What's my next step?

Indiana · #1 12-12-2005, 03:30 PM

I've long admired the guys on this forum and now I am asking for serious help. I've always been transparent with my life so with nothing to hide, here goes: As I've said before I have a very successful career on the surface and make lots of $. I have for some time, however, wanted to drop this career and venture out as a professional poker player. This isn't another "leave my job" post however...That's the easy part. My problem is taking that next step as a poker player to propel myself to the top. I make $$ just about every time I play. I play moderate stakes and pretty much clean up. I know I can play higher stakes but I never bring myself to step up and do it. My day goes like this: Get my ass up, go to work and face a maddening day at the office with various meetings. Get home tired as chit, walk dog, do dishes and then sit at the CPU for some poker time. I play 3 days a week (this is starting to sound like a Raymer commercial). I don't like to stay up late because I gotta get up early next day so I play like 4 hrs two nights a week and 8-9 hrs on Sunday. Making $30/hr is really no biggie for me but I could easily triple that if I had a pep coach who made me get my lazy ass into gear. I just turned 30 yesterday and now I'm starting to feel my dream slip away if I don't act on it. I've got to pull my lazy ass together, step up in limits, and risk losing everything now by quitting this job and hitting the life of a pro or it may never happen. I know that I easily have the talent and drive for the game and have studied it carefully for 2 years. When I watch the pros on tv I see so many mistakes that I myself would never make. How do I take this next step in life?

Indy

Subfallen · #2 12-12-2005, 04:02 PM

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My problem is taking that next step as a poker player to propel myself to the top.

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Poker doesn't really work like this, eh? Improvements in your game accumulate slowly, over 100k's of hands played with discipline, patience, and unwavering attention to detail.

IMO you do not have the proper mindset to even consider going pro. Why do you think you want to play full-time if you can't stay motivated playing part-time?

#3 12-12-2005, 04:08 PM

I quit my boring (high-paying) job not long ago because I hated to go to work every day. I'm more the "go it on my own" type anyway and I know you'll never make alot of money working for someone else. So you sound a little like I did. I don't just play poker though, I have another business that I am developing. Poker is just my part time job right now.

Guess what? I "work" more then I did when I had a regular job. I have to. If I don't work then I don't make money. One of the things about a regular job is that if you go into work one day and only work about an hour they still pay you for eight. Heck, it's what most people do.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I willing to work more then I do now? (Not with someone to motivate you either. You have to have self-motivation.)
2. Can I stand the pressure of having success or failure completely on my shoulders?
3. Will I miss the social interaction of the workplace? (It's a very valid question)
4. Do I have a plan?
5. How long could I go without making any money? (How much capital do you have. You should have enough to last at least 3 months plus your bankroll)
6. Do I have a fallback plan if it doesn't work or I don't like it?
7. Will I like it better than my current job? (really think about it.)

So, if you haven't really thought it through then answer these questions.

REALLY think about a business plan before you do anything and draft one up. Write one like you would use if you had a business idea that you were selling to someone. In other words, would someone else think that your plan would work, based on capital, experience, past performance, etc..

Hope that helps a little.

SnglMaltScotch · #4 12-12-2005, 06:02 PM

I would also suggest that you try this out. Take 3 days vacation from your current job (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). Start playing 5-7 hours on Saturday and do 5-7 every day until Wednesday. How do you feel. Most casual players have never played this much over such a short period. Can you handle it. Is it still fun... If not, then it probably isn't for you.

Also, how much of a problem is an leave of absence from your current job. Can you re-enter that market easily?

Good Luck.

rwanger · #5 12-12-2005, 06:18 PM

Think about this..

It's VERY hard to play 40 hours of quality poker in a week. Especially since to play in the most profitable games, you'll have to pretty much devote every week night and both weekend days and nights to get your time in.

Now, imagine how much easier it will be to get in 20 quality hours a week. You could cut out playing all day on saturday and sunday. Or cut out week nights entirely. Or have sessions that are only half the length. THIS is why you need to move up. You step up one level, and you can make the same amount of money in half the time.

Step up. $30 an hour becomes $60. You play less hours, it's less of a grid, you enjoy it more and you play better.

Indiana · #6 12-12-2005, 06:23 PM

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I would also suggest that you try this out. Take 3 days vacation from your current job (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). Start playing 5-7 hours on Saturday and do 5-7 every day until Wednesday. How do you feel. Most casual players have never played this much over such a short period. Can you handle it. Is it still fun... If not, then it probably isn't for you.

Also, how much of a problem is an leave of absence from your current job. Can you re-enter that market easily?

Good Luck.

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Dam, that's pretty solid advice. I could re-enter pretty easy. I'm a pharmaceutical biostatistician and most americans are too weak at math to compete in this field so its always wide open. I may take some days and do as you suggest....This would be a great first step.

Thanks,

Indy

raze · #7 12-12-2005, 09:56 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Think about this..

It's VERY hard to play 40 hours of quality poker in a week. Especially since to play in the most profitable games, you'll have to pretty much devote every week night and both weekend days and nights to get your time in.

Now, imagine how much easier it will be to get in 20 quality hours a week. You could cut out playing all day on saturday and sunday. Or cut out week nights entirely. Or have sessions that are only half the length. THIS is why you need to move up. You step up one level, and you can make the same amount of money in half the time.

Step up. $30 an hour becomes $60. You play less hours, it's less of a grid, you enjoy it more and you play better.

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good call. I hadnt noticed such a difference in peak period games until just this past week

AlanBostick · #8 12-13-2005, 12:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I just turned 30 yesterday and now I'm starting to feel my dream slip away if I don't act on it. I've got to pull my lazy ass together, step up in limits, and risk losing everything now by quitting this job and hitting the life of a pro or it may never happen.

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What's your hurry, Junior? You've got something like two-thirds of your life ahead of you.

Rooster71 · #9 12-13-2005, 12:24 AM

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When I watch the pros on tv I see so many mistakes that I myself would never make.

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After quitting your regular job to "go pro", you can supplement your income by coaching other pros who make so many mistakes.

Indiana · #10 12-13-2005, 09:47 AM

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just turned 30 yesterday and now I'm starting to feel my dream slip away if I don't act on it. I've got to pull my lazy ass together, step up in limits, and risk losing everything now by quitting this job and hitting the life of a pro or it may never happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm just feeling old and having some kind of crisis. Sitting down for a few hours and making a couple hundred 3 nights a week just doesn't do it for me anymore. I need to take it up a notch and start showing up on TV. I know that I can outplay a lot of these so called pros.

Indy