Yeah I'm as far from a SJW as it gets but that was really uncalled for.

My advice would also be to work part-time while getting a useful degree and pursuing a career in a field of your liking. You clearly have the financial means to do so, and you are definitely still young enough to do so.

Also, and this is only my personal opinion, I would suggest relying more on your own analytical abilities. I think it is good to get input from exceptional people, but I would not put the average counselor in this category.

I'd be happy to chat on the phone/over Skype with you if you would find it helpful.

(I'm a productivity coach, work with several HSNL players in various stages of transitioning away from poker, spent several years of wandering around in the desert of existential angst post-BF myself.)

Can PM me on your main account or contact me on my site (see my location).

Perhaps you could give back to poker.

it would be great if there were a successful startup that only hired ex poker players. This would allow players to compete in the business world, resuscitate their resumes, feel like they have purpose and structure again, receive direction from someone they respect, be part of a positive community, operate as part of a team for once, and last but not least, make money.

I'm sure we can all think of a lot of reasons why this would never work but with the right people founding it, could be a tremendous success and with enough results and notoriety could help to legitimize poker in the public eye again.

Thank you for replying all. Over the next few days I will carefully read everything and reply.

The point I would like to make first is that poker was profitable, but not something I was good at or have accomplished something. Hence I dont feel I have gotten any useful skills out of it, quite the opposite maybe.

Imo you should still play some poker part time till you figure out a good solution.

Play live or softer sites online ..even just 10 hours a week
...but quitting completely without a backup plan is going to make you feel even more unproductive

I'm a first year business student and been playing poker for the past two years. I got a coach from 4 month a go and since then i've been grindinv my way up from 5nl to 25nl and made a roll from live games that i can afford to play up to 1knl live.
However, i've been struggling to stay motivated in my studies seeing the money and the freedom that poker is offering.
My question for you is though, why did you quit poker in the first place? You mention that you wanted to finish your studies and accomplish your long term goals, so maybe i should rather ask why did you start playing? Were you planning to quit once you graduate to get a "real" job and have a "real" life? I mean you have the feeedom in your work that most people don't and you have more savings than most 25 year olds. So why lewve now? And if you were planning to leave from the beginning why put so much work that you can beat the highest stakes?

Hm. Pretty disrespectful to create a topic asking for advice and never replying anymore.

You don't need meds boss, coming from someone who went through counseling and did not take meds to deal with PTSD, anxiety, major depression and probably a few other undiagnosed issues...at the end of the day, and at the beginning, one thing will be consistent if you are alive:

You will breathe.

Simply start where you are, not where you were at, and have a vision for where you want to be?

You have 100K-200K, but no income, correct? Okay, so, eventually, you'll need income.

Besides playing high stakes poker, you have no skill sets, but you have skill sets within that...and I am sure if you thought positively you could name them.

Start where you are bro: write out your actual skill sets but not to an employer, but to you and why they are a skill. Second, take those skills and see what opportunities (not jobs, don't do that) those skills can lead too.

I want to give you an example and hopefully it strikes a cord with you...it may not, because it may be seen as lesser than you are or your potential, but maybe it will help. Last year, I left a job I hated, because I wanted to go to school, get some mental health evaluation from the VA (second time, this time they listened...ughh), and assess the health of my father who was homeless at that time. I am happy to say that besides financial difficulties this year, which I have a great and amazing girlfriend helping with, I was able to accomplish some personal goals that I have not before, and lower, in some ways, my stress level. Recently, things changed in my living situation and a friend said to me "Come back to working what you used to do but just on a different level." He was absolutely right. So, in like 24 hours, I am moving to New Mexico to train some guys on what I used to do in a very normal 9-5 environment. Do I want too? No, but I need too, and it is an atmosphere where I know I will be tested not completely mixed in with some of the bad things that were my vices years ago (alcohol, sexual stuff that is beyond a certain limit, etc.). So...you just have to ask yourself what you want to do that is within your listed skillsets that would make you HAPPY OR WOULD LEAD TO THAT eventual happiness.

I hope it helps...

OP, you're getting way too down on your situation...i think you see it as being worse than it actually is.

Firstly, you're still only what, 25? You have plenty of time to get that 'normal life' with a steady job and a girlfriend...it's not like you're coming to this realisation at 40 years old, and even then something could be done.

You're not actually THAT much older than the 'regular' university students and mature aged students is a common thing...like people who decide to travel or pursue other interests, like you with poker, before focusing on their studies. It really is very normal. Plus, barely any of them would have the amount of money you have, especially self made.

12 or so interviews isn't really that big a deal in a competitive environment...and i don't think poker has much to do with it. Eg you admitted your grades weren't good, i'm confident you could improve them over time. Also nailing an interview is a skill in itself...have you researched this so that your presenting yourself the best way possible?

Again, your situation from what i gathered in your OP really doesn't sound that bad...you have more money than most your age, you are still only in your mid 20s and have time up your sleeve to finish your higher education being not that much older than the average student anyway.

I'm sure if you stick at it things will turn around for you in the future.

Look, you're right in saying that there are a lot of positive attributes you can say you learned and displayed by playing poker and improving to the highest levels...such as work ethic, problem solving, database analysis and even people skills (reading people, table talk etc).

However, you seem to think it's a no-brainer and every one of your interviewers will love it...which is not the case.

A large part depends of the type of job your applying for and the personality of the actual interviewer...obviously a job involving a lot of number crunching and database analyse, with an interviewer who may be a poker fan themselves, you might do well out of it.

But a lot of interviewers would not understand anything about poker, and despite your attempts to rattle off positives about it, may still think in the back of their minds that it's 'just gambling' at the end of the day, and that your passion for it may suggest you have a gambling problem which could make you a negative persona in the office.

They may know of someone like a friend, cousin, previous workmate etc who's gambling really negatively affected their life and feel passionately against it. Also it would be even harder with a female interviewer, as they tend to disapprove of any form of gambling, including things like sports betting, more than men.

Any form of serious gambling where you're playing high stakes, like even risking $500 in a day, which is basically nothing in the poker world, would be seen very negatively by someone who doesn't gamble as a lot of money to potentially lose...and once you step out of the 'poker world', you'll see that they are right...you can buy a lot of stuff with $500 and once you get a normal full time job as a graduate and stop playing poker seriously, you'll wonder how you dropped $500, $1000, maybe even $3000+ in a day, sometimes in an hour and didn't think much of it since that would now equal quite a large portion of your salary.

To me, since you enjoy poker and no doubt surround yourself with others who do as well, you've detached a bit from the reality of what people who DONT play poker think about it and OP is right, it is generally frowned upon and seen as gambling.

I am starting a career readiness program where we mentor and coach individuals trying to get into the work force and start their careers. I am still building the start of this company so if you'd like, my services are available to you for a discount since its before our official launch.

DM me if you want some more information. Best of luck no matter what!!

I started working with the first job that I got offered. Sorry for not replying but I am not feeling to well and just reading through the topic makes me feel very sick inside. I am also seeing a psychologist for suicidal thoughts but unfortunately he only has time twice a month. I want to quit this job, but have only been on it for 5 weeks and have no alternatives lined up. I regret accepting this job instead of trying two other job interviews which would have taken place after this. I cant let go of this thought, because those would have been far superior jobs.

Is there anyone who can say something please sorry

It's just a job don't sweat it too hard. Just look for other jobs since I guess the one you have sucks, and go from there. Maybe you're stuck in a crappy job for a few months while you find something better but it's far from the end of the world. Maybe even try to make sexual overtures towards your bosses wife at corporate parties, worst case scenario your boss just hates you but otherwise you end up cuckolding your boss and either get fired without cause (so you'll get unemployment while seeking new work) or it ends up he's chill with it so you'll wind up in a situation where you're blasting away at your boss's wife while he's watching in the corner drinking mineral water with a metal cage on his dick.

edit: in the gambling world this is whats called a free role

do you have the time/money to see a second psychologist/therapist/etc? if so, i recommend that you do that. you may want to talk to one of them (or to your regular doctor) about considering antidepressants or other medications. i don't know what country you're in but perhaps there are special resources that you can look at - suicide hotlines, special counseling, etc

if you have decent money in the bank then you don't have to be working right now. you can look for other jobs while you have this one, or you could quit this one if you want.

i think getting your foundation right (mental health, physical health, etc) is crucial to do first. consider it the #1 goal in your life right now. without a good baseline, you may not be happy/content/successful at anything you do.

see from the bright side, man, few people can save that much from nothing before 25 years old.

Invest that money, keep studying/looking for an internship and make some cash by playing poker in your free time.

Don't waste money on expensive clothes/cars/houses, invest it in low-risk investments and let the money start working for you.

Move to Europe mate.
Do your university studies for free in Europe.
If you can't do it for free, there is also quite a lot of cool places where you can live as a king for 1.5k/month while doing your studies which will cost like 10k.

Absolutely this.

Once a month seeing a psychiatrist isn't going to cut it, especially since psychiatrists largely focus on prescribing medication. I'd suggest seeing a different type of therapist (possibly in addition), one who can focus on talk therapy and who can see you at least once a week. You need to re-frame your thinking, back to how it used to be before this started happening to you, and talk therapy is probably the most effective way to do this.

It sounds like you have enough money in the bank to cover your living expenses at least for the next couple of years. I would also suggest throwing everything you have into improving your mental and physical health, it is without a doubt the most +EV decision you can make right now.

Bro whatever the problem is, I guarantee it's not poker. Poker is a symptom. You don't feel that bad because you played poker for years. Some athletes train for 10+ years and fail at getting a big shot at the big league and don't feel as bad as you. Again, you have some other problems to work on.

hahaha this cant be serious, what a *****. in fact, I dont buy it. No way hes beating high stakes NL with such a fragile mindset. just another degenerate

Any suggestions as the where, for US players? Ignition was soft enough for me, but I'm a HU cash game specialist and their new HU policy has essentially put me out of a job.

I'm in the same spot and I've had an awful hard time transitioning as well.... Still have not found a decent job for myself, but, trying to pursue something I have a little interest in.... Life gives you many chances. You can always go back to school at some point. Hang in there...

I've been trying to quit poker for a while. It's a vicious cycle. Like OP, I feel that years of playing online has ruined me. I have no interest in any day jobs. I can't stand the idea of having to be somewhere everyday from 9-5. Yet being at home playing online poker is even more damaging IMO. I search for jobs, get depressed at what I find, then reluctantly go back to poker much in the same way a user goes back to a drug. Occasionally I see a job that I think I might enjoy, I apply, get no response back, get depressed again, then go back to poker. As far as "likes" the only thing I might get passionate about doing is coaching a team (basketball), or flying commercially (which was my life-long ambition). I can't fly (for reasons I'd rather not going into itt), and coaching at the college level or beyond requires years of experience and tons of lucky breaks. Really helps to know people/have connections too, and I have none. So aside from those, neither of which are achievable, I really have no desires, and hence I slave away at poker, very unsatisfied with what I've done with my life. I don't know of a way out, but there's got to be one.

Thanks for hearing that rant.

TL;DR: Can't find career happiness in poker, can't find it outside of poker.

you don't need to be passionate about your job. very few people are. just get a job. you will make friends, make money, get experience, and will quickly become a 'normal person' who operates on normal hours. in a couple of years you'll look back at the time you spent playing poker and it will seem pretty strange and like a different person's life.

i don't know anything about you, your finances, or your education, so there are certainly quite a lot of assumptions in this post. but this is likely to be the best advice. with that said, the most likely outcome is that you will ignore it now and be forced to do it later.