[Al_Capone_Junior]

I consider myself a "semi-professional." That is I have a job that brings me the majority of my money, but I still play seriously on the side, and that money makes up some significant portion of my yearly income, tho not the bulk of it.

To elaborate, I probably clear about $12,000-$15,000 a year playing cards, given my current rate of play and stakes (I don't bother keeping track anymore). Not enough to live on, but enough to make a pretty good difference in my spending money.

In the end tho, it's all the same, the only debate is on the rate at which you play. You've gotta have the bankroll, you've gotta be good enough to beat the game for a decent hourly rate, etc etc bla bla bla. Nothing really changes between pro and semi-pro, except the timeline. You play fewer hours, but the variance and bankroll requirements don't change.

The exception might be that if my bankroll drops too low, I can stop playing long enough to re-build it by working (i.e. I have a replenishable bankroll), where this isn't really a viable option for a full-time pro.

I tell you this, I did the full time poker thing for about three years, and it basically SUCKS. I did OK, good enough to prove IT CAN BE DONE, but that doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. "Part-time pro" is the way to go. Basically a part-time pro has decided to make a lifetime profit doing what they love as a sort of "side job." Not bad to have a fun hobby with a payback schedule.

One final point tho, if I'm not having fun, I'm outta there. Money ain't everything.

al