Quote:
Originally Posted by pure_aggression
6 months living expenses and 4000 big blinds at NL is a good benchmark. So assuming 2k/mo living expenses 12k+4k=16k for 1/2 12k+6k=18k for 1/3 12k+10k=22k for 2/5. Adjust up and down based on your desired standard of living, how many hours you plan on playing and winrate.
Your numbers here are actually 2,000 BB. Not sure if you meant 2K BB and made a mistake there, or meant 4K BB and made a mistake on the numbers.
I think 2K BB is a little light for most stakes, although I would bet on myself to never bust $4,000 at 1/2 if no expenses were coming out of it. I think 10K downswings are very possible at 2/5. Also the buyin, stack depth, and frequency of straddles are very important. A 2/5 $500 max game plays very different from a 2/5 $1K max plays very different from a 2/5/T $1K max with average stacks of $800 plays very different from a 2/5/T $1K max with average stacks of $2K.
Also, and I think you may have addressed this in a video, but it could have been another poker player on YouTube... But especially at the smaller stakes your expenses relative to your roll present a huge challenge. So, for example, let's say you used the 2K BB numbers above and had a one month break-even at each stake... You'd have:
12K + 2K (1,000 BB) for 1/2
12K + 4K (1,333 BB) for 1/3
12K + 8K (1,600 BB) for 2/5
Considering the distinct possibility of a few months in a row breakeven, or a couple losing months in a row, I strongly advocate for a bigger roll for a full-time pro.
Last but not least, I think I'd add one factor to the adjust up and down list: willingness to go broke. If you're 22, playing for a living for a few years cause it's cool, and going broke and moving back in with Mom and Dad for a few months til you get a job is not the end of the world, then you don't need as much as you do if you're 40 with a family and no other source of income.
"How much do you need to play X for a living?" is one of the most common questions pros get, and a lot of times people think "It depends," is a dodge. But it's the biggest "it depends," question in a game full of those sorts of questions.