What a twirp you are. You see this kid is tiny from a picture and refer to him as a ******. You're the problem with the poker world. An narcissistic ego-maniac who thinks because he has 13k posts on 2+2 you have a free-pass to say anything you want about anybody. I bet you have nearly no friends who actually care about you, don't involve yourself with women, and live a sad boring life which is how it will be for people like you. Codizzle has a vision and a dream, for god's sake let the kid follow it without bringing him down anyway you can. Life is about living and learning. Don't berate the kid that you don't even know for no reason. I want to punch your cocky little face in to be honest. However you'll forever hide behind your SN. I do not GL you in life.

His life. I would say his sanity but he already lost that.

CB may have been a little harsh, but I think those of us opposed to the OP's plan feel he is doing the poker equivalent of jumping out of an airplane without a chute. Do you think jumping without a chute is a good idea?

He had no reason to be harsh in the first place, not to mention he's posting in the wrong forum. He needs to stay in the "How to play break even poker through 10,000 games played" forum and stop flaming kids with dreams. How many people that Matt Moore would succeed? HOw many people thought his buddy Dan would succeed? Follow your heart kid, give it a shot, but I do recommend an out. A way back home if you do bust. Also referring to jumping without a chute, maybe he has one of those wing suits where you can soar....? Either way Cborders has no right to give advice about poker(he is -EV through 10k games played on Stars), and he has no right to berate someone he's never met.

If someone does not want to be berated by people they have never met, they should not post on an internet forum.

The thing is the OP does not have a back up plan or a way home if he goes bust and I think CB was motivated by that.

Someone does not have to be a winning player to recognize a stupid idea or poor BRM.

Being bored in Kansas City vs being homeless in Las Vegas? I'd start there.

I am not to tiny get asked if I am college athlete a lot (not a a brag). And dmac that's kind my train of thought no forseeable opportunities with a my job coming to a end it seems pretty easy. About a year ago I found myself in a similar spot no money blah blah. And I ended up getting the job I have now at first with the only intent to save for Vegas and trust me it is hard to save the money on how much I make granted some other things I have had to take care of. I am just tired of putting off my dreams and ambitions. And yeah I think the narrative here is "kid you are way under rolled" and I understand that with the positive and negative responses.If I had 50k in the bank and a clean bill of health I really wouldn't see the idea of me even making this thread. the whole idea is well what the hell I will let people sweat my long shot and if I succeed I will have documented something amazing (in retrospect). And don't talk s*** on my hair it is luxurious. Codizzle

Don't forget the free clinics for health and dental care. They are not perfect but you don't need to suffer with sickness or toothaches and such especially if you are short on BR. If you can stand the religious crap there are the missions for shelter and meals. This is if stuff doen't go well of course. I hope you do well despite the odds.

Well first, stop speaking for CB even if he is your friend and why you think he said what he did. Second off, I think a WINNING player who is battled tested should give his or her opinion on OP's quest, however it should stop before be-ration. I think what it comes down to with OP is respecting himself in the morning. If he never gave this a chance he would think about it a lot and wish he would have at least given it a shot once in his lifetime. You'll never know what could have been unless you say **** it and go for what you want. Regret is one of the hardest things to deal with for many people. Way too often people on their death-bed looking back on their life regret not going after something they wish they should have given a shot. I don't think OP wants this scenario. I respect his ambition and passion regardless of the % chance he makes it or not.

Your lack of bankroll does not bother me as much as you have no plan on how to live when out in Vegas and no plan for what happens if you run out of money.

I do not know CB, but I wonder what your issue with him is. It seems to run deeper than the situation with the OP.

I don't know who he is never seen him post before. His comment just pissed me off. It's people like him that detour people from trying. I was standing up for codizzle because no one deserves to be called a ******, even if they are retarted.

Theres talkers,and walkers in this world, I think OP wants to walk. Keep steppin my friend.

No, I called him a ****** because he is planning on quitting a job with less than $2,000 to his name to move to Las Vegas to play poker for a living. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see how terrible this idea is from a risk of ruin standpoint. Suggesting he use credit to survive on is adding fuel to an already unhealthy fire.

I'm all for taking shots at a young age; when I was 18 I dropped out of college to start a retail business. I'm now 23 and earlier this year quit a job that paid over twice what OP makes to play poker. But I had some money to live on and a plan of where I was going and what I was doing. I'm definitely not harping on him for his decision to take a shot. I am, however, harping on him for his terrible thought process. If he had any sense at all he'd cut his expenses to the bone and live cheap for the next couple months, keep working his job, book a cheap flight in advance, set up housing/transportation and come out during WSOP when the cash games are great and there are opportunities for staking as well as odd jobs if poker isn't going well. Plus there is a huge number of kids his age there during this time, allowing him to meet people and not only talk strategy with good players but go out and do things away from poker, which is really important.

Taking a chance like this a great opportunity for personal growth, and although I miss my consistent paycheck I'm glad I left my job as I'm a bit of a gypsy and I'm not happy unless I'm homeless. However, you don't just go willy-nilly and take your shot immediately because you want to; you use diligence and common sense to put a plan together and then act on it. Encouraging him to do it when he's doing it wrong is worse than telling him not to do it at all. I've been playing poker since Paradise Poker was the largest site on the net and I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to survive in this game, and his plan is not conducive to survival. Sure, he'll make it a nonzero percentage of the time, but replay his life 1000 times over and the vast majority of the time he's going broke by taking the line he's taking, whereas if he were just a little smarter and little more patient his odds of success would likely double, if not more.

I'm about the same size as OP; I didn't see his picture until now, I actually think he looks in shape, not sure why people are saying he's small. I've read your story, seen photos of you, etc. If you want to come punch my cocky little face in, I travel between Mexico and Arizona a lot, based in the Phoenix area but I drive south to play online for about 12-15 days per month. I'll be at the Rio for the last two weeks of June as well. If your hard on for me is really that strong then PM me for exact dates/locations of my whereabouts and we'll take care of it.

In all fairness Steve. (loved your thread BTW) Gl getting to the league.

Matt Moore had 30k and a lot of skill. I'm all for taking shots in life, but this is destined to fail. If this kid has a reasonable OUT. Which he is yet to share. I say go for it. He has nothing to lose. This shot seems a lock to wind up in the tunnels.

Gl op. Give us more info on what you do if you lose.

Just noticed this... Poker stars isn't the only site I play on, and again, I was playing online before and during the Party days, so I've made a little bit from the game. When you PM me to arrange a place to punch my cocky little face in we can arrange a crossbook for MTT's if you'd like.

he's not QUITTING. the job is ending. he has a chance to take another job which he is declining to take this shot.

You seem to be missing the point here. I am not agreeing with his gameplan, like you. I am however respecting the fact he wants to take his shot. Where my issue lies in, how you disrespected him, when there was absolutely no need to. Almost bullyish IMO. I guess it's agree to disagree. As far as punching your face in...LOL...I said I WANT to, not I WILL. I don't condone actions as such and never will. It would accomplish nothing, so no I will not be punching your face in. Do you, just choose your words wiser IMO. I wish you GL in your future.

I'll PM you about this. This thread is getting too derailed and it's not fair to OP.

My posting (and others) were actually written out of concern and empathy for this person. Perhaps some postings were not tactful; but, I certainly don't see them as disrespectful.

As for me... I walked the walk. I nearly killed myself (literally) because my self-esteem was attached to wins and losses in poker. I did not lead a purpose-driven life with a career and future prospects. Everything was in the moment. If I won, I was happy. If I lost, I felt incredible despair.

In reading the OP's remarks here, I see similar feelings to the ones I felt. Living on the edge does not improve this condition. Vegas is a mother-effing town. You're hustling just to hustle at every corner. Going with less than two dimes to your name along with NO PLAN other than taking a massive shot playing $1/$2 NLHE with your entire net-worth is a recipe for disaster.

My concern is that the OP may not survive this trip to LV.

OP: if you are still in KC, you have an opportunity to stay there. You can give your life meaning by working on your condition. There are jobs that can lead to a solid career. Many places provide good benefits like medical and dental insurance so that you can improve your health and well being. You can keep grinding in KC and save some dough.

Perhaps, after saving some cash, you can take a few trips out to Vegas every couple of months during the weekend. Stay in a nice hotel for $200/night and play $1/$2 while having fun but working hard to grind a "W" for the weekend. Then, go back home, and keep living your life.

i mean he obv. need to buy a planeticket back home before he goes to vegas....cmon he cant be that stupid! and if he really isnt, then he deserves what he gets.

5-10 HO, with NL a few nights a week. the 5-10 HO got to be lame as crap during the week though...obviously you're supposed to go at night, but even then NL wasn't ALWAYS running.

OP knows it's a long shot and he's young and has little to lose. Even if he fails it sounds like an interesting life experience. Just make sure you have a way of getting home. Can't wait to hear the reports! Good luck!

Now I really fold. A speach is a speach is a speach OP fold.

Why can't he do this living in Vegas? He's leaving a $10/hr no benefits job. Should be able to get that anywhere at anytime.

Vegas would be an insanely fun place to be a 23 yearold broke guy. Poker and girls.

OP has no shot. Here's how to take it:

Fly in to McCarran.

Cab (bus? anyone who knows cheaper method, chime in, save the kid a few bucks) to MGM. Don't let the driver take the tunnel. Just say "no tunnel."

Behind the MGM is a dive weekly called Siegal Suites. ~$200 a week, block your door with chairs before sleeping, brush the roaches off the bed, but you won't need cabs or even a bus, you can walk to the MGM poker room in a few minutes. I've never stayed there but a friend/1-2 grinder did for three months without getting murdered or raped.

Play 1/2 at the MGM all day, all night. Then play all day. Then all night.

10 hours a day will get you a comped meal at the snack bar. Eat a second and third meal at the food court McDonalds or pizza joint, both open 24/7. MGM has 1/2 going 24/7. The games are soft 24/7, and even play smaller than other 1/2's because they allow $60 buyins. If you ever are in a game you think is tough, go home (to Kansas I mean). Because if you ever think an MGM 1/2 game is anywhere close to tough, you suck at poker. I have played the 1/2 there maybe 20 times, for a half hour or so, waiting for a 2/5 seat. I have never seen a non-soft game.

Because this is all 24/7, forget the time, don't wear a watch, just sleep, play, go for some walks on the strip for exercise, sleep, play. That will be your life. Your room will be such crap you won't hang out in it for fun, you'll sleep, wack off, shower, play, eat half your meals at McDonald's (and snacks at the 24/7 Walgreens up the block). THAT WILL BE YOUR LIFE. For a long time if you're lucky, for a week if you aren't (except that ending this nightmare in a week will be lucky in it's own way).

Every week, just before paying rent for the next week, re-evaluate.

Or read TBC's blog and emulate him. And the fact that TBC should be your hero is all you need to know about what you're trying to do.