27 replies to this topic

[JoRaff]

I am trying to play for a living, but am quite unsure of the path of which I am supposed to take. This past summer, I grinded out $12 000 playing 20/40 live limit and lost it playing 50/100 limit. I've tried to pick up and start again but I hit around 3k and bust out. I only play live and am wondering if this is the best choice now. Everyday there is a new kid my age striking it rich with some online tourny. This constant comparison leads me only to jealousy, possibly envy. This in turn leads me to, well, not 'anxiety' anxiety, but I do feel somewhat anxious about making it , soon. When I have my flow on, when I'm on my game, I can feel it and nothing can stop me. This is so much more than simply running good. I haven't been on my game in months. When I'm not on my game, I try and force it and it isn't pretty. I think I'm stuck about $5000. Right now I live at home and am blessed with the absence of responsibility and bills. However, this situation also has me plagued with a silent reminder that I may be living at home for a long time if things don't change soon. I am terribly unsure of the road to take for a professional player. Do I grind it out for a few years, playing the occasional tourny aiming for a big win? Do I start building a roll online where the possibilities are endless? I just don't know.My losses are weighing on my brain. With each one I am encouraged to go back and improve and play tighter and play with more aggression but with the absence of a win, and the face value being me going to a casino and walking out with less money than I came in with. . .well it's hard to shake the monicker of being a gambling addict. So far I have loved my journey, the upps, the downs, it's all been good. I've been learning so much but it is taking its toll. I'm not anxious to 'make it' but I am anxious to, at the very least, support myself and/or win consistently.Every night of play brings a glimpse of a familiar opposition - a collection of machines grinding it out on textbook moves, fish with money, and the deeply deluded who are unable to see the leaks and holes in their flawed game. Those who come back for more on high hopes and clouded thinking. I am desperately trying to keep out of this group.If there are any true professionals out there, seasoned professionals on any level of consistent income that can lend advice, please do so.Thanks for reading,JoRaff.

[antistuff]

if you have to ask don't.

[AAsnake88]

JoRaff, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 9:21 PM, said:

This past summer, I grinded out $12 000 playing 20/40 live limit and lost it playing 50/100 limit.

Do not repeat this mistake.

[FourFlusher]

If you can't do better than five grand down live...why would you even think about going internet where you can lose all day, all night, and not even have to get dressed?Get a real job.When you find that playing as a hobby is paying more than your job for a long time...then think about quiting your day job.

[xzanos]

Just have fun with it and it will turn around.

[xzanos]

FourFlusher, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 6:38 PM, said:

When you find that playing as a hobby is paying more than your job for a long time...then think about quiting your day job.

This is sound advice. I took the express route and it's lead me to accepting stakes to $4.40 tourneys.

[Fox31317]

i agree when playing for fun here and there cash/tourneys becomes more of an income then your normal day/night job that you have thats when u consider either cutting your hours to part time to allow more time for poker or quitting entirly but that s risky move....considering u said u lost 12k from bumping up limits i would of just stayed where u were and just kept grinding..

[cardcore]

Everyone wants to make a huge score, but if your envy leads you to try to take the express train to robustotown, you're going to end up on the busto train to frowntown.

[jethrodull]

cardcore, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 10:17 PM, said:

Everyone wants to make a huge score, but if your envy leads you to try to take the express train to robustotown, you're going to end up on the busto train to frowntown.

sigworthamentsJ

[navybuttons]

JoRaff, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 6:21 PM, said:

This past summer, I grinded out $12 000 playing 20/40 live limit and lost it playing 50/100 limit.

you should have already had $12000 to play 20/40. the fact that you went broke means you need to practice better bankroll management. without it it doesn't matter how good you are.live or online doesn't matter if you're profitable at both. it's preference. the second most important thing if you're gonna take it seriously is being able to not spend huge amounts just because "what's a $30 dollar dinner when i played a $600 pot today"learning Omaha8 is the best way to go from 1K to 12K if you're gonna play live.also, when it comes to live mid-stakes games you should be totally confident in your game. it shouldn't be hard to be the best player at the table, but if you don't have confidence you're drawing dead.

[checkymcfold]

poker is simply not as easy as it used to be. that's not to say that making a living at it is impossible now (there are a fair number of us that do), but i'm probably 10x the player i was in 2005 making less than half the money i did back then. it can be more than frustrating at times.briefly, and i'm speaking from experience here, it's insanely frustrating to try to make it as a pro on a 3k roll after going busto, knowing that you need to nearly double your bankroll every month to pay the bills. don't do it. i did that for a year, and although i was lucky enough to break out of my slump and hit a hot run, allowing me to play more comfortably again, i really regret that decision. poker during that period wasn't fun for the most part--it really was nothing more than a grind, and a more stressful one than any job would have been. and it's only natural to play worse when you're stressed, which creates a pretty vicious circle. i'd recommend keeping whatever day job you have, letting poker stay fun for you, and using it as a secondary source of income. if you happen to hit 20/40 or 50/100 territory again in terms of your br, only then should you reevaluate your decision to keep it light and easy. poker's a fun game, but it's really easy to let yourself forget that as you care more and more about the money you're making at it.

[ROBBBIGG]

bet it all on red. if you win, bet it for ONE MORE TIMEand then take that back to your limit game and play within your bankrolland with your comps from roullete, live in the casino for free living the BALLA lifestyle

[Jdr999]

Read this blog post: Shannon Shorr: Limping through November

[Pot Odds RAC]

Play better Poker.You're welcome.

[borisj]

it's your state of mind that's making you lose. you expect to lose, therefore you're going to lose. watch the movie 'the secret' or read the book. maybe it'll help

[ice4804]

JoRaff, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 9:21 PM, said:

Every night of play brings a glimpse of a familiar opposition - a collection of machines grinding it out on textbook moves, fish with money, and the deeply deluded who are unable to see the leaks and holes in their flawed game. Those who come back for more on high hopes and clouded thinking.

Maybe you should be a writer. This part almost brought a tear to my eye.Almost.

[troyomac]

OP, I know I have literally no clue as to how good you are, but you might not either. It sounds like either you are good and ran good at 20/40 for a while, then experience variance while playing outside of bankroll requirements at 50/100, or you simply aren't a winning player, and just ran good for a while at 20/40. You need to seriously figure out if you are good or not. ( A hint could be other players talking about how bad you played that last hand, or stuff like that).Since you are busto right now, then you definately should not play for a living right now. Get a job, play poker on the side, and keep tracking your results.Know that poker is not for everyone, and a very small % of players are winners, and a small % of winners are professionals. If you honestly don't know how to get there, and are making the post you made, I truely feel that it isn't right for you at this time. That's not to say it won't be someday, but for now I think working is your best first step.

[king1305]

ice4804, on Thursday, November 15th, 2007, 1:39 AM, said:

Maybe you should be a writer. This part almost brought a tear to my eye.Almost.

We already have a forum writer/professor. We don't need another one.

[xzanos]

troyomac, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 11:39 PM, said:

A hint could be other players talking about how bad you played that last hand, or stuff like that

LOL. I suppose this is a *possible* indicator. But the % of players who don't know wtf is going on and berate you for a bad play is far greater than the % of players who do know what's going on and berate you for a bad play. I concur with the rest of your post though.

[troyomac]

xzanos, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007, 11:49 PM, said:

LOL. I suppose this is a *possible* indicator. But the % of players who don't know wtf is going on and berate you for a bad play is far greater than the % of players who do know what's going on and berate you for a bad play. I concur with the rest of your post though.

Yeah I mainly meant regualars that you know are full time players. But whatever, lol.