daniel, a few questions about going broke...

[MikeJohnson724 0]

thakilla,I will also be moving to vegas in a year, I would like to keep in touch with you and find out how things are going if that' s possible?Thanks

[thakilla 0]

I was a way from my computer for a couple of days and I came back and I had 25 replies to my post. They were all very helpful and much appreciated. Some of you had some very helpful things to say! To the guy that wanted to stay in touch, because he was also moving to Vegas...I agree I like meeting serious poker players because I think I can learn from all of them and it always makes me a better player in some way. I have AIM (pat1234) and Yahoo messenger (pncruse) that I use both of pretty frequently. Add me to your list and send me a message and we'll keep in touch that way.Oh ya, someone wanted to know my limits that I play. I play multi-tables usually and anything from 3/6 limit - 15/30 limit to 1/2 NL - 3/6 NL to 1/2 PLO - 2/4 PLO. I play all of those game as both full ring and 6 max. I also play tourneys anywhere from $5 w/rebuys to $200 buy-ins (on occasion). Thanks again for all of the input,Pat

[HoosierAlum 0]

Party P, Tremoney and BMW had some good points in this thread.My advice will echo their sentiments:1) Don't go broke: You will say "obviously", but its amazing how many good players manage to lose their entire roll. It can be through extravagant spending, playing outside of your roll, or a combination of both. Be conservative when it comes to your bankroll. Play with 500bbs instead of 300 (I play with more than 500). Give yourself a weekly allowance and put the rest in your bankroll allowing it to grow. 2) Get a life outside of poker: If all you do is play poker every single day, you will get burnt out and your game will be negatively impacted. Even if you have a focus comparable to Phil Ivey, you need other things in your life. Get a gym membership and work out, take up golf as a hobby, basically find something that you enjoy other than poker. I dont know about your personal life, but having a girlfriend is one of the best things for a pro. (As long as they are OK with your profession) Having a signifcant other by your side will immensely help you get through the tough times that will ensure in your career.3) Be disciplined and determined: This is the most important category and will determine your sucess or failure as a poker pro. a)Goals: You should have a number of short and long term goals. Whether it is cash game goals and/or tournament goals, you need to have a sense of accomplishment and a drive to suceed. If you don't know where you are going, you aren't going to go anywhere. b)Play hours, not results: Negreanu has a good article on this subject somewhere in his Cardplayer archives. Personally, when Im playing O8 I will play 1500 hands per day, and if playing hold'em I play 2000. If Im playing live I usually limit my sessions to around 10 hours. During a session, I never check the cashier to see how much Im up or down, because it will make me play differently. Focus on making correct decisions, not on how much you are up or down. Also, limit your play to 5 or 6 days per week. Leave at least one day in the week when you don't play or even think about poker. (I know that is difficult, but it helps) c)Don't tilt: This category is self-explainatory. There is no magic formula that will prevent you from tilting, it has to come from within. If you are very emotional and can't handle the swings, then poker isn't for you. d)Prevent leaks: There are going to be thousands of ways for you to flush your hard earned bankroll down the toilet since you are living in Las Vegas.. Sports betting, pit games, strip clubs, alcohol and drugs are just a few. I assume you are young and like having a good time. Remember, betting thousands on a football game or going to the strip club and doing coke aren't the only ways to have fun. Regarding pit games, its actually fairly simple; Dont play them, EVER. e)Keep detailed stats: This alone wont make you a winning player, but you will be hard pressed to find a winning player that doesnt keep statistics on his play. Review hand histories on a daily basis and do whatever it takes to constantly improve your play. Post hands on FCP and 2+2 and get as many opinions on hands as you can. f) Learn all the games: You will get bored playing hold'em each and every day, so educate yourself in all the games. I discovered O8, and my profits have never been higher. Learning other games will improve your hold'em play, and will make you an overall better and more profitable player.Remember, there are two types of players: Winning players and Losing players. It doesn't matter how "good" you are, or how bad your opponents may be. When playing for a living it is the other factors surrounding the game and your life that will determine if you are a winning player. Tons of players have the skill level to make a few hundred dollars a day playing poker. However, very few have the discipline and total package to play poker for a living.I could write a book on this subject but I will stop now. Good luck, and if you ever need advice or want to chat about hands shoot me a PM or IM.

[No_Neck 0]

I  the answer is simple variance is much bigger and i am happy with my steady almost no variance 15k a month salary playing. find a game you can beat easily and stick with it.

this is the other way to look at it. No offense but I disagree with your theory and what you're doing. Thats just my opinion though, you are obviously doing very well for yourself. I guess it just depends on your motivations, do you want to be great and someday TP/MM? or do you want to make easy money? I dont think you can do both. Personally I would never be comfortable with the fact that I knew I could be doing better than I currently am, maybe its greed..but in my opinion greed is a good thing.

I quote Jdags, "I got rich playing idiots, not DN"

[deviper 0]

Conveniently, the new Card Player online has an article about going broke that's worth a read:http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...5271&m_id=65582Ray

Does anyone know who the two players Rolf Slotboom was talking about are?"Recently, it was brought to my attention that a young player who had been doing pretty well over the past two years, someone who could even be labeled one of the rising stars in international poker, was now broke. He was said to have been playing in some rather big games, while his total bankroll was a mere $200,000. And I also heard that one of the bigger stars in American poker was down to the felt, as well. A friend of mine had seen him playing in some fairly small games and had asked him: “Man, what is the matter with you? Are you broke, or what?” And as frank as anyone can be, this star had answered: “Well, yes, to tell you the truth, I am. I was playing in some extremely big games with a bankroll of just $2 million. A few beats later, this money was all gone, so I now have to rebuild things again.”

[HoosierAlum 0]

Rolf S. could have been talking about a number of players. Many of the poker "stars" are broke or close to it.

[Abbaddabba 0]

There's no reason why anyone ever has to go broke.I cant imagine going 'pro' unless i had such an absurdly large amount that risk of ruin would be a thing of fairy tales.Ridiculously oversized bankrolls rock.

[econ_tim 0]

i bet you'll go broke before daniel gets back to you