Why people who 'go pro' are the worst pro candidates...

[henrikrh]

I think you'd be hard pressed not to have noticed teh constant stream of "should I go pro?" threads. People notice that they can make $xx/hr and that is more than their current job, so they think it must be a better option. Your day job doesn't have risk, you can't have a bad run at the office and lose 90 BB. For a gain of $5/hr it's not worth it.

However, these new posters that want to go pro right away and live some poker fantasy that really doesn't exist don't care much. The people who want to go pro most arn't risk-concious enough to be good players.

If you start a post in which you tell people you want to go pro AND ask for playing advice you just might be total moron.

If you haven't encountered the following scenarios...

1) A royal flush
2) A 120 BB downswing
3) Having your boat busted by river quads

...then you havn't played nearly enough hands to even consider going pro.

If you think a plus to being a pro poker player is that you can tell your friends and they'll be jealous then you just might be a moron.

Don't post about going pro, just read other peoples posts, the advice is already there.

Take my advice with a huge grain of salt... I'm far from pro myself, and don't plan to get there ever.

/end rant

[LIRob23]

[Webster]

I've had 4 Royals, 3 200BB down swings and a boat busted by quads MANY times - I'M READY!!!!

[henrikrh]

[ QUOTE ]
What you write is true. Not sure what your hoping to gain by posting this? I hope for your sake that the picture of that dorky loser in the avatar isn't you.

-LIRob

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, it's not, I didn't know how to set and avatar and posted asking how, Dynasty set that one up for me, he claims he googled it, but I reckon it's him.

[henrikrh]

[ QUOTE ]
I've had 4 Royals, 3 200BB down swings and a boat busted by quads MANY times - I'M READY!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Your sarcasm belies the quality of your thought, it is true that even someone who does indeed pass theses bare minimums before considering becoming a pro they might still not be ready.

[Scorpion]

I have played many thousands of hands and never had a Royal. I have flopped quads and lost to runner runner quads though.

[krishanleong]

[ QUOTE ]

2) A 120 BB downswing

[/ QUOTE ]

This is painfully inadequate.

Krishan

[danzasmack]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

2) A 1200 BB downswing

[/ QUOTE ]

This is painful.

Krishan

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My first ever FYP

[LImitPlayer]

Do I sense jealousy and resentment in your post?

A "man I wish I could do it but don't have the nerve to try"
kinda attitude?

[twolf]

[ QUOTE ]
However, these new posters that want to go pro right away and live some poker fantasy that really doesn't exist don't care much.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm, yeah that was me. In the summer of 2003 I saw the WSOP and said "I can do this". I had a shitty job and wanted to try...

I played play money on Pacific for a couple months. I then picked up my first book in Oct. '03 and started playing on stars at $1/$2 limit. I lost around $800 by January.

I then played for money at Pacific. Started playing 3/6 with a roll of $300. Built it to $1k and left my job in February.

Played pro for 7 months making over $40k. I was a 23 year old that went from the inner city that in 2002 made $12k from my job(but enough to support me and my now wife) to making $40k in 7 months so it was quite a hoot. We spent alot of money and gave up playing pro when we busted because of spending to much of our BR, went back to same shitty job. Some really shitty event in life forced me and wife back into playing in Feb. of this year with only $1k again but a better understanding of the game and BR management.

So far we are surviving making more than I made at my previous job. So yeah "I see x amount of $$$ that is greater than my jobs x amount of $$$" so I play poker. I play $25 and $50 NL right now.

So to say that one should never think of doing it is bad. You'll never know if you don't try. But I am on the opposite side of the fence from you. I often wonder why people lose when they try to win and why winning at poker comes so easily/natuarally to me.