Hi everyone. I got married a little less than a year ago. I have always prided myself on being very independent. Went to a great undergrad and law school, and have been an attorney for 4 years. I'm proud of all of this, but the drive is no longer there (thank you, poker).

My focus right now is to build a family (working on our first baby) and spend as much time as possible with my kids and husband. (Add to that that I've recently become obsessed with poker and had a pretty good run the last couple of months at it)

My husband travels a lot for work, so he is rarely home, and with my busy/unpredictable work schedule, if we have kids soon, they'll rarely see their parents. Soooooooooooo...... my new plan is to build my poker skills up to become a profitable poker player, quit my job, have kids, and play poker.

Since my husband has a good job, I will not be dependent on my poker skills for a living. But having been super independent my whole life, I also don't want to be dependent on him for everything. So I think poker is a good way for me to earn my extra cash and still have the ability to set my own schedule and spend time with my kiddies. Also, this will allow me the freedom to travel with the hubby on his trips and hit up local poker rooms while he does his business.

Curious to know if any of you pro poker ladies have kids? What should I prepare for? What should I look forward to? Advice? Also, am considering the possibility that once I set eyes on my baby, maybe poker interest will drop? not sure!?!

I really wish poker legislation would change fast, as online poker would really be ideal for me in this situation... maybe soon?

Anyhow, would love to hear other's similar stories...

Welcome to TWSS!
Good 1st thread!

I don't have kids, and don't plan on having them. This lifestyle is tough and stressful and for me, personally, would not work with having a family.
I'm not saying I'm choosing poker over family, there is obv more to it, but it just would not work for me. Even if I was in another profession, this would be the case as well.

I know a few female pros with kids. I have so much respect for them, because I don't know how they do it. It is truly so admirable.

I'm sure the moms in TWSS have many experiences they will share, but from my child-less point of view, it's tough to be a pro and be a mom simply because poker hours are unpredictable. Especially if you are a tournament player. And child care/family obligations can be tough to juggle. Again, there are many that do it, and do it well, but I'm sure it's not easy.

Even just in my life, there are so many times a day/week/month where I have to get up and leave the house with a moment's notice to get to a game/tournament/friend get-together (these are important, because this is how you improve). I have trouble even managing my dog's medication schedule, because I can be gone for many hours at a time, unannounced.

Sleep is also important. Children impede sleep. Poker impedes sleep. Those two together can make for a very sleepless life.

There's def a part of me though that will always wonder 'what if' but it's such a fleeting thought, and then I bring myself back to my task at hand which is usually at a poker table or on my laptop.

Can you receive PMs yet?
I try to stay out of this section(tilts the hell out of me) but saw the "Poker Moms" on the main page and decided to read your post. I would love to talk to you about it. I have a 2 year old and despite the negativity of the above post, you can make it work. It is not hard and can give you alot of perspective.

lol this is cool...it will be fun to play knowing your hubby will support me. A couple tips, studying poker is great, but online poker can vary from normal. I would look up some good players on sharkscope and watch how they play (how many hands, position, timing, and so on)

Get holdemmanager, it will help you out.

Wish my mom was this cool! good luck out there

My post was not meant to be negative at all.
I think one of the strong points of this forum is that we can give our outlook in a constructive, polite manner and not be flamed or trolled for it (since we mod it so carefully). I think the OP's thread is an extremely valid thread for TWSS and I hope more moms out there will post. I'm sorry this forum tilts you, if it does so much, there are many other forums on 2+2 that you may find more interesting.

I am the mom of four and have been playing pretty much full time for 4 years. My kids were all teenagers when I started playing which made things a little easier for me. I have also had a career prior to poker that required long hours, travel abroad and working at home each night. It is never easy to raise a family and have a career, whether you work for a corporation or yourself in a poker room. I will say this, poker will afford you more flexibility. No, you won't have sick days banked for staying home with a puking two year old, but you won't have to call your boss and explain why you can't come in. If internet poker ever returns, your options will open up even more. I will say though, playing online at home is difficult even with older children who don't require your complete attention. Kids are the worst distractions while your playing.
Deciding whether or not to have a family and a career is a difficult process. Professional poker can be a grueling grind. Poker gives you flexibility, freedom and you can pretty much set your hours. It also can lead to long sessions, unpredictable income and intense tournament schedules. The emotional swings of poker can be rough as well. Playing for twelve hours only to go home empty handed as the bubble can be far more frustrating than any office politics I've encountered. Having a partner that earns enough to support you will make riding out that variance a bit easier.
My kids are older but love that I play cards for a living. It allowed me to be at each ball game, debate tournament, awards program, play and everything else. It also gave us an activity to enjoy as a family. They all know how to play and each holiday and family gathering turns into a poker match. Its been fun for us. Way more fun than my corporate life before poker.
Good luck!