Is pro poker right for me? [LONG]

[lefty rosen]

Most Americans that have career ambitions are uptight and anally repressed. I suspect if he was philosphy major or a major in a field that didn't have great job prospects he would have a different attitude. Engineering is the ultimate anally repressed field out there........ [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Nomad84]

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Engineering is the ultimate anally repressed field out there........ [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

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[img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[MicroBob]

Didn't read the whole post (or thread).


But it really is pretty much up to you obviously.

Don't be too confident in your ability to beat the games until you have actually done it...but if the money isn't too hugely important to you then do what you like.


I have disagreed with others regarding the stress though and I still do.
Even in losing-skids I find online-poker to be significantly less stressful over almost any other job I've had before.
Having to get up at 7am and work for uptight morons REALLY sucks.

I feel like I have virtually total freedom and flexibility. I was able to take several trips this year...far more than I would have been able to from a 'regular' job.
It was either ofr a tournament...or just a trip where I brought my 'job' (laptop) with me.

March - Party cruise to Mexico (and placed in the money)
May - To Florida and New Orleans (visit parents and go to Jazz-festival respectively).
July - Vegas for WSOP
August - Florida to visit family
October - Washington DC and West Virginia (sight-seeing and to visit my Grandma respectively)
November - Florida again



when I'm not out and about travelling I get to work whenever I want and do it while watching the ball-game on TV or at some coffee-WiFi place on a patio drinking an iced-latte.


Yup...sometimes I lose...sometimes I win. I am currently going through my worst losing streak ever right now and am pretty certain it is not just variance but that I have somehow developed enough bad habits that I am (or at least 'was') no longer playing a winning game (kind of weird...but we each battle our own demons).

If you have the maturity to step down in levels when you are getting clobbered and not let the wins and losses get to you too much then I recommend it.

But obviously it's not for everyone as there are plenty of people (such as in this thread) who absolutely hate it after 6 months and go back to a regular job.
For some people the stress of making the rent is just too much to handle.
I keep ehough in living-expenses aside...and with the remainder (my 'poker' bankroll) I typically play at limits lower than necessary just so I don't sweat the ups and downs as much.

If/when you get clobbered (as I have) you can always just grind it out at low-stakes and rely on rake-back, bonuses, propping, whatever and that will be enough to get you by.


FWIW - I too did not have a significant sample-size when I quit my job and I was not convinced that I was a long-term winner. But, in my situation, I could always just get my former low-paying job back whenever I needed to.
frankly, I thought I was just taking a 3-month 'shot' to see how it went. I had been running pretty well and was making more from home then at work so I went for it...but fully expected to have to return to my job.
My 3 month 'shot' has lastabout 20 months now.


It's not the end-all-be-all.
If I had a zillion dollars I certainly wouldn't be spending all this time at home clicking buttons.
The game is fairly enjoyable...but not THAT much (thus it's sometimes hard to motivate myself to study). But as far as making a living is concerned it sure beats a LOT of alternatives for a lot of reasons.


Also - if you are a reasonably healthy individual it shouldn't be that expensive to get health-insurance.
I know people get benefits from their jobs...but I hardly think this is a complete reason for keeping a job you hate (as I know some people do).
you can just buy your own health-insurance and live a freer life.
(however, it's different if you have some pre-existing condition where you wouldn't be able to get cheap insurance if you left your current plan and I know a couple people who are kind of 'trapped' in their current work situation because of this)

[uncleshady]

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Engineering is the ultimate anally repressed field out there........

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Haha so true, but its their schooling that makes them that way. Every engineering major I have ever dealt with is under some insane time crunch to get some crazy project done.

I enjoy rolling out of bed at 4pm being a film major lol...