Going pro Article

[PokerHorse]

About 5 or 6 months ago I posted a thread regarding David Sklansky's forward in which he stated that it is easy to make 50k playing 3-6 holdem on the internet.
I challenged that it was not easy, and I met with a very angry mob response, and a very short post from Mr Sklansky re-stating how easy it is.
There was a poster who posted his winning record playing 6 tables for 100k hands. It took him 4 months to reach that amount of hands, and I believe he had made 18k. It was very impressive, but it didnt change my attitude.
I realize that there are some people who are currently playing crazy amounts of tables and making money. That being said I believe they are the exception rather than the rule.
Ed Miller is possibly the best poker author out there right now. besides the math, he seems to have a natural
understanding of poker strategy and he communicates his thoughts very clearly. it's just that I disagree with how to go about making money on the internet.

After playing online for several months now, I think I can safely say that for example; you should not multi-table more than 2-3 games of 6 maxx, any level. you need to be
very aware of the players tendencies in this game. I know I'll hear from someone who is multi-tabling 24 games of 6maxx 5-10 and making six figures a month or some crazy figure, but 6maxx demands quick decisions, higher aggression, and features maniacs in about 30% of the games you'll play.It's simply too demanding to multi-table more than 3 successfully imo.
To make 4k a month at 3-6, you need to play roughly 44k hands, and make at least 1 1/2bb/100. To do this, you need to play every day 5 hours a day or 5 days a week 8 hours a day 4-tabling.
Can you sustain this pace? if so, then as David said, 50k is no problem.I dont think it's realistic.
A realistic pace would be to play slightly above 8 hours worth of hands at B&M.
If you play 400-500 hands a day online ,you are way ahead
of B&M games, and you can have a life. And I would keep that at 5 days a week.
Realistic earnings= 3-6 holdem 1200-1400 monthly.
This I believe is reality,.
Also if you want to watch a great 6maxx player, go to Ladbrokes and watch 22year old, "The Salmon", and other play 200-400 6maxx. very entertaining andinstructive.

If you want to get a realistic idea of what to expect from another source, then go to King Yao's Blog,(author of Weighing the Odds in Holdem) where he is currently developing a book on 6maxx internet play and is playing 50k hands of 6maxx at 10-20 15-30 levels and reporting back.
good luck

I think if you're serious about long term profits, you have to balance B&M and online play. Good Luck knowing your online opponents' tendancies.( Can't hit what you can't see) Depends on the person and their stenghths; if you're psychic,go for it.But if you want to prove a point, I'll play anyone and win 50% of the pots online.Just fund the match & you'll be refunded. S.Spencersaspencer@adelphia.net

Totally with you.
Have a Good Luck

[malorum]

1400-1500 USD per month for that many hours. Oh Boy! [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] If that's what you expect then I'd find a more lucrative hobby/job.

[PokerHorse]

for aprox 75 hours a month you think thats bad at 3-6? ok
you need to play 150 hours to make 4k. is that good? Ypu tell me

[dirty moose]

where can i find this article?

[PokerHorse]

king yaos is " weighingtheodds.blogspot.com

[malorum]

Lets make a coservative estimate if you don't mind playing full handed.
full handed 5/10 with say 0.7 BB per hour + a 25% rakeback should give you about 10 dollars per hour.
the above earn is not unrealistic for 6 tables.
For 75 hours month that gives you an expectation of 4500 USD.
If your prone to bouts of tiredness or tilt then fudge it down by as much as 30% and you still get an earn of over 3000 per month.

Its not trivial and you do need to be able to walk away from a 2000 USD losing streak as though nothing has happened.

To multitable 'effectively' means training your responses, not just studying. Also you need decent screenspace.

I think your right many people don't achieve these earnings but they are entirely feasible, and it requires dedication and drive rather than latent skill.

[PokerHorse]

i totally agree that the potential to play so many hands is very compelling.
i just think that 5-10 would be the minimum size to play inorder to make 50k a year or more.
playing 6 tables for 3 hours a day seems tough to me, for for others it may be no big deal.
All types of theoretical formulas can be conceived to show profit potential.
my personal suggestion to players would be to start at the lower limits(before leaving your day job)and build your bankroll so you can play the 10-20, 15-30 online games.
The internet really affords the opportunity for someone to
play equal amounts to a B&M player without leaving your job.
There is no reason a person couldnt play for 6 months online before leaving their job, to determine if they can beat the games, and more,to see if they really enjoy this style of gaming. You can multi table three tables of 3-6 or 5-10 for 2 hours a day and be playing more hands than a full time B&M pro, so why not start safely??
good luck

[handsome]

[ QUOTE ]

playing 6 tables for 3 hours a day seems tough to me, for for others it may be no big deal.


[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. What applies to you does not apply to everyone else. YOU may not be able to play more than 3 tables of 6-max, but there are many 8-tabling it. YOU may not be making 50k a year from 3/6, but there are MANY making MORE.

Here's the math, assuming a 2bb/100 win rate (very realistic) and only 4 tables:
60 hands per hour 1-tabling
60*4 = 240 hands per hour 4-tabling
2bb/100 = 4.8bb/hour
4.8*6/hour = $28.80 per hour

Play 2000 hours a week (40 hours/week for 50 weeks) and that's a $57,600 income. Note that this is "only" 4-tabling and BEFORE rakeback and bonuses.