winning months. Why? Why are you only counting your wins/losses from March, when you started playing in January? Half of your year's play to date has been spent losing. (I know you've changed games, but see point 3 below on this issue.)

This kind of blinkered vision is very, very dangerous for a poker player IMO. Are you sure that June won't see a repeat of January and February rather than March and April?

I think you are not in control of your psychology here – a deadly error for any poker player. This kind of wilful disregard of losses is not a good sign. Here's a FACT; your profits since January, almost half the year, are c. $3,000 (c. €2,000). Those are not your profits since March. They are your profits since January. That is a fact that you should not hide from.

You seem to have simply disregarded 2 whole months and are basing your calcuations on your latest rushy 2.5 months of play. Any poker pro will tell you that this is a disastrous approach. If you try to convince yourself that the last 2 months is the "real" poker you and that those silly first 2 months you spent losing were just a warm-up for the real show, then IMO you are in no position psychologically to move forward with your game.

Think VERY long and hard about how honest you are being with yourself on this point.

This is very good point and i'm glad you brought it up. If i wanted to hide from my losses i wouldn't have posted them. I posted them to show ppl how bad of a run i've had and to show that i am capable of dealing with loss. Below are the reasons for my losses in the first two months.


As the saying goes "you only learn from your mistakes" and in the first two months i made big mistakes. I played far too much and i played poorly.I think i clocked over 400 hours of online poker within the first two months.I didnt take breaks and i went on tilt.I'm not ashamed to admit these faults but i have worked on them considerably.

I also did not have PT or PA which have proved invaluable in deciding where to play and who to play against. In the first two months i was constantly playing against the same players and playing them the way i would play against any player.I never adjusted my game against different types of players.This was a serious problem as i was basically telling them what i had every hand and thus i wouldnt get paid out.

I would play with 'scared' money during these months and any reraise to me would see me wimper out of the pot.It takes balls to play poker and admittedly during Jan-Feb i didnt have any.I was far too passive and missed glorious opportunities to maximise my winnings

After i lost €2000 in Jan-Feb i took a break from playing and decided i needed to learn even more about my game and other players.Without this losing streak i would have been blind to the fact that i'm nowhere near the perfect poker player.But i dug myself out of this rut and have successfully turned this loss into profit.

Changes Made:

I have taken a big look at how i played poker against all types of opposition.During the first 2 months i played a TP game and this allowed ppl to play back at me.I realised during my break that i could not play poker again with scared money as i was passing up edges.If i was to return to poker i needed to toughen up.

I have fiddled with PT for hours for days anaylysing where i'm losing money and more importanly WHY!! I will trawl poker sites looking for high VP%IP and if there is none available i simply play against solid opposition.I'm making moves against solid opposition that i wouldn't have dreamt of against the same type of player 3 months back.I'm not being pushed around anymore but by no means am i wreckless.

My game is totally different and for it to stay as fresh as i want it to saty i am constantly changing my strategy based on the opposition i'm playing. I am playing on multiple sites now in order to keep me focused but i now treat each poker day as a new experience and not as an easy way to make money.

The 10,000 hands issue is only those calculated by PT which was purchased on the 23/02/06 so i guess i have been inaccurate in providing the exact hand amount.It is infact a good bit more than that and i will provide that information once i can retrieve it.

Now I wont play the same shorthanded game for more than 2 hours without a break.I will multi table to a maximum 3 tables but the norm is two. If i'm going card dead i'm already making notes on other players. I play with no distractions such as t.v. etc. I'm keeping myself focused now where as before i would drift in and out of games.

I know it might have looked like i ignored the first two months but i went through hell during them and believe me i am not shying away from them.I believe that i am making money now because of how i've changed my game.

While it may seem i'm making excuses for my losses i am fully focused on the job that lies ahead.The months from March havent been full of roses and i've suffered my fair share of BB's but the reason i'm making money is because i'm not letting them affect me the way they used to.

My mentality is totally different and i feel i've grown up a lot this year and its ironic but losing that much money in the first two months was probably the best thing that happened to my Poker game.

Chomp

Sorry, after reading your reply I am even more concerned about your plans than before.

But first, how much did you lose in Jan/Feb? You say $2,000 above, but in the OP you posted:

Month Win/Loss Since Table Hours Real Hours BB / hr $ / hr
Jan '06 $ -28.57 2006-01-03 215.2 87.3 -3.8 $ -0.33
Feb '06 $ -113.32 2006-02-04 189.7 76.7 1.7 $ -1.48

That's down c. $141. Am I missing something here? Was it $2,000 in 2 months or $141?


But here's the real problem. You seem to genuinely believe that you have identified and resolved the reasons you were losing.

I'm sorry, but it is not that simple and it is not something that is fixed after a few weeks reading internet articles and evaluating PT.

Players struggle to control the same 3 or 4 problems in their game for years.

The problems you identified are no doubt still in your game. They are very common problems many players have. Knowing your weaknesses is entirely different to fixing them.

...............

BTW, have a look at the current thread "Party 400NL - What would you do?". Would you have raised the $25 bet in the spirit of your new-found guts? Because if you would, then you need to just take a step back.

ChipLdr

sorry what i meant to say was i was up $1500 and lost $2000 in the space during this period to finish at a low of around -$500.Thats the most i've been down in poker. I ended up finishing the two months with c -$141 as u said.

Its hard to explain to others why i feel i can take on this challenge. I do by no means think i'm unbeatable nor do i think that every session will be a profitbale one but by minimising my losses it will significantly help. I am playing much better poker and this venture will be the most challenging and hopefully rewarding that i have ever faced.

Remember i have paid over $1500 in rake with no rakeback deal during the last 5 months. I will of course get one for the Summer.

jbravado

Intresting thread-I think Chomp has made some good points all worth considering.Why not go for it though...you seem to really love the game and the risk factor is not huge.
It would be TOTALLY diffrent for someone to quit a career in the attempt to go pro.What are you going to do if you lose the bankroll within a month for example?Is that the end of your plans?I personally know people who have borrowed heavily to "win back" poker losses and this is one area where the risk is far more than just monetary.Once you maintain a somewhat balanced lifestyle im sure you will be fine.
Look at this as a summer job-if it goes well brilliant if not move on to something new.You live you learn.
I hope this goes well for you.

FastMachine

If it's any enouragement ChipLdr I started playing full time with a 1K bankroll at .25/.50 after playing for about 4 or 5 months. You don't have to be playing for years at certain stakes before you go pro. The only thing that matters is 'are you a winning player'.
I got some of the same negative reactions you're getting now. Yes, it's possible that it mightn't work out, but it's also possible that it might. You're young anyway, you've nothing to loose if you take a year out to try it.

ChipLdr

I will not and refuse to put good money after bad. If the $3000 goes in the first month then it was an expensive lesson but i am approaching this with a lot of thought and consideration.

As most of you have said,I'm young with no ties so its not an extremely difficult decision at this current point in my life.This doesnt mean that i haven't thought this through. Losing the $3000 will hurt a bit but will not be the end of the world.

I see "suits" on the train and no offence but that scares me more than playing poker. I dont wanna be another 9-5 just yet!!! I'm not scred of responsibility or anything but I wanna be the one who decides what i wanna do,not what the norm is.

I'm prepared for the worst but in no way will i approach this venture with a negative view. I really expected heavy criticism from you all but what i'm getting is very constructive advice which i greatly appreciate.

I think Chomp has made some excellent pts which i will take on board and i thank you sincerely for taking time out to post such an interesting wide range of scenarios and events that might affect my game.

Its gonna be the hardest summer job of my life but hopefully the most enjoyable.

Goodluck2me

best of luck ChpLdr this has been a very uselful thread...

Lafortezza

goodluck2me wrote:

best of luck ChpLdr this has been a very uselful thread...

and make sure you give us regular trip reports too.

ditpoker

any updates on this Glenn? hope its going well for ya!

[nicK]

going pro at .50/1nl sounds insane.. how many tables were you playing?
would also be interested in a detailed update on how it went.. hope it went well..

phantom_lord

Just looking at a couple of comments saying cl hadn't put in enough hands to have an accurate idea of his winrate, what kinda sampe is required for this 50k? higher?

RasTa

100k at 50/1 and up to see if your a winning player, thats when i'll be making my "decision" anyway

Doc Farrell

excellent thread, I'm curious as to whether the participants see things differently now too. and did Chomp stop posting? some really good advice on this thread. it's like a soap opera! who did shoot Culchie (Mayo's J.R. Ewing)?

Dave!

I'd like to hear what happened with this!

CaptainNemo

Making a living is different to making money. And your enemy is variance and your own reaction to it.

You can be on a rush that lasts for days, or weeks, or even months - this is how I started online, with a rush that lasted for about 6 months. It wasn't just luck, I was also playing very patiently and well, but then came a massive downswing that wiped out everything I'd made. A combination of bad luck and frustration. I didn't cope well with the losses, tried too hard to win it all back too quickly, and my bankroll flatlined.

So, fine. I absorbed this and came back to online play about 6 months later with lessons learned, and quickly made a lot of money playing $1-$2 limit Pineapple on Paradise Poker. Great! I got really excited, having made so much money at a low limit in a little over a week, and started playing multi-table NL tourneys and SnGs. It wasn't too long before I was back to zero again. It was the same story - I got hit by some natural variance, reacted to it by playing looser and at highter stakes to try to make it back, and went broke, predictably.

Then I got entered in a free WSOP qualifer for frequent players on the site and went on the sickest run of cards ever to take it down. Now I found myself going to Vegas with $2k spending money. Great! I started playing MTTs again with the $2k and doubled it to $4k in less than a month! Cool, I'm gonna be a pro! Then I lost it all playing bigger buy-in MTTs. Oh well, I thought, I'm still going to Vegas.

So I busted out of the ME late on day 1. Boo, I'm giving up poker forever, again. But I'll play some cash tables first while I'm here! I end up winning enough to pay for the whole trip twice over, plus presents. Gonna be a pro again!

Then I went through some "trying personal times" i.e. a marriage breakup and took a break from the game for a while. Now I'm back playing live, and have had some more Gonna Be A Pro! moments and some Giving Up Poker Forever moments. I don't take either that seriously anymore.

What I'm trying to illustrate, probably too long-windedly, is that the OP's decision to try to turn professional based on a few months play is probably naive. Swings happen, and unless you're very disciplined, which I'm not, you can make a downswing much worse than it has to be. There's no way to recover from losing your bankroll without the backup of a regular job. And there's no way you can play for a living from a BR of 3k without putting enough of it at risk each time that you are statistically likely to go broke at some point. To be statistically unlikely to go broke you'd have to play at such low stakes that there's no way you could extract enough from that BR to pay for food, rent, spending money, clothes...

On the other hand the OP is in the fortunate position of living with supportive parents who sound like they'll let him take a shot at building that BR into something bigger. Given the chance, why not try? The worst that can happen is that you go broke and have to get a "real" job.

I'm 32 and I have a well-paid "real" job but I would play for a living if I got the chance. I recently won a month's salary in a weekend and I remember going home that night wondering what my motivation for going into work the next morning was. Of course since then I've had a series of bad beats costing about $1000 overall and I've remembered that oh yeah, real jobs keep us safe and allow us to feed and clothe ourselves when we no longer liv with our parents :-P

If I win a big tourney someday though - let's say a 10k or 15k payday - I will definitely drop out of work for a few months and go travelling on it and play in plenty of card rooms. I'm a contractor so it's totally plausible to take a few months off with no justification. If it works out, and I can continue, then brilliant - cos I can't think of a more fun way to earn a living. I mean, I sit in an office all day. That's not fun. I'm sitting here running through NL situations in my mind. If I could play for a living why wouldn't I? And if it doesn't work out, hey ho, back to the office.

Obviously the OP is a little naive but there's nothing wrong with that. No one ever got anything great done by being jaded and reluctant to take a shot. You just have to remember that the worst that can happen is that you go broke.

(Or you can go into debt. I've never done this and don't recommend it. If you go broke, stay broke and get a job.)

One last word: I would never want to play online poker for a living. When I was playing online 8 hours a day I was miserable and antisocial. There's almost certainly more money to be made online but personally I couldn't do it. I enjoy playing online MTTs and I think they're really soft and one of the best ways to make money in the long run but I don't think I could grind away at limit poker 8 hours a day for a living without developing some form of OCD.

5starpool

Nice post Captain Nemo, for a Corkman like

jimmii

If he's ever going to do it now is the time, they are young and can avoid to go broke and you never know you can get lucky and never look back! A few months probably wasn't the best to go by results wise. Be interesting to see if they did give it a shot.