Convince me not to go pro

[MicroBob]

There's been a LOT of talk on here about enjoyment factor.

I was a bit different coming out of college (I'm 34....so it was a few years ago).
I went into a field that I LOVED that also paid extremely poorly (unless I made it BIG).

I didn't do it for the opportunity to make it big.
I did it because I wanted to love what I did.

For 10 years I made VERY LITTLE money and really enjoyed my work.
And I have ZERO regrets about it.

And I know SO MANY people who are annoyed by the constant grind of their corporate scene. I've avoided that for the most part, but not completely.
By brief tastes of the actual business-world have left me wondering how anybody can do it for 50-60 hours a week (or more).

I preferred doing what I loved for $25k/yr (or less) than doing something I didn't like for $60k-$100k.

I didn't really burn-out too much on my previous career. I ran into a bad situation and decided to take a break.
I will possibly even look into going back into it now that I have a way to make a better income.
So if they want to pay $2k/mth or less, I don't really care.
If it's something you love doing you should practically be willing to do it for free (although there are some practical considerations that would inhibit that of course).


BTW - when I first went pro I was HOPING to make in the $1k/wk range ($50k/yr) but was prepared to make less than that.
I don't think you need to set a $100k/yr goal in order to go full-time. That's silly.

With a decent bankroll...one should be able to make $40k-$50k if they 4-table the 3/6 games and put in the hours and effort.
And just because you START at that level doesn't mean you have to STAY at that level as your bank-roll grows and your skills improve.

After a year or two you might be playing the 15/30 game and pushing $3k/wk.
In fact, you could conceiveably make it to the 15/30 game in less than a year. It's really not THAT tough if you're a decent player.

This concludes my random observation-rant.

[Matt24]

My post should say, They own, as in my parents own the business I am referring to. Why aren't we allowed to edit posts after a certain time frame?

[Bob T.]

Well, in your situation, I can't think of a good reason not to take a shot at it for a year.

[4thstreetpete]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, in your situation, I can't think of a good reason not to take a shot at it for a year.

[/ QUOTE ]

agreed! I've already changed my jobs/career several times before the age of 30. Taking a shot for a year or two may be a good idea.

[krazyace5]

MicroBob, I really wish you would have done a David Ross type posting of your first 6-12 months going pro. Really interested in how it is going for you since I may get layed off next yr and plan on going the same route as you.