Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

What are some jobs that are low stress and allow the employee tons of time outside of the job? I don't really care how much the hourly rate or salary is. Basically, I'm looking for a socially acceptable job for a college graduate that allows me to put in 20hrs+/week of poker on the side (or even on the job!) and still have time to hang out with family and friends. I have a BS in physics and minor in math, if that matters at all.

This has gotta exist somewhere...

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

im a lazy bum on the side of playing poker and it couples well.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

I teach high school - its perfect. Lots of time off.
Summers to play full time. You could take some extra classes to get your teachers license and teach physics or math

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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I teach high school - its perfect. Lots of time off.
Summers to play full time. You could take some extra classes to get your teachers license and teach physics or math

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I have looked into this a great deal. Then I always run into teachers/former teachers who say it's unbelievably time consuming. The more I think about it, though, the less I believe them.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Aint exactly low stress but there aren't many jobs that are. I have the same schedule but I'm a librarian. You need a masters degree for my sort of position but it's low stress. Hey, you could be a postal worker, I hear that's real low stress.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

army reserves - work when you feel like it, play poker when you feel like it

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Aint exactly low stress but there aren't many jobs that are. I have the same schedule but I'm a librarian. You need a masters degree for my sort of position but it's low stress. Hey, you could be a postal worker, I hear that's real low stress.

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I work in a library as well (half time) though I'm on the administrative part and not a librarian. I only work half time and there's not much stress.

There are lots of fairly easy office jobs all over that aren't full time but will give you benefits. Many large educational institutions give full benefits even to their part time employees (which is very nice). With a physics background, maybe you could find part time work in a lab somewhere. The only real downside is there isn't much upward mobility in those part time jobs.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Office drone.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

I'm a software developer for the government. 7 hour low stress work day with lots of time to read 2+2 etc. Much better for poker playing than the 4 years I put in with an internet startup before this. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a government job right after graduation though as a career in the government can be somewhat uninspiring (depending on your field) and it can be tricky to pick up more interesting private sector jobs with nothing but gvnmt work on your resume. I'm just on an 18 month contract...

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Stock trading is another "job" that works well with poker playing.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Fireman

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Stock trading is another "job" that works well with poker playing.

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Though you should preferably be bankrolled by someone else. Managing mutual funds is a gold mine. You'll get big bonuses for doing only slightly worse than picking stocks out of a hat. (Some 90% of all managed mutual funds do worse than index! Yet managing a mutual fund is incredibly well paid.)

Stress levels are, ahem, somewhat high though. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Game designer.

Barron Vangor Toth
BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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I teach high school - its perfect. Lots of time off.
Summers to play full time. You could take some extra classes to get your teachers license and teach physics or math

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I have been dating a high school math teacher for a little while. I can say that she works much harder than I would have guessed. She seems to be grading papers or prepping lessons for hours each night.

I agree with your need to spend time with people. I have been playing full time online for 2 years now and at first my social circle almost went away. I try to spend 1 night a week now volunteering somewhere. It is nice to actually spend some time with other adults.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

you should already know the answer to this question: professional long-distance runner... just ask wejo!!!

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

if you don't care about salary, then volunteer somewhere. a hospital, a homeless shelter, a resource center for kids, wherever.

obviously socially respectable, and you may even feel better better about yourself

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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you should already know the answer to this question: professional long-distance runner... just ask wejo!!!

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Are you the person who always posts 'sub bro' on letsrun.com whenever I post?

I'm very slow right now. Believe me, if I was fast enough I'd be training 'full-time' for the Olympics while playing poker to support myself.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

interesting.... i can run a 10:46 2 mile, is that a good start for professional distance runner? (this was back in soph year of HS, i'm a senior in college now-- i'll be lucky if i can run sub 7:30 1 mile.)

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

The answer to that is obvious.
Be a substitute teacher. They can practically pick their own hours.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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The answer to that is obvious.
Be a substitute teacher. They can practically pick their own hours.

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I already am a substitute teacher. It's not particularly socially acceptable to be in your 20s with a degree from a decent school and substitute teach.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

I'm a professional office drone, and it works well for me. When I'm not working on something, I can browse 2+2 so that when I get home I'm prepped to play. You might also consider something like night security where you just have to sit and watch a monitor. Or another graveyard type shift where you'll have a lot of free time where you may even get to be able to play some poke while you're working.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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I teach high school - its perfect. Lots of time off.
Summers to play full time. You could take some extra classes to get your teachers license and teach physics or math

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Intersting discussion... So how does one go about becoming a teacher? I'm in my mid 30's and currently work as a IT professional. Is mid 30's too late to consider this?

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Intersting discussion... So how does one go about becoming a teacher? I'm in my mid 30's and currently work as a IT professional. Is mid 30's too late to consider this?

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It's never too late. Plenty of people quit their careers to become teachers. I know a man that did it when he was in his late 40s.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Another vote here for office drone. A data entry job with no stress, benefits, completely flexible hours and an moderate salary allows me to play as much or as little poker on the side, whenever I want to.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Intersting discussion... So how does one go about becoming a teacher? I'm in my mid 30's and currently work as a IT professional. Is mid 30's too late to consider this?

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It's never too late. Plenty of people quit their careers to become teachers. I know a man that did it when he was in his late 40s.

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So how does one go about making this switch? I assume it involves going back to school and getting some kind of a license. How long does this process take?

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

How the hell can anyone recommend being an office drone?

It's a craptacular life.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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So how does one go about making this switch? I assume it involves going back to school and getting some kind of a license. How long does this process take?

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It largely depends on what state you want to teach in and the age level. For example, CT is pretty strict. If you want to teach there then you will need to get certified (multiple ways to go about doing this and depends how many education credits you have and if they are transferable). You also need a masters degree to continue teaching after 5 years. This means that I basically need to go back to school and enroll in a certification/masters program that takes 1.5-2 years, since I don't feel like taking classes while teaching.

Now, other states differ. A lot depends on how badly they need you. Some states will hire anyone. Also, if want to teach highschool you generally have to have majored in that subject or taken a lot of credits in it. For example, I minored in math so if I want to get certified to teach high school math in CT I will probably need to pick up some more math credits to do so...which is insanity because I fail to see how taking complex analysis will help me teach geometry/algebra/calculus.

If you want to teach elementary school then I believe you basically need to have majored in education or taken a ton of education courses to teach in most states. I am not sure how middle school works.

I know some states have methods for certification that are available to people who are switching careers. It makes it a lot easier. The man I know had a masters in Chemistry and was retiring early from his company. Since he had a masters already the switch did not take that long.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

CIA field operator. Low stress, good pay, plenty benefits, license to kill.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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How the hell can anyone recommend being an office drone?

It's a craptacular life.

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It's not a life. It's a job.

Very important distinction. I work with many people who have trouble separating the two. They are generally unhappy...

If you have a reasonable office job that doesn't take up too much time or energy, this can pay your bills while looking respectable to the world and allowing you to pursue other interests in your spare time (e.g., poker).

It's not for everyone, but that is pretty much what OP was asking for.

Had he asked for inspiring, meaningful, satisfying, life affirming work, office drone wouldn't be such a good option... In that case, I would suggest he go to grad school, get Ph.D.'s in physics and math, and solve the problem of quantum gravity.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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and solve the problem of quantum gravity.

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Oh, no!. There's a problem with quantum gravity? [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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The answer to that is obvious.
Be a substitute teacher. They can practically pick their own hours.

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I already am a substitute teacher. It's not particularly socially acceptable to be in your 20s with a degree from a decent school and substitute teach.

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More or less socially acceptable them being a fulltime poker pro?


The thought of getting a "real" job still scares me [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Something that doesn't involve computers, or atleast never involves the mouse would be best. No need to hurt shoulders and carpals even more.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Something that doesn't involve computers, or atleast never involves the mouse would be best. No need to hurt shoulders and carpals even more.


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I disagree. The idea is to play poker while at the job's computer, and to do the few job tasks as a subroutine on a low priority interrupt basis.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

All,

High school teacher is the wrong answer.

College professor is the right answer.

Helping,

Caldarooni

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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I teach high school - its perfect. Lots of time off.
Summers to play full time.

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I'm a corporate instructor, lots of time in a hotel and lots of "working from home" [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

Agree. Along those lines, why don't you consider grad school? There is roughly zero accountability, and depending on your field, you can be paid fairly well to enroll (~$40k/year).

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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Agree. Along those lines, why don't you consider grad school? There is roughly zero accountability, and depending on your field, you can be paid fairly well to enroll (~$40k/year).

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Um, don't go to gradschool because you want to supplement poker. Bad idea. Gradschool is very time intensive, at least at the solid schools. I am at a top ten (in my field) and I maybe have 10 hours a week tops to play poker.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

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I already am a substitute teacher. It's not particularly socially acceptable to be in your 20s with a degree from a decent school and substitute teach.

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Well then that indicates that OP wants to do something that is up a different set of standards than I was previously envisioning.

I was in my 30's with a degree from a decent school (Miami U. in Ohio) and was dealing blackjack for almost a year.
There was another dealer there in his 40's or 50's with a PhD from Wisconsin (smokers and non-smokers are in different rooms during the breaks...so I didn't get to know him very well so don't know his whole story).



I understand why you would feel pressure from others that you should be more successful in your career.
But, really, why should you/I care??
If others have a problem with it then it's THEIR problem.


Again though, I do understand where this kind of pressure comes from.
My girlfriends parents (from South America) just have a picture that EVERYONE with a college degree in the U.S. should easily be successful so why was this guy dealing cards at a casino (and now playing online-poker full-time)??



Anyway, probably not for you, but for others out there....BJ dealer worked great for me.
If it's a low-traffic casino then you might be able to get out early on virtually every shift if you wanted to.

you sign an 'early-out sheet'...on swing-shift they bring in more dealers than they need 'just in case' they have a bigger than expected night.
Around 10p or 11p on a Monday they will start closing tables and sending dealers home in the order in which they signed the sheet.

It was perfect for me...if I had a couple bad weeks at poker then I could put in full 40 hours weeks most of the time (or even overtime on weekends if I wanted) and when I was running well I could give-away a shift and/or sign-out early a lot of the time and bring my hours down to 20 or so (giving me more time for poker at home obviously).
It was the perfect type of situation to get in my hours and experience at poker while also keeping steadier income coming in to balance out the downswings.

Eventually they had a bit of a dealer shortage as the low-paying casinos are always losing their dealers to places that pay more (have a higher toke-rate) and they tried to make me a full-timer which is about the time I decided to do poker full-time instead (and could always go back to dealing if it went badly).

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

I am a receptionist.

Every 15 minutes or so I answer the phone and transfer the line which takes roughly 5 seconsd per caller.

I do about 45 mintues of actual work throughout the day besides answering the phones.

The other 7 hours I screw around on the internet. I used to play poker pretty much 7 hours straight every day but I sort of burned out and only play 2-3 hours a day then spend the rest of the time on 2+2. Because of inturruptions I can't really play more than 2 tables at a time just in case I need to sit out for a few hands.

The lifestyle sucks, I feel like crap every day I leave the office not really doing anything with my life but whatever, it's only temporary.

Re: Job That Couples Well w/ Online Poker On The Side?
 

I wouldn't mind a physical labour job. You get to relieve some physical stress and get outside more often. I've been a maintenance worker for a property management company, a bus boy at a busy restaurant during the weekdays only, and a mover for a large moving company (which had its perks, seeing as we only moved offices, and those companys leave a lot of valuable garbage behind when moving).

The bussing position was probably the best for poker. My shift schedule was 10-4 M-Th, and I received tips (which nearly doubled my minimum wage salary). I'd be able to play nights as weekends as necessary, and see my friends on most of those days. I got good exercise; the restaurant was always busy, and I had to move fast. You get meet a lot of interesting people, both clients and co-workers, and I found I had enough time to clear my head when I wasn't in a great mood (great for those days where you tilted hard the night before and need to recoup before the next session).

EDIT: I just re-read OP and realized that this probably doesn't fall into the category of "socially respectable". Try being a website or software developer on the side; but it sucks to be on the computer day-in day-out. It's too easy to have poker consume you full-time.