Going pro Article

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I hope some day I will be able to play the 100NL.

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It's not as expensive as some might think. The blinds are only 2/3. The buy in is $100 and you can rebuy for $150 if you bust out. It's a great game to make money becuase the pots can get so big. The other night I left with $1400 after only buying in for $100 about 7 hours earlier.

If you happen to time it right you can sit down at a new game where everyone buys in for $100 so you're not up against big stacks. After a few hours you can have a big stack and then when someone buys in you can push them around.

[TimM]

Answering several different posts at once...

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BTW, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for job promotion playing poker unless you are in the top tier. Not to mention lack of benefits.

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I pay for my benefits. It's an expense just like any other. And some expenses are lower because I work from home.

How does a poker player get a promotion? By continually working on his game, to increase his win rate, and to move up in limits.

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And don't forget to take off about 25% in taxes. So now he's down to $3K/M. What's his rent, grocery, utility, car payments, etc, bills? Maybe $2K/M? More if he's living in LA, SF, NY or another big city. Now he's down to 1K/M profit. So he's making a profit of 12K per year

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Last I heard, people with good paying jobs:

- paid taxes
- had rent, grocery, utility, and/or car payment bills
- Sometimes lived in or near large cities
- Did not look only at what they made after living expenses as "profit"

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and ruining his eyes staring into his PC screen :-)

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This is why we get big LCD screens. Plus any decent job I would get would involve staring at a computer screen anyway (probably not an LCD).

Anyway, I'm not sure what the point of all this discussion is.

If you:

- can't beat the game for enough to live on
- don't like the lifestyle
- don't have the discipline
- are still a student
- have a good job
- have a family

Don't quit to become a poker pro.

But don't say that it can't be done, or that it is exceptionally hard, because there are a lot of us doing it and we know that's not the case.

[Shoe]

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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

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No that's not good.

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4k a month is an above average salary. Maybe it is less than you are accustomed to, but I would consider anything above average to be good in the general sense of the word. Especially when you can make an above average salary playing low limit poker.

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Above average if you work at Walmart. With all the college kids on 2+2 I'd hope your sights were set a little higher than 4K a month. My son just graduated college with a degree in theater and was offered a 24K a year starting salary for part time work while he builds his resume.

BTW, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for job promotion playing poker unless you are in the top tier. Not to mention lack of benefits.

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I'm not sure what you are trying to say. 4k a month is 48k a year. That is well above what the average american makes in a year, and twice as much as your son who just graduate college. And no offense, but with a degree in theater your son will be lucky to ever make more than 48k a year. (I could be wrong in this, maybe theatre is bigger in your area - but I have recently graduated from college, and all of my friends that have a degree in theatre or anything similar, have yet to find a job related to their degree -- the jobs are hard to come by and don't seem to pay a lot, however I am not saying that is bad, if it makes you happy that is the most important thing -- something that most people cannot say about their office jobs).

I agree with you, in almost every case, it is better to work than play poker (as most people do not have what it takes, not matter what it sounds like reading the posts on this site). All that I'm saying is that if you are making 4k a month (48k a year), then you are making an above average income. If you do that playing poker great, no you aren't getting any benefits, so 48k a year playing poker would probably be the equivalent of around a 38k - 42k a year job with benefits.

Benefits sound great, but you can also provide for your benefits if you are making enough (i,e, invest the same percent of your money as you would put into 401k, plus what the company would have matched, etc...).

Other than health insurance (which can be anywhere from cheap if you are young and single (I am paying less than $100 a month for health and dental on my own -- less than I had to pay at my last employer where they matched half of it) - to expensive if you a family or prior medical conditions, and 401k, there really aren't many other benefits that are worth a significant of money that you get working a full time job.

As far as job promotion goes playing poker -- you are always going to be doing the same thing. However, you can get "promoted" by improving your game and increasing your bankroll enough to beat the next level. This in its own sense is your promotion, you now make more money (if your good enough). The people making 48k a year playing $3/$6 are surely good enough to make more at a higher limit if they truely wish to apply themselves. Is this type of job promotion fulfulling? For some yes, for others no. If you would get burnt out doing this, a full time job would definitely be the better choice for you.

[ghostface]

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Play 2000 hours a week

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This is the key to becoming an online poker pro.

[banditdad]

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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

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No that's not good.

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4k a month is an above average salary. Maybe it is less than you are accustomed to, but I would consider anything above average to be good in the general sense of the word. Especially when you can make an above average salary playing low limit poker.

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Above average if you work at Walmart. With all the college kids on 2+2 I'd hope your sights were set a little higher than 4K a month. My son just graduated college with a degree in theater and was offered a 24K a year starting salary for part time work while he builds his resume.

BTW, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for job promotion playing poker unless you are in the top tier. Not to mention lack of benefits.

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I'm not sure what you are trying to say. 4k a month is 48k a year. That is well above what the average american makes in a year, and twice as much as your son who just graduate college. And no offense, but with a degree in theater your son will be lucky to ever make more than 48k a year. (I could be wrong in this, maybe theatre is bigger in your area - but I have recently graduated from college, and all of my friends that have a degree in theatre or anything similar, have yet to find a job related to their degree -- the jobs are hard to come by and don't seem to pay a lot, however I am not saying that is bad, if it makes you happy that is the most important thing -- something that most people cannot say about their office jobs).

I agree with you, in almost every case, it is better to work than play poker (as most people do not have what it takes, not matter what it sounds like reading the posts on this site). All that I'm saying is that if you are making 4k a month (48k a year), then you are making an above average income. If you do that playing poker great, no you aren't getting any benefits, so 48k a year playing poker would probably be the equivalent of around a 38k - 42k a year job with benefits.

Benefits sound great, but you can also provide for your benefits if you are making enough (i,e, invest the same percent of your money as you would put into 401k, plus what the company would have matched, etc...).

Other than health insurance (which can be anywhere from cheap if you are young and single (I am paying less than $100 a month for health and dental on my own -- less than I had to pay at my last employer where they matched half of it) - to expensive if you a family or prior medical conditions, and 401k, there really aren't many other benefits that are worth a significant of money that you get working a full time job.

As far as job promotion goes playing poker -- you are always going to be doing the same thing. However, you can get "promoted" by improving your game and increasing your bankroll enough to beat the next level. This in its own sense is your promotion, you now make more money (if your good enough). The people making 48k a year playing $3/$6 are surely good enough to make more at a higher limit if they truely wish to apply themselves. Is this type of job promotion fulfulling? For some yes, for others no. If you would get burnt out doing this, a full time job would definitely be the better choice for you.

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Time out. I'm not saying you can't do it or shouldn't do it. Hey if your dream or passion or desire is to play poker for a living go for it. The original question was: [ QUOTE ]
you need to play 150 hours to make 4k. is that good? Ypu tell me

[/ QUOTE ] And I told him: No I don't think that's good.

As to my son, you are 100% correct. $24K per year plus benefits is a far cry from $48K a year, but it gives him the time and BR to persue his dream. Who knows, 10 years from now he may decide the trying to get into the Industry is a waste of time and take up poker as a living.

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Don't quit to become a poker pro.

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Please don't try and equate being a full time internet poker player with being a poker pro. Just becuase some of you can multitask and play a bunch of games at once and make a living out of it doesn't mean that you are truly a professional poker player. You are more like a professional game player, using technology to help you maximize your game. It's only when you can come to a B&M casino, sit down with your money and play face to face and make a living at it that you are truly a professional poker player.

In a short while you'll all be playing against online bots who will have no problems matching your 6 - 10 table at a time play and who will never get tired. Those of us who play in the real world will never have to suffer the indignities that you will soon be facing.

[Shoe]

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Time out. I'm not saying you can't do it or shouldn't do it. Hey if your dream or passion or desire is to play poker for a living go for it. The original question was:
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you need to play 150 hours to make 4k. is that good? Ypu tell me


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And I told him: No I don't think that's good.

As to my son, you are 100% correct. $24K per year plus benefits is a far cry from $48K a year, but it gives him the time and BR to persue his dream. Who knows, 10 years from now he may decide the trying to get into the Industry is a waste of time and take up poker as a living.

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Point taken, and just to make sure we are clear -- I was not trying to take a shot at you or your son. I hope the theater career works out. I took a job in computers and although it pays well (in my standards), there are definitely other jobs out there that I would find much more enjoyable. Who will be happier later in life? Probably your son.

I guess we just disagree on what "good" is. 150 hours to make 4k is about 26.67 per hour. I think that is good (but I am still young at and early in my "career." For you, that might be chump change. We are obviously at different points in our careers and have different mindsets when it comes to money.

[TimM]

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Please don't try and equate being a full time internet poker player with being a poker pro. Just becuase some of you can multitask and play a bunch of games at once and make a living out of it doesn't mean that you are truly a professional poker player. You are more like a professional game player, using technology to help you maximize your game. It's only when you can come to a B&M casino, sit down with your money and play face to face and make a living at it that you are truly a professional poker player.

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Whatever. The game I play is poker. I don't live close enough to any B&M casinos to try this anyway. And even if I did, I probably would find it too boring. Also, maybe I'm not good enough to win enough to live on, with the increased rake, tips, and other costs. Certainly I'd have to be willing to withstand a greater period of lower income while working my way up the limits, just to find out whether I'm good enough or not. I'd rather make $40-$50/hr at low limit games without leaving the house, and with plenty of room to move up from there.

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In a short while you'll all be playing against online bots who will have no problems matching your 6 - 10 table at a time play and who will never get tired. Those of us who play in the real world will never have to suffer the indignities that you will soon be facing.

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Of course if the games get bad for whatever reason, most of us will have to do something else. I guess this is true for anyone whose chosen field could fall under economic difficulties. I'm not ready to worry about the bot doomsday scenario just yet though.

[MicroBob]

what a ridiculous post that guy had.


I file my taxes as a 'professional gambler'.

Poker (95% of it online) is my sole source of income.
It is my 'profession'.


Some 'pro' players travel around and hit all the big tourneys on the WPT, etc.
Even if they are getting staked or are deep in debt you might still consider them a pro because they are playing all the big, live tourneys.

Well....I play poker from home...and i make more than they do (that is, I'm not in debt).


I've played some live poker too..but this is just recreational mostly .
Because I can get in about 10x more hands per hour at home (Plus, I don't have to tip and the rake is better) it is obviously FAR more profitable to play online.



Your claim that I'm not a 'pro' even though online-poker is idiotic. my 'profession' or 'sole source of income' is poker.
It's my choice to not regularly make the 40 minute drive to the nearest poker-room.
It's my choice to play where I can make more money.

Where you've all mentioned playing 3/6 and 5/10 you mean NL right???