How Much Would I Have To Make?

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

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Online poker is just the current hip method for people who don't want traditional jobs to make their living.



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i would say that ~.0001% of people who dont want traditional jobs could make a living at online poker.

[sthief09]

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about the bots.....

bots are not a real threat to online poker. Youre an intelligent guy, think about how dumb and unresourceful people are...(id wager that 3/4 of 2+2 users dont make money at poker, nor could attain said bots). also think about how poker sites will do everything they can to protect their insane incomes.

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prepare for the worst and hope for the best

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

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prepare for the worst and hope for the best

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good advice, but im not worried at all.

[DeathDonkey]

Hey Josh,

I guess I'm in a somewhat similar situation so I'll just say what I'm doing and maybe it will be helpful. I'm 22 and graduated in May with a computer engineering degree. I didn't know what I wanted to do, I don't particularly love computer engineering, I'm reasonably good at it, but I'm reasonably good at most things, and very few make me really happy.

I decided to apply to grad schools because getting an advanced degree could help down the road and it leaves me time to decide what I want to do and all those big tough questions - basically not closing any doors I think. I start this week and will be playing poker to make money while taking a couple classes.

I think the things you are worried about with regards to your GFs family and your dad are just not something you should worry about. You can't control them and its not going to make you happier if they respect your job more or less, you're the one who actually has to do the job whatever it may be. You mentioned not being very confident in interviews and worrying about your family's opinions for this stuff is an issue of confidence I think.

Putting a dollar figure on the choices is a depressing way to consider such important decisions. What exactly is $100k vs $200k going to do to your life? What about $50k? I had enough money to eat and sleep comfortably this week and I can look far enough ahead to see that will continue. I'm happy with what I do between the time I wake up and go to sleep. That seems like enough to me.

Good luck, I sympathize. Do what you love or take a shot at something if you don't know what you love yet (I'm in this group).

-DeathDonkey

[wheelz]

$200K. Just because that seems like a big enough number for me.

edit: post taxes

[shant]

Since no one else has said it, I'll throw out a number. I think if you made around $120K after taxes it would be more than worth it. I think that's definitely attainable at the games and limits you play. Also, you can totally tell a company you traveled around Europe or moved to South America for a year after school was done. You could possibly say you went and taught English. I don't think it's looked down upon by potential employers that you took a year off to travel and enjoy yourself before starting a career.

Getting an internship is not a bad idea either, and is how I made some key contacts and got some good experience when I started in my field. The only problem with an internship is it would take away from time you could be playing.

I'm not familiar with how much gambling winnings are taxed, so my number may be off.

[nervous]

Poker. 'nuff said.

[Jinx]

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Online poker is just the current hip method for people who don't want traditional jobs to make their living. If it goes away, it will be replaced by another. And there are always unhip methods.

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My current goal is to be a freelance photographer who plays poker and plays a harmonica in a rock band in his spare time. I'm not sure how realistic this is.

To the OP, I'd suggest you get a job. If you don't like it, then consider the "pro" route.

[SoftcoreRevolt]

Watching Goodfellas for the 30th time it occured to me true this is, online poker is for the people who want to make the money mobsters do, but are too puny for that line of work. (EXCEPT FOR ME OF COURSE!)

But, we really shouldn't underestimate the huge loss a year can be in the job market, especially if the economy won't fully recovery for the next few years. If you take that year off, you are now competing against the next graduating class too, who just graduated, and don't have what might be perceived as a gambling problem.

But, at the same time, you can make enough to make it worthwhile. I don't think I am qualified to give you a number, BUT, looking at your posts, I'd say use the number you have in mind as the high end of the range you should make, since you seem a bit overly cautious and slightly paranoid about the future, so a figure you'd come up with would probably be quite on the high end.

[sthief09]

I am a math guy. I need numbers for everything. I don't think asking for a number is a bad way of going about it. there is clearly an amount of money that will be so far above what I'd make a job that I should play poker.

if we put it into a poker situation, getting a job has implied odds. in 5 or 10 years I'll be ahead of myself now, not only because I have more work experience, but also because I can get a better job now than I'll be able to get in a couple of years. playing poker has reverse implied odds. there will be a point (IMO) where I'll have to go find a job and I'll be way behind the curve. also, think of time value of money. if I make a lot of money in the next 2 years and invest that, that can counteract some of the advantages of doing well at a job.

I don't want to come off as greedy. the money is not my big motivation. I want to be successful in whatever I do. but in this situation, I think money is pretty important since I'm choosing between 2 jobs