[zanetti]

I recently started playing online poker (texas hold em low limit regular games and the occasional no limit sit & go) and have reached a point where I'm about break even.

I know there are at least a couple of other players out there on this forum. It would be great if you could provide the following info:
-how long you've been playing
-how much $ you're winning (per week/month, in total)
-how much time do you spend playing on a daily/weekly basis; is it your main source of income or do you also have a full-time/part-time regular job

I'm still in full-time employment in a stress-ridden corporate western environment that I'm trying to get out of. Ramping up the poker winnings would be a welcome help in changing this.

Look forward to reading other people's experiences

thanks

[Dash Global]

I did the best on the double or nothing tournaments when I played briefly online.

Im a live player. To much crazy shit happens online to frequently for my taste.

[kimleebj]

Where are you playing? The U.S. government just shut down PokerStars and FullTilt. So there are a bunch of skilled players searching for available games. This has got to be the worst time to try online poker.

[Luckystar]

(10-31-2011 07:27 AM)zanetti Wrote:  

I recently started playing online poker (texas hold em low limit regular games and the occasional no limit sit & go) and have reached a point where I'm about break even.

I know there are at least a couple of other players out there on this forum. It would be great if you could provide the following info:
-how long you've been playing
-how much $ you're winning (per week/month, in total)
-how much time do you spend playing on a daily/weekly basis; is it your main source of income or do you also have a full-time/part-time regular job

I'm still in full-time employment in a stress-ridden corporate western environment that I'm trying to get out of. Ramping up the poker winnings would be a welcome help in changing this.

Look forward to reading other people's experiences

thanks

Just out of curiosity, what are the steps to become a pro poker player?

[Donald Duck]

Playing poker for money seems interesting, however I have never played poker before. Any ideas on how to begin?

[Riker]

I've been playing for the past 10 years and the last 6 years professionally. I put up my story here, my screen name on the forum is nexeffect

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/new...st29503055

I make about 2k a month now playing live 2.5-5 no limit at a casino in buenos aires. Its an average because you can make 4k one month and break even the next. This can happen pretty regularly in poker and you have to get used to it. Having a losing month once or twice a year is pretty common as well.

I play about 35 hours per week but I should be playing way more.

Lucky star basically you have to study the game a ton, read everything you can get your hands on, post in the poker forums, watch poker videos on the training site, etc etc etc. Log all your hours and your winnings so you can get an idea of what your hourly rate is. You should have about 6 months, ideally a year of living expenses, plus a separate bankroll for poker which should be at least 50 buyins (a buyin is 100 big blind) for the game your playing though more if or less depending if your playing full ring (10 players) or headsup (2 players). Anyways with this bankroll you can play comfortably without letting bad luck effect you since the outcome of any one hand doesn't affect you very much. You always have to be honest about how well you are playing and how big your edge is, as well as being able to tell what those things that give you your edge are exactly.

Its pretty hard to be disciplined and balance your life as a pro... but if you really like the game and are very disciplined and willing to put in work you can do it.

[Riker]

(10-31-2011 07:35 AM)Dash Global Wrote:  

Im a live player. To much crazy shit happens online to frequently for my taste.

The same stuff happens live as online, just online you get so many hands per hour that it seems like more crazy hands happen but the frequency is the same.

[Luckystar]

(10-31-2011 08:10 AM)Riker Wrote:  

I've been playing for the past 10 years and the last 6 years professionally. I put up my story here, my screen name on the forum is nexeffect

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/new...st29503055

I make about 2k a month now playing live 2.5-5 no limit at a casino in buenos aires. Its an average because you can make 4k one month and break even the next. This can happen pretty regularly in poker and you have to get used to it. Having a losing month once or twice a year is pretty common as well.

I play about 35 hours per week but I should be playing way more.

Lucky star basically you have to study the game a ton, read everything you can get your hands on, post in the poker forums, watch poker videos on the training site, etc etc etc. Log all your hours and your winnings so you can get an idea of what your hourly rate is. You should have about 6 months, ideally a year of living expenses, plus a separate bankroll for poker which should be at least 50 buyins (a buyin is 100 big blind) for the game your playing though more if or less depending if your playing full ring (10 players) or headsup (2 players). Anyways with this bankroll you can play comfortably without letting bad luck effect you since the outcome of any one hand doesn't affect you very much. You always have to be honest about how well you are playing and how big your edge is, as well as being able to tell what those things that give you your edge are exactly.

Its pretty hard to be disciplined and balance your life as a pro... but if you really like the game and are very disciplined and willing to put in work you can do it.

Interesting. I've heard BA is a good place for poker.

[zanetti]

(10-31-2011 07:43 AM)kimleebj Wrote:  

Where are you playing? The U.S. government just shut down PokerStars and FullTilt. So there are a bunch of skilled players searching for available games. This has got to be the worst time to try online poker.

I'm in Europe on one of the sites not available to US players

[zanetti]

(10-31-2011 08:10 AM)Riker Wrote:  

I've been playing for the past 10 years and the last 6 years professionally. I put up my story here, my screen name on the forum is nexeffect

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/new...st29503055

just read this - fascinating read to say the least! they could make a movie out of this

thanks

[kimleebj]

(10-31-2011 09:01 AM)zanetti Wrote:  

they could make a movie out of this

They already did (Rounders).

Game selection is important. Play at night or on weekends, especially during the big tournaments when people get knocked out and want more action. Cash games vs. tournaments, limit vs. no limit, short-handed vs. ring games are all different skills. I suggest specializing. You can get my books for tournaments. I recommend NotedPokerAuthority Ed Miller for cash hold'em.

Online pros worry about big monitors for multitabling and software to track and find bad opponents. Poker is a great way to get fat. Doyle Brunson set the Texas high school mile record and had an N.B.A. offer, but a lifetime of poker made him get weight loss surgery.

[Farmageddon]

I played professionally for almost 3 years and was moderately successful. I've even appeared on Russian television before because I won a tournament on Party Poker.

The best advice I could give to an aspiring online US poker pro is not to do it. The reward isn't worth the headache and to be frank, it isn't possible to be an online pro currently if you are a US citizen.

Most of the people I know who made a living from poker had multiple streams of income (bonus hunting, coaching, blogs, live play, staking other players, and other business ventures) and did not just rely on the game to support themselves. I have a couple of other posts about playing professionally if you want to search my history.

Good luck to you.

[zanetti]

(10-31-2011 02:14 PM)kimleebj Wrote:  

(10-31-2011 09:01 AM)zanetti Wrote:  

they could make a movie out of this

They already did (Rounders).

Game selection is important. Play at night or on weekends, especially during the big tournaments when people get knocked out and want more action. Cash games vs. tournaments, limit vs. no limit, short-handed vs. ring games are all different skills. I suggest specializing. You can get my books for tournaments. I recommend NotedPokerAuthority Ed Miller for cash hold'em.

Online pros worry about big monitors for multitabling and software to track and find bad opponents. Poker is a great way to get fat. Doyle Brunson set the Texas high school mile record and had an N.B.A. offer, but a lifetime of poker made him get weight loss surgery.

thanks for all the advice bro

i bought Lee Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold 'Em a couple of weeks ago; just finished reading it and it's helped out a lot so far