I can't find any easy games in Arizona anymore. Even the home game I play in, everyone there has read Super System.

That's fine though. The game I have been playing was geared towards beating donkeys, so it's good that the competition is stronger, and I'm hoping it's all still beatable, or I wouldn't play at all anymore. I'm hoping my game gets better because the competition is stronger. But then I lose a few hands in a row where I made some sick call based on a good read where I was ahead, and then still lose to a miracle river .... and I think it's unbeatable. Bad beats and the rake .... are a never ending problem that no matter how you adjust your game, will still happen.

"Sometimes fish bite you."

But I think that's one of the reasons poker players love poker. There is no "perfect way" to play it. It's effectively unmasterable. Where I know, unless you are playing exactly like I play gin, you can make it 50 percent, otherwise I have an edge. Poker is not like that. It can't be mastered. I know for me, that's part of why I love the game. Past couple years though ... I've been losing money playing poker (winning tournaments, losing cash, just need to focus on 1) and it's absolutely clear, even before black Friday ... it's not as easy as it used to be.

I'm talking live. I've mostly been a live player. I played some online, but felt like I lost a lot of my edge because I read physical tells well.

And actually, post BF ... is not when it all of a sudden got harder, B+M. As a matter of fact, there were a few guys that just couldn't make the transition. I was playing a lot at my local casino and doing well, during that time .... but the guys that realized live was another skill they were not going to be able to transition to, have mostly left.

For instance, I've been reading all about this guy that pretended to be a chick in order to get staked, and apparently plays for some serious $$ but sucks at the game ... there's a couple guys that don't come around my local casino, because they owe people money. Personally, I wont borrow it. If you stake me, if I lose it .... I don't hafta pay you back. And everything I win, UNTIL I DO PAY YOU BACK .... you get half.

I dunno how ppl do it online, but that's the standard deal live. Or, just a friendly loan, but nobody I know charges juice.

I'm sure some of you are curious who I was on stars and ft. Like I said, I never really took online seriously ... still running a non-intel Mac .... so never had a HUD and was told I could not get rakeback without starting a new account, which was against the rules ... I played by the rules. Looked at sharkscope sometimes, never really took it seriously but I would crush the freerolls.

This is me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW3zni4oRFc

I know my cash numbers suck. I'm a tournament player. To me, that's where all the skill comes in. How are you under pressure? But now all you interwebs nerds can look me up and laugh at my sucky graph.

If I pretend to be a hot chick will you steak me?

This.

OP was never a douchebag as some of the moronic ones around here like to claim. He may have been a bit long-winded and some of the rambling commentary may have been way off but I know for certain that his initial observations about life in Vegas around tournament time were spot-on and continue every year -- but with an ever-changing cast of characters.

Thank you sir.

CursedbyaGypsy,

If I were you I wouldn't speculate on people's finances based on their behavior in televised hands. Typically, people react to things based on a number of factors which may include sleep, how they are feeling etc. You are speculating too much.
Otherwise, I think 85% of the things you say are correct.

Awesome

I don't know how much of this to believe, but this is very opinionated to say the least. I strongly doubt you have been in any of their shoes or else you would understand where they are coming from.

This thread is a great show of how narrowly minded the 'new poker generation' is. Giving the OP that much crap, whether he was right or not, it is so childish. And when it turns out he was completely right, some still got the nerve to call OP a douchebag. Great work, internet tough guys.

it really is a shocking amount of players that are broke imo

wcgrider doing his best to increase this number

you've gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet

Not sure if still relevant as this thread was started years ago, but i do agree with most points the OP states about players going broke in the long run.

I played my first WSOP event in 2012, and it was the 5k NLH event. i had a starting table that included, david baker (straight off his FT of the 50k players), phil gruissiuem (spelling?) Arnaud Mattern (spelling?) and barry greinstein. Phil was bragging to barry about getting staked by multiple backers for the one drop and took out his recepit for the tournament. He asked barry if he was going to be playing and all that barry responded was "no im broke"

take that for what you will.

Yeah Greenstein apparently was borrowing from Full Tilt also.

It's a shame that these players are broke. I miss the old high stakes poker episodes and shows like that. I had HSP marathon last night and season 4 with Sammy and co. was epic, entertaining & fun (by the way, in one of the episodes Farha actually subtly says he's broke lol - found that ironic)

I usually play live tournament at The Bike here in So Cal , I met an old friend (in his 60's), I asked him a question if he still see Toto Leonidas play's in big Tournament , he replied , "yah once in a while, hes broke now ".

I remember Toto Leonidas won the 2004 U.S POKER CHAMPIONSIP, he won against Phil Hellmuth heads up at the final table to take the Crown.

And one day what a surprised, Last Sept 9, 2013 , Theres a $ 235 Buy - In at Commerce Casino where I played and he was seating at our table.

He didn't make it to the Final Table and so do I.

I hope hes not broke, but this gives me an idea that If a Propessional Poker Player only plays poker but did not invest his money into business or something eventually he or she will go broke.

The OP was giving us a reality check , its very very hard to depend on playing poker to make a living.

Isn't WCGRider the guy that Brad Booth borrowed from lol?

Come on. It's not the poker playing. It's the life leaks that comes with having money: gambling, drugs, hookers, playing out of your league stakes, a lifestyle you can't maintain, etc. If joe schmo won a million dollars and never played again or just went back to his down to earth, natural life, you're telling me he couldn't support his family for the rest their lives?

i read ace on the river and barry knows all about those leaks.. Kinda difficult to believe he is 'broke'. Can believe he walks the walk when he says your roll should be 100X the buyin. (e.g. one drop)

Edit..
since you mentioned joe schmo and 1M... That is not a lot of money. If you have no family and are pretty old, then yeah it might be enough to support a modest lifestyle, but otherwise it'll be gone before you know it.

What i'd do is put it all in quality stocks, no load mutuals, etc, reinvest all dividends and forget it exists. Don't quit your day job, and live according to your income.

I enjoyed ops writeup well written. I would think there are more players going busto with the economy getting worse since the time op wrote this.

Yeah. I didn't mean to retire and go nuts. Obviously still work or whatever. But someone shouldn't have to worry about money ever again or go broke was more of my point. I'm 29 and if I won a million bucks, there's no way it would last my lifetime. And I'm single, with no kids or debt.

Agreed... Very few unexpected events would put a big dent in $1M especially when you're younger.

And I didn't mean you should live so frugally you would suffer. Money in the bank offers an opportunity to live happily and be comfortable. Eat good.. fund your hobbies.. enjoy the freedoms it offers. It takes the pressure off.

But more pleasure comes from just knowing you can afford to buy expensive "toys" than there is in possessing them. That's a tough lesson for some people and they learn it too late..

It's very difficult to hang on to money. It is an escape artist and can seep through even the tiniest cracks.

So you think barry had 5 million liquid cash while entering the 50k players championship etc? I believe he talks the talk but doesn't necessarily "walk the walk" purely on 100x the buy in terms...

I have no knowledge about his br, or if he sells action to the highrollers.

And he does not mention how big your roll should be before you can consider giving away millions in winnings to charity, so that's no help either.