Thank you DIH, much appreciated.

I'm not quite a full-time pro, although I'm getting close - close enough that I can taste it (playing about 20 hours/week now, building a roll to go pro). Gonna start working with Jared Tendler this month to prepare myself for the transition.

I might feel differently once I'm grinding 40 hours a week, but right now I'm playing half that and I cannot WAIT until I get into the next game. The ruthless meritocracy of this game is the ultimate high. The fact that you can never master the game - only improve incrementally over time - makes it so ultimately alluring.

The lifestyle improvement for me once I go pro won't be significant; I do pretty well at my day gig, and money's not a problem in my life. I think I look at poker the same way an athlete looks at the game they play in. The money's nice, but being able to play the game I love for a living, compete against the best in the world, challenge myself to beat all my personal demons and rise to face the toughest mental game in the world...that's the stuff right there.

I think one of the things I love most about this game is how it has changed me as a person. There were flaws in my personality that I never knew existed until I started playing poker seriously. I have a more logical approach to risk now. I drink less now. I take better care of my body now. I am much slower to anger now. I handle disappointment much better now. My work ethic has improved. All of these changes happened as a result of my desire to get better at this game, and as a byproduct, I am a better man, even a better father.

I agree OP - poker IS awesome. I hope I feel the same way once I am playing full time.

Great thread. Thanks whoever re-popped this. It certaintly is good to read this when you start thinking poker sucks because you're on a downswing.