[twolf]

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However, these new posters that want to go pro right away and live some poker fantasy that really doesn't exist don't care much.

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Umm, yeah that was me. In the summer of 2003 I saw the WSOP and said "I can do this". I had a shitty job and wanted to try...

I played play money on Pacific for a couple months. I then picked up my first book in Oct. '03 and started playing on stars at $1/$2 limit. I lost around $800 by January.

I then played for money at Pacific. Started playing 3/6 with a roll of $300. Built it to $1k and left my job in February.

Played pro for 7 months making over $40k. I was a 23 year old that went from the inner city that in 2002 made $12k from my job(but enough to support me and my now wife) to making $40k in 7 months so it was quite a hoot. We spent alot of money and gave up playing pro when we busted because of spending to much of our BR, went back to same shitty job. Some really shitty event in life forced me and wife back into playing in Feb. of this year with only $1k again but a better understanding of the game and BR management.

So far we are surviving making more than I made at my previous job. So yeah "I see x amount of $$$ that is greater than my jobs x amount of $$$" so I play poker. I play $25 and $50 NL right now.

So to say that one should never think of doing it is bad. You'll never know if you don't try. But I am on the opposite side of the fence from you. I often wonder why people lose when they try to win and why winning at poker comes so easily/natuarally to me.