Awesome job Amused! I know everything will fall into place for you as a professional poker player. You are grounded, have the right attitude... You are doing something many wish they had the kahunas to do

damn dude epic. FWIW, I work as a contractor so I don't get any benefits, makes my decision a lot easier. Good job though. Maybe one day soon I'll visit and have some pho with you.

Very inspiring amused. Thanks for the great read, and way to follow your dream. Stay focused and you will make it happen dude.

I'm happy for you buddy. I believe that mapping out your journey will lead you to the most success. Thanks for the sweat and I'm flattered for the cameo.

great post. wish you the very best.

Thanks y'all. I really appreciate the support. Truly do.

Best of luck man; just try you best and focus and try to keep improving your game. You will have your education to fall back on if you need to. It takes a lot of guts to go for it; not an easy thing to do.

+ 1

Best wishes. What are your next steps now that you're going to go pro?

Did you put in your notice? Or you gonna wait till the holidays are over so you can get paid for em? :P

Congrats on taking the big step, good luck on the tables!

Everyone's support has been overwhelming. My close poker friends at my home casino have been very encouraging and they give such great advice. The dealers offer words of caution, but don't try to stop me. Even the players I don't know very well, but have gone through the professional lifestyle with some success, have been willing to answer my questions, giving me a better glimpse of this path I will be travelling. ("How much do you expect to make?" "Be very aware of your surroundings in Vegas." "What games will you be playing?" "You should definitely learn limit.") I also told one of my cousins during our family Christmas party that I'm soon going pro and he had a very positive reaction to it as well, encouraging me to follow my dream while sharing his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. There's no turning back now as everyone is expecting me to succeed! Haha.

But honestly, when I go browsing 2+2 and see a thread on LVL or B&M where people are discouraging the original poster from going professional, I get a little scared. Everyone's telling the OP that s/he should find a full time job and keep playing, that s/he is not ready or that s/he is not in the right mindset.

So I'm gonna write my plans down here. It'll give me a blueprint for my career... at least for the first few months of it.

- Put my notice of resignation in after the New Year.
- Apply for a low cost, high deductible health insurance plan.
- With my added free hours I plan to study by reading books, watching videos, and listening to podcasts.
- Also adopt a better lifestyle by exercising more and eating healthier. (How did I gain 20+ lbs since summer??)

The rolls
- Without getting too much into financial details I've set aside enough for two years of living expenses.
- I have plenty of buy-ins (100+) for my bread and butter cash game.
- I also have set aside enough to play mid-stakes tournaments.
- For higher buy-ins I will look to sell shares.

Series to consider the first couple of months
- HPT Thunder Valley, Lincoln, CA (but will still be working and will only play a couple of events)
- 2pair 101 Casino, Petaluma, CA (warm-up with low buy-in, good structured tourneys, get accustomed to the new changes in my lifestyle)
- WSOPc Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV
- WSOPc Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, CA
- WPT L.A. Poker Classic, Commerce, CA
- WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star, San Jose, CA
- CPPT Atlantis Casino, Reno, NV

Any input greatly appreciated. Shoutout to elliot!

There is almost zero reason to cut your nose off to spite your face... you can "Semi Professional" it for years and years on end and still enjoy a nearly full calender of events... and indeed it's good to have an outlet that is non gaming such as a structured life around secure employment.

surely you can't play nearly as many events as you can being a full time runner, but you also can not deplete your BR as quickly either. I might consider that (perhaps you already have) strategy going forward. take time off during your prime earning years is something that will only come home to roost later in life.

never give up the game... also, never give up your life.

If you're in Southern California near Orange County let me know, would love to hang out.

Dammit harborlaw is going to be so pissed at me when I tell him I had to give that cabbie 10k of his 300k stash that I was babysitting for him.

www.seatopenpoker.net
Bart Hanson is a proven winner at cash games, a long time poker commentator at Duesescracked, LATB, WSOP.com, as well as a popular coach. Educational and interesting/entertaining podcasts and live poker training videos.
Combo price is still quite reasonable, but will be going up soon.

Happy New Year, all. Unfortunately I spent New Year's Eve with a stomach bug. I passed out at 8PM after watching Hangover Part III. Woke up the next day to try and eat lunch with the family.

So the last conversation I had with my dad left me feeling pretty good, but I just visited the parents again last night and now I'm not so sure what to think. This time the conversation was mostly with my mom. She kept trying to push me to see if something part-time could work. Or to just keep doing what I'm doing since it kind of worked out in 2013. I tried to tell her that neither of those were options for me, because of the amount of travelling I want to do. Then she pleaded that when I inform my boss and my managers of my resignation, that I don't tell them it's because I've found the world of finance to be dull and that I'm no longer happy at the workplace. I suppose I don't have to pour my heart out to them because it doesn't really matter. Bottom line is that I'm leaving to pursue a dream.

Still, my mom kept bringing up my health as well. I told her once I've terminated employment that I'd be using coveredca.com and staying with Kaiser. I have high blood pressure and it remains a big issue with my parents. I feel that once I start full time I'll be able to lead a much healthier lifestyle as my schedule will be more flexible. Working 40 hours, playing 45 hours, chores and social leaves little time for staying active. Hopefully my stress will be reduced once I pull this trigger. If I can keep my blood pressure low, lose some weight, and just be healthier overall, then that will be one less thing that will worry my parents.

My mom brought up other concerns that were pretty offputting. During Christmas, she was the first to mention that I had a minor tournament win to my extended family. She seemed to be rather proud when talking about it, but she brought up that one of my aunts expressed her concern for my developing an addiction. Most of you may roll your eyes at this, as did I, but from an outsider's perspective what we're doing as poker players is gambling. And gambling, of course, is looked down upon by most of society. So what does she ask of me? That we don't make my change in career a public thing. This is tough for me, because I want to be proud of being a poker player. I am proud of being a poker player. She also said that she didn't want me to "become one of those people". I mean I understand where she's coming from, but it also boggles my mind because I don't want her to identify me or even my peers as "those people".

As I walked out the door, my mom told me in a mix of Tagalog and English, "It's against my will, pero sosoportahan kita because it's your dream." First part is due to lack of better words, but basically what she said is that she's going to support me because it's my dream, despite her being against it. I know she means it, but I wish I could have her full support. It's close to impossible, but it's something I can work on. I'll lay out the finances and the plans on paper. And then I'll show results. Good results. I am going to smash 2014... once I get over this ill-timed downswing.

Anyway, just got an e-mail from my mom to give my dad a call... apparently he wants to meet with me tonight to talk more. Maybe I'll ask him to bring his cue and we can shoot some pool while talking.

gl gl bro.

Any contract work you can do on the side?
Have to imagine the resume map will be killer.

Have you read this from this month's 2+2 Magazine? Does it apply to you?

that is a great idea.

Outstanding long term results to show your parents would, of course, be great, but it sounds like just showing regular, self-supportive results combined with improved mental and physical heath would go a long way as well. Obviously your goals are much higher, bur from your last update it really sounds like the general well being this change should bring you is what might sooth their fears somewhat.

flexible work is always good for a poker pro.

This does not apply to me. Honestly that guy's story sounds like a disaster... $3k bankrolls are what we hear about and ridicule several times a month in LVL. There are some good words of advice, though.

I had lunch with mom yesterday. We went to this thai place we go to pretty often. She tried passing me all sorts of gift cards/amex/visas while giving me so many words of caution and telling me to stay healthy.

Then I played billiards with my dad. I took the first two games and then he proceeded to school me for the next eight. Yeah he's the guy who brings his own stick... It wasn't until after dinner that he asked a few questions about my decision to go play poker for a living. Guess he gave it more thought since we last spoke.

Everyone is telling me look for ways to make income on the side, whether it's part time, or side jobs here and there. I'll keep an open mind and see if I can find something that will fit what erratic schedule I will have. Maybe I'll take some video production classes and actually put my film degree to use some time in the future. Perhaps I'll write articles for CP or 2P2 about this transition of mine.

I have a plan. That plan is to use poker as my main source of income. If other opportunities arise, I will definitely consider them.




I tell my boss either later today or tomorrow... his schedule is much more open today, though.

You're doing it what every working person what's to do, TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT!