Online poker is not an option... Been playing 1/2 a lot with fair amounts of success...taking about 150-300 out of my check every week from work..but I need the profit for bills..any advice? Should I play the new 1/1 game over at mohegan?

1) What makes you semi-pro?
2) What do you define a fair amount of success? And how do you know?
3) 1/1, guess it depends on what your bills look like. Doubt youll ever beat the rake.

I don't understandsemi pro. But ok.

Anyway why don't you just pay your bills with that 150-300?

That 1/1 game is a joke. There's hardly any money on that table. Play 1/2 build a roll and play 2/5.

If you are having a fair amount of success, why on earth would you want to play 1/1? I just got back from Mohegan Sun today. During the week, there are a couple of tables running during the day. However, the pf raise is still about $7 or more from talking to a couple of people, meaning you can't effectively set mine, let alone play connectors or any speculative hands.

Given the amount of the pf raise, I don't think the rake will be a killer, but your potential max win rate is going to be lots smaller than at 1/2. Given that 1/2 is still plenty soft at Mohegan Sun even with 1/1 running (I admit I was a little concerned at first), I don't see any reason for a winning player to move to 1/1.

To make any kind of living without supplemental support, you'll have to be able to beat 2/5 handily. I assume that that is the next step you want to take.

Building a BR depends on what priority you have. If it is a priority, than there are lots of things you can cut to build up a BR.

i love how everyone says... don't play 1/1 just go beat 2/5 and you'll actually make proper money.... not everyone can beat 2/5.

True.

However, buried in the OP is a desire to go beyond being a weekend warrior and actually making a living at poker. He's claiming he can beat 1/2 now. Why would he move down? His goal should be to move up.

I'd love to play pro golf. However, I can't play at the level necessary to make a living. Poker is the same in that you have to reach a certain skill set level to go pro successfully. Frankly, a big flashing light is that on-line isn't an option. Unless he doesn't have access to a computer, the internet, or a physical reason he see the computer screen, it means he doesn't have the skills to have a sufficient edge to win and go pro.

My suggestion to the OP would be to decide what he is willing to sacrifice to obtain this goal. If he has a job, he can save the money necessary to build a roll for 1/2 at least in a couple of months, combined with his winnings. Keep saving and winning until ready for 2/5. Unless he's never eating out, buying coffee at Dunkin Donuts, going to a bar, he's not hit the limit of what he can save. At the same time, he needs to be honest with himself and figure out what his top two leaks are. Eliminate them and repeat.

He can do this. It just won't be easy.

1) if it wasn't for poker my bills wouldn't be payed. I got laid off 3 months ago and started with 100 bucks... Played for two months off of that and was able to pay all my bills.. Of course I eventually went broke... Got a job two weeks ago and now I'm pretty much using half my check for roll... I'm making half as much as I used to, but is an easier job and poker has been making up the difference income-wise... Would love to progress to full time pro sooner than later

2) I average 300 per 12-15 hour session

Ur really not giving enough info for anyone here to effectively help u.

Hours per week u play
Ur current winrate
Etc. Etc.

25hrs per/wk
$15 per/hr
+$300 from ur 'real' job
$675 per/wk less 50% for ur bills
20BI @ $2/$5 = $10K
$10K / $337.50 = ~30wks (7 Months)

Increase ur winrate, increase ur hours, decrease ur time GL

Absolutely.. Bankroll management really comes down to life management.... No magic key huh?... Lol well thanks, yes its a priority for me to move to 2-5, haven't attempted it yet... I tried the 1-1, your right its a joke, not enough money on the table to make it worth it... Effective stack at buyin blows too... But now that I got a job again I'm trying to think of the smartest way to do it... Save a couple weeks and take a shot at 2-5?

And yes I could probably get by on paying bills with that money but I'm fed up with my industry and I got my sights set on better things!! Poker kicks ass... No alarm clock lol

or maybe...

Man-Whore?

By the way yes the reason no online is because I only have internet on my phone....where's the android full tilt already??

Don't know if my girl would be too cool with that lol... She's pretty good I taught her how to nit it up and she turned 60 into 400 her first night! She's lost twice since them though once with aces, once with kings, and oh yeah once with queens...that wasn't the best for my roll lol

I don't keep great records.all estimates... I know I've logged almost 400 hours in the last 3 months... And I've probably profited around $ 6000 all said and done..

So I guess I'm looking at an hourly of about 16 like you said.. how does that stack up

I am also from MA. Hey venice I all your comments you post on each thread and it has helped me a great deal. So now that i know you play around Mohegan/foxwoods I want to avoid you. Please describe what you look like lol.

4'7". 39 years old. Hair is buisness in the front party in the back. And he weighs about tree fiddy.

Sorry OP, I strive to be a positive/aggressive person for ideas like yours but when I see this I shake my head.
Keep real records for the next 3 months and get back to us on what they are. Most players "estimates" are nowhere near the reality of it all.

To be a pro/successful requires discipline. If you don't have the discipline to keep accurate records how can you have the discipline to play great poker and win $'s?

To look at it another way, convince/tell yourself "I need to keep records to succeed". Then look at yourself 5 years down the road. Do you want to be saying to your friends 5 years down the road "I coulda been a poker pro" and then they say "what stopped you?" and you say "I couldn't keep records of my play"?...Do you get my point? Good luck.

pretty much this. gots ta keep records bro. your estimates are probably inflated and/or you may think more high of yourself than you really are. if i may ask, what exactly are you estimating your hourly rate to be?

one more thing... 400 hours is quite a bit, but its not yet a big enough sample size. plus who knows if you really played 400 hours right?

Before I gained the weight.

No kidding? Here are three things you've stated in various posts:

1) I average $300 per 12 - 15 session. [This works out to $20 - $25 per hour]

2) I've played 400 hours in the last 3 months and made $6K. [This works out to $15 per hour]

3) You got laid off work 3 months ago, played poker, and went broke after 2 months. [Um, you must have some real expensive bills if you somehow went broke over those months and yet over the same time are up $6K playing poker]

Start keeping accurate records, imo.

And are you relying on a portion of your poker winnings to help pay the bills/rent/mortgage, etc.? Do you have a savings account built up to help you thru any downswings?

GtrainwreckspottingG

Here's a few suggestions.

1st, and probably most importantly, start keeping records. Length of time played, total bought in, cashed out, hourly rate. I type this info into the memo pad on my blackberry as I play and as I leave the casino. Since you don't have a computer, just write the into down in a spiral notebook. Track every session so after time you can get a better grasp of your actual winnings.

2nd, don't let your girl play with your bankroll. Even if she's a good nit, it can hurt the relationship as well as your finances. I can tell you from experience.

3rd, write in your notebook your 1 or 2 biggest leaks for that session. Think about the way you played key hands and large pots and learn what you did well and what you should have done different. Be careful not to be results oriented.

4th, read the COTM for October in this thread.

lolers I will find out one day!

alan meltzer?

meth = big time expenses

could be mistaken, but i am pretty sure ive played with you (and your gf) at foxwoods. You seem good, but you cant build a roll if you have to spend it all.

It's very hard to sock away money when you have bills and set pay I know. But I would suggest try saving money from like 3 months worth of paychecks and see where you are at. As in, dont play poker for a while as tough as that sounds. gl

also get less bills