A Note to "WannaBe" Pros

[tewall]

Wise thoughts.

[jeffraider]

Going pro is a great fit for some people, a good fit for other people and a terrible fit for most people. It looks appealing to a whole lot of people though.

[ QUOTE ]
Going pro is a great fit for some people, a good fit for other people and a terrible fit for most people. It looks appealing to a whole lot of people though.

[/ QUOTE ]

So true!! So many people think it's fascinating that I'm a professional gambler. They have no idea.

I came into gambling strictly by accident. Eking out a small edge from the casinos. Slowly built a bankroll while working a small business as an independent contractor.

Started in 1996, by 1998 my gambling income matched my work income, after that gambling exceeded work income. Guess it was early 2000 that I realized I could really make some money. Kept reinvesting my earnings into my bankroll so that I could up my stakes and up my earnings. Began to think about the possibility of going full time. Two years later, house bought with cash, a substantial bankroll (necessary with an approximate 1% edge at high stakes in a volatile game), money to buy a new car with cash, I quit my business.

Though I love my freedom, it took me about a year to get over it. I missed my colleagues and clients terribly. Your world gets very narrow as a gambler, you have to really make an effort to connect with the world.

You can go where you want when you want. Most people cannot. It's difficult to find people with the same flexibility in their schedules, except other gamblers.

You must be able to adapt to change. In my case, once a casino in which I "worked" realized they were losing money, they changed things. Whoops, no income. Back on the road, find another opportunity. I had a casino basically steal $38,000 from me.

My freedom and autonomy mean the most to me. But basically this is a non productive endeavor, it can leave one feeling empty. I believe it's important to have other interests and friends for some balance in life.

So if you really wanna be a pro, plan for it, make sure you have enough money and no debt. You don't want the inevitable downswings to cause you too much stress.