Why should I finish my college degree? (I really want you to tell me) - Page 2

PairTheBoard · #11 03-23-2005, 12:28 AM

There are a lot of marginally winning players who are doing ok right now because the games are so good. But we've already seen some drying up of online games. The PP 2-4,3-6,5-10 games are nowhere near as plush as they were two years ago, although they are still good. We saw this happen years ago when Holdem first came out in the card rooms. The games were like candy stores but as time passed they got tougher and the marginal winners became losers. This could very well happen again. The best players remain winners. The Rest get jobs.

Take some Liberal Arts Courses. Read some good books for pleasure. Enrich your inner life. Play some poker. Play at life. Learn something useful just in case.

PairTheBoard

BradleyT · #12 03-23-2005, 02:23 AM

You can play poker part time and work at your computer job and still make more than 80% of people here - I do. Oh and poker is still fun every day I play.

Al Schoonmaker · #13 03-23-2005, 07:03 AM

Poker is very similar to professional sports. A few people do very well, but most people don't make enough to live on.

More importantly, hardly any full time professionals end up with any money. Many WSOP champions and Hall of Famers died broke.

And it is not just retirement that is a problem. Some of the famous names you see on TV are buried in debt.

If world famous players can't accumulate any money, why should you believe that you will do so?

Regards,

Al

steamboatin · #14 03-23-2005, 07:35 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Your a freshmen, and your on full scholarship,

[/ QUOTE ]

Who says the American education system is lacking? I'll keep my street degree from the school of hard knocks, thank you very much.

BluffTHIS! · #15 03-23-2005, 07:35 AM

[ QUOTE ]
You can play poker part time and work at your computer job and still make more than 80% of people here - I do. Oh and poker is still fun every day I play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. I am glad for my college years as far as the friends I made but poker is much more financially rewarding than jobs that education qualified me for (if you're going to be a neurosurgeon, a top notch liability lawyer or found the next Google then disregard). And the only reason it is so financially rewarding is I play higher limit/buyin games, not 8 tabling 3-6 with rakeback and bonuses that so many here are so concerned about. When you play higher limits (for me this is pot-limit omaha and no-limit holdem) poker is fun because you have to keep learning and fine-tuning your game and don't get the low-limit ABC poker burnout (at least I don't).

Regarding Dr. Al's comment:
[ QUOTE ]
If world famous players can't accumulate any money, why should you believe that you will do so?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you live below your means so as to save and invest, don't piss your money away on negative expectation games like roulette nor in a futile attempt to beat sports without devoting a full-time effort to same (I do piddle with baseball and basketball but not much since I don't have the time to devote to it - I make it a low cost hobby), then there is no reason why you can't accumulate money. If college-degreed professionals in other professions can accumulate money so can winning poker players without outside leaks.

Two things are certainly true however, now is the best time to go to college if you want to and it will be a backup.

Michael Davis · #16 03-23-2005, 07:55 AM

Because online poker has a 2-3 year lifespan left at best. After that it's back to the grind of B&M rooms and only the very best will still pull salaries of +50K.

There aren't any rules, however, about when you go to school. You could take a couple of years off and return, but it's probably not for the best if you're on scholarship. College is easy enough for anyone who can beat poker that you can pretty much play as many hours as you would normally and still crush school.

-Michael

BluffTHIS! · #17 03-23-2005, 07:58 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Because online poker has a 2-3 year lifespan left at best.

[/ QUOTE ]

Straight from the donkey's ass.

AustinDoug · #18 03-23-2005, 10:05 AM

A degreee is an excellent insurance policy against the vagaries of (a) the tables staying loose; and (b) government interference.

Your priorities shift as you get older. At 18, it's hard for you to imagine what you're going to want to do at 35. Having a degree leaves you with more options.

There's no reason for you to drop out of school to "be a pro." Students have plenty of time, even with class, to play lots of poker every week.

USGrant · #19 03-23-2005, 03:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Poker is very similar to professional sports. A few people do very well, but most people don't make enough to live on.

More importantly, hardly any full time professionals end up with any money. Many WSOP champions and Hall of Famers died broke.

And it is not just retirement that is a problem. Some of the famous names you see on TV are buried in debt.

If world famous players can't accumulate any money, why should you believe that you will do so?

Regards,

Al

[/ QUOTE ]

>>>> This is the untold story of the professional poker world that nobody hears about. Or, at least, ESPN or the Travel Channel isn't going to bother putting together a story on how super hot show pro (fill in the blank) is actually in a mountain of debt. Anyone hear the latest on Moneymaker? Is his life ruined yet? When I see so many pros selling books, videos and plugging Web sites...I wonder, why are they doing this if they can just be earning millions playing poker? or maybe poker is gambling and writing a book involves a contract that pays.

toots · #20 03-23-2005, 03:41 PM

I say drop out and go play.

I mean, if everyone goes and gets a college degree, who's going to be left to ask "Do you want fries with that?"

Wait until later to finish college. Say, when you're working at the Home Depot and have a mortgage, wife and unexpected child to support.