Table dependent, but probably $10 without limpers.

I get a kick out of the online v. live questions. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I can barely beat play money (though a lot of those losses have come learning games like O8 and Stud), yet am killing live games. I just think they're such different games

Which is all fair, and you're being very reasonable about the change in analysis when comparing games. (Holy hell, what internet is this where there's reasonable debate?)

I'd point out that winrates for live games vary a lot with stack depth. There are $1/2 games I play in with $800 *average* stacks, or $125 averages. With vastly different winrates possible in each (although they both tend to have the same $10 opens). So a better metric than $/bb would be $/average-stack ... it's just impossible to really track that. I don't think you see that kind of variation in table conditions online.

$10 to $15 usually. Depending on the number of limpers and the average BAC at the table. You'll see a lot of $5 or $7 bets made under the assumption that everyone is calling them too.

@Avaritia

Aah. I misunderstood you before. Good point, agreed.

I really want to take a big shot at playing live poker. My main problem is lack of a bankroll, I'm nearly done a year of travelling and when I get home I want to build a bankroll ($4,000) and take a shot at playing full time. Does anyone have tips for someone who is 23 years old to build up a bankroll? I have the luxury of living with my parents rent free as long as I'm pursuing something.

I was thinking some sort of job not at home for a few months to make tons of money to support my living expenses aswell as have a $4,000 br to play 1/2 (I wouldn't mind working a weekend job for living expenses with $4,000 to play with.

Here are a few skills I have, card dealer (croupier) can deal most table games and very high limit baccarat, cocktail bartender, currently with the Canadian armed forces aswell on a year off.

Someone suggest being a croupier on a cruise ship which actually sounds pretty good, are there any other jobs that anyone can think of to just grind out a bunch of money? Some jobs out of the ordinary where money is the only goal.

Or would people advocate a full time job near a casino and just take 2 buyin shots every other week?

Sorry if this is the wrong forum to put this!

I really want to build up a bankroll as I think my skill level would be sufficient to play 2/5 with a decent win rate (basing this off that one young youtuber that plays 2/5 for a living and his hands all seem quite poorly played, yet still turns a profit.)

E/ the YouTube I meant is Brad Owen

inb4lock

People usually do make their money with a job before gambling it, so yeah, I'd go with that.

You'd be better off putting your time into a career than live poker as a serious profession. Games are not getting any better and industry outside of poker is.

Turning a profit is one thing, and crushing a game is another.

Winning 4-5bb/hr aint crap and anyone who says so is not very good.

These youtubers are convincing avg shmos to take shots at something they should not be doing, but, instead be looking for a career to maximize earning and give you much more benefits in life.

You know how hard it is to play poker for a living? Think about healthy insurance/tax/break-even stretches as well as needing a strong understanding of how to manage your money and how to pay yourself. There are a lot of things these youtubers don't even know however, they claim they play for a living. If they were making so much money, they would not be vlogging, there is a reason they are doing it. They don't foresee themselves doing it forever.

I say it all the time to people getting into it now, you're years behind the curve. A lot do not want to hear that, but, it's pretty close to the truth.

Profiting at poker is the easy part.

There are tons of local pros I see who, frankly, astonish me that they can support themselves the way they play.

But who knows, maybe they're doing the bankroll/life management part right. Or maybe they're bad at that too and will soon be busto. Who knows.

It's something I really want to take a shot at. I have backup careers and free schooling available to me already, but I'm not as keen on them as I am poker. I've played for about 3 years now, and taken the game seriously for over a year, my goal isn't just crushing 2/5 I want to play 25/50 one day, make millions of dollars, and right now in my life is the perfect time to take an actual shot at this.

Bro i just turned 23 years old and have been living in Vegas since i graduated college last May . I play 2/5 about 60 hrs per week .Please feel free to pm me

Millions of dollars with poker?

Don't worry about the millions man, just worry about playing sound poker with 100BB at 1-2 for now. If you have the year off, enough funds for life outside of the 20 buy-ins for poker, just don't get too far ahead of yourself and try...I think you will quickly realize though that the grind of it all is pretty blowie but if you love it, then go for it Worst that happens is you go bust, go back to work, save up another 4K and possibly go bust again or run it up right?

Everyone loves poker when they win how much you love it when you lost buy-in after buy-in is what will make you and how you react.

Amen to that. Ive left a poker room talking to myself a few times.

I will definitely shoot you a pm with some questions in the near future, thank you!!

I just want a shot at it, a shot at the dream even if I come up short it's just 4K in the grand scheme of things and I can pursue other things knowing I gave it a chance. I could also crush the games but not love the grind, but it would still be a great side income when I do feel like playing!

I'm currently in a 9 buyin downswing and still loving it, even though it's A LOT of money to me I'm usually over it in about 5 minutes, and use it to just realise that variance is a huge part of the game and see if there's anything I could have down differently (not in the spots I got coolered or sucked out on, but other spots where my winrate could've been higher

Man, to be 23 again.

Wouldn't trade it for the world man

Get a job. It's the most +EV way to make money when you don't have a BR. Ideally, one would go to school, get a solid career started and play poker on the side. When you get the itch to go pro, take a sabbatical from work and play for some time to see if you can actually do it. The biggest thing is to make sure you have options. So many people think they can crush, realization sets in and they're stuck with crap dead end jobs because they had no way out. Rule #1: always have an exit strategy. That goes for every situation in life.




Second boom anyone??? We can all hope, right? Using my one time here....



You should google "Dunning-Krueger". You think your skill level is of a 2/5 player based on the results of a youtuber who is not telling you 100% of the story. Hell, he might not even be a winning player. It sounds like you've never even played 2/5 - specifically because you would have said you've played 2/5 instead of using a youtuber as your comparison. Just because you think you're that good watching it on your laptop, it's a lot different when your trying to make a decision and if you're wrong it's money out of your pocket.

Playing 25/50 and making millions is delusions of grandeur. A) do you even know how often 25/50 runs? B) do you realize how hard it is to make millions playing poker?

+1

I mean it's possible to make 6figs playing 2/5, definitely possible playing 5/10 and higher . Dude higher stakes than that aren't everyday things for the most part and when they are you're going to be playing against some of the best of the best .

Making millions playing cash games is a pretty far fetched fantasy my man

I just based that off 1 guy playing poker for a job and his quite poor decisions.

I've only played 2/5 once because that was the only game that ran at the casino I was near after winning $1,400 at a .25/.50c house game a few nights recipes

I have no problem putting money in the pot, I can easily distancee chips from actual money AS LONG as I have a seperate account for poker/the lmoney I stand to lose isn't a significant portion of my bank.

LOL, good stuff

+1 for getting a job. Wait until you have a year where you made twice as much playing poker than you did at your job then maybe consider playing. How far is the card room from your place? I work across the street from where I play. It is really nice to know that every two weeks I am getting a check along with benefits (insurance, pto, 401k ect). I figure with all my benefits it adds about 25% onto my base salary. Making that kind of money would be tough on a 4k bankroll. For the time being I am having fun studying and playing the game. The extra cash is nice to have and even better knowing that I don't have to worry about when my Kings getting cracked by 22s and I can't pay rent, ect. Take the time to build a bankroll while you have no real bills

I really appreciate your passion, and wish I were 23 again. However, this seems a bit naïve, like someone who does well at a game of pickup basketball and wants to join the NBA, or takes care of their sick nephew and wants to be a doctor.

I think you have to recognize that a huge number of people would like to make a living from playing poker. While people who do so say it's a grind, it sure sounds more fun/sexier than other 9-5 grinds, because you're playing a game rather than working. I sit at a desk all day and would certainly rather be at a poker table. So why don't all these people play poker for a living? Is it just because they didn't have the courage to chase their dreams? I don't think so. I think it's because making a living playing poker is very hard, and making a living with which you could support a family is even harder. What reason other than desire to you have to believe that you'd be in the top 1% or so of poker players?

I think there's a thread somewhere by DGIHarris about becoming a pro in poker. It's designed to show how hard it is and how much work it takes. I'd suggest reading it.

3 casinos anywhere from 15-45 minute drive from my place I already have full health insurance/benefits being in the military reserves, along with a bit of side income. My annual income where I'm from (Vancouver) is like 22k/year, $850 biweekly is peasant money that I absolutely can't stand after living in Australia making $24/hour in an entry level position that I had no previous work experience before.

People don't understand the effort that goes into being a top notch pro.

You're not grinding soft weekend games, you're playing weekday pros and retire nits. Meaning you're going to have to learn to play a high variance game vs pros or squeek out garbage win-rates besides the weekend.

A couple months of losing during the week but winning on the weekend, let's see how you like that.


I run a business and play poker. If you want to make a lot of money, a business will do just that. You want to limit your upside? Play poker.