Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:26:34 -0800 (PST), Preston <prestonpoulter DeleteThis @hotmail.com>
wrote:

*plonk mental retard*
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 11, 4:13 am, "Irish Mike" <mjos....RemoveThis@ameritech.net> wrote:
> "On Mon, 11 Feb 08 2:48:50 GMT, Gary Carson
>
> <garycar....RemoveThis@alumni.northwestern.edu> wrote:
> >Actually, I don't think I've ever known a professional poker player who
> >didn't
> >have some form of alternative income.
>
>  Or at least they quickly developed one if
>
> >they wanted to stay a pro.  For some it's a pension, for some a wife with a
> >job, for some running errands for a drug dealer every once in a while, for
> >me it was free lance magazine writing, for some it was hooking, for some
> >making book, for >some selling rolex fakes."
>
> Jesus wept!  I am seeing RGP history being made.  I actually agree with
> everything Gary Carson said in the above referenced quote!  Please excuse me
> now, I have to go throw-up.
>
> Irish Mike


People seem to have read a lot into my post and questions that wasn't
actually there.
My daughter is well cared for. My ex-wife is an attorney and provides
well for my daughter. I do have to make the monthly
child support payment, and that's a big part of the monthly cost, but
Avery will be cared for.

In terms of finding employment, poker is just an option I'm toying
with. Realistically it's one of four different career paths:
1. Poker
2. Go to graduate school and become a professor
3. Become a stock trader (I've been offered a position)
4. Become a stock broker (I've been told I can start whenever I decide
I want to)

Becoming a professor is probably most suitable to my personality, but
the pay for grad students and post grad students is just so poor. I
was ironic given that most people were criticizing the $65K a year
given that they figure anyone could make $120K at a real job. Most
professors make less than $50K a year. It's only after long hours and
tenure that you get more, and that's a decade down the line.

As for being a stock broker, the pay is pretty good if I really
dedicate myself to it. But it seems like a job I might burn out on and
I'm trying to be sensitive to that. It's also a job that demands a lot
of time, so it would prevent me from doing much supplemental income
such as poker.

As for stock trader, it seems more or less just like poker. There are
firms that bring you on board after you put up some of your own money
and teach you their trading platforms and techniques in the hopes that
you'll become a big player with them after a few months. It's sink or
swing and there are a lot of analogies to poker, except that the
trading community seems the opposite of the poker community in that
poker seems strangely negative about the idea that anyone could really
make it while the trading community seems overly positive about the
idea that anyone can make it.

Anyway, I was just trying to figure out how realistic the poker piece
was. As it is, I'm going to give stock trading 6 months and see if it
works. if not, then it's either back to school or to being a broker.
But I have been told by the company that wants me to trade from them
that novice traders don't make much money in the first few months, so
I was looking to supplement my income with some $15-30. A grand or two
a month, which should be easily doable if the 1 BB an hour is at all
valid, would go a long way towards tiding over either my school career
or my trading career.

I appreciate the feedback i've gotten.

Cheers,
Preston.

PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 10 2008 12:03 AM, Preston wrote:
>
> You misrepresent my position. At no point did I ever say anything of
> the kind. I am mystified by people such as yourself posting negative comments
> merely to post negative comments, but that's the nature of the internet I
suppose.

Your slip is showing, Nancy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Be polite. Be professional. But...have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

------ 
: the next generation of web-newsreaders : http://www.recgroups.com
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

I am curious what games in Dallas you have been playing? I have been
around a little while and may know a game or two which may have skewed
your results (but finding the good games is the biggest skill a poker
player can have).

In addition, I would ask what your hobbies are? If your only hobby is
playing poker, then I would ask what you would do for fun if poker
became your job? Just things to think about.

For the most part, it's much more tolerable for most people to work a
day job that has some sort of meaning (although that can be argued for
a lot of jobs) and play poker for fun. Some people like the freedom
of scheduling their own time, but the good games tend to write your
schedule for you.

Croupe


On Feb 10, 6:20 pm, Preston <prestonpoul... RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 10, 6:32 pm, "brewmaster" <brewmas... RemoveThis @brewcam.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Feb 10 2008 3:18 PM, Preston wrote:
>
> > > On Feb 10, 4:39 pm, Clearlight <marc.ev... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > I suppose I'm really trying to understand the negative perception
> > > > > based on those who take part in the lifestyle itself?
>
> > > > I've been hanging around card rooms in California and playing for a
> > > > lving off and on for almost 35 years and while your intentions may
> > > > seem noble, insofar as you want to be closer to your daughter, it
> > > > doesn't seem to me that you're really looking at the overall "big
> > > > picture".
>
> > > > Let's just say for a minute that you take even some of the free advise
> > > > that's been offered up to you in this thread, none of which I would
> > > > disagree with, and you actually move to California and find that you
> > > > can grind out one big bet per hour from a 15-30 game. Personally I
> > > > doubt that you'll be able to but that's beside the point, let's just
> > > > say that you can. Than what?
>
> > > > As has been posted already, unless you want to play a minimum of 50-60
> > > > hours a week, that's not going to be enough to survive. I don't care
> > > > what anyone else tells you, you can not afford any kind of decent life
> > > > for yourself and your daughter in southern California on anything less
> > > > that $6-7k per month income and that's every f'ing month, month in and
> > > > month out.
>
> > > > OK so now let's just say that by some miracle, this actually happens
> > > > and you're playing 60 hours a week and making your $30 bucks an hour..
> > > > How what? What have you got planned for your off time?
>
> > > > I'll tell you what happens... you start to lose your soul and you
> > > > become someone different that who you are right now. Because no matter
> > > > how good a poker player you become some day, the fact of that matter
> > > > is playing poker is one of the most singularly spiritually and
> > > > emotionally unfulfilling things that you can do for a living that I'm
> > > > aware of. The only exception to this would be if you were a compulsive
> > > > gambler. Than you can just fall back on that old adage of "the only
> > > > thing that feels better than winning a thousand is losing a
> > > > thousand".
>
> > > > So, now, does this give you some more insight into "the negative
> > > > perception based on those who take part in the lifestyle itself?"
>
> > > > Good luck with whatever you should decide.
>
> > > Except that, people are saying that I should be able to get a job that
> > > pays $80 to $100k a year and that, in comparison, poker is pretty
> > > crappy. Well, I know a lot of people in California and I don' t know
> > > many that earn that kind of income. My ex-wife is an attorney and she
> > > makes around $85-90 or so. My girlfriend is a hairdresser and she's
> > > earning probably half that. In comparison to other job offers and the
> > > time involved, $60k seems like a decent living. People argue that it
> > > doesn't compare because other jobs have benefits, but that $60k cash
> > > still beats post-doc income or teaching junior college or a lot of
> > > other things- and that's assuming I am completely honest with the
> > > government about every dollar I won. So I just view the income based
> > > criticism of the move as being really without much merit.
>
> > You sound like you want to do it, and you have given it some thought.  I
> > would like to hear how it turns out for you.  I live in L.A. (and have my
> > whole life) and have played the 15/30 and 20/40 quite a bit at Hollywood
> > Park, Commerce, Hustler (not so much at the Bike because I don't speak
> > Chinese).  I play mostly at Pechanga now, but their 15/30 and 20/40 are
> > gone because of the NL games.  I know most of the people you will be
> > playing against in those games in L.A., and (although I'm not a great
> > player) consider those to be tough games.
>
> > Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.  Post here when you get out
> > here and start playing and I'll come by your table and say hi.
>
> > ------- 
> > looking for a better newsgroup-reader? -www.recgroups.com
>
> I surely will. Although by reading your perceptions of the players
> involved it's pretty clear we're talking about different players. It
> seems like around midnight in LA casinos the $15-30 games become
> collections of live players who seem to act as though money grows on
> trees. I'm sure experience changes from one casino to another and a
> lot of it depends on time and, as I mentioned, I have limited
> experience in $15-30.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

"PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself."

Hey bucko, you can't just jump to the front of the line! There are a lot of
us on RGP who want to tell Jacks to go fuck himself. So wait your turn.

Irish Mike
"Preston" <prestonpoulter.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:0411bdb1-bfb2-4f0f-aec9-128349c6f06e@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 11, 4:13 am, "Irish Mike" <mjos....RemoveThis@ameritech.net> wrote:
> "On Mon, 11 Feb 08 2:48:50 GMT, Gary Carson
>
> <garycar....RemoveThis@alumni.northwestern.edu> wrote:
> >Actually, I don't think I've ever known a professional poker player who
> >didn't
> >have some form of alternative income.
>
> Or at least they quickly developed one if
>
> >they wanted to stay a pro. For some it's a pension, for some a wife with
> >a
> >job, for some running errands for a drug dealer every once in a while,
> >for
> >me it was free lance magazine writing, for some it was hooking, for some
> >making book, for >some selling rolex fakes."
>
> Jesus wept! I am seeing RGP history being made. I actually agree with
> everything Gary Carson said in the above referenced quote! Please excuse
> me
> now, I have to go throw-up.
>
> Irish Mike


People seem to have read a lot into my post and questions that wasn't
actually there.
My daughter is well cared for. My ex-wife is an attorney and provides
well for my daughter. I do have to make the monthly
child support payment, and that's a big part of the monthly cost, but
Avery will be cared for.

In terms of finding employment, poker is just an option I'm toying
with. Realistically it's one of four different career paths:
1. Poker
2. Go to graduate school and become a professor
3. Become a stock trader (I've been offered a position)
4. Become a stock broker (I've been told I can start whenever I decide
I want to)

Becoming a professor is probably most suitable to my personality, but
the pay for grad students and post grad students is just so poor. I
was ironic given that most people were criticizing the $65K a year
given that they figure anyone could make $120K at a real job. Most
professors make less than $50K a year. It's only after long hours and
tenure that you get more, and that's a decade down the line.

As for being a stock broker, the pay is pretty good if I really
dedicate myself to it. But it seems like a job I might burn out on and
I'm trying to be sensitive to that. It's also a job that demands a lot
of time, so it would prevent me from doing much supplemental income
such as poker.

As for stock trader, it seems more or less just like poker. There are
firms that bring you on board after you put up some of your own money
and teach you their trading platforms and techniques in the hopes that
you'll become a big player with them after a few months. It's sink or
swing and there are a lot of analogies to poker, except that the
trading community seems the opposite of the poker community in that
poker seems strangely negative about the idea that anyone could really
make it while the trading community seems overly positive about the
idea that anyone can make it.

Anyway, I was just trying to figure out how realistic the poker piece
was. As it is, I'm going to give stock trading 6 months and see if it
works. if not, then it's either back to school or to being a broker.
But I have been told by the company that wants me to trade from them
that novice traders don't make much money in the first few months, so
I was looking to supplement my income with some $15-30. A grand or two
a month, which should be easily doable if the 1 BB an hour is at all
valid, would go a long way towards tiding over either my school career
or my trading career.

I appreciate the feedback i've gotten.

Cheers,
Preston.

PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 8 2008 8:52 PM, Preston wrote:
>
> I'm not sure what you do for a living, but $30 an hour is just fine
> for me.
> And, in response to the other poster, I have thousands of hours of
> live poker experience, just not much at $15-30.
> As far as I can tell, the only difference is the color of the chips.

The $30 an hour may be fine for you where you are but reread the questions asked
by Morphy about where you are going. Patti has good points about benifits.

Have you taken your Daughter's health care and payments into the equasion?

If you haven;t played the level you want to go pro at for an extended period
then i would suggest you not go pro at that level.

Why not try out a vacation? take a month off while between jobs as you are
relocating, set out the bankrool you need and play at the level you determine
you need to beat to live. If it works out great if not no major time lost and
get a job.

Chris
----------------------
No point in being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway. - 6ballman - Feb 2007



_______________________________________________________________
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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 13 2008 12:40 PM, Signal wrote:






> >As for stock trader, it seems more or less just like poker. There are
> >firms that bring you on board after you put up some of your own money
> >and teach you their trading platforms and techniques in the hopes that
> >you'll become a big player with them after a few months. It's sink or
> >swing and there are a lot of analogies to poker, except that the
> >trading community seems the opposite of the poker community in that
> >poker seems strangely negative about the idea that anyone could really
> >make it while the trading community seems overly positive about the
> >idea that anyone can make it.
> >
> >Anyway, I was just trying to figure out how realistic the poker piece
> >was. As it is, I'm going to give stock trading 6 months and see if it
> >works. if not, then it's either back to school or to being a broker.
> >But I have been told by the company that wants me to trade from them
> >that novice traders don't make much money in the first few months, so
> >I was looking to supplement my income with some $15-30. A grand or two
> >a month, which should be easily doable if the 1 BB an hour is at all
> >valid, would go a long way towards tiding over either my school career
> >or my trading career.
> >

>
> You've changed your tune a bit. Now you are saying you were looking to
> top up your income with poker? Not the impression I got. Anyway,
> sounds like you've arrived at a sensible decision.


Signing up for some day-trading scam is a sensible decision?

They guy doesn't even know what a stock trader is and he thinks that the company
that will get a commission from every trade he makes with no risk is only
encouraging him because they're nice guys who support his efforts to make a
living without having to work.

He's an idiot. He wouldn't last a week fulltime in a poker room.


Gary Carson
http://www.garycarson.com



_______________________________________________________________
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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 12, 4:27 pm, "Irish Mike" <mjos... RemoveThis @ameritech.net> wrote:
> "PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself."
>
> Hey bucko, you can't just jump to the front of the line!  There are a lot of
> us on RGP who want to tell Jacks to go fuck himself.  So wait your turn.
>
> Irish Mike"Preston" <prestonpoul... RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:0411bdb1-bfb2-4f0f-aec9-128349c6f06e@d21g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Feb 11, 4:13 am, "Irish Mike" <mjos... RemoveThis @ameritech.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "On Mon, 11 Feb 08 2:48:50 GMT, Gary Carson
>
> > <garycar... RemoveThis @alumni.northwestern.edu> wrote:
> > >Actually, I don't think I've ever known a professional poker player who
> > >didn't
> > >have some form of alternative income.
>
> > Or at least they quickly developed one if
>
> > >they wanted to stay a pro. For some it's a pension, for some a wife with
> > >a
> > >job, for some running errands for a drug dealer every once in a while,
> > >for
> > >me it was free lance magazine writing, for some it was hooking, for some
> > >making book, for >some selling rolex fakes."
>
> > Jesus wept! I am seeing RGP history being made. I actually agree with
> > everything Gary Carson said in the above referenced quote! Please excuse
> > me
> > now, I have to go throw-up.
>
> > Irish Mike
>
> People seem to have read a lot into my post and questions that wasn't
> actually there.
> My daughter is well cared for. My ex-wife is an attorney and provides
> well for my daughter. I do have to make the monthly
> child support payment, and that's a big part of the monthly cost, but
> Avery will be cared for.
>
> In terms of finding employment, poker is just an option I'm toying
> with. Realistically it's one of four different career paths:
> 1. Poker
> 2. Go to graduate school and become a professor
> 3. Become a stock trader (I've been offered a position)
> 4. Become a stock broker (I've been told I can start whenever I decide
> I want to)
>
> Becoming a professor is probably most suitable to my personality, but
> the pay for grad students and post grad students is just so poor. I
> was ironic given that most people were criticizing the $65K a year
> given that they figure anyone could make $120K at a real job. Most
> professors make less than $50K a year. It's only after long hours and
> tenure that you get more, and that's a decade down the line.
>
> As for being a stock broker, the pay is pretty good if I really
> dedicate myself to it. But it seems like a job I might burn out on and
> I'm trying to be sensitive to that. It's also a job that demands a lot
> of time, so it would prevent me from doing much supplemental income
> such as poker.
>
> As for stock trader, it seems more or less just like poker. There are
> firms that bring you on board after you put up some of your own money
> and teach you their trading platforms and techniques in the hopes that
> you'll become a big player with them after a few months. It's sink or
> swing and there are a lot of analogies to poker, except that the
> trading community seems the opposite of the poker community in that
> poker seems strangely negative about the idea that anyone could really
> make it while the trading community seems overly positive about the
> idea that anyone can make it.
>
> Anyway, I was just trying to figure out how realistic the poker piece
> was. As it is, I'm going to give stock trading 6 months and see if it
> works. if not, then it's either back to school or to being a broker.
> But I have been told by the company that wants me to trade from them
> that novice traders don't make much money in the first few months, so
> I was looking to supplement my income with some $15-30. A grand or two
> a month, which should be easily doable if the 1 BB an hour is at all
> valid, would go a long way towards tiding over either my school career
> or my trading career.
>
> I appreciate the feedback i've gotten.
>
> Cheers,
> Preston.
>
> PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself.

I've played 26 hours this week and won a total of $2092. Thanks for
the Grilled cheese advice Mr. Carson. I'm sure it will never come in
handy.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

"Preston"

> I appreciate the feedback i've gotten.
>
> Cheers,
> Preston.
>
> PS. Man Beaten by Jacks can go F himself.
==========================
I've played 26 hours this week and won a total of $2092. Thanks for
the Grilled cheese advice Mr. Carson. I'm sure it will never come in
handy.
==========================

Well, that settles it. You have definitely made it. Good luck.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

> I've played 26 hours this week and won a total of $2092. Thanks for
> the Grilled cheese advice Mr. Carson. I'm sure it will never come in
> handy.


Wait a minute...this changes everything!

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 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

On Feb 10, 11:19 pm, Gary Carson <garycar....DeleteThis@alumni.northwestern.edu>
wrote:
> On Feb 10 2008 5:18 PM, Preston wrote:
>
> So I just view the income based
>
> > criticism of the move as being really without much merit.
>
> I guess you didn't read the grilled cheese sandwich story.
>
> http://garycarson.netfirms.com/carwreck.php#grilledcheese
>
> There's also a lot of us on here that have lived in their car. Ever done that?
>
> It's about the money. And gambling for a living isn't about income, it's about
> hustle. Every day. Hustle for money. Day after day after day.
>
> It's fun. It's like selling used cars except you're selling air.

The only time in my life that I didn't enjoy playing bridge is when I
played bridge for a living for awhile in New York. Part of that was
the fact that I had to play one set out of four with the biggest idiot
at the table, part of it was that the other two guys were idiots also.
Part of it was that my income never made it really worthwhile to
commute from New Haven or live in Manhatten. But mostly it was because
the game became a job.

The only time in my life that I didn't enjoy playing poker was when I
was playing _lots_ of poker and putting the money together for my
share of the condo. It was worth it, it's a nice place to live. But it
made poker distasteful to me and that lasted for months afterward. I
like the game again. I play one or two days most weeks.

Will in New Haven

--
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker 

> The only time in my life that I didn't enjoy playing bridge is when I
> played bridge for a living for awhile in New York. Part of that was
> the fact that I had to play one set out of four with the biggest idiot
> at the table, part of it was that the other two guys were idiots also.
> Part of it was that my income never made it really worthwhile to
> commute from New Haven or live in Manhatten. But mostly it was because
> the game became a job.
>
> The only time in my life that I didn't enjoy playing poker was when I
> was playing _lots_ of poker and putting the money together for my
> share of the condo. It was worth it, it's a nice place to live. But it
> made poker distasteful to me and that lasted for months afterward. I
> like the game again. I play one or two days most weeks.
>
> Will in New Haven

Will,

I know you think I am an idiot, but I agree with almost all of your
posts. Except for the ones where you call me an idiot.
 >> Stay informed about: Thinking of taking the plunge into Professional Poker