Poker pros in Ireland ... guesstimate

Underbadger

I was in the poker room Celbridge yesterday and a player asked me how many poker pros do you think there are in Ireland ...?

excellent Q!

the Irish open this year had 700 players half were foreign (i made that up now on the spot).

there really must be a couple hundred pros at most

If we define a poker pro for the purposes of this thread as making 30k a year or more (a reasonable living) and not working at anything else except poker playing. (...say 60 days a year...non poker income..included)

any guesstimates ?

feel free to redefine the terms of what makes a poker pro in the thread if you think the terms above are gay

people who work full time and and also make massive amounts of money per year as poker players are BARRED

Id Ideally like to get a vague handle on the no. of grinders and wizards on our fair island who reject work in favour of gambling...

Flushdraw

The term more commonly used is "full-time poker players"

And lol at you thinking any full-time players would consider it gambling!

Flipper

I'll go for 63.

destroyer

30K average or 30K every year.? If average, over how many years?

Is the 60 days working other job included or excluded from 30k?

If you play poker full time and earn say 20k you make more than the min. wage so are you not pro?

aya14

People who claim they are: 8,442
People who actually are: 112

insomniak

aya14 wrote: »

People who claim they are: 8,442
People who actually are: 112

Flipper wrote: »

I'll go for 63.

how many do you consider from boards to be these pro's?

Personally think its in the 100 ballpark aswell

RichieLawlor

insomniak wrote: »

how many do you consider from boards to be these pro's?

Personally think its in the 100 ballpark aswell

pro poker players on boards lol, sure everyone around here sucks:p

Macspower

depends if the 30 k includes the dole or not :rolleyes:

RoundTower

aya14 wrote: »

People who claim they are: 8,442
People who actually are: 112

pretty close to what I would have guessed

super182

the dole would be a big factor lol

strewelpeter

Non students, earning >35k after expenses, for more three full years and only earning from playing poker.
< 25 IMO possibly <10

cuterob

there's more guys who play poker full time who dont post on boards than the other way around

digiman

strewelpeter wrote: »

Non students, earning >35k after expenses, for more three full years and only earning from playing poker.
< 25 IMO possibly <10

This sounds way off.

LuckyLloyd

This post has been deleted.

hotspur

Well I have 3 friends who are full time players who have never posted on boards and they play bigger than almost everyone here.

BigCityBanker

cuterob wrote: »

there's more guys who play poker full time who dont post on boards than the other way around

this is very accurate imo.

big_iain

I reckon there are about 40 professional winning players in Ireland, I'd say there are about 300 semi pros who are consistently winning players and use this as extra income or bankroll building.

I'd say there are about 50,000 total players in Ireland who have played more than once for more than €50.

Guessedimates now

RoundTower

cuterob wrote: »

there's more guys who play poker full time who dont post on boards than the other way around

nah, I'd say there are a lot more people who post on boards who don't play poker full time.

carfax

big_iain wrote: »

I reckon there are about 40 professional winning players in Ireland, I'd say there are about 300 semi pros who are consistently winning players and use this as extra income or bankroll building.

I'd say there are about 50,000 total players in Ireland who have played more than once for more than €50.

Guessedimates now

I would roughly agree with all of the above.....Funny that you mention winning professionals (how many are pros but consistently lose or lose money due to expenses involved )...

There does also seem to have been a big shift in the people that make up the professional ranks (i.e. guys that made good money long before the boom, a lot of them have found it hard to adjust to online poker and also to survive the new stream of players it has created).

Stephen.

destroyer

big_iain wrote: »

I reckon there are about 40 professional winning players in Ireland, I'd say there are about 300 semi pros who are consistently winning players and use this as extra income or bankroll building.

I'd say there are about 50,000 total players in Ireland who have played more than once for more than €50.

Guessedimates now

Dunno Iain, I've heard the figure of 5% mentioned before as the % of players who show a profit , so from 50,000 that would be 2,500..........I know your 50,000 estimate isn't all regular players but still I think there must be a lot more than 300 consistently winning players, whether you call them semi pro is another thing I suppose.

cuterob

RoundTower wrote: »

nah, I'd say there are a lot more people who post on boards who don't play poker full time.

this is very accurate imo.

ianmc38

Less than 100 imo.

kincsem

About 20.

If you look at pocketfives you will see how the Irish players who registered on pocketfives.com are cashing online. Of course many fantastic big winning Irish pros have not registered, probably because it would be embarrassing. There is winning, and there is profit. If poker pros are profitable why do they accept / need sponsorship?

LuckyLloyd

This post has been deleted.

kincsem

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Two quibbles with that post Sean:

1) tournament results are really only the tip of the iceberg in figuring out who is a pro / who is profitable and very unreliable in terms of answering either question;

2) Anything that reduces variance for the player in tournaments should be worthy of their consideration, irrespective of their edge;

Good points. How can we find out how much they make at cash?

For pros to make it at cash there must be a regular supply of fish, and we are in a big recession. The fish are fished out.

Of course a pro will take everything offered. If you read Roy Brindley's book you will see that some of the sponsorships are a little light.

cuterob

kincsem wrote: »

Good points. How can we find out how much they make at cash?

you cannot unless you ask

destroyer

cuterob wrote: »

you cannot unless you ask

They're poker players , they're not allowed tell the truth.

Treehouse72

Is this entire thread a level?

cardshark202

Treehouse72 wrote: »

Is this entire thread a level?

are you a level?

Treehouse72

cardshark202 wrote: »

are you a level?

No.

Has anyone on this board ever heard of online cash games? Or do you people actually think that poker rooms in Celbridge are the heartbeat of poker?

dougee19

Treehouse72 wrote: »

No.

Has anyone on this board ever heard of online cash games? Or do you people actually think that poker rooms in Celbridge are the heartbeat of poker?

what is celbridge?

nicnicnic

Treehouse72 wrote: »

No.

Has anyone on this board ever heard of online cash games? Or do you people actually think that poker rooms in Celbridge are the heartbeat of poker?

you probably don't realise that the players in that game are by far the biggest online winners in the country.

corkie123

nicnicnic wrote: »

you probably don't realise that the players in that game are by far the biggest online winners in the country.

one of them lost 37k and 6k of that in there last week but did not mind because he played well . but all the fish sucked out on him for a change . :D

now he is the only blog i really like because he loses sometimes not like the ones who never do .

"truth is a virtue that some of us forget about "

eagle eye

There are a lot of unknown winners and I mean nobody has an earthly that they are making money at online poker.

Recently my bro was at a party in his friends house. His buddy hasn't worked for three years and keeps crying about how hard it is to get a job. Anyways there are three in the room with the computer on and the poker client open and curiosity gets the better of them and they check his balance and he has 234k. Like this guy never played live poker in his life and doesn't ever talk about it.

looserock

For as long as there has been gambling there's been the guy who brags about the big winners he had here and there etc, but everyone knows that the bookies are the only winners and they brand him a fool.

Its the same for poker, why tell people if their only going to think you're an idiot and can only lose all you're money.

Flushdraw

eagle eye wrote: »

There are a lot of unknown winners and I mean nobody has an earthly that they are making money at online poker.

Recently my bro was at a party in his friends house. His buddy hasn't worked for three years and keeps crying about how hard it is to get a job. Anyways there are three in the room with the computer on and the poker client open and curiosity gets the better of them and they check his balance and he has 234k. Like this guy never played live poker in his life and doesn't ever talk about it.

He lodged €1m IMO

White Knight

eagle eye wrote: »

Recently my bro was at a party in his friends house. His buddy hasn't worked for three years and keeps crying about how hard it is to get a job. Anyways there are three in the room with the computer on and the poker client open and curiosity gets the better of them and they check his balance and he has 234k. Like this guy never played live poker in his life and doesn't ever talk about it.

Play money chips imo

jbravado

Fair dues to him-keeping the case 247k online.

eagle eye

Flushdraw wrote: »

He lodged €1m IMO

White Knight wrote: »

Play money chips imo

jbravado wrote: »

Fair dues to him-keeping the case 247k online.

I just passed on what was told to me 3 weeks ago. If you don't believe it fine. It is the internetz after all. And of course you've all seen me telling porkies in the past on here.:rolleyes:

Paul Spillane

There's probably a mathematical equation to answer this so here is my amateurish stab at it. Population (Ireland 4.5 Million?): % of population that play poker, (err no idea but guestimate 1 in 50 = 100,000). % of those 100k that play more than recreationally 5% = 5,000. % of those that win 10% = 500. % of those that win over 30k p.a. 20% so approx 100 players my guess and i have been extremely generous in my guessing that 10% of the 500 win.

Actually I should just ask Dave Callaghan

digiman

Paul Spillane wrote: »

There's probably a mathematical equation to answer this so here is my amateurish stab at it. Population (Ireland 4.5 Million?): % of population that play poker, (err no idea but guestimate 1 in 50 = 100,000). % of those 100k that play more than recreationally 5% = 5,000. % of those that win 10% = 500. % of those that win over 30k p.a. 20% so approx 100 players my guess and i have been extremely generous in my guessing that 10% of the 500 win.

Actually I should just ask Dave Callaghan

Do you think this could be true? I thought there would be more than 10% of players that play more than recreationally would be winning. Can you and BCB look up your stats on all your players and tell us what % of them are winning? :D

Paul Spillane

digiman wrote: »

Do you think this could be true? I thought there would be more than 10% of players that play more than recreationally would be winning. Can you and BCB look up your stats on all your players and tell us what % of them are winning? :D

Its a well known fact that everyone wins on BP but no one wins with BCB's mob! :P

northwestguy27

Paul Spillane wrote: »

Its a well known fact that everyone wins on BP but no one wins with BCB's mob! :P

True.:D

mdwexford

eagle eye wrote: »

There are a lot of unknown winners and I mean nobody has an earthly that they are making money at online poker.

Recently my bro was at a party in his friends house. His buddy hasn't worked for three years and keeps crying about how hard it is to get a job. Anyways there are three in the room with the computer on and the poker client open and curiosity gets the better of them and they check his balance and he has 234k. Like this guy never played live poker in his life and doesn't ever talk about it.

Yeah but how much did he lose?

SouthKerry

I know a friend of my cousin who never used to talk about poker but told us he made 60k last year and showed us the account to prove it.

smoothcall

My friends dog's friend who he plays with in the park ( Rex i think) owners brother won 23million last year and he never said a word about poker.

Honestly i'd guess about 100ish.

phantom_lord

eagle eye wrote: »

There are a lot of unknown winners and I mean nobody has an earthly that they are making money at online poker.

Recently my bro was at a party in his friends house. His buddy hasn't worked for three years and keeps crying about how hard it is to get a job. Anyways there are three in the room with the computer on and the poker client open and curiosity gets the better of them and they check his balance and he has 234k. Like this guy never played live poker in his life and doesn't ever talk about it.

was that his play money balance?

BigCityBanker

id take the overs on 100.

rag2gar

The real question is the amount of under age people playing poker in Ireland. Ive been playing since I was 16.

My guess is 27,301

kpnuts

Whatever the current number, there'll be one less soon if my luck continues like it's been this year so far.

Treehouse72

nicnicnic wrote: »

you probably don't realise that the players in that game are by far the biggest online winners in the country.

nicinic, this thread is not about how much these people win. This thread is about how many full-time/pro Irish poker players there are. Those are two entirely separate and distinct questions. Surely that's not so hard to understand?

eagle eye wrote: »

There are a lot of unknown winners and I mean nobody has an earthly that they are making money at online poker.

This is the point. This board is so donkament-centric - and specifically live donkaments - that most people apparantly have no conception about the wider poker world. Is is laughable - totally fkn laughable - that people are saying there are 10 or 25 or 50 Irish poker pros. Do you lot not realise that there are poker pros who wouldn't go near a B&M poker room? Like, NEVER in their entire poker career. Who wants to sit in a room for hours on end with a bunch of smelly, stressed dudes who make Bernard Manning look both healthy and entertaining?

Online pros treat it just like a job, so they don't need to tell everyone about it all the time, or talk about it at a live table or over drinks in the bar later. Most just grind out their 9-5 quietly. And just because their names don't appear on pocket5's or whatnot does not mean they don't exist. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

I would say the ratio of Irish online pros to Irish live pros is no less than 10:1. Maybe many more. And I'd say the ratio of cash pros to tourney pros, while not as big, would be 3 or 4 or 5 :1. Again, perhaps more. Online cash games are poker in 2009, not tournaments in some bloody poker room in Meath (or wherever the hell Celbridge is).

I am genuinely shocked that there are no regular posters on this board contributing to this thread to counter the utter nonsense being spoken. I know you lot like your little clique on this board, but really that's no excuse for not putting the misguided straight.


Ed: I sound like a total pr**k in this post. lol. Didn't mean to, but it is what it is. Don't mean to be needlessly aggressive.