So I've been going through and reading a few threads from people that have gone to Vegas to play poker for a living and it seems like everything I've found is from people that have started off at 2/5 and 5/10 or higher. I'm wondering if there are any threads of people that started by grinding 1/2 and daily tournament and have made their way up to higher stakes. Anyone able to point me to some threads like this?

I cant point to to any threads but i can tell you that i moved to vegas 8 months ago and started at 1/2 switched to 1/3 & now am currently playing 2/5. GL man

1/2-3, 2/5... what's the difference.
the same ideas apply.

Not really any difference. I'm just curious is all. I get bored at work and start thinking of random things and this is one of those things. lol.

Here's a good one

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...-1-2nl-900617/

So the standard advice is

1) should I quit my well paying job with great benefits to grind poker? - h*ll no take a long vacation and try it first

2) I have no money and no job should I grind poker? - make sure you have a ride home

3) . . .

I'll help you cut to the money shot: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...&postcount=674

The rest of the thread doesn't matter much. Guy comes to Vegas with great plans, lots of posts, having a good time, blahblahblah, meltdown post, guy disappears.

It's not an unusual tale.

A guy I know moved here with no money and put in months of freeroll grinding before finally moving to 2/5 where he proceeded to kick much ass. This continued for about 4 months then I stopped seeing him around. Eventually I saw him back at the 1/2 freeroll nitfests, losing buyin after buyin.

I started in those games and have "moved up" to bonus-free 1/3. The only reason I haven't busted yet is I don't drink, gamble, or have any other serious life leaks. OK, I guess some of my profit does go to strip clubs but I consider that medicinal.

I can't see my life being interesting enough to justify a thread.

I think on your average night in Vegas at least 3 players at every table are doing just this.

I think he still posts once in a while. So while he probably isn't taking his "shot" anymore, I think he probably just got a job and moved onto a normal life. I am speculating a bit, but since he has a computer to post with I'm assuming he isn't homeless. Although that hasn't stopped some people apparently.

In theory, it's very possible to average $15-$20/hour playing $1-$2 NL. Many recreational players do it putting in 20 hours per week and this usually leads many to ask the inevitable question of whether or not they can do this for a living. But our lives are full of circumstances and none of us live in a vacuum. Expand the 20 hours to 40-60 hours/week and I think you'll often see that most cannot maintain such a win rate.

For example, suffering a bad beat as a recreational player isn't that big of a deal. You can just go back home and start fresh in a few days and worst comes to worst you always have that paycheck coming at the end of the week. Now imagine that you have been playing for 8 hours, have managed to double your initial buy-in when you wake up with AA. You raise and meet resistance from the one player at the table that covers you. The money gets all in, he shows KK and the door card is a K. Now you not only have nothing to show for your 8 hours but you're down $300 and there is no extra money coming in at the end of the week.

Add to this spending 8+ hours a day with people whose company you wouldn't wish on Hitler and hopefully you can see my point. Plus there are many other distractions that will hinder your progress. Most come to Vegas with a preconceived notion of the "life". Women are for sale, booze is free and you can leak your money away in the pit 24/7. There is no way in a hell that you can partake or enjoy any of these things being a $1-$2 player. You have to get your monthly nut as low as possible, limit the food and drinks you get at a casino and tip like a nit.

Most are not able to do this and $1-$2 becomes a black hole from which very few escape. Just go play $5-$10 and ask any of the regulars how many of them truly grinded their way up from $1-$2. If any of them did, you'll often find that they had a tournament score along the way, grinded online to accompany their live play or just had money come in from somewhere else. I'm not saying it can't be done, but just that it really is rare and that you have to be one talented player and someone who is very disciplined in life to pull it off. I sort of liken it to a high school athlete who wants to become a professional one day. Just like it behooves them to get an education and have something to fall back on, the same can be said for those who try their hand at poker. Get a job or keep your job, and don't throw away everything else until you are absolutely sure and have every indication that you have and will continue to succeed at poker.

Excellent post !

FYP.

Michael Craig in his book about Andy Beal and the big game had a throwaway line which noted that the only regulars who started the big game at the Mirage and who were around when it moved to the Bellagio were Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese and David Grey. All the other regulars were gone. It goes the same way at 1/2. It is hard to accumalate the BR to play 2/5, let alone 5/10 when you are eating away at your BR with living expenses when you don't have alternative sources of income. The vast majority fail.

Assani Fisher had a pretty thorough and interesting blog wherein he started playing 1/2 with a $4000 bankroll or so. To be fair he did well online simultaneously and also ran like absolute god live (like, moving up to 5/10 within a few months and then averaging a +$1000 per day for weeks on end), the former which is unavailable to you and the latter can't be predicted.

1/2 - 2/5 is pretty much the same as far as the level of play is concerned. However, the 2/5 game seemed to be a little deeper as there are lots of players will buy in for 1k instead of 500. I don't suggest you take shots at it because playing 1/2 for a living is not realistic.

As far as spending 8 hours a day around people I can't stand, well that's how I felt at my last two real jobs. There is some of that if you follow bonuses and freerolls, but if you're playing straight up poker in the bigger rooms it's easy to avoid the few people you can't stand. There are a ton of 1/2 - 2/5 games to choose from.

I'm noticing an odd pattern where those with restraint and good bankroll management never really move up because their bankroll doesn't grow fast enough. Those who are prone to gambling and degeneracy are actually more likely to move up in stakes because they are more apt to take a shot and if they run good they will stay for a while. They're also the most likely to go bust at those higher levels too, never to be heard from again. It's probably better to save up a legit 2/5 bankroll before taking a shot. You can start in 1/2 to get your feet wet, but it's real hard to simply move up with no other income or lucky score.

It has been a great experience, though, and making my own schedule in Vegas fits my lifestyle needs much better than 9-5 office drudgery ever did even if it's not the best financial decision.