You can still make 35k+ a year at $1/$2 NLHE when you start, 70k+ a year at $2/$5 NLHE, 100k+ a year at $5/$10 NLHE, and even more at the PLO games.

Also, if you're playing live for a living and not networking with some of the rich people you will meet or successful business men you are doing things wrong. Poker provides many potential job opportunities for you (if you ever decide you want a real one) once you become friendly with the right people. Sure, it's harder to win money now than ten years ago. But, the games are still beatable and I'd argue there's less variance now days. The fish have really been conditioned not to limp/call with so many random trash hands and have been beaten down so badly that they now only get check-raise and re-raise aggressive with two pair or better hands. So, at the $1/$2 level almost everyone's hand is face up that you're playing. (You can honestly win 8/10 times at this level.) $2/$5 is definitely more challenging. But, easy to clock in a $30-$35 win rate once you have the entire room classified as who is capable of bluffing/semi-bluffing and who is not. You can even find some $2/$5 games that are as weak passive as $1/$2 games. Can't comment on the $5/$10 level. Not there yet.

Anyway, point is, if you play poker for five to ten years and come out of it with ZERO JOB OPPORTUNITIES/NO NETWORKING, you were the guy who sat at the table with your hoodie and sunglasses on the entire time and probably never even bought a beer for somebody or participated in a round of drinks for the table. You could take away everything I own and drop me in Las Vegas with $2,000 to my name. Give me six months and I'll come back with $10,000-$20,000 cash depending on how I run and four different 50k+ a year jobs to choose from if I want them because I know how to network when I play cards if I want to....

Live poker is a great profession.

Take your shot.

Like this advice. Alas there are jobs that NEED to be done that don't fit into those categories for anyone. Hopefully robots and automation will fix that in the future... Of course there will be consequences for putting those people out of work.

How many people in the US do you think actually do this? It's 38.5 hours a week at a low stakes game with a $17.50 hourly win rate, which in reality has to be a top 1, 2% player.

When I was just above average I made $22.92 at $1/$2 NLHE over 1k hours. If you are making $17.50, you are doing good, but you either have not mastered value extraction or learned to fold as many second best hands as you should. Like, you are close, but really need to focus on the two things I mentioned to get top tier. Imo everyone who plays $1/$2 should be at $20+. The players are so weak tight awful they play every hand face up for the most part.I have no clue how many actually do it. But, I know what you can make at the level with just above average play.

There's a question pending.

Also:

What is your definition of the bolded word?

First of all, "he" (I assume you mean Obama) didn't give you anything, the taxpayers who pay into the system did. Secondly, it's pretty poor advice when you encourage others to commit tax fraud.

Everyone who aspires to play poker for a living should be making $20+ a hour at $1/$2 NLHE within the first year of trying to go pro or you pretty much suck and if you can not make adjustments needed to make $20+ a year at $1/$2 in your second year I'd advise you to give up and get a real job.

Lol at any poker pro who would instruct an aspiring poker pro to pay taxes on all their earnings in the first few years. I am not a fraud. I will always kick you the real deal. If you declare 100% of your earnings before you have officially arrived as a poker pro you're an idiot.

Go on and get mad I give that advice.

I like it.

Like I said aspiring grinders, go ahead and take your shot.

Don't let these bankroll NITs and order takers get you down.

Take your shot! Its better than 90% of 8:30 am - 6:00 pm, if you can persevere.

i also think it depends on live pro vs online pro. if ur an online pro requesting checks its going to be much harder to hide than a live pro with cash winnings, barring an audit

Thank you.

I do not take any poker pro seriously who recommends aspiring cash game grinders to pay taxes when just starting out.

This is just stupid. If you can't pay taxes your first few years, then you shouldn't be playing for a living. This logic is similar to people using pirated software that will "buy it when I can afford to" but they never seem to ever do it.

I've paid taxes on all my earnings from before I started playing for a living, and I've also been audited before. I also paid taxes on all my earnings when I had a job, too.

"I do not take any poker pro seriously who recommends aspiring cash game grinders to pay taxes when just starting out."



But then they're freeloading off my hard work! Do you think it's fair that I go to work and work hard all day while you gamble like a scumbag? And I have to pay for your Obamacare subsidy!? This is the problem with the Millenials, they think everything is just a big game. Well one day the real world is gonna come knocking on your door when you moonbats finally run out of other peoples money, that's the problem with Socialism, pal.

eh, govt will pry do a bailout or some ****, we've saw it already

Lotgrinder and p2 dog p2 showing how scummy and self centred most "poker pros" are ITT

ive claimed every dollar ive won, its been a bunch of them pal

Somehow I doubt that very much

pry because ur scummy and self centered

They're not doing their part in contributing to the GDP of the Nation. I used to not contribute to the National GDP, when I was a child. But one day I grew up and put my nose to the grindstone. I knew that if I wanted to be happy I would have to find a way to contribute positive value to the National GDP, however slight a fraction of a micro percentage it might be. To be a part of that rising tide that lifts all the boats, that is my dream.

congrats. i have read, in the past 24 hours, of a mother killing three children, jared of subway doing some kind of sexual abuse, a Duggar doing the same thing, the list goes on....I have never thought of doing any of that. I see people raise children(a bunch of them) with ****ty values, again the list goes on.

as i stated, i have paid a bunch in taxes, so i would think that helped our GDP, perhaps im wrong, and if i am, i dont care, i know where my values are at. to be apart of the tide lifting the boats....cool story bro

Your an idiot p2 dog p2. AC Slater is absolutely right and you defend by pointing out people that are worse than you? Supreme deluded logic right there

I mean FFS look at that other thread that I wont post in for begrudging respect, theres a recently highly esteemed poker player who was a fn rapist....but hey he was good at poker so this cesspool of ******s known as the pro poker playing community respects him

the cesspool of ******s has nothing to do with me. if I pay my taxes do I contribute to the gdp? if so, why am I being accused of not doing so?

I paid well over 50k in court costs from the ages of 18-23. All victimless crimes. Also paid taxes on 70k a year when I had a real job.I'll take my healthcare.

I also hope some broke black guy is using his welfare check to load up on 40s right now so he can find his 300lb gf attractive enough to fuc*.

Stay Mad America.

The best was when I was getting state maximum $1450.00 a month unemployment and working my way up the $1/$2 ranks. Ahhh ha. Lol at all the failed grinders or complete order takers getting iRate about me advising people not to pay taxes in their first couple years of trying to go pro.

Stay Mad America.

He's right that you came off as a bit of a sanctimonious tool simply because you pay your taxes and obey laws. That's not something to be proud of but rather is something to be expected as the basic characteristics of being a responsible member of society.

I would say year three of playing for a living is when a poker pro should start reporting everything they make in order to start building a credit profile so they can buy a house/etc. You will eventually have to prove to a woman and woman's family you actually make momey from poker if you want to get married, have kids, etc.