What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/ETC?
 

Too many morons and every freaking college kid who plays poker longer than 6 months (winner or loser) tells me they are pro. I often have conversations with poker players when it's slow. I ask them their bankroll as they sit at the 2/4 NL and they said it's $600 or $2500 and they have actually only been playing for 3 months but are gonna hit it big. They leave out the part that they are already down that much or more in their "learning" phase.

IMO, I don't consider anyone a pro unless they A) Do it as their sole income AND B) Make at least $100k+ / year.

I would consider someone a semi-pro that A) Do it as sole income OR B) as a side job AND C) making at least $50k+ a year.

The people who make $10k-$40k/year I think are also something but I don't know what to call them.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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The people who make $10k-$40k/year I think are also something but I don't know what to call them.

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Considering I could easily live on 40k/year, if I made all my income from poker and it totaled 40k, I would consider myself a professional poker player - and I'm not sure how you could make a reasonable argument that I wasn't.

In any case, I don't think $x is a good way of determining who a professional is. I think anyone whose income comes primarily from playing poker is, by definition, a professional poker player (exception: a profitable player who makes enough to sustain themselves, but makes more from poker-related endorsements, is clearly also a pro). However, if you're not making enough to cover living expenses including things like rent/mortgage, I don't think you qualify. Thus, most college students really don't - besides, while you're a full-time student, you're not a professional anything. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Semi-professional is a trickier question. I consider myself one, because poker pays the rent for me, but I'd have to play more regularly to make it my main/sole source of income (if I could at all). It's a tricky label to apply though, and I can see a lot of debate on what makes someone fit into this category. I'd say anyone who depends on poker income, but doesn't use it as their main source of income, is defined as a semi-pro.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

I consider someone a pro if they A) do it for money, and B) charge more than $500 a trick [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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The people who make $10k-$40k/year I think are also something but I don't know what to call them.

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Considering I could easily live on 40k/year, if I made all my income from poker and it totaled 40k, I would consider myself a professional poker player - and I'm not sure how you could make a reasonable argument that I wasn't.



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Could you live on 40K a year paying for your own health insurance, etc?

I make almost exactly that in my day job, but if I was paying for similar insurance, retirement, all that stuff out of my own pocket, I would be far from comfortable.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

I fail to see why it matters.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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I fail to see why it matters.

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That's probably why you are option D) losing player, can't relate

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

I use poker as my sole income source and live off of it, I make about 1k a month....sometimes I call myself pro to impress freshmen girls at parties for the win.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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I fail to see why it matters.

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That's probably why you are option D) losing player, can't relate

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or maybe it's because it doesn't [censored] matter?

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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I fail to see why it matters.

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That's probably why you are option D) losing player, can't relate

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How do other players self-identifying as "pros" effect you in any way, shape or form?

Is it just that you'd like to have this badge to wear all for yourself because you rule and they don't?

I don't get it.

Re: What do you consider for someone to call themsevles PRO/SEMI-PRO/E
 

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I fail to see why it matters.

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That's probably why you are option D) losing player, can't relate

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or maybe you think it matters because you're option E) marginally winning player who wants to tell people he's pro because it's cool but wants to avoid looking like all the other donkeys who call themselves pro, but in reality is one of those donkeys himself