Anyone Here Try Going Pro But Had To Go Back To A 9 To 5?

[Dratj 0]

I'm bored at work so just amuse me.You always here about the success stories but rarely the failures. I'm going to bet that I'm going to get few true reponses to this question.

[TylerSalzman 0]

I'm bored at work so just amuse me.You always here about the success stories but rarely the failures. I'm going to bet that I'm going to get few true reponses to this question.

I was gonna go pro, but decided to stay in school. Booo! I often sit and think of poker while in class, but I think it's good to keep it as a for fun/money thing rather than a job. I'm glad I didn't do it too because online games have gotten quite a bit tougher since then.

[slappy 0]

I went pro one night - but it didn't really work out and I reported to work the next morning.

[NoSup4U 0]

I'm bored at work so just amuse me.You always here about the success stories but rarely the failures. I'm going to bet that I'm going to get few true reponses to this question.

There was a really good post about...6 months ago maybe....from a guy in San Fran that was a pro making a pretty decent living who decided to go back to work for the man. Search around for it, it was definitely worth the read. Hopefully my timeframe on it is correct and it wasn't like 2 years ago :)Mark

[mtdesmoines 3]

I'm bored at work so just amuse me.You always here about the success stories but rarely the failures. I'm going to bet that I'm going to get few true reponses to this question.

"Going pro" *is* a job -- just not 9-5.

[tightmike 0]

Some of you may remember me, but I went full time. I ran into a bad streak, got tired of being sick all the time, and went back to work.Wrote a book about it.Like to read it?Here it go: www.mcpoker.us(Yes that was a very poor attempt at recreating the famous In Living Colour bit).mc

[dead money 1]

I didnt exactly go pro, but last year I moved in with 3 of my friends in an apartment. We were 15 mins. from AC. I had about $5000 saved up and I was gonna get a job dealing. I did go to the casinos, but I was playing instead of working. I was making good money playing 1/2 and 2/5 NL. I was making enough that I didnt bother looking anymore for a job after about 3 months. It was great. I was doing what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted. I was also spending a shitload of money. I was eating out every meal. I spend about 1k on dvds and ps2 games. Whenever we went out, I was buying. Life wasnt going to get alot better then that.Then, something happened. I got really lazy(I already was pretty lazy to begin with). I stopped going to the casinos everyday. I would go about 3 times a week. But I was still spending like I was making big bucks. Then, around Christmas time last year, I stopped going because I was staying home more with the family. My income pretty much stopped altogether. But I was still spending like their was no tommorrow. Finally, in January, I decided to get back on track. I was low on funds and needed some money. But, thats when the downswing hit me. I couldnt win. I was getting frustrated and stressed out. And I started pushing to make money. And that usually means the reverse happens. I couldnt do anything right. I was starting to play bad. It was not alot of fun. By May, I was spending more time at home with the parents so that I could get some free meals. I figured at that point that I had just enough money to make to the end of the lease and be broke. So I pretty much did exactly that. I stopped playing and would just sit at home because I had no money. The lease ended and I moved back in with my parents. They werent happy. Neither was I. I got a job selling golf equipment. It was good, as thats my first love. I have been doing that til about a month ago when my store went out of buisness. I am now unemployed again and I am really thinking of doing the poker thing again. I have learned alot of tough lessons the hard way and I think I am more prepared to do it this time. Im going to get a part time job to cover expecnses and stay at home until I have enough money saved to cover my bankroll and a years living expenses. Then I will try it again. Im destined to be hopeless gambler and I have no intention of trying anything else. Thats been the last 2 years of my life in a nutshell. Not very glamorous or successfull, but I dont regret it.

[Gnarls Barkley 0]

I would have gone pro but decided to sing.Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Posibly

[shinychicken 0]

I would have gone pro but decided to sing.Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Posibly

Have you considered suicide? You should seriously reconsider.

[Teavis 0]

In 2004 I decided to "go pro" on a bankroll of 1200. HAHAHA. Wow I was dumb. But it was just for during the summer as a job instead of working some **** *** mall job or whatever.The first couple weeks I made about 200 each week and cashed it out and lived on it. Then I lost 200 the next week and had a brilliant idea. I would cash out 900 and leave me with 100. Now I had 900 in my bank account and I was one rich college student, buying expensive beer and weed by the truckload. For the first couple weeks I turned my 100 into 300-500 and cashed out back to 100. Then I lost the 100. Then another 100. Then another. Then another. Then my computer completely crashed. Then I checked my bank account and I had overdrawn. I had no money online or in person with a month and a half left in the summer and a trip to Vegas booked for the first weekend in August. My friend, who was on law school loans, helped me out by getting me 700, which burned FAST in vegas. I also borrowed 400 from another friend to cover rent. My fall loan check was much, much smaller than I anticipated and I lived a lot of the fall on $20 a week, with my parents reluctantly paying the rent. I pawned off a couple guitars, my golf clubs, my friends Super Nintendo and games ($100...quickly disappeared at the local B&M). Most days all I ate was a bag of Fritos and or some speghetti noodles with butter on them. Things turned good that January...I took out a ton of loans and ran my Party account up to 4000. I lived off that account until this last Christmas, when I moved back home.It was by far the most miserable point in my life...but looking back on it...it made me a lot stronger. Now I just laugh about it.

[CrazyJoe 0]

Things turned good that January...I took out a ton of loans and ran my Party account up to 4000. I lived off that account until this last Christmas, when I moved back home.

see. things always turn around, you should always borrow more money to chase your losses, you'll get it back, just keep the faith.

[canateian 0]

In 2004 I decided to "go pro" on a bankroll of 1200. HAHAHA. Wow I was dumb. But it was just for during the summer as a job instead of working some **** *** mall job or whatever.The first couple weeks I made about 200 each week and cashed it out and lived on it. Then I lost 200 the next week and had a brilliant idea. I would cash out 900 and leave me with 100. Now I had 900 in my bank account and I was one rich college student, buying expensive beer and weed by the truckload. For the first couple weeks I turned my 100 into 300-500 and cashed out back to 100. Then I lost the 100. Then another 100. Then another. Then another. Then my computer completely crashed. Then I checked my bank account and I had overdrawn. I had no money online or in person with a month and a half left in the summer and a trip to Vegas booked for the first weekend in August. My friend, who was on law school loans, helped me out by getting me 700, which burned FAST in vegas. I also borrowed 400 from another friend to cover rent. My fall loan check was much, much smaller than I anticipated and I lived a lot of the fall on $20 a week, with my parents reluctantly paying the rent. I pawned off a couple guitars, my golf clubs, my friends Super Nintendo and games ($100...quickly disappeared at the local B&M). Most days all I ate was a bag of Fritos and or some speghetti noodles with butter on them. Things turned good that January...I took out a ton of loans and ran my Party account up to 4000. I lived off that account until this last Christmas, when I moved back home.It was by far the most miserable point in my life...but looking back on it...it made me a lot stronger. Now I just laugh about it.

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

[Dratj 0]

Some of you may remember me, but I went full time. I ran into a bad streak, got tired of being sick all the time, and went back to work.Wrote a book about it.Like to read it?Here it go: www.mcpoker.us(Yes that was a very poor attempt at recreating the famous In Living Colour bit).mc

Yes, I remember reading you blog. I wished that it had worked out for you. Why do you think that it did not work out for you? Poor bankroll management? Bad Variance? Your skill level wasn't good enough yet?

In 2004 I decided to "go pro" on a bankroll of 1200. HAHAHA. Wow I was dumb. But it was just for during the summer as a job instead of working some **** *** mall job or whatever.The first couple weeks I made about 200 each week and cashed it out and lived on it. Then I lost 200 the next week and had a brilliant idea. I would cash out 900 and leave me with 100. Now I had 900 in my bank account and I was one rich college student, buying expensive beer and weed by the truckload. For the first couple weeks I turned my 100 into 300-500 and cashed out back to 100. Then I lost the 100. Then another 100. Then another. Then another. Then my computer completely crashed. Then I checked my bank account and I had overdrawn. I had no money online or in person with a month and a half left in the summer and a trip to Vegas booked for the first weekend in August. My friend, who was on law school loans, helped me out by getting me 700, which burned FAST in vegas. I also borrowed 400 from another friend to cover rent. My fall loan check was much, much smaller than I anticipated and I lived a lot of the fall on $20 a week, with my parents reluctantly paying the rent. I pawned off a couple guitars, my golf clubs, my friends Super Nintendo and games ($100...quickly disappeared at the local B&M). Most days all I ate was a bag of Fritos and or some speghetti noodles with butter on them. Things turned good that January...I took out a ton of loans and ran my Party account up to 4000. I lived off that account until this last Christmas, when I moved back home.It was by far the most miserable point in my life...but looking back on it...it made me a lot stronger. Now I just laugh about it.

why didn't you get money from your parents to eat better food? I'm sure they would have gave it to you since they paid your rent.

I didnt exactly go pro, but last year I moved in with 3 of my friends in an apartment. We were 15 mins. from AC. I had about $5000 saved up and I was gonna get a job dealing. I did go to the casinos, but I was playing instead of working. I was making good money playing 1/2 and 2/5 NL. I was making enough that I didnt bother looking anymore for a job after about 3 months. It was great. I was doing what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted. I was also spending a shitload of money. I was eating out every meal. I spend about 1k on dvds and ps2 games. Whenever we went out, I was buying. Life wasnt going to get alot better then that.Then, something happened. I got really lazy(I already was pretty lazy to begin with). I stopped going to the casinos everyday. I would go about 3 times a week. But I was still spending like I was making big bucks. Then, around Christmas time last year, I stopped going because I was staying home more with the family. My income pretty much stopped altogether. But I was still spending like their was no tommorrow. Finally, in January, I decided to get back on track. I was low on funds and needed some money. But, thats when the downswing hit me. I couldnt win. I was getting frustrated and stressed out. And I started pushing to make money. And that usually means the reverse happens. I couldnt do anything right. I was starting to play bad. It was not alot of fun. By May, I was spending more time at home with the parents so that I could get some free meals. I figured at that point that I had just enough money to make to the end of the lease and be broke. So I pretty much did exactly that. I stopped playing and would just sit at home because I had no money. The lease ended and I moved back in with my parents. They werent happy. Neither was I. I got a job selling golf equipment. It was good, as thats my first love. I have been doing that til about a month ago when my store went out of buisness. I am now unemployed again and I am really thinking of doing the poker thing again. I have learned alot of tough lessons the hard way and I think I am more prepared to do it this time. Im going to get a part time job to cover expecnses and stay at home until I have enough money saved to cover my bankroll and a years living expenses. Then I will try it again. Im destined to be hopeless gambler and I have no intention of trying anything else. Thats been the last 2 years of my life in a nutshell. Not very glamorous or successfull, but I dont regret it.

I hope that you can do it this time and maintain it.

[gobears 0]

There was a really good post about...6 months ago maybe....from a guy in San Fran that was a pro making a pretty decent living who decided to go back to work for the man. Search around for it, it was definitely worth the read. Hopefully my timeframe on it is correct and it wasn't like 2 years ago :)Mark

That was DDudley I believe - here is the linkI'll no longer be living the life

[socalpoker_j 1]

I would have gone pro but decided to sing.Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Does that make me crazy? Posibly

Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?

[Abbaddabba 0]

If a downswing is what forced you to go back to a 9-5, you were never a 'pro' to begin with. Putting yourself in a position where any reasonable amount of luck could affect your quality of life is extremely unprofessional.

[TheCorporation3 0]

If a downswing is what forced you to go back to a 9-5, you were never a 'pro' to begin with. Putting yourself in a position where any reasonable amount of luck could affect your quality of life is extremely unprofessional.

QFT

[NoSup4U 0]

That was DDudley I believe - here is the linkI'll no longer be living the life

That was it, thank you for finding it. Very very good thread for everyone to read. Steve7stud's insights are helpful in there as well.Mark

[TheCinciKid 0]

Last summer I was on summer break from my first year of law school and working a crappy temp job on third shift for 9 bucks an hour. It was the most mind-numbing work I'd ever done and I decided that the with the 5-600 bucks I had on Party I could make more 3-tabling $10 SnGs for the rest of the summer than I could at that job. So I quit sometime in the middle of July. Worst decision I ever made. I ended up having to pay rent with my credit card and barely made it through the summer, but with a lot more credit card debt. My law school loans were there to help a little by mid-August, but I never really did make any significant money from poker that summer. I may someday take another look at going pro, but I see that as years down the road and with a much, much better plan. Of course, I guess I don't really see last summer as totally going pro because I only had a little more than a month left in the summer and I knew I would be getting law school loans to help out at the end of the month, but it was still a dumb decision and certainly not one I'm proud of.