Pros & $1000/$2000

[TerraUbrett]

I am a regular small stakes and internet poster on 2+2 and need a little help from you guys. I have a friend who has just begun playing poker and is under the impression that all pros make their money by playing $1000/$2000 games and tournaments. I explained to him that those games come around from time to time, but they are not the usual. If someone experienced could post an average month in the life of the higher stakes pro, including limits played and number of tournaments, it might be able to help settle this argument.

Thanks
TerraUbrett

[ChicagoTroy]

There should be no argument. This is a matter of fact, not opinion. Have him read the forward to SSH, or post in the small stakes forum.

[TerraUbrett]

I don't think there should be an argument, he just doesn't listen, hoping posts from this forum will make him a believer.

[Ponks]

I make enough to live off of playing 3/6 for a couple hours a day. I'm not a pro and I dont do it, but my results over the past 4 months and 100k+ hands indicate that I could. I'd imagine people are pulling pretty nice hourly rates at 15/30.

Ponks

[Wayfare]

Search for astroglide's poker tracker stats. He made an average of ~$60 / hr playing 3/6 before he moved up. I think you could go pro with that hourly rate pretty easy.

My friend from school plays quad 100+15 STG's on party poker and makes around $140 an hour as well according to his PT stats.

[Ulysses]

I tried to go pro at smaller stakes and it was impossible. I found that in the long-term, playing $1000/2000 as well as tournaments was pretty much the only way to make a decent living from poker. You might get lucky in the short-term and make a little money at lower stakes, but I think most all pros would agree that there's no way to make a living at poker outside of $1000/2000 or higher and tournaments.

[ChicagoTroy]

Ssshhh!

[bobbyi]

If your friend doesn't believe you, but he believes claims from strangers on the internet about how much money they make, then I would conclude both that he is naive and that he doesn't respect you much.

Regardless: I make a comfortable living playing low stakes Go Fish and in my spare time make about $100k a year playing Chutes and Ladders online. Hope that helps.

[James282]

I've heard you can make a decent living grinding it out at 1k/2k but as you noted the biggest tournaments and the big stud game at the Hustler are the only way to make over 50k a year.
-James

[nepenthe]

We should have a contest between the Mid-High stakes, Small Stakes, and Micro forums (if it gets that far) as to who can churn out the wittiest responses to this thread. So far I give thumbs up to Small Stakes.