Need Life Advice Bad

[Darryl_P]

The trick with bluffing IMO is that it depends heavily on the type of game you're in. In the really great loose games there's no need for it at all while in bigger tournaments when you get near the money it works like gold and should be done very liberally (except against the big stacks of course but even then you'll find some scaredy-cats among those).

Also don't underestimate the importance of game selection. The wee hours are great times to find some players on tilt or drunk or tired.

Probably what I just said is as obvious as a sore thumb but it can't hurt to repeat it I guess.

If you decide against poker I sure hope it's not because you think you can't win enough. That would be a very silly reason for someone with your background IMO. If you decide the lifestyle is not for you, then that's different. There's no glamor, it's a strike against you with most chicks, it can be boring and monotonous, you feel like a degenerate sometimes, you have to lie to a lot of people about what you do, etc. etc. But you'll be truly FREE, which (to me at least) is worth everything.

[lehighguy]

I bluff like a maniac in tournament situations. My 8k multi cash was all about bluffing, as is my success in SNGs.

But that is all preflop bluffing. I find that stuff alot easier because I know the odds and there is a smaller range of hands. Post flop bluffing in cash games is tougher for me.

[tolbiny]

"I really really hate my job"

Don't do it. I worked a job for 2.5 years that i liked at first and then disliked and then hated. I've worked a job for 50$ a week + room and board. Best year of my life.
Now i play 5/10 and 10/20 sh 15-20 hours a week, it is far superior to working. I'm not very skilled at poker (just read some of my posts), but the competition makes it easy enough to make money. A reasonably intelligent person who puts forth the effort (it seems obvious neither should be a problem) should be able to pull in 100k/yr at sh limit. I can't speak for NL.


Up want to retire in 15 years? what would you do with that time? If you can figure that out then you have a good jump a finding something you want to do full time. Don't work at a job you HATE. Jobs you dislike can be tolerable, but if your losing sleep for a job you hate? Nah man, give them your two weeks and roll. Life s short, despite what being 22 feels like.

[Utah]

I dont mean this to be harsh but this is my honest advice. Dont be idiot and throw your future away. You suck it up and do the damn job for a couple of years. Working in IB will give you a million options later in life. You do the job not because you like it but because that is what it takes to be successful.

I sucked it up at that age and I am in my mid 30s and can pretty much do what I want. I have several companies including a poker software startup that is in product beta testing.

There is ZERO chance I could do the things I am doing now if I hadnt put in the time in my early 20s.

I realize that even minutes can start to seem long in a job you hate but you have to think long term.

My two cents.

[bholdr]

lehighguy;

Always remember: The hubris will getcha' if you take life too seriously, my man....


Here:

[ QUOTE ]
I'm 22...
I've been making the responsible decision everyday since I was 5. I've always been living for the future. Now that it is here I hate it. I'm totally lost and don't know what to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

22? 22!!? okay... we've identified the problem... "oh, boo-hoo! I'm 22, I'm not happy, and i don't know what to do with my life!" geez. C'mon, now, that's perfectly normal and you should know that.

[ QUOTE ]
Lastly, I LOVE POKER. I spend all day everyday thinking about poker. I can sit for 6 hour sessions and love every minute of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

go pro, and i promise you won't love it as much as you do now. Poker is a great side gig but a terrible carrer, generally... well... maybe you're an exception... hell, you have an education already and money in the bank, and no responsibilities like a morgatage or kids, right? yer 22- you have a few years to screw around finding yourself- though poker might not be the best place to do so...

"My object in living is to unite
my avocation and my vocation
as my two eyes
make one in sight"

-Robert Frost






But, you know, whatever... YOU'RE 22!






oh...

...and go get laid. that'll clear a lot of this right up.

[evil_twin]

[ QUOTE ]
I dont mean this to be harsh but this is my honest advice. Dont be idiot and throw your future away. You suck it up and do the damn job for a couple of years. Working in IB will give you a million options later in life. You do the job not because you like it but because that is what it takes to be successful.

I sucked it up at that age and I am in my mid 30s and can pretty much do what I want. I have several companies including a poker software startup that is in product beta testing.

[/ QUOTE ]



There are two sides to this coin. I was sucking it up in an excellent career. In fact I would say I enjoyed the career to some extent. I was very well paid with fantastic future prospects, however I had pretty much no life outside work. The plan was to continue until I was 35-40 and then break away with a ton of money and live life.

At the age of 31 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and everything changed. There are many things that I cannot now do that I should have done when I had the chance, in part I view all that time working my butt off as a waste. I should have been out enjoying life.

I'm not saying leave, and I'm not saying don't. Just that there are two sides to this "suck it up until later in life" coin.

To make the point more bluntly, you can plan for all sorts of futures only to have them taken away, sometimes it's OK to just live for now.

[Felix_Nietsche]

I really really hate my job.
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Could you be mores specific? Is it the work or the hours?


I even turned down applying for other jobs because I would have to use my company as a refernce and they would probably fire me if they thought I was applying for other jobs.
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Wrong way to think. If they knew you had other options you would be marketable and therefore more desirable.


Pros of Job
Money.
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Money may not buy happiness but it paves the way.


Moreover, I don't even want money. I just want enough for food and booze and videogames. I want to spend time hanging out with my friends. I've never been able to spend all the money I've gotten.
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It is good you understand that money it not a high priority for you.


Good Resume Builder
If I do this, I will be able to get another job much easier. I don't know if it will be worth much outside banking, but its gotta be impressive. If I quit, I'll be labeled a quiter for life, right? I turned down my shot. Who's gonna hire me and spend money training me?
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If they are investing money in you, they want to get as a return on their investment. If you quit your job without having another job you will have an employment gap that you will have to answer to on your next several jobs. HR departments are trained to spot work gaps and look for potential problems. Not a good thing so avoid it.


I'm good at this
I may hate it, but I'm very good at it. I'm better then most of the other trainees. The company is always trying to push me foward.
*************************************************
Wow! Do you really hate the job or do you hate something else about it. Such as:
1. The excessive hours.
2. The way it creeps into your personal life.
3. or something else.
It is KEY that you understand this before you make a major decison. If it is the hours there are ways to give the illusion of working more hours. A friend of mine worked for a company where the official hours were 8-5 but the unwritten rule was you weren't a good worker unless you worked 6-6. He solved this problem by taking 3 hour lunch breaks. Then he was able to train his boss by having early days where he work a half day one day a week. He became a master politican at work. The funny thing was, at first they were going to fire him and the put him on probation. He wrote some books on his experiences. His first book was Work Smart, Not Hard (not in print) and Be the Person You Want to Be. His name is John Emerick.


Cons
I don't know if I can make it another 2 years. I don't know if I can make it another 2 months. Each day is killing my soul. Minimum workweek is 60 hours. Sometimes more. Because I hate work so much I've developed a crippling insomnia. I don't want to go to sleep because I have to wake up and go to work. I'm getting less then four or five hours every night. If I had work today I would have gotten two. It feels like its getting worse. And it makes my waking hours unbearable. It's like I'm niether awake or asleep. I drink two red bulls a day. This is killing me.
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This is bad. If you worked less hours would this change things? Go to a health food store and buy a product called "tranquilnite" by NewChapter. This stuff is MAGIC!!!! Whenever I want a good night sleep, I take a pill and I DREAM the entire night and wake up 100% refreshed and rested.


Also, I hate corporate America in general. I hate having a boss. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied until I own my own business and report to myself. I don't think a different kind of banking job is the answer.
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Everybody has a boss. Most pro poker players have to kiss up to their best donators (if they are smart).


Play Poker for a Living
In summary, I've made about $19,000 this year. I would estimate I played an average of 10 hours a week over the first 6 months, mostly at one table of pacific for the first I would be satisfied with playing poker for 50k/year, but I worry about the future of its popularity. I kinduv want to make $100k per year so I can save 50k of it. That way if poker dies in 5 years I'll have $250k to start my own business.
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If you want to be a pro player I think you need accomplish the following:
1. Master NLHE (5/10).
2. Master Omaha Hi (5/10)
3. Bankroll = $30-50K (for 10/20 NLHE you need 50K).
Keep in mind as a poker pro you will be paying almost 50% taxes on you first $87K. There is a 15.3% SS Tax that you will have to cough up for the first 87K. Also it is possible to have terrible luck for up to 30K hands. You can destroy an entire bankroll if you can't manage your bad streaks. You need to master more than one game because sometimes the NLHE tables get to tight and the Omaha tables become RED HOT! It is important to diversify your poker skills as well as your investments.


Lastly, I LOVE POKER. I spend all day everyday thinking about poker. I can sit for 6 hour sessions and love every minute of it. I hate losing specifically because it makes me believe I couldn't go pro.
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Kewl. Be aware if you go pro that you need to create a company name and open a business account. I am technically a "Gaming Consultant" on my business account but I play poker full time. You will need to create a company name and go to the county clerk and get an Assumed Name Certificate before opening a business account.


Game Developement:
I would really like to break into this industry, but I have no skills. Sure, I understand game balance and mechanics extremely well, but those jobs usually go to more senoir staff. I have no graphics art talent at all, which is what most people in that industry do. There was an opening for a community manager at blizzard, but I didn't send my application because people said my company would probably fire me if they found out. I get the feeling most jobs in that industry go to friends and family anyway, seeing as everyone wants one. Nevertheless, I wish I had tried.
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Poker now game development. You need to go through a self analysis to clarify your thoughts.


Final Thoughts
4 months ago life was perfect. I had tons of good friends, I have fun all day, I was making tons of money at poker, and I have tons of free time. 4 months later I'm ready to keel over dead. Poker isn't going well, i have no good friends, my co-workers are shallow tools, i hate my job, i have no free time. I can't even get more then 4 hours of sleep. It just all went so wrong so quick.
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Never play poker when emotional upset. If you want to be a poker pro you need to prove you are a consistent winner for two years minimum at 5/10 or higher.


I've been making the responsible decision everyday since I was 5. I've always been living for the future. Now that it is here I hate it. I'm totally lost and don't know what to do.
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Write your thoughts on paper. Like a diary. Take some long walks at night alone (carry a gun to be safe [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]). Start having some mental time when you can work out your thoughts. Right now you should not be making a major decision.

[bholdr]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow! Do you really hate the job or do you hate something else about it. Such as:
1. The excessive hours.
2. The way it creeps into your personal life.
3. or something else.
It is KEY that you understand this before you make a major decison.

[/ QUOTE ]

Felix talking sense? what's going on here? (you've made a very important point here- i could rephrase it as: "Treat the desiese and not the symptoms- but be sure to know the difference first") i hate it when i have to aggree with you. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]


[ QUOTE ]
carry a gun to be safe

[/ QUOTE ]

that's better.

[lehighguy]

Well, you asked why I hate my job, so...

1) Minimum 60 hour workweek. If they put me on the desk I think they are hinting at, it could be 80 hour minimum. 15 min for lunch.

2) I sit and code spreadsheets all day. Thrilling.

3) You are expected to suck up to people you don't like and [censored] all the time. I love telling people to buy [censored] products with a straight face so I can make money of them.

4) I'm not an investment banker. I don't know how to convey this to someone that isn't in the business. But being an investment banker is about more then just doing a job during the day. It's like an entire lifestyle, an entire personality, an entire way of interacting with people. It just isn't me. I feel so out of place. I feel like I can't be friends with these people and we have nothing in common.

In response to your little suggestion, I work directely next to the people I'm with, and the work is too important. There is no faking it.

As for poker, do I really need to play 1000NL to make a living. I'm not planning to do this live. In an age of multi-tabling and rakeback is that really necessary.

Also, I may start to get into limit again. I haven't decided if I should specialize in one game or play many different ones.

If you don't outright quit, I think you at least have to compromise and start applying to other jobs. Almost everyone has to work a job they hate at some point in their lives. However, your situation really sucks because you feel like you can't even apply to other jobs lest you get fired. That feeling of being totally trapped would really weigh on my psyche and I imagine it's one of the main things crushing your soul, also.

Therefore, at least make a deal with yourself that you will apply to other jobs so that you don't crush any and all hope you have of ever getting out of this job. If you get fired, then you can take a shot at poker. If you find a more suitable job, then you'll be able to play more poker in the evening and better guage your prospects for going pro.

Good luck.