The 2k missing in the graph at that time wasn't due to not downloading hh it was due to winning 2k the prior day or so that I hadn't yet downloaded. At least, I think. I'd have to go back to make sure that is correct. Regardless, that graph is very translucent as to how my results have been @ 200nl. Keep in mind I've freely admitted to running well over that sample though.

With regards to coaching you are correct (that when I post graphs I need to be honest with people). Right now I'm coaching a few individuals and not one of them asked me for a graph, though. With regards to playing more seriously you are also correct.

I'm not saying you are wrong (which I feel the need to repeat again). Only that I can post graphs in my own thread. You sound like an all-or-nothing kind of guy, which is fine, but I'm not (or at least I try not to be). Emotions/work/forgetfulness all lead me to losing some hh. I also didn't get all my hh downloaded when I came back because I purged like all of Janaury in back in my database. And I reformatted my computer a month or two ago having thought I had backed up my database (which I did), but it was missing the latest 1 week of hands that I had not yet uploaded (again my mistake). I came back at end of dec 2016 (like christmas or something) and I know I started with $900. So I know what my results have been this year, at least in terms of $ made, regardless of what my graph shows.

Feel free to ask questions, correct my mistakes/poor verbiage--whatever. It doesn't bother me and 99.9% of the time I'm receptive to it.

I also appreciate everyone cheering me on--really! So, thanks for your advice and I will mull that advice over as the end of the year progresses. I told myself I would never consider going pro in poker unless I had a >10k month and after coming back in January I made nearly 12k in February right off the bat. I definitely had to think about it harder after that and I have. At the current point in time I'm still not considering going pro, but there is definitely money to be had and considering playing more is certainly something I need to be considering.

Thanks for your feedback.

Fwiw I'm not saying to go pro, I have literally never recommended that to anyone and I specifically go out of my way to guide people not to. You would be the first, and like I said anyone familiar with my cynicism wrt going pro knows thats a pretty big compliment from me.

My recommendation was to go hard as a recreational. Money grows on itself exponentially, this is because of compounding interest. The name of the game to wealth accumulation is to grow savings as early as possible. Put as much savings as you can into an index and never look at it again. So my suggestion to someone that has the talent you have is to try to go fairly hard on your part time poker income while you can.

Not being money hungry, viewing poker as a fun hobby, being content with career, these are all healthy attributes and I wouldnt want to steer anyone from them. I'm just saying I wish I put in more volume in 2010-13 when I had tons of free time and wasted it on booze, video games, and shallow women.

GL

idk what your day job is but unless it's something super crappy it def is smarter to just stay on that path and play poker on the side. There is still money to be made at online poker but things are obviously on the decline and you can still play on the side and make a decent chunk if you put in the effort. glgl

I think you can be an amateur recreational player that takes the game very seriously. There are many examples in sports history of amateurs winning big name events. Bobby Jones was never a professional golfer, but he goes down in history as one of the all time greats. Jennifer Capriati competed in Wimbledon as an amateur teenager, and numerous walk on tryouts resulted in fame and fortune in almost every sport.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/4...teurs-1695638/

I think in large most graphs you see on 2p2 or anywhere are going to be missing HH.

I think it can come across as annoying and patronizing when well-meaning (but unsolicited) advice is written down online. I'm sure I've done it myself and I'm as guilty as anyone for giving brutal advice on what I think someone should do in a spot if they ask a question (e.g. "Fold pre, you moron"), but I can't stand it when people give me unsolicited advice like "You should move up", or "You should take the game more seriously". I know they mean well, but it's my life. If I wanted help I'd ask for it.
Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall Brokenstars explicitly asking for career guidance. :/
No hard feelings though. I respect you and your posts and I'm always happy to answer your PMs etc. I just have a different view on the purpose of PGC threads.

For some reason I'm reminded of the time that I tagged along with a friend to a Planet Fitness. They had big signs hanging that read: JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE. Well, if this forum is gonna be the judgement free forum then I'll take my useless analogies elsewhere.

For example: I analogized BrokenStars and a racecar a few posts back. Now, I like Brokenstars cus he seems like a really constructive, cool, level headed guy that has moments of absolute brilliance. So when I give my two cents, it's not me blowing off steam in his direction. It's because I really wanna see him crush the way we all believe he can. 200nl? Ok bro you got this and you got the loot to back it up. 500nl? hmm I think this may be a good test. Which racetrack do you wanna run on, sir Brokenstars? I ask this way because, if I had a friend that I respected, and such a friend owned a sweet SS El Camino souped up like a sob with a supercharger and a blower and all that ****, yet when he drove it, he drove it on Sundays to the local classic car show and then straight back home, I would tell that friend that he's wasting his time by not stomping on the gas pedal from time to time. I'm not saying that guy should go around laying slabs of rubber all over town, but rather that he should enjoy his classic, powerful, SS El Camino to it's fullest.

But hey, it's your money and your life and you can do whatever you wanna with it. Like I said, it's just my 2 cents.

<3

Thanks all.

Will do some grinding sometime this month. Regardless, I am not a grinder in the sense of being able to get 30k+ hands in a month without really devoting all of my free time and more to poker.

Meh keep your day job. Your older self will thank you.

This is coming from a guy that takes poker very seriously as a side income that matches or exceeds my regular income level.

lol good luck man.

Maybe it’s time to change the thread title to “not moving up stakes “. Lmao.

That's pretty funny. I always appreciate a good joke.

OP, FWIW I also agree with most here and think your making a smart choice to keep poker as a side hobby. Even though you crush the game it's a lot of unnecessary stress to go pro, worry about your own health care cost, no 401K, ect. GL at the tables man,

It's not really that difficult. Have enough of a roll and you don't really have stress, just play the game. Health care? If you're married, a lot of times you can join your spouses' healthcare plan. 401k? You're building a poker roll, set up some IRAs and some stock options with the extra cash. It's not that difficult.

Couldn't disagree more, just based on my experiences. If you love poker, it's a great job, but on the stress level it's higher up than most jobs.

+1

You're downplaying the amount of stress involved. In your own PGC thread you recently posted about having a bad week variance-wise and how it affected you mentally. You're not the only one, it gets to everyone eventually.

I'm not sure if poker pays your bills or not but if it does I can't imagine the pressure a long or big downswing can play on you mentally. Where's the extra cash for your Healthcare, 401K/IRA that month? Are you going to make up that amount eventually when you go on a heater - stay disciplined enough to put that money away into your 401K/IRA, dollar for dollar? I doubt it.

I think a lot of this is relative to the lifestyle you have or want to live as well. My idea of a good comfortable life, how to live it, could be different than yours.

I am not considering going pro. Just mentioned maybe I will play more.

I'll be streaming here shortly with guest star FatNSweaty

A+ drunk stream sir

-2.5bi or so

You playing zone or reg tables?

You're alive!

Zone lately

Right, but what would the world be like if old farts who knew everything didnt share advice with young whipper snappers who are wasting so much of their youth having fun?

In my case at least, we old farts are just as clueless about life as the kids are!

Short 2hr session after work yesterday and +$500
Short 1.5hr session after work today and +$1600

Always think about going for more poker when stuff like this happens lol.

#sober poker

Decided to grind another 40ish minutes and....