[Orpheus]

Can they? Sure, it's statistically possible. I sincerely wish you the best of luck--when you're not at my tables.

HOWEVER, at the risk of falling afoul of your guidelines, I must point out that "Table Selection is rule #1" (some say Rule #0, since you can't expect anything good from sitting at a table that holds nothing but trouble for you)

Poker has held nothing but trouble for you. Why do you think a poker table is the right table for you? On at least Some level, you know that it may not be, so you've blown rule #1.

On the other hand, you've obviously made up your mind to pusue a course of action, so I can only honestly wish you well, though, objectively, I wonder if a $500 downturn in the coming week might be the kindest outcome, however good you may be.

What's changed? Were you a terrible player before? I'd say "yes", even though I'm perfectly willing to believe that you could beat me, heads up or ring or tourney. An otherwise outstanding player with a huge leak at the river can be a terrible player overall, because the money will inevitably flow outmof his wallet in the long run. You've actually told us that the (relatively) frequent "big beats" are not out of tyour bloodstream. Even if your extremely short-term results are moderately positive, they are not usual for a complete newbies with a merely decent game, playing low level NLHE.

You must know this. If you don't, after all your play, then you are *way* behind the curve, and headed for a drubbing, regardless of anything else you may say. Yet you seek to redeem yours life through poker.

I fully understand that society isn't remotely fair, and you may not be likely to get a position that makes best use (and properly remunerates) your abilities and skills, but that doesn't make poker the right venue for you. Not knowing you political or philosopical views, I can't choose an evocative example, but they abound: from the athletically gifted inner city youth who turns to drug running because he put all his eggs into his basketball game but lost the big college scholarship (when a little more attention to academics and discipline might have kept him on the road to the majors) to the unepathetic pre-med who can make it through medical school, but will never truly enjoy or perform well in in the the actual practice of clinical medicine (among the reasons why physicians have such a high rate of suicide)

You must have better options, especially considering your past. I wish I could tell you what they are.

But you've made up your mind, and have already essentially said that you're not going to heed the response you KNOW most profitable players will have. So good luck! And I REALLY hope I get to hear a trenchant "I told you so" in a year. No decent human being who has ever been down for the count, for any reason, can wish ill on another.

Just know this: you've preselected the responses you'll heed, though the cards are stacked against you.

Oh heck: good luck even when you're at my table. I can take the hit.