this was not my intention.

while this is one of many reasons i love poker claiming its the "whole" point makes you sound very ignorant.

your still employable? im not and if memory serves dynasty is not either. further, i make more $ an hr and annually then any of my friends i graduated with.

thanks for clearing that up.i was under the impression this could include looking at advice that has been given, thinking about it and then determining if there was any thing positive to be gained from it. thankfully he has u to think for him.


this part made me sad.


+1

thanks for writing this. good luck

Awesome story...enjoyed reading it all...gl

i used to love live poker but it gets boring quick, i justlike it for a change of pace
most of the people at the tables are degens telling bad beat stores, but every once in a while you get a great table thats a ton of fun, poker aside.However these tables are few and far between.

also dynasty i think people underestimate how honesty wiht yourself is important in poker and in life-you cant bull**** yourself
Ive seen a ton of people who are better players than me who make a lot less because they convince themselves to sit in tough games, tilt etc all the while lying to themselves about their own skill level

see you next year

Good read again and good luck!

I can't believe I read the whole thing!!!

It was a very interesting story and of course a cautionary tale for everyone (especially young guys) who are thinking about trying to make it as a pro. I would imagine it's very difficult mentally to do it over the long run.

I've been playing a lot more live lately (I gave up online when Partypoker went kaput to the U.S. market and left with a small profit). I've been doing well at the 1/2 level and am probably bankrolled enough for 2/5 from my poker winnings (and I am more than properly bankrolled for much higher than that with my real life money), but haven't made the leap yet and may not. I enjoy the social aspect of the game and the enjoyment of beating it (and winning money of course, knock wood). I also like getting away and getting room comps, meal and show comps and all the swag (gifts) they bestow on me too. And in the summer time, I love to hit the beaches in AC or Ocean City and play some golf too (mystery shopping). It's like a free vacation for me once or twice a month and I usually make some decent money too. So I don't think I could ever really give it a go as a professional player. Too much of a grind and it must be very tough on relationships.

Speaking of which, you haven't delved into that aspect of your journey: How has it been on romantic relationships? Has it ever been an issue with anyone you've dated? Her family? Arguments like she just doesn't understand? Just curious about that.

I'm also curious about how much money per year you earned on average. I know you are a public figure, but I'm sure you've been paying your proper taxes so you can be somewhat candid here. Also, what was your monthly nut? And what did you do with all the comps you earned and how much did you accumulate?

As for your big score in the free roll, way to go. But it also sounds like you not only played pretty well, but also got hit by the deck. And not only did you not take any bad beats, but you seemed to administer a few along the way. But of course no one wins a relatively big tourney without that kind of luck. Look forward to hearing more updates in the future.

All the best....Greg

dynasty:

thanks for sharing this amazing true life story!

>>>Romantic relationships? I've seen pictures of some of these guys, and I imagine their "relationships" tend to last about 10-15 minutes, depending on how much money they pay her.

I'm going to get flamed for this but your post is seriously tilting.

You are stuck at 1/2 NL live (or maybe you're playing higher now, not sure), but you haven't played online since 2005 and you refuse to.

Do you realize how profoundly irrational this is, economically speaking?

All these people make responses to your thread like "great read, shows you what it's REALLY like to be a professional poker player".

No. This thread shows you what it's like to make a living as a guy who sets perverse obstacles to his own success.

Dynasty,

How would you describe the live games you play in Vegas? (soft, tough, LAG)

Would you say they have gotten easier or harder since your 3-year post?

Do you think you are a much better player than 3 years ago?

Thanks,

Ace.

Thanks for the update.

Good insight into the mindbogglingly boring world of live poker.

Dynasty,

what a great story. its good to see someone so honest and candid as you were. im a long time lurker and haven't posted much on these forums, but as someone in a similar situation as you were, i felt compelled to speak up.

so overall, do you regret your decision to drop everything and go "pro"? the reason i ask is because i myself am at a turning point. basically i have been in the air force for 4 years and my "time" is up. i currently have a good opportunity to do the same thing i was doing in the service on the outside working as a government contractor making some pretty good money. its nothing spectacular, but more than ive ever made before and the potential to make more. the avg. income in my field for someone starting out is around $60k, but with my experience i can make 70-80k if i find the perfect employer and get lucky.

basically, my question is this.....how hard is it to make a living doing this? i have quite a bit of money in the bank from playing live and from my savings/severance that i will be comfortable for the next year at least. i also have enough to bankroll 3-5NL, which is the game i primarily play live.

what level do you have to play at to make a comfortable living? and i don't mean 18yo-kid-who-has-no-concept-of-money's opinion of a "comfortable living". i mean, as someone who has experience in the workforce and KNOWS the real value of money, what level offers this? i mean, does one have to play 10-20+NL to make potentially $60k a year? and what does one do about medical insurance/ home loans? isn't it extremely hard to get those things as a "professional gambler"?

i guess what im trying to say is would i be much better off financially going the "safe" route with the career or would it be worth it to take a shot? keep in mind i regularly beat the live game i play in and consider myself a pretty good player. also, if i decide to go the route of playing poker for a living, i have a 3-year window of opportunity to still get a "real" job if it doesnt work out. i planned on looking for a great opportunity/job while i did this and wouldnt turn one down if it presented itself.

thanks again for your honest post about your experiences and gl in the future.

bump for day crew

Mic Man,

I'm sure Dynasty is aware that he could have been making a ton more online, and I don't see how that makes his decision to play live "wrong". Is it stupid for an applied math prodigy to pursue a career in academia when he could be making boatloads more money at a hedge fund? Or a driven and talented young lawyer to go into public service rather than a big time law firm?

not the same. the guy in your hypothetical is making a decent living regardless. u simply cant make a decent living grinding 1-2nl live.

If y'all read his post, Dynasty says he's beaten every game he's played. He just doesn't like to play alot of hours.

ya i didnt say he wasnt a winning or good player. just saying he cant make enough to live decently well on playing 1-2nl live.

I updated this thread a week ago and said:

During the month of April, I played 5-10 no-limit, 2-5 no-limit, 30-60 and 20-40 limit hold ‘em, 20-40 stud, and the occasional 5-10 Omaha eight or Better. I’d be comfortable playing at least 20-40 O/8 but the Bellagio has recently only had a 30-60 game going.


My goal in life isn't to make the maximum amount of money possible. If it was, I wouldn't be playing poker.

Many people have said the games are tougher today than a few years ago but I'm not noticing it. Perhaps I've just improved and adjusted well.

Overall, I'd have to be considered a better player. When I made the Three Years post, I was playing just limit hold 'em (and rarely stud). Today, I can still play those games but also play no-limit hold 'em and Omaha/8.

Being able to play multiple games helps keeps the games soft. When your no-limit game is no good, you just sign up for the limit game or a stud or Omaha/8 game.

What do you do when you are not playing poker? What's your goal in life? How's Vegas to live in? Sorry if too many private questions, feel free to ignore

Congratulations on a winning year.

After I read "Six Years", I made a note in my calendar to look up this thread a year later. Although I enjoyed the poker stories of your most recent installment, I'm more interested in the personal, psychological, and existential aspects of your story, because you are clearly an articulate, intelligent, reflective guy.

In this regard, "Seven Years" was disappointing, as it was entirely poker focussed.

It may well be that you have no interest in sharing your personal stories on a public forum, and if that is the case, I certainly understand. Best wishes for 2008. I'll be looking for you again in May 2009.

Dynasty,

This is my first post on 2+2. I find it heartening to read that one can apply discipline to a life style, which lends itself to indulgence and self-destruction, and find what I take to be a sense of inner-peace. Your story gives me hope. I just wanted to say well done!!!

Thanks,

DEADWOOD --

Great Story! Amazing Read...