Questions for the Pro's/Semi-Pro's
This is for the people that use poker to supplement or is their main source of income.
What made you decide that poker was profitable for you and decided to use this as a source of income?
When you decided to use poker as a source of income what research/advice did you find that really helped you?
BTW: I have no desire to become a pro poker player but was just wondering what made you decide that this was the job for you.
What made you decide that poker was profitable for you and decided to use this as a source of income?
When you decided to use poker as a source of income what research/advice did you find that really helped you?
BTW: I have no desire to become a pro poker player but was just wondering what made you decide that this was the job for you.
Comments
I do not think that I can ignore that fact that I like to gamble. I have never been attracted to slots, etc but there is some thrill in gambling for me.
I played poker as a young person (starting around age 12) and just kept playing, at least a little bit. Around 12 years ago poker came into the casino and I started to play A LOT. For me, it combines two things: gambling and a deep intellectual challenge. In other words, I get to gamble and exercise my brain which are both things I like to do.
I have never considered it income. And, in truth, it has never contributed much to my "real life" until my $150K win in Cal this past November. Mostly it has been self-sustaining. I play poker so that I can afford to play poker, sort of thing (air, hotel, and HUGE tips cost a lot).
The most important step, for me, was keeping track of EVERYTHING.
So then I took up poker, moved up the ranks from 5/10, to 10/20, to 20/40 at the casinos. Won the GBH tournament in April. But then in June-August, went on a terrible losing streak in the cash games. Went bust again, I wanted to give up poker completely.
It's actually only in the past couple of months in the limit cash games, where I've realized I could be profitable with a bad run of cards. I mean before I would make money by flopping a set, rivering/turning a flush/straight, picking up AA and KK and have them hold up. But lately I've been profitable in the cash games where the biggest hand I could make is two pair, and never get dealt any big starting hands. That's how I've come to realize I could use this as side income.
And for material that has helped my game. I've read a lot of books, logged tons of hours at the casino, experimented with lower limits online, watched a lot of poker on tv, read a ton of articles on the internet and the discussion forums, and when I was playing against the top pros, I just sat there observing everything. To sum it up, pretty much I will never stop learning. That's how you do it.
And me being a fulltime student, it's really tough to hold down a normal job at this stage in my life. But I really don't plan on playing poker much once I graduate and settle down with a career.
I do follow Dave's advice of track everything and started doing it last year and have found out where I really stand with my poker playing.
I was wondering if there was one "defining" moment that just made it click.
(BTW I think that is one of the best poker advices I have ever read.)
At any rate, that's when I thought to myself: "this whole texas hold'em thing might be OK". Ah, the heyday of online poker, when nobody knew how to play and everyone had money to lose. It's still profitable, but definitely tougher out there.