Time For The Grind To Begin.

[Spence 0]

I don't recall reading it on here, who knows though, the phrase deserves to be immortalized no matter who said it.Hell I'll give you another one of my favorite quotes.He who made kittens, put snakes in the grass.Also, this'll be goign in the blog later but I started off firing on all cylinders...decide to play 2 full tables at 2/4 to start off my day. 2 hours and 15 minutes later I'm up...duh duh duuuuuh.. -75. Yes it is possible to be up a negative number, and I did it. So now that I'm laying face down and I get a little sense talked in to me I decided it would be ludicrous to think I could possibly support myself at 2/4 making only -75 dollars every 2 hours.So I stumble in to my good game. Shorthanded 3/6 limit. No way I can eff this up after all I T'd P. sat down at 11am and got up at 12:45 for a net profit of...duh duh duuuuuuh -$340. Actually I think I played quite well and had some mad variance, but thats neither here nor there. This isn't going the way I had envisioned.So I kick down the doors and sit down at a 15/30 table. (cause I T'd P of course, I can do that sort of stuff, you non pro's would know nothing about the limits at which you can compete as soon as you realize its your only lifeline).(I had actually seen this guy playing for quite a bit, hes a regular at the tables, and saw some tendencies that I thought I could take advantage of barring any variance)(Am I allowed to use () 2 sentences in a row)(how about a 3rd?, ok this is a vicious circle)Anyway back to the story, after 10 minutes I'm up $550 and he leaves the table no doubt nursing his ego.Next I sit down at a $2/4 HU LHE table, and take the next guy for $110.Then a Shorthanded 2/4 table and get another $60.I'm heading to the gym now. I'll elaborate more in the blog when I get back, but after playing way out of my BR, getting lucky I didn't hit the wrong end of variance I'm now +$305 for the day.I know I'm going to get bitched out for playing way out of my bankroll as I deserve it, but I really did feel like I had an edge, but HU is probably the worst place to "take a shot". Good luck at the tables everybody I'll be back in a bit.

[socalpoker_j 1]

Hey Spence, good luck in the quest, I hope you get what you're looking for out of this. You're posts are enjoyable and I'll be following along on your blog. Much success.

[mtdesmoines 3]

So I kick down the doors and sit down at a 15/30 table. (cause I T'd P of course, I can do that sort of stuff, you non pro's would know nothing about the limits at which you can compete as soon as you realize its your only lifeline).

[rockytrh 0]

I don't recall reading it on here, who knows though, the phrase deserves to be immortalized no matter who said it.Hell I'll give you another one of my favorite quotes.He who made kittens, put snakes in the grass.Also, this'll be goign in the blog later but I started off firing on all cylinders...decide to play 2 full tables at 2/4 to start off my day. 2 hours and 15 minutes later I'm up...duh duh duuuuuh.. -75. Yes it is possible to be up a negative number, and I did it. So now that I'm laying face down and I get a little sense talked in to me I decided it would be ludicrous to think I could possibly support myself at 2/4 making only -75 dollars every 2 hours.So I stumble in to my good game. Shorthanded 3/6 limit. No way I can eff this up after all I T'd P. sat down at 11am and got up at 12:45 for a net profit of...duh duh duuuuuuh -$340. Actually I think I played quite well and had some mad variance, but thats neither here nor there. This isn't going the way I had envisioned.So I kick down the doors and sit down at a 15/30 table. (cause I T'd P of course, I can do that sort of stuff, you non pro's would know nothing about the limits at which you can compete as soon as you realize its your only lifeline).(I had actually seen this guy playing for quite a bit, hes a regular at the tables, and saw some tendencies that I thought I could take advantage of barring any variance)(Am I allowed to use () 2 sentences in a row)(how about a 3rd?, ok this is a vicious circle)Anyway back to the story, after 10 minutes I'm up $550 and he leaves the table no doubt nursing his ego.Next I sit down at a $2/4 HU LHE table, and take the next guy for $110.Then a Shorthanded 2/4 table and get another $60.I'm heading to the gym now. I'll elaborate more in the blog when I get back, but after playing way out of my BR, getting lucky I didn't hit the wrong end of variance I'm now +$305 for the day.I know I'm going to get bitched out for playing way out of my bankroll as I deserve it, but I really did feel like I had an edge, but HU is probably the worst place to "take a shot". Good luck at the tables everybody I'll be back in a bit.

Congrats, your first day as a poker pro. You also broke a huge rule by playing out of your range, but at least you came out ahead.

[bascomeb 0]

we on the grind in Georgia, nothin on my mind Georgia!

[timwakefield 68]

I've been deciding this for a while ;)It was a self inflicted firing, I just stayed home and never called my boss. He's a sniveling retard with the IQ of mayonnaise and I couldn't stand working under him anymore.

Haha I did the same thing a few months ago, called in sick for a week and they were like, just don't come back. And I was like, yay now I can play cards for a living.

[sirch1 0]

you are gonna play 2/4 for a livinghahahahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhyou guys are so funny

[AcesUp46 0]

you are gonna play 2/4 for a livinghahahahahhahahahhahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhyou guys are so funny

That's a good one.

[ForRealDD 0]

I have decided to give playing poker for a living a shot.I will be documenting all my results at http://spence2020.blogspot.com/I would go on, but the blog says most of what has to be said at this point. I will probably have an abundance of hand histories on the site so you all can gawk at my play.May god have mercy on my soul

Don't do it ? It is cruel.........very cruelEdit: P.S. you CANNOT make a living playing 2/4HE and playing tournaments up to $20.....please reconsider, or atleast get a part time job until you've got ATLEAST 500 BB's in a game higher than 2/4...Good luck anyhoo

[MasterLJ 0]

Ummm, up until the point where you said " I took a shot at 15/30" I was going to support you.With a roomate you can get your living expenses down to $5-700/month.But, taking shots when it's your livelyhood on the line, is about as dumb as it gets.Get a job!

[Spence 0]

Fair enough Gambler, I agree it was one of the most retarded things I could have done. I acknowledge that. Also guys, it is not the end of the world if I don't make it (I have moved the limits up from 2/4 btw, and am going to deposit more money on to the site).If I'm able to get up to a 5/10 range or higher I will be satisfied. At the very least if I find its too stressful I can use it for a very nice secondary income.Thanks for all the concern though, for real. It's really nice to have people that are willing to look out for one another.

[ForRealDD 0]

If I'm able to get up to a 5/10 range or higher I will be satisfied. At the very least if I find its too stressful I can use it for a very nice secondary income.Thanks for all the concern though, for real. It's really nice to have people that are willing to look out for one another.

I would say a GOOD 5/10 player could make it with a 5k BR as a minimum. The 5/10 online are quite soft for the most part. However, one big downswing (like I took last week) could have a 2-3k br turned into pennies. YOU NEED A PROPER BR or honestly you have no shot. You WILL bounce back from downswings if you have the bankroll. Good luck....

[Run it Thrice 0]

Everyone has said it already but I have to say it too...Play within your bankroll. You HAVE to do this. If you play above your bankroll enough times you will eventually pay for it. Sitting down at a table wayyyy over your head on your first day as a pro is not a good sign. I'm sure you know that to play 15/30 SH safely you need a MINIMUM of 15k.There is just no good reason to play over your bankroll right now. If you know you are a consistent winner at 3/6 then there is no reason to play above that. If you're pulling in 2 bb/hr and can play two tables at once you're averaging 24 bucks an hour. If you can just put in 40 hours in a week you can average a grand a week.At this point it's important to note that although most people on this forum consider themselves winners, I don't think there are that many that average 2 bb/hr online per table at 3/6 or above.Cobalt Blue and pokerplayer24 are the only two I see post frequently who play above 5/10 online, and although surely this is because alot of better players don't bother posting, it still means that there are alot of players who know alot about limit who haven't made the leap yet to 10/20 or above.I'm not saying you won't be successful, I'm just saying be careful and don't play above your bankroll. If you have the skill you'll get there in time. If you blow your whole bankroll playing over your head it'll just take even longer to get to where you want to be.

[blacktie31 0]

PlayLearnI'm glad your taking this chance to take your shot, sounds like your already learning important lessons, congrats.Don't listen to the naysayers, focus on the positive!If you go broke, get some work and go at it again.The only way to success is to keep at it.We will all be routing for you, living the dream!

[Abbaddabba 0]

Anybody have any info on that 100% rakeback site? Is it legit?

WPEX is the typical one. It's legit, but not the only way you can get 100% rakeback.I play on absolute and get comparable benefits (roughly equal to 100% rakeback). You get 28% rakeback paid monthly, there is a perpetual stream of bonus which works out to between 50-60% rakeback. You also get player points that can be redeemed for cash along with VIP tournament entries that work out to the remaining 15% or so. I play on absolute instead of WPEx because i prefer the software... wpex is a hassle with pokertracker (no auto hand grab). It also has a 3 table max, i believe. To sign up at absolute for the rakeback plan, you can go through my sig. 28% is standard for all sites now.People who're laughing at the prospect of playing small stakes for a living probably dont make half of what i make an hour playing a mix of 2/4 and 3/6.

[weakdraw 0]

People who're laughing at the prospect of playing small stakes for a living probably dont make half of what i make an hour playing a mix of 2/4 and 3/6.

QFT!I know "pro's" that makes 5k+ a month at 1-2 nl.. u cant survive on that ?To OP: If u want people to follow ur blog, u should put on a little info about urself or atleast a mail add..and GL

[Abbaddabba 0]

Im talking about 2/4 and 3/6 limit.A 2BB/100 winner who plays 4 tables of an equal mix between 2/4 and 3/6 will win about $60/hour when you include 100% rakeback (or it's equivalent).

[$ STACKED $ 0]

yeah i would probably buy STACKED before turning pro...it will teach you ALL you need to know

[nell789 0]

haha, he jumps into a 15/30 game with an $1800 roll on his first day of turning pro. OP, I'll be incredibly surprised if you make it.

[Abbaddabba 0]

Err.. yeah.Playing 15/30 with 3,000 when you're using your winnings to pay rent is a good indication that you'll fail. Not because you'll bust that one time... but if you tempt fate enough times, it'll **** you up - and if you couldnt control yourself the first day, you probably wont be able to in the future.And it isnt JUST because of "playing out of your bankroll" or other trite advice you hear around here. If you only have $3,000 in your accounts, there's a good chance you just arent good enough to beat games that high. The same is the case for most people who tell tales about huge downswings and how bad hte "variance" is. The vast majority of the time the player just isnt good enough and doesnt know it until it's too late.

[Konidias 0]

I agree with Abbaddabba. Bankroll management is freaking EVERYTHING. You just cannot make a living playing poker if you're going to be taking such risk.With your BR 3/6 seems good. You need the cushion. Playing 5/10 is still within your bankroll but only if you stick to 1 or 2 tables, and only if you can win enough to cover your first big losing streak that is right around the corner.I'd much rather go for multi-tabling 2-4 tables of 3/6 than anything, with a $3k BR. It's your safest route and a winning 3/6 player can easily live off of that money monthly.You could have nearly ended your career in one day with the risks you're willing to take.

[Abbaddabba 0]

That's actually not the point i was making. :PBankroll management is necessary but not sufficient.Someone who wins at 2BB/100 and receives 100% rakeback needs maybe a 50BB bankroll to have a comparable risk of ruin to a .5BB/100 winner with a 1000BB bankroll.How big a winner you are is more important than how big your bankroll is. Most people overestimate how good they are and just assume that they're beating it for X amount. And most of them are shocked when they have a Y sized downswing, and complain about variance. They then post it on a message board looking for sympathy, and everyone says "dude, you should have played within your bankroll". That usually isnt the problem. The problem is that they just arent very good but have deluded themselves into believing that they're pro stars.

[Golden 2]

I'm always up for a TP/MM blog...

[Spence 0]

anything for you Golden

[SwamiSwan 0]

I think professional poker players are going the way of the dinosaur and dial up. The pros of today are saturated in self promotion and website pumping because poker has no viable future. Why? Ruinous competition and steadily increasing amature player sophistication. The fish will eventually metamorphosize into pikers. Its Darwin, baby. In 5 years the game will need to take a quantum leap, and I just don't see how it can go beyond 'gambling'; once all the advantages pros enjoy today are eliminated. Even with ability and cards, odds defying suck-outs do occur. Poker will go the way of the fifteen minute rock star, the one hit wonder; all televised. kinda like "Survivor" or "Who wants to be a rock star?"Direct correllation: As time (Years) increases, Professionals Poker Players temporarily increases (more sharks swim to the scent of blood), Food Source (Fish) Decreases, Professionals attempt to consume each other when faced with limited food resources (already doing this), therefore as time goes by there will be less pro poker players and more flash in the pan 15 min of fame players, who should then buy real estate and stocks with their winnings (like the smarter pros are doing) or promoting themselves with poker websites.But who cares regular jobs suck and that may not happen for a while. But a major concern is those assh oles in congress trying to eliminate online gamming: Moral Hypocrites nontheless, the politicians are listening to the anti gaming lobby. Good luck out there.