Carl I think your interviews are getting way better in terms of production quality and your speaking and looking more comfortable in front of the camera. Great job.

And I enjoyed the interview with the artist that was cool and a great interview with good questions.

I see your extremely popular on here and probably don't remember I mention maybe taking art class and I hope I didn't offend you. I simply meant it as learning more things makes you better at anything you do. Example, learning omaha in and out will also help with Texas holdem. Just like learning sketching or sculpting would help with painting.

Look forward to more interviews. Also how do I find your art I would like to perhaps buy something or have you make me something.

Yes I would like to refine my art skills and take some classes. My art website is http://unconventionalpaintings.com

I found your interviews and really enjoy them. who's next?

"At your birth a seed is planted. That seed is your uniqueness. It wants to grow, transform itself, and flower to its full potential. It has a natural, assertive energy to it. Your Life's Task is to bring that seed to flower, to express your uniqueness through your work. You have a destiny to fulfill."- Robert Greene

Shepard Fairey Mural on The Plaza



Mt Charleston





Lucky Dragon



Stratosphere



SLS



I went for a short hike up at Mt Charleston with my room mate, I can remember hiking this trail like 3 and a half years ago but it was different because there was snow this time.

My current thoughts on poker if I'm honest with myself, my interest in playing and trying to improve has significantly waned the last couple of years. It seems most of my poker buddies all advise to just put in more volume. To me I think of that as like if you had a longterm girlfriend and you were losing interest and everyone suggested spending twice as much time with that person. Another loose analogy would be I love chocolate cake, but if I had to eat cake 3 times a day for years I would probably at some point not like cake as much. To much of a good thing can turn it into a bad thing. So for me I think the alternative to forcing myself to put in more volume is to have more variety in my work hours. These are all just my personal feelings, some people seem to have a burning passion for poker even years into taking it seriously. Everyone is different and I don't think I should feel guilty for not fitting into that mold.

With 2 years of regression in my poker earnings it seems like a natural junction to reevaluate my course. That’s the idea behind what I want to accomplish this year, no pressuring myself to play poker when I don't have the desire to, instead funneling that time into other forms of work that I enjoy. After all, I think most people get into playing poker full time because it is something they enjoy doing, if at some point it turns into a depressing grind, that defeats the original purpose.

I really don't want to influence anyone negatively, I fully support anyone who decides they want to play poker full time. I'm just sharing my experience and being completely authentic.

We have had 6 volunteer meet ups this year, looking to hold these consistently throughout the rest of the year and grow the group.

I've gotten in a groove with some of my daily "bookend" habits: Exercise and a healthy meal to start the day then education, meditation to finish at night. I am still trying to sculpt the middle of my day to be the most efficient and productive, it's a work in progress.

I'll try to get back to posting a few HH every now and then.

Latest Vlog:



Art:



Thanks man, feels good that you believe my 2000 hr goal is feasible. To me enjoying what I do is more important than how much money I make, I've never cracked 50k/yr so I am accustomed to living a pretty simple life.

I do have a decent sample size of playing guitar and it averages out way quicker than the NLHE variance. I only lose money playing guitar when the cash blows away in the wind or people steal which doesn't happen often.

Hey I agree I should work harder. I'm going to do my best to implement my plan and learn the requisite skills.

Sure it would be nice to earn enough to travel more and experience more. Or as Zig Ziglar would say "Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it's reasonably close to oxygen on the 'gotta have it' scale." I'm not a materialist, I can get by on a fairly thrifty budget.

I assure you I am not passing up on some high paying corporate job. I learned a long time ago that I'm not welcome in "the system" so I am going to have to make my own way in this world which at first I thought was troubling now I firmly believe it's a blessing .

Thanks dude!

Yeah I believe having a plan is important. The 2000 hr goal is completely flexible in proportions, the 666x3 was just a rough example. It is really tough to get super specific because I am not yet aware what opportunities are available and would be a good fit, I need to do more research and network with other people that are finding success and learn the paths they took.

Some goals for my art:
-Experiment with new mediums such as oil paint, water colors and digital
-Make some Las Vegas and gambling themed art
-Create some large canvases and possibly murals
-Get more involved in the online art community and network with local artists

On the sales and marketing side:
-Participate in 4 art shows
-36 new blog posts on my website with embed vids
-12 new artist interviews
-360 posts on each of my social media channels
-Monthly contests and give-aways
-Learn more about what works and what doesn't work.

I have more ideas that I've brainstormed but I think those are what I want to focus on for now.

As far as goals for my music:

-Keep up the solo performances here in LV and learn some new songs
-Increase the quality of my YouTube uploads (Guys like Jared Dines, 331Erock, Rob Scallon are killing it as far as solo guitarists go)
-Jam with a band and eventually hit the road and do some touring, earning enough to breakeven would be awesome.

On the poker front my goals are:
-Play my best
-Explore new poker rooms I've never been to
-Upload higher quality poker content to YouTube, work on my editing
-See how my skills stack up against the 5/10 player pool once I get out of debt and save up an adequate bankroll.

It's great advice to break all these goals into smaller chucks and prioritize, I'm am constantly going over these lists and refined and checking things off.

I was not comparing my particular situation to any other highstakes pros, I was just trying to point out that if your income is highly volatile going broke is not uncommon.

I like Tim Ferriss' content, he is extremely smart and inquisitive. I actually follow a lot of the entrepreneurial and online marketing gurus out of fascination and also because there is a lot of crossover and parallels to playing poker or any self employment type endeavors.

Thanks again for the detailed and thoughtful post man! Seriously, let me know what colors you like and I'll paint you something for free.

Hey I appreciate the input from your mother who is an expert in the field. I don't expect to be able to make very much annually that's why I know I can't rely on it for 100% of my income. But I figure if there are people finding their niche and turning a profit, I believe it's possible for anyone who dedicates the time and effort to perfect their skills in the creative side and the marketing side. It is something I have a strong interest in and a passion for, why not pursue it? I know it won't be easy, but hey even if I fail I think I'll still be happy and won't have to live with the regret of not trying.

I think the 2% figure is probably close to the same for poker players earning a living in the game.

Thanks, I'll keep learning and improving.

Who would you like to hear from in the LV poker scene? I think Matt Moore and Iceman would be cool to have on. I'll try to knock out bunch during WSOP when we have players from all over. Maybe a some female players too!

Mini Challenge #5

[32.5] Work 55 hrs
[30] Run 30 Miles
[4] Upload 10 Videos
[10] Fitness
[10] Nutrition
[10] Education
[10] Meditation
[10] 8 hrs quality sleep

2017 Goals

[189.5] Work 2000 hrs
[154] Run 1000 miles
[ ] Travel to as many new places as possible
[ ] Date and have fun with some new girls, be the best guy I can be
[6] Poker Player Volunteer Organization Meet ups
[24] Upload 365 videos across all channels
[44] Fitness
[42] Nutrition
[43] Education
[43] Meditation
[49] 8 hrs quality sleep

People aren't telling you to play more poker so that you will love it more. They are telling you to put in more volume even if you hate it because you need the money. You're flirting with disaster due to your financial situation and seem totally ambivalent about it. That is the disconnect you're having with many recent posters. You seem fairly comfortable living a paycheck to paycheck type lifestyle, which I don't agree with but to each his own. The real problem is that you're self-employed and believe yourself to be unemployable. This puts you in a very precarious situation where a personal disaster or emergency could basically put you on the street. I and others are having a tough time wrapping our heads around you being ok with that situation.

I am not here to convince or win anyone over, it would be foolish to seek validation or approval. It doesn't really matter what others think I am capable of pulling off. The only thing that really matters is if I believe in myself.

I expected these kind of responses, this is after all a poker forum populated primarily by people who are enthusiastic about learning and playing poker. Playing poker to earn money is the prevalent mindset. I can see how my posts could be perceived as a copout. But when I am tight on cash poker may not be the best option to earn a reliable income, having other avenues to earn money mitigates the downswings and breakeven stretches. More volume doesn't automatically translate to money especially in the short term. I have observed that I play significantly worse when I am unmotivated, uninterested, bored, and unfocused. I am the only one that can really gauge myself and monitor these types of things. I think my focus and decision making and performance will improve when I only play poker when I am into it and can play my best.

I am accustomed to living without much money, I know once I acquire the right skills I will be able to earn more money. Until then I'll be patient, content and make do with what I have.

I can't say for sure if I am employable or not. I haven't actively looked for employment since 2010. At that time I realized that I had 3 big strikes that stigmatized me. I dropped out of high school (I have a California High School Proficiency Exam Certificate which is like a GED only good in CA), I got chaptered out of the Army for drinking underage, and have a felony record for getting caught with weed, scale, baggies and brass knuckles in my car. I filled out 300+ job apps which got me 3 interviews and no job, that's why I started taking poker seriously as an occupation. But like I said before, it probably turned out for the better that no one hired me, if they had I could have been trapped in a ****ty low wage job for years. I shudder to think about it.

I am not in danger of being homeless, I spend my time helping the homeless.

Hey Pure,

I've been following your post since you first started. I found it at the same time I was contemplating making a move out to Vegas as well. I have never posted before but felt compelled to do so after reading responses from others that have taken a certain tone. O have played poker for over 18 years and started out in Los Angeles playing at Hollywood Park, The Bike and Commerce. Making frequent trips to Binions when Binions had great action. This was all before the poker boom. I always felt that poker was the greatest thing. I would work just for the purpose of one day saving a big enough bankroll to play for a living. Back then there wasn't the amount of information on poker that there is now. The internet was not what it currently is and there where just a handful of books on the subject. As a teacher, I had the perfect job that would allow me to play a few months out of the year and still be able to go back to work if I wanted to. Like everyone else on here, I was addicted to poker. I always felt that if you can make a living out of what your addicted too than all the better. I finally made my move to Vegas in 2013 after serving in the Army for five years. I took up teaching again and used poker to supplement my income. It was hard to continue going to work when I was able to make more money in a few days then I would make in a month. But I would experience the downswing that would wipe out 8-10 months of profit. I finally felt I was good enough after years of studying and playing that I made the leap to playing full time after building an adequate bankroll. It's was fantastic, sleeping as long as I wanted, eating out every night, being my own boss, making more money than I ever could make teaching. I played every single day. Slowly, I began go feel less enthused about poker. I began to despise what I was becoming. I began to ask myself what am I contributing to this world and is it positive? I couldn't come up with one solid thing. When you strip all of the bs excuses and arguments away, I was just taking money from others and deriving my "happiness/satisfaction" from someone else's misery or loss. There was no longer any purpose even though my pockets and bank account were fat and I was doing what I thought I always wanted. I began to then despise poker itself and hated walking into the Bellagio and the Venetian(before they ruined it)...I began to feel disgust at the routine. I missed working and actually earning my money by contributing to society. I never felt disgust or depressed after earning money from any real job I ever had no matter how crappy it was. But with poker I felt empty. Bottom line is this Pure, I know for a fact that playing the guitar on the strip or painting has never made you feel depressed, empty or angry like poker has on the days you win or lose. There is a reason for that...and if we are all honest with ourselves and stop coning ourselves we know the reason for this. I have since went back to teaching and left Vegas this past summer and haven't played poker but twice where I live now. Both timed I felt nauticse and depressed even though I won. This is the first time I have stopped being blinded by the con that is poker, and the best I have ever felt. What I have learned is that I would rather just barley make it financially doing something that brings positive energy into the world and to others than to make large amounts of money at one that does the opposite. You are on the right track and I think you are beginning to realize there is much more to your happiness when you are not playing. You will be successful Pure, in the true sense of the word. You don't have to defend yourself as you break away from something that brings someone joy at another's expense.

Good luck

PS. I wrote this on my phone so forgive any errors, plus I teach math not English

Here is my second quick guitar lesson vid



I appreciate you chiming in with your story. You make some valid points for sure that are worth considering before taking the plunge into playing poker full time. It is good that we have both extremes represented here. That being said, I really don't want to insult anyone who is currently dedicating their life to carving out a career or living in the poker world. It all comes back to personal values. Each person has to make the choice about how they spend their time, what value they are providing others and their ultimate life's purpose.

I do believe there are ways of adding value as a poker player by providing entertainment, competition and friendship to recreational players. There are also roles and functions in the poker community that add value aside from solely playing the game such as writing poker books and creating videos.

Of course there are certainly some things in the poker world that are a little misleading such as listing peoples career tournament "earnings" without subtracting buy-ins.

Poker is all about money, I don't care what people say. And sure poker can be boring, unheathy, sad, depressing, swingy etc. However other jobs can sick equally bad, sure. Poker for me is a means to an end, and I enjoy it, I like the psychological challenge, I feel like it's good for me.

Why do some poker players want to quit and move on? It's because they are getting sick of it, just like with any other job. Sound familiar? Poker becomes a job, and feels like a job, because you were treating it like a job in the workplace.

I'm disappointed to see people bringing up this topic on poker players in this thread in particular... To rebut the argument that poker adds nothing to society, I'd direct people to pure_aggression. He's done work to help the homeless, which I'm sure is made easier by his ability to set his own schedule.

It has more to do with people and how much they want to help society or those less fortunate than it has to do with their job . A poker player who spends time or money doing good via charity and volunteering could easily be doing more good in the world than many people in 9-5 jobs who come home and watch TV every night.

Sure, it's never going to stack up to teachers, doctors, etc, in that regard... But I would argue that many "regular," jobs have a negative impact on society that we tend to ignore and that there are hidden positives from poker pros.

Not only observe or monitor, but actively change. It might be helpful to think through what situations lead to you playing your best (session length/casino/pre-game/post-game routine, sleep and rest) and then organize your schedule so that you can make those situations possible more often.

I've also found it helpful to play a mix of games. Grinding 1/3 or whatever for all your volume can be boring. Have you tried tournaments? online options? PLO? LOLimit or mix games? What about a volume challenge? Anything that shakes up your normal grind could be helpful. I agree with troy/others that, however much you want to offset poker with art/guitar/other pursuits, sometimes you'll just need to put your head down and grind meaningful volume.

I agree with Pure that, in the end, we are individually responsible for defining how poker (or any profession/pursuit) adds meaning to our lives. At the same time, I wonder if there's something intrinsic to poker that evokes this "I'm doing nothing for society/poker isn't fulfilling" refrain. I can't ignore the fact that these comments haven't only been expressed by unknowns like Moore2life (poast count 1) but also respected veterans like DGAF, who's played > 20K hours of live poker and recently said this:

"For endless reasons, poker is not a viable career choice for anyone — even if you crush. There are zero examples in history of healthy, happy people who retired from a long career in poker. Zero."

I don't necessarily agree with such an extreme position, but I read comments like this as a challenge: to ask ourselves if this statement is in fact true; or if satisfaction within the poker world might involve a mentality other than "best player = happiest player" or "poker is about money"

Nope. For the majority of players (most of whom lose $ in the long run) poker is "about" all kinds of other things (competition, ego, freedom, flexibility, community) Even for the tiny subset of the poker population that earns a living wage, or for the even teenier-tinier subset that crushes souls for >$100/hr at the tables, other things are more important than "money."

CUUUUUUUSE

Chip Collection #4

Dude I am a poker playing guitarist as well, it should be a workable situation. I know in Indian Casinos around Oklahoma they hire hire some one man bands so if you expand a bit there are bound to be some gigging oppurtunities in Vegas. I like the fact that you are going a different direction with your vlog but it gets a little dull to watch so keep trying new things you'll do ok.

I agree with some other people, that you should aim towards doing something you at least like doing (preferably passionate about). Of course probably %99 of the world doesn't do this, or can't ever achieve it. That doesn't mean we should stop trying.

I sometimes feel like I get close, but it's impossible to get there. Live fully now! Ever heard of Alan Watts? He's a old time philosopher that recorded his lectures on audio and video. They are all over youtube now. Check him out. Search "Alan watts shorts with music". I like to listen to them when I'm getting ready in the morning.

"Change is the end result of all true learning." -Leo Buscaglia

The Strip



Rio



Sedona



Mural on The Plaza



Live Stream Setup at Bellagio



I've decided the next big race I want to run is the St George Marathon on October 7th. St George is on the Southern edge of Utah near Zion National Park. I am sure the scenery will be just as beautiful as Sedona. There are also a few other shorter races happening in the Las Vegas area I want to do this year including one at Bootleg Canyon where we will run uphill and zipline down. How cool is that?

I have been disciplined with my bookend daily habits and keeping the streak alive. I feel like the consistent exercise has been esspecially good for me, if I keep it up another couple months I think I'll be in the best shape of my life.

I am a little behind pace on the work hrs but showed improvement from last mini challenge. I just have to keep up the incremental improvement and positive momentum then I'll get where I want to go. Small changes and adjustments compound over time.

Latest Vlog:



Art:




The desire for money is certainly the chief motivator for a lot of players. Some people frame poker as a job and some people frame it as leisure. Everyone has their own set of motivations. I think it is probably natural to shift careers, the statistic is something like 10 different jobs over a lifespan on average.

That is a great point. Playing poker in and of itself may not be the best way to add value to society directly but the extra flexibility with time and money earned can be reinvested into worthy causes indirectly.

I think 6 hrs seems about the optimal session length for me. That is good advice to figure out exactly what conditions foster my ability to play my best. I would say the biggest issue the last year has been bankroll constraints. I think once I get going back in the right direction and build back up a reasonable roll the breathing room will let me play better. There are many other small factors to remind myself of too.

I am interested in hopping back online and learning PLO. No real interest at this time in learning limit, tourneys or any other variants at this time.

I can totally understand the way people like DGAF are thinking. I have nihilistic thoughts about poker sometimes too. Does is really matter, why am spending so much of my time grinding away at the table day in and day out, where is it leading, what's it all worth? I don't think it's healthy to have your whole identity wrapped up in poker. That's why it's so important to have meaningful activities and relationships outside of the poker world to keep us grounded.

I would have to say there are a few examples of people like Phil Helmuth and Daniel Negraneu who I believe have found success through poker and could comfortably retire if they wanted to. I think the big takeaway is that if you are trying to make it a long-term career there is so much more to it than simply playing poker well. You need TV time, you need to build a personal brand and pick up sponsorships and endorsement deals so that win or lose you still have plenty of money to live on.

Then there are people in which poker is their choosen form of retirement.

I mostly play music that isn't congruent with casino entertainment. I know they have some more mellow guitarists in front of Monte Carlo and the Linq promenade, not sure how they are compensated.

I'll try to keep incorporating new ideas in my vids and differentiate myself from the other poker vloggers.

I think I heard only 15% of people love their occupation. I firmly believe in the saying:
“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life." and of course the corollary: "Get good enough at anything and someone will pay you to do it."

I recognize the name but am not familiar with his work, I'll look him up.

Mini Challenge #6

[40] Work 55 hrs
[30] Run 30 Miles
[2] Upload 10 Videos
[10] Fitness
[10] Nutrition
[10] Education
[10] Meditation
[10] 8 hrs quality sleep

2017 Goals

[229.5] Work 2000 hrs
[184] Run 1000 miles
[ ] Travel to as many new places as possible
[ ] Date and have fun with some new girls, be the best guy I can be
[6] Poker Player Volunteer Organization Meet ups
[26] Upload 365 videos across all channels
[54] Fitness
[52] Nutrition
[53] Education
[53] Meditation
[59] 8 hrs quality sleep

Is your education goal to earn your GED?

Institutional education is obsolete. I learn whatever I want to learn with the endless resources of Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and Barnes and Noble.

ROFL

I have yet to visit a poker room where you must present a HS diploma before being allowed to play.

Did you have to present one before institutional education became obsolete? Where and when?

I was just responding to Turdzilla's tongue in cheek comment about me being a dropout. I wanted to point out, seeing that this is a poker forum, a GED is of no utility to a poker player.

I can only speak from my experience in public schools but I got the impression that it was a one size fits all system with very little tailoring to interests or aptitudes. Certainly some teachers were more effective than others. There were many things being taught that are of no practical use in the adult world. Large complex systems like public education are inherently sluggish to adapt to immerging technology and they often cling to vestiges of a previous eras.

Virtually anything you want to learn can be learned on the internet or from a bookstore. I like the fact that I have control over what I want to learn, it is not being stuffed down my throat based on graduation requirements.

As a sidenote, I have found the most productive and beneficial way to use online forums is to encourage, build others up and be a positive force rather than to be condescending, patronizing or tearing others down. When you spread negativity, you may think you are making others look bad but it really just reflects poorly on you.

I totally agree with you having worked for a major college. All they really care about is money. Some people have trouble teaching themselves complex subject matter but those who can stay ahead of the curve.

Listen to some Joe Pass dude, I grew up playing Hendrix and Clapton stuff string players always wind up in jazz. I'm 62 still love to play Blues but I aspire to get better at Jazz. The best guitarist dabble in everything. Check out Tommy Emmanuel's accoustic arrangement of Purple Haze killer stuff. Play Da Blues!

Flat out false for many many degrees that are actually worthwhile. Try learning 400 level engineering courses by yourself and tell me how that works out for you. Essentially worthless degrees like psychology, journalism etc aren't worth the price of institutional education (from a money making and price pov), but to lump all degrees together and call it a degree mill or obsolete is laughable.

Sorry but I don't want some dude to be a able to build a ****ing bridge or a skyscraper who's been self taught on youtube. Just like I don't want anyone operating on my body or being in mouth without a real degree.

Will all institutional education be obsolete 25 years from now? Maybe. But it certainly isn't now and people that have that "worthless" piece of paper are doing better than guys playing music getting harassed by the police. While I agree that the price of college education is expensive af, it's arrogant to say it's obsolete. That piece of paper doesn't just prove you're worth something, it's a key to opening doors that you otherwise wouldn't be able to open. That's not going to change for a long time.

Valid point about being able to get virtually all existing knowledge from free or much cheaper publications.. But you are almost never just paying for the books with your tuition, you are (rather should be) paying for the entire experience.

Peer learning, group work, and establishing life-long networks are just some things that can't be had on your own. I think those things are important whether you are in arts OR science. Also, when it comes to jobs, the alumni who are managers/bosses now always look back to their own alma mater for the hiring of new grads.

Another thing is the teachers. You should never pay for a bad prof who just reads from a textbook, but a good prof can really change your perspectives on life.

Sadly the above "ideal" scenario of education are rare at many institutions (I'm lucky to have experienced both ends so I can understand why some feel education is overrated, and some don't). You can for sure be "successful" without a degree, but a degree doesn't guarantee success if a piece of paper is all you were trying to get out of it.

For general knowledge this might be true but most persons require a level of rigor you won't get. Also education forces you to debate in class whereas self directed education can form an echo chamber.

FWIW I highly highly recommend taking classes at your local community college, just make sure college credits can actually transfer