i was in the same boat as you like 2 years ago, now i live in cambodia 28 tabling micro/small stakes rakeback whoring, i thought id be playing hu with isildur by now ;/

but im a slacker who smokes too much.... gl !!!

Thanks for this, and I really appreciate your honesty too.

I Played semi professionally since around BF and maintained a part time job in a bar (~14 hours/week), got the sack from that job and poker has been my source of income since(about 6 months now full time).

I've defiantly lost some social skills since going full time. If you're like me, and are a pro but not a baller one, sometimes the emotional swings/hard work which poker brings but people dont see(by this I mean friends taking your "job" as a joke and expecting you to be able to drink any night they have off/varience/parental worries) makes it a very tough way to get by.

That being said, my alternative option is to grind a graveyard shift to earn what I do now, its also given me the ability to move to Thailand later this month and hopefully see the world, in a non-busto traveling way.

Fantastic, thank you so much for taking the time to write that post.

I think in a post very soon I will tell you all (sorry, those who are interested!) a little bit more about myself.

I also think Deldar said in a post that he wouldn't want to play poker for a living if he was earning <1 milly a year, thats probably an exaggeration from someone who has never worked a real job, but gives you some idea of the stress involved.

20k hands a month is not working hard


and def not harder than any serious grinders

He works a full time job, has kids and a bunch of investment properties that he renovates. He works hard.

good luck!

Ok, to be fair to JesusEatsCheese I have not said much about myself yet in this thread and his misread of "I work harder than you" to read "I worker harder at poker than you" is fair enough as this is a poker forum after all. I think in the limited time I actually have for poker I do work harder than most people but that remains to be proven (which it will).

Let me give you my timetable for today which will help have insight into my life (a little).

04.30 - get up, drink a litre of water.
04.35 - train (Tae Kwon Do, general fitness)
05.15 - poker (generally playing, this is also why I play at Stars as action is decent at that time).
06.45 - shower, get my kids (2, aged nearly 2 and 4.5) up and dress one of them (oh, and me!)
07.15 - go to work
17.45 - get back from work
17.50 - start work on one of my properties (private let that needed total refurb after last tenant was ****er - almost finished)
21.30 - finish work, pick up Chinese take away and chill
22.30 - maybe one hour of poker, but will probably be too tired so will study
23.30 - sleep, instantly!

If I do not have a property that needs work on I will spend a couple of hours with kids and get them to bed at 19.30, have dinner with my wife and then generally play poker for two hours or so.

My day job affords me some time to study poker (although I could not watch a video or play, i.e. I should not be studying poker obv!).

I work Saturday mornings too but at the weekend I try to get more playing time in.

Five of my rental properties are occupied by students. They have just moved out of these so July and August are manic months for me - hence the 20k volume target (it is basically to keep me motivated and keep my hand in!).

I hope that helps people understand me a little bit more and please feel free to ask any questions.

See you at the nosebleeds....

Thanks fella!
Thank you. Good to hear from you.

With everything you have going on if you can "make it" in poker huge props to you sir. I'm just very, VERY doubtful that will happen. You dont have enough time to do this. It seems to be more of a hobby to you. I wish you luck, although I'm afraid you wont make it :/

Best of luck to you OP!

July Goals Update...

Goal 1 - 20,000 hands for July
Achieved to date = 4548 (22.75%) - got three (out of five) student properties back now and tbh it is not as much work as some summers. Could be good for progress! Then again other two could need loads of work so should not speak too soon!! Also is rumour a private tenant might move out soon

Goal 2 - Forum Work
My hand #1 - Donked into then check raised ott
My Hand #2 - Two pair on river, ok to raise?

Goal 3 - Stealing/Opening On The Button = W.I.P

I totally understand your doubts to be honest. Unfortunately most of the world is full of doubters and, even worse, self-doubters. It is kind of drilled into us for protection or something. What if I gave up my day job? Think I could do it then? Thanks for the good luck wish and for dropping in too.

Many thanks!!

Major problem!!

Driving from day job to investment property last night some idiot decided to drive straight into the back of me in his big van!! My (wife's) car is going to be written off I am sure. I think I am going to be ok (shoulders and neck are sore) but only having one car for the weekend is serious pain in the rear!!!

I should be working at house now but gotta wait til later for lift etc.

Going to watch three videos I have about preflop button play and get to work on that.

I have got my kids for couple of hours so best not to play really (C game at best).

GL all.

gl op!

just curious, what school do your rentals cater to?

GL KP, i'll be following your progress, great video too.

Hope you are ok after the crash. That motivational video is great but I don't really agree with sleeping less, getting enough sleep is good for general health and lack of sleep will not help you be productive and also causes stuff like car crashes.

What do you do at your job? By "turning pro" do you mean you want to quit your job and play poker professionally?

TY! Most of my properties are rented to Warwick University, England. The rest are private rents to small families or professionals.

TY. I have a few motivational type videos I watch if playing or studying is not feasible. Will post another next time I watch one.
I think I am ok, thank you for asking, some tenderness in neck and shoulders but I went to work today so ok I guess!
Good man, glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for your comments about sleep. Are you an expert or is that just your opinion? I did a lot of research into this before starting it (reducing sleep that is) as I would not want to do anything to risk my health (at least while my kids are so young). It is surprising how little the world knows about sleep.
By going pro I mean I expect to make a substantial income from playing. As I also expect to make a substantial income from property it would be difficult to say it will be my first source of income if you understand. I probably will not be satisfied until I have a $250,000 year and when I get there it will probably go to $1,000,000. This might surprise you but I am not often motivated by money although it is good to use as a measurement of success in SOME ways.

-----------------------------------------------

So, I just got a hire car to get around until my wife's is sorted out so I went to a student property and worked for 5 hours or so. It is 30 degrees here so pretty tough going!!

I am going to play for a short while.... Good luck me!!

Well this is a new motivation video for me actually that my friend shared with me today. Well worth a look (and not too long).

Notice the point about sleep too. Find me a successful person who sleeps eight hours per day please....

What the!!???? This villain was playing every hand and bluffing rivers and all sorts.....

PokerStars - $0.16 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): $16.00
SB: $5.63 (VPIP: 19.67, PFR: 11.48, 3Bet Preflop: 10.53, Hands: 62)
BB: $8.00 (VPIP: 18.33, PFR: 15.00, 3Bet Preflop: 7.14, Hands: 60)
UTG: $27.75 (VPIP: 18.10, PFR: 13.57, 3Bet Preflop: 4.35, Hands: 856)
MP: $15.25 (VPIP: 42.42, PFR: 33.33, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 34)
CO: $45.12 (VPIP: 95.06, PFR: 9.88, 3Bet Preflop: 12.50, Hands: 83)

SB posts SB $0.08, BB posts BB $0.16

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.24) Hero has 3 3

fold, MP raises to $0.32, CO calls $0.32, Hero calls $0.32, SB calls $0.24, fold

Flop: ($1.44, 4 players) T 3 2
SB bets $1.44, fold, CO calls $1.44, Hero raises to $6.56, fold, CO calls $5.12

Turn: ($16.00, 2 players) 3
CO checks, Hero bets $9.12 and is all-in, CO calls $9.12

River: ($34.24, 2 players) 9

CO shows A 5 (One Pair, Threes) (Pre 46%, Flop 17%, Turn 0%)
Hero shows 3 3 (Four of a Kind, Threes) (Pre 54%, Flop 83%, Turn 100%)
Hero wins $32.74

July Goals Updates....

Goal 1 - Volume (20,000 hands for July)

Achieved to date 6,719 (33.6%) - the car crash has helped this out a little as I could not get to houses as much as would have liked!

Goal 2 - Forum Work.

My hand #1 - Overpair donked into on blank river
My Hand #2 - NL16 - TP min raised on river (bad flop play!)

I'm not an expert but I've seen lots of stuff about how not sleeping enough is bad for your health. As well sleep helps you create memories (learning) and being well rested will help you stay focused which are both important for poker. Of course all this I learned from articles on the internet which could be complete bs but I've never seen anything that says sleeping very little is good for you.

In the 33 hand with that read you should check turn and give him a chance to bluff.

sth like that

Horrible adjustment on your read. Hes bluffing rivers and stuff so what?
You raise flop and ship turn yourself?! whats the point you mention that read when you play like that?!