Should I take poker up as a career?

Question

I have a job as a waiter but working there requires to much of my time. Playing poker for a living is something i'd like to do. I went to the casino last nite with a 100 and left with 600, I have alot of confidence in my poker skills and feel I could actually do this. What are your thoughts? Also, I have big dreams, and I actually feel poker is my way of turning them into reality. I have a solid game, and I also place high if not 1st in many games. Your honest opinions please, thanks.

Are yall kidding? Wait til I have 20K in the bank? Yea right, thats now how I intend on chasing my dreams

Answer 1

Hate to break the news to you but you should wait until you have the 20K in the bank, no less than 10k if are inpatient-which seems to be the case. You need to have at least 6 months of living expenses saved so you can bet over the rough patches, which you will have.

Do not judge youyr skils based upon one night. Take the money you won and split in half, with one half going to savings and the other half to your bankroll.

Keep your current job and play poker part time. If you are as good as you think you are you will have the 20k in no time.

Answer 2

So you did this.. ONE TIME, and you assume to be able to do it EVERYTIME?
You know what, I once rolled a dice, and it shows "6". Doesn't mean if I do it 100 times, it'll be 100 "6".
Try to do it 4-5 times, going to the casino with 100$.
You'll have a much better idea about your poker skills.
I play poker since ages... and I've been 1st of 395795339 tournaments, but I've also been in the lasts position a lot of time... bad beats happen...
So far, you have nothing ( only 1 night of game = nothing ) to make the difference between *I was good* and *I was lucky*.
1 game of poker = luck matter a lot.
100 games of poker = Only skill matters, luck doesn't count anymore.
So play a few more games... to see if you're just a "good amateur" who got a bit of luck, or a strong player who can beat the game.

Oh and...
You don't seem to be really patient, and that'll kill you in poker.
If you can't wait, and always want to player for higher and higher limit, bringing your whole bankroll at the table..
Even if you're the BEST player in the world, someday you'll be unlucky and lose everything.
So, never bring a high pourcentage of your bankroll at once. Never more than 10% or so. That way, if you're unlucky, you can win it back with another 10%. But if you end up always losing those 10%... you'll have to accept the fact you're not "so good".. and continue with your day job.
If it was easy to win money as a poker player, a rock band lead singer, or a famous actor.. no one would do these shitty minimum wage job, right?

Answer 3

mrwonderful - you got the "CAPS LOCK" button I sent you in the mail?!? It's a Christmas miracle! *sniff* ;) Moe - Anyone that truly wants to be a professional poker player MUST have great discipline and bankroll management. Believe it or not, it's EASY to make $800 to $1,000, but it's just as easy to lose it without discipline. You might include FATIGUE as part of your problem. When you're sitting at the poker table, you're probably feeling fine. But there's something to be said about playing for that many hours at a time. Perhaps try limiting your play to a certain number of hours. No matter where you are after 6 hours, you MUST leave. Or no matter what, once you reach a certain dollar amount profit, you MUST leave - even if you get lucky and get there within the first 30 minutes. ***Important - starting with $40 on the table is a TOTALLY different game than sitting and playing with $400 or more. I'm not even exaggerating. It is NOT the same game. If it is the same game for you, then you're doing it wrong. Over all, I'd have to say the answer to your most important question is "no" - you're not quite ready to make this your living.

Answer 4

Keep your job and play part-time. A minimum bankroll that I've read that you should have is $20K, but I think that this may be a little low.

I say this because a one night result does not mean much. You will have periods of winning and losing no matter HOW good of a player that you are - but if you are good enough to be a pro then IN THE LONG RUN you should make $ as long as most of your opponents are less competent than you are.

Now, if you've got $250,000 in the bank, you could certainly give it a try!

Otherwise, practice & play where you plan to play for a living and AT THE SAME TIMES of the day. When you are making more money per hour (maybe after 3 months or a year) then you should consider going pro. But record ALL of your results as you really do want to have an accurate accounting.

Another advantage that having a job can give you - it means that your losses are not nearly as damaging - at least as long as you are playing games that have a reasonable cost. After all, if you are making $1000 a week but you buy in for $10000 every week, let's just say that you'd be gambling beyoud your means. You also don't have to be afraid of losing as much.

I suggest that you read these words from Mike Caro:

http://www.poker1.com/absolutenm/templates/mculib_articles.aspx?articleid=129&zoneid=3

Good Luck, and Good Poker!

Answer 5

I mean no disrespect when I say this, but you seem quite naive about the realities of playing poker for a living. Like others have said: One good night at the tables means nothing. I supplement my full-time job income with poker winnings. I suppose that makes me semi-pro; although I do it much more for fun than for profit. I have played nearly 2,000 tournaments, and every time I think I have the game figured out, I go on a losing streak. I recently dropped 1/3 of my bankroll, mostly due to bad beats and some pretty bad luck. For instance, I made a couple moves late in three tournaments, once with AT and twice with AQ. Each time I was dominated by AK. There's nothing I can do about that. If you don't have a sizeable bankroll, you will go broke. End of story. Stick to your day job until you have a couple thousand tournaments under your belt and decent bankroll.

Answer 6

Ok, let's be Honest, that's what you ask for:

I'm not going to write down all type of tips and advice to make a living with poker.....I'm going to save you from a disaster! Giving you just one advice: Don't even think about making a living with poker, you are far from ready for it!

And yes, you need a good amount of money to decide to take a shot at poker. The best is to give yourself a year as a pro player. For that you need a bankroll, for that you need to be honest with yourself and know where you stand. People are killing me! Poker is tough!!! Most of the average players don't have a clue what it take to play for a living. I know! I play poker for a living, and I know a lot players who play for a living. I also know and see a lot of players who try and failed!


My advice to you: Build your bankroll and your experience with poker. Time will tell, don't go for it because it's your dream! Work hard had it because it's your dream! And maybe....Maybe you will realize your dream.

I wish you the best.

Answer 7

You also might want to look into the tax implications of being a pro gambler. (I'm assuming you're in the US.)

You can't just pocket every dollar you make and spend it like it's yours.

As a pro gambler, you are running your own small business, with yourself as the only employee. You'll need to pay regular income taxes, as well as both portions of the FICA tax. Then there's the issue of putting some money away for your retirement.

This is all on top of what you need to keep in liquid assets for the inevitable slow times.

Basically, this means you'll need to win about twice as much as what you think you need to live on.

And oh by the way, winning money when you're just out to have some fun is pretty easy. When you have to win just to put food on your table, that will add a whole new level of stress to your life.

Answer 8

Just play part time like I do. The more consecutive hours you play, the less concentration you have, and hence you won't be as effective of a player. Players like Gus Hanson can play 12 hours straight. Most people can't do that.

Best advise would be to take your time. Set goals for yourself, reach those goals, and move up the limits.

But to be honest its hard as heck and the amateurs are catching up to the pros every day from all the books they publish.

Answer 9

If you are making more money playin poker than at your day job over a period of 6 months, then you shoudl consider it. Otherwise keep at it.

But they're right you'll want a bankroll, cuz even the worlds best hit stretches of horrible luck.

Answer 10

As a Gambler of Several years i can say this I still have a job and after learning a Lot I still only supplement my income gaming! That's not to say I haven't had great success but I still only have built a moderate bankroll as life has a way at eating at it