Basically heres the decision that I'm faced with. Im a pretty successful MTT player ranked on p5 etc etc basically the point of saying that isnt a brag but to point out in this discussion that im 100% sure that I can derive a more the decent life style just from poker.

I just turned 21 and my friend asked me to take some spring classes with him at Eastern Michigan. If I went Id prolly wanna go full time since I went to a smaller CC when I was 19 and dropped after a few weeks because it was boring and I was extremely unmotivated. If I go back to school thats gonna mean no WSOP...no fulltime tourny play...basically just school and getting out of this boring daily atmospohere that Ive slipped into live. Id basically be sacrificing $$$ for real life situations and a back up plan if for whatever reason I didnt wanna come back to poker.

This is really tough for me because of my views on money and stuff...its like I go to school for 4 years and get a degree and maybe find a job that I can make half as much as I do now, ya know? But playing tounys day after day is kinda making me miss school. High School was the funnest time ever Id gladly give every penny I have right now to be able to do it all over. I think I wanna be able to look back on my 21-26 years know that I did all that I could and expierenced as much as I could during this time.

It may already sound like Ive made up my mind but I truely havent. I dont know if I have it in me to walk away from the money/freedom (not having to be anywhere at a certain time etc) that I have now. Ill actually have to be on a budget somewhat and not be able to blow money like I do now.

Hopefully some people who have been faced with the same decision can give me their input on what they did and how it went for them. Thanks.

p.s. im pretty much half asleep sry if this doesnt make 100% sense or if it sounds dumb = )

at first glance my thoughts were why not just start school in the fall and play in the wsop this year? i mean you are young and why punish yourself by starting in spring especially after a brutal winter in Mich. go play the wsop and enjoy the summer then start fresh in the fall, thats what i would do in your shoes.

ps. go eagles! i grad undergrad from emu.

Yeah thats also an option I just feel like one of my personal flaws is I always put shyt off til the last minute. I have like 3 bills sitting in my room that Im pretty sure are about to be late because I keep saying ill mail them tomorrow...like im too lazy to take 5 mins out of my day n chill n get it done. Id prolly feel slightly weird going back to school at 21 but Im sure theres a lot of other people who do the same.

if you think it would be awkward/weird going back to school now at 21, imagine how bad it would be if you waited until you were 26/27

tru

trust me go out for the wsop its wayy more +EV then you realize

While you wouldn't be able to play full time, there seem to be a lot of folks who go to school and still play decent volume. Probably easier for cash players than tourney, but whatever. And you can make accomodation for poker like you would for any other part-time job you'd hold down in college, but with the added benefit that poker, for you, is a lot more fun and a whole lot more lucrative than working at Burger King or whatever. Bust your ass on Saturdays doing your schoolwork so you have Sundays free for the big tournament day, for example, and make sure your Monday classes aren't at 8AM (you won't go to an 8AM class if you're at the FT of a Sunday major at 4AM).

I tend to agree with the suggestion to go in the fall. Starting in synch with the rest of the university has intangible benefits, and you sound like you really want to try your hand at the WSOP. If you're worried about actually going when the time comes, take some steps to commit yourself now. Apply for the fall semester and pay your tuition. Get a lease on a house or apartment with your buddy for the academic year. Tell your friends and family that you're going back to school in the fall. This assumes that you're actually intent on going, but afraid you'll miss deadlines or procrastinate and just decide "**** it." If you're still up in the air about going, get that decision down first, and then take these steps. But doing it right when you make your decision captures the momentum and energy and doesn't give you a chance to forget later.

Why not move near campus somewhere with friends that go to college. That way you can play poker, experience college, and you don't have to go to class.

im gonna get all the registration stuff done now but wait til the fall to start going like someone said. this way I can go to school and win the main event.

def smart move. it's not like summer classes are really the college experience.... it's summer school.

lol@ feeling old going back to school at 21. this is like the silliest thing i have ever heard. wowowow holy chit. i got my undergrad degree at the age of 27 and i never felt out of place and still was hollering at true freshman seriously get some balls to get over your stupid insecurities.

get your bachelors then spend a few years traveling, doing drugs, and enjoying life

if you love it then great, otherwise go get your masters and making 6 figs some other way

You're only as awkward as you feel

yeah imagine the number of 27th-place finishes you're gonna be missing out on

go to uni in the autumn, i took 3 years off between college and uni, and at uni i had 2 of the best years of my life. I definately glad i didn't find poker until i was 24 or so because i knew i would have wasted my prime years grinding in front of a screen. You can still play a couple of nights a week, have loads of $ etc, and poker will become more exciting since you dont have to do it all the time.

theres a big difference between people who are in school and wanna quit and go pro, i tell them to quit. do what you feel like you should do, even if its difficult getting off your ass. your look back and think your glad you did it.

Shove>>>>>>>>>Fold>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Call

Do what makes you happy. In my personal case, that means GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBOL!!!! so without showing any mesure of empathy that's what i advise you to do.