I Quit My Day Job

[CardSharpCook]

That is some damn good advice. I always do this with work though - let it become my life. This should change.

[12AX7]

Man, I second this sentiment to fully.

I'm 43, been working since I was 14. If I could but make this work and get out of the rat race for good, you could never convince me that it was worse than the working world. Heck I spent the last 5 years staring at computer problems on a terminal at one of the biggest computer companies in the world. So what's the difference what computer screen I stare at, right?

If I could equal or multiply(!) my income doing poker online and never have to even drive in to work, not have to live in the freakin town where *they* decide to put the d'mn data center, etc. what's to complain about?

No bosses, no subordinates, no inventory, no dual occupancy cubicles with the doofus that puts his dirty feet up on the desk, no office politics, etc.. Geez, it's all the same attractions as online day trading. And probably requires a smaller bankroll.

But of course it has the same pratfall...."Is it *really* going to work for *you*???"

(Aside from the general fluctation issues, obviously.)

Geezus, if I could but make it work. And work soon! LOL!

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2 years of working online at home. I love it baby. And I have enough interests, hobbies and girls to occupy my spare time. To Hell with the rat race.

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[12AX7]

Hi Miami32,
Well, I for one appreciate that you are giving non-polyana view of the whole thing.

However, I still say (and this is critical) *if it actually works for you* it still beats a "regular" job.

But it does have to work.

Making 50k is tough at 3/6. You would have to win two bb per 100 hands while 4 tabling 40 hours a week...At 47 weeks you should have your 50k....

Everybody who agrees to this post. Please, grow up!!!! You are receiving great advice from the Two plus two magazine every month before trying something stupid and this is the answer you give.

[miami32]

Lol, yeah, listen to that guy!

[Adam22]

i used to be able to relate to the way this article was written and to an extent i still do. during the time it took me to reach a level i consider satisfactory as a poker player i wasn't really able to focus on much besides poker ( i am, of course, always learning and trying to better my game but i feel i've reached a level at which i can be consistently profitable in order to sustain my lifestyle which has been an important goal for me ).

i've always ridden freestyle BMX for most of my life and i kind of fell off on riding ( a broken leg and hand didn't help that actually ), i've always been an artist and i basically stopped painting, etc... in a way it was good because i progressed from .25/.50 to 10/20 in a pretty short period of time but i also feel that if i maintained a better quality of life/total happiness i would have maintained a higher winrate during that time.

i recall reading in some poker book about poker players who scheduled vacations for themselves in order to stay on top of their game and i think that's really important. i'm going to travel around florida with my bike and not even think about poker for a month or two in january and then come back to NYC and hopefully feel really refreshed and ready to tackle the games again.

just remember that money is important and a lot of us reading this are VERY lucky that we're able to get by ( and in some cases become fairly wealthy ) without spending our days in an office working for someone but people who have jobs have something to take their mind off of their own mental health 8 hours a day. poker players dont have that and often become weird and kind of mentally ill ( or so it seems ). try to forget about poker sometimes and just have some fun.

[SinCityGuy]

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The health point of your article seems pretty weak to me. If you play poker professionally on the internet, this would leave so much more time to get in fantastic shape than a normal job would.

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Yeah, along with poor eating habits, that part of his story didn't make any sense. Someone who commutes and sits on their ass in an office 40 to 50 hours per week would have more excuses for poor diet and lack of exercise than someone who plays poker online at home. In his case, he must have other issues, because there's absolutely no way you can blame that on poker.

My diet and exercise habits are substantially better now than they were when I had "a real job."

I am not a professional poker player (or even a good one [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]), but I have been making my income from the internet, both in offices and from home, for the last 8 years. I have been on both sides of this argument, from a $30,000 paycheck, to being much, much further in debt.

There is an old saying, "If you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life."

I have found, like most "old sayings" that this is a half-truth.

I love a good video game. I love my job. I love golf. I love a lot of things. But if I force myself to do them 8 hours a day (because I don't eat if I don't), it's not likely to stay fun for very long.

When my business started going to hell, it was because I was putting in ridiculously long hours. I would go to sleep dreading waking up and having to do it all over again. Not exactly the best environment for creativity.

I am currently the happiest I've ever been in my life. I go to work (downstairs) when I feel like it. Without the stress, the urgency, the deadline, the ideas flow freely. When I have an idea, I put in those 14 hour days until it comes to fruition, because I'm love doing it, not because I'll starve if I don't. On average, though, I'd be pushing it if I told you I work more than an hour and a half per day.

So yes, like my business example, playing poker for a living has the potential to be a crap lifestyle, but it can also be a big, fat, opportunity to seize everything you've ever wanted. It all depends on how you approach it.

For example, the guy posting that he feels like s*** after a 6 hour, 6 table session is absolutely right. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. His eyes are shot, likely causing headaches. Would you like to get up each morning and say "Well, time to go to work so I can get a migraine, then I can go to sleep and do it all over again" ??

Now take someone that, instead of 6 tabling 3/6 for nearly a full work day, plays an hour or two of 20/40, and maybe an extended session once a week. When he's done, he goes off and enjoys the rest of his day. Smokes a cigar, bangs his gal(s), hits golf balls, plays with his kids... you know... lives life to the fullest.

Does that strike you as the kind of guy that is going to say that being a poker player isn't all it's cracked up to be?

So there's two types of goals;
a) To play poker for a living.
b) To make enough money from our hobby, just the way it is, to not have to work anymore.

The two goals are *very* different. One leads to "I can't handle it anymore!", while the other leads to "I don't have to handle it anymore!". Sure, getting good at 3/6 is a lot quicker and easier than getting good at 20/40. That's the catch. Few have the guts, patience, and determination to hold out for plan B. But those are the guys that will succeed, and live happily ever after.

Question is... what kind of guy are you? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Before I begin with what I have to say I want to add some history:
-I've read 2+2 posts before and never commented until now.
-I've been playing on empire for a a couple years now and have done very well. My income from poker is solid and I've considered going pro.

But the one thing I don't hear anyone on this thread saying is that playing poker is unfullfilling. I work at a big company now and while I don't love my job it gives me pleasure to actually create something. When I play cards I'm always looking for weaknesses in my opponents and ways to exploit them. When I play, I don't create anything and I would like my life to mean something more than the guy who took money from weaker poker players. I've recently decided to not go pro because there is more to life than just playing cards. I agree with having hobbies and gfs is good. But no one mentioned anything about getting satisfaction from building or creating something. Am I alone? I could go pro if I wanted, but I would never create anything. I plan to continue playing to supplement my income because the money is good. But I'm still searching for a way to be productive.

Does anyone else who plays a lot feel this way?