If you were me..............

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
And during that year off you should probably be doing something to change or further your career (more education/training etc.) along with playing poker if that is what you choose to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have considered taking some classes, as I may decide to back to school someday. As far as taking education courses, I will never take one again. I hate them.

[grinin]

After reading some of your replies, I would like to change my vote from Teach and it's close to Teach and it's not even close. Deciding factor: 0.88BB/100 is just not enough. It is not a good idea to forecast your future income based on your current win rate over 60K hands. Even given your assumptions, from a strictly monetary point of view, it sounds like a wash.

The next school year will be over in 10 months and the Poker boom is still going to be here. If you work on your game you should be able you should be able to improve your forecast by 50% at the least. Since this year would basically be a wash, why not wait till next year when, with your improved mad skillz you would be able to really put away a good chunk of change. It sounds like you are burning out on the teaching job but play poker and think about the long run.

[timprov]

This is so not a decision to be making in the middle of July. I strongly suggest waiting until next year if you'll still have the sabbatical option.

[Timer]

[ QUOTE ]
As far as how long can I go without hating my decision, I really don't know. I have enjoyed the challenge that poker has presented, and I have had some success. It has been harder to convice myself NOT to play, than to play, but I have made myself take days off.


[/ QUOTE ]

This paragraph is very telling. First of all it says to me that you've already made up your mind, and secondly the fact that you say, "it is been hard to convince yourself NOT to play, than to play," tells me that you're addicted.

I wish you good luck, because you're going to need it. The fact that you say you could run good too, is very scary. But like I said, you've already made up your mind, and who knows you might make a killing.

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
Deciding factor: 0.88BB/100 is just not enough.

[/ QUOTE ]

IYO, what would be enough?

[boose_bagina]

52k + benefits sounds like a gold mine for a "supposedly" easy teachers job. play full time in the 2 months summer vacation you have and during your 2 week christmas vacation.

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
52k + benefits sounds like a gold mine for a "supposedly" easy teachers job. play full time in the 2 months summer vacation you have and during your 2 week christmas vacation.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is an easy job and I like it, but it can be stressful too. Beating a kid to death would be -EV IMHO.

[Oilcan]

Teach and bang some 17 yr old chicks looking to up their grades [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Otherwise max's advice. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

regards

[Entity]

[ QUOTE ]
Teach and play in your spare time. Keep trying to move up in limits. If you are successful in moving up you can still teach, make more than 76K from poker in your spare time and still have plenty of free time to do other things in life.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seems to me that you've got it fairly good as a teacher. With starting wages around 28k/yr here and fairly fierce job competition, I've decided to play poker instead. I agree with Max's reasoning -- I also think you'll like poker more if you don't have to play, and instead play when you want to.

Rob

[LImitPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
I find it curious that you think I should consider 3/6, even though my sample sizes for 3/6 and 5/10 are about the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

I suggested it cause thats what I did, except the difference in my winrate was larger. However what is right for me may not be right for you. I play for a living and I am a fairly conservitive person. I have the bankroll to be playing 50-100 games but I have no desire to move up

I played over 750K hands combined at the 2-4 and 3-6 limits 8 and 12 tabling before I decided I better move up before my game stagnates.

I played just over 61K hands at 5-10 6 max 4 tabling with a slightly lower winrate than yours, 1.1 BB/100

I was not happy with this and I decided to move back down to the 2-4 and 3-6 limits.

Even tho I was beating that limit I I moved down for a couple of reasons.

1st and foremost was I was making more per hour 12 tabling the lower limits than I was playing 4 tables of 5-10 SH (including Rakeback)

The 2nd reason was the swings in 5-10 were driving me nuts.
Going on a 100-150 BB downsing ever 10K hands or so was really frustrating me. I can count the # of -100 BB downswings I have had on 1 hand playing 2-4 and 3-6 so I am not used to the downswings that are constant in the 6 max games.

The 3rd reson was the level of competition at the lower limits is just so soft. In the 5-10 6 max games I was always looking for different tables, chasing the fish and staying away from the TAGS.

I can pull up any 12 tables at random in the 2-4 games and not have to move tables because the players are just so soft. IF there are 3 or 4 TAGS on 1 of the tables I am sitting on it doesn't bother me becuase 2 or 3 of them play awful post-flop. A TAG at the lower limits is just not the same as a TAG at the higher limits. Yes, there are awful playing tags at the higher limts as well but they are not as plentiful as they are in the 2-4 and 3-6 games

The last reason I decided to stay put was becuae currently we have tons of pro's or semi-pro's, climbing the ladder increasing their bakrolls trying to get out of the small stakes limit games and get to the 15-30, 30-60 games.

I would rather be at the top of the pile in the Small stakes games making good money against poor competition with almost no effort, than be a decent player making good money in the 15-30 games against better competion and a lot more effort.

Will this hurt me in the long run, yes probably, but only if I ever plan on moving up the ladder.

The 2-4 and 3-6 games will probably get a little harder over time and I may experience a little drop in my winrate but I really do not think that the 2-4 and 3-6 games will ever get to the point where they are difficult to beat.


If that time ever does come I will have accumilated a massive bankroll and I will just play fewer tables and move up the limits or buy another business.

Whatever you choose good luck