The vast majority? Humans are notoriously braggy. Particularly those engaging in pursuits like these

For guys so engaged in a game that’s just a huge math problem at its heart....you sure can fail spectacularly when it suits you

Can I ask why they are irrelevant? For every 1 pgc that's successful in the long term, many thousands fail. That seems like a very relevant statistic.

It must be a complete shock to you that some people are not so narcissistic as to 'brag' about money being made. They are content to live in the same manner as described in the books like "The Millionaire Next Door." If you were not told that they had more than enough to be comfortable, you would not likely have guessed...

Some people do NOT want the 'celebrity' or notoriety that comes with being high profile. Some don't want to be targets by persons who might wish them some manner of harm.

I'm sure a lot of human behavior surprises bumpnrun. Kindness, compassion, empathy, humility, understanding, etc.

I like how these losers are still in this thread trying to argue how they failed poker because no one can make it. They say poker is not possible to beat for any person let alone the hard working crybabies ITT. They say that poker can't be beat because they have tried every permutation of every strategy and they have all failed. Bumpnrun says things like "I play poker on my phone and I lose a lot of money, like the idiot that i am, because I know that it's impossible to beat, yet I keep throwing away my hard earned money." Well quit playing poker and quit telling everyone poker can't be beat. We know already.

Then you have BroadwaySushy. How many people fail vs how many people succeed? He needs to know what percentile of loser he fits into. Am I in the bottom 10% of idiots who can't beat poker or the bottom 98%? Why does it matter to you how many people succeed vs how many fail Sushy? You failed. 1 out of 1 fail buddy there's your statistic. The only one that matters. Quit being obtuse.

No one said that poker isn't beatable dude. They're saying one format - NLHE cash games - are dead in terms of making a decent middle class living in 1st world countries, unless you're one of the absolute elite. And within the next 10 years, maybe sooner, they will be dead completely for everyone.

You sound like a kid that just found out the tooth fairy doesn't exist. Grow up. If you're happy doing what you're doing then keep at it. Just don't expect to go anywhere/ play the same game 10 years from now.

Nobody is stopping you from studying mixed games, working out the kinks on SwC and moving to vegas to grind out the daily 20/40. If you truly are a genius/ have a high IQ you should be thanking me for this advice (that is if you believe your destiny in life is playing poker for a living).

Thanks.

ok look even 10 years ago the majority of young guys tackling poker failed, like wtf do you think a large percentage of people should be able to become rich?

It's the same in every endeavor

Good point.

And, I don't think it's fair to put so much emphasis on poker versus jobs/careers the way people have done in the thread. It's more logical to compare poker to other competitive games that people play professionally for money. When doing that poker becomes much more appealing.

Any individual sport only has dozens, or maybe hundreds paying the bills by playing the game. Where as poker has many thousands of players out there paying the rent with the game.

Poker is and probably always will be the easiest game to make a living playing. Unless, video games start allowing betting (wish they would) nothing will really challenge poker. Nothing else has the internet element attached to it the way poker does.

NLHE is dead at the highest stakes online, it's still plenty beatable from low-mid stakes and live poker is still like playing Zynga in 1/2-5/10 games (obviously exaggerating but don't want bump to get upset so need to point that out).

If you think NL is dead go take a seat at pretty much any game in the state of Florida. It isn't the most profitable game, but it is the most popular game, which is much more important.

WOW. thats kinda crazy. good post though, 06-08 was amazing for poker and for this forum. so many rich memories

I was thinking the same thing.

5 stars

Dude, when you're a 30 something year old wannabe poker pro living in his car who has been playing poker since 2003 it's a bit ironic to be calling other people losers. Especially when you don't know anything about the people you are calling losers.

Wake up before it's too late.

some people? That’s my point Michelle

Wow, you're right, I just checked his profile and he's indeed 31 years old. I thought he was just a naive 21 or 22 year old. It shocks me that he's in his 30's!

At 31, I'd expect someone to have the common sense and intelligence to realize the huge mistake they're making. This guy is bumming around like a degen, just about scraping by with no job or financial security, while most 31 year olds are on a secure career path making decent money. I agree, he needs to wake up and get his act together before it's too late.

Wow at whatever age you are I'd expect you to have better things to do then judge someone you completely don't know based on scant information online.

I just woke up. When is it too late to get my act together? 32? 35? Please god don't let me miss the getting my act together deadline!

You sound like someone so adverse to risk you live your life in a bubble. Probably end up on your death bed thinking "Thank god I played it safe my whole life, my milquetoast existence hasn't had many highs, but we've managed to avoid the lows too!" Congrats buddy, people are going to look back at your life and not give it a second thought. Quit being obtuse.

Also I'm doing some things right in my life. I eat well and I hike everyday. Wanna bet I'm healthier than you are? So when you're having a heart attack in 10 or 20 years and dieing, maybe I'll get my act together then? I got time, you don't. I don't feel the sense of urgency that you do.

Haha thanks!

I'm certainly not averse to risk, but it has to be intelligent and well thought out risk. Living in your car grinding a dying game which has no future at 31 years of age, scraping together a living, would not be classed as that. It's just an utterly foolish path to take and you are almost certain to be broke by age 40 with a huge gap on your resume and unable to get even a basic job. When all the other 40 year olds around you will be 15-20 years into a career, earning good money, with houses, wives, kids, good retirement plan etc. Is that what you want? Because that's the path you're headed down.

I have never been a big fan of closing threads for the reason that "the thread has run its course".

However, at this point if posts in this thread continue to be predominantly personal insults, then I will gladly invoke the time-honored TTHRIC reason for closing it.

A lot of people don’t want wives and children.

As long as you know what you’re getting into it’s not terrible. Living out of your car isn’t a natural consequent of playing professionally, it’s either because he’s highly unsuccessful at poker or really just doesn’t mind sleeping in a car. It’s not even that bad if the weather is nice IMO. I live in a house with wife and child and am sometimes tempted to just pass out in my car listening to podcasts for funsies.

stop cutting the guy down and judging him you piece of ****

I'm not, I'm just saying that being a poker pro is generally a very poor life choice and it's setting himself up for a disaster in the future, particularly the way he's going about it.

Anyway, could you not use the personal insults? I'd like this thread to remain open because there's been some good discussion on the issue and would like to hear some other opinions from people.

I'm taking a shot at becoming a full-time pro, starting at micro stakes online and then branching out to live. I've had a failed attempt a few years back. I can relate to Rich Checkmaker -- I saw you out on the twitch streets years ago, and I've been reading your threads and posts. You remind me of myself in a few ways. I used to think you were a little 'off the beaten path', like not the sharpest tool in the shed.... but you have my respect brother, I respect your grind and hustle and what you're doing. I'm chasing the dream, like you... I got a PC&C thread going, but anyway... I don't think the 'dream' is dead. I've been playing since 2003 - with break even/slightly winning success, never applied myself 100% - goal is to become a 'poker professional' -- I've done the research, I want everything that comes along with that life choice. Positive and negative, bring it. Definitely, not scared of being '45/50' without a 'family' and 'unemployable at a basic job', give me a break. Sometimes, poker makes sense for people. But you have to be a certain type of person with a certain type of work ethic and view on life. Good luck to everyone doing this, I know there's not many that 'make it', but I intend to be one or go down trying. I'm confident I will always be 'employeable' even with a resume gap, whatever the hell that is now a days.

That post is positively frightening.

Barney no one would be “cutting him down” is he wasn’t firing off himself

Of all the negative ramifications of having a crack at pro, “resume gap” is the least worrisome. Getting a start and doing well by being a good operator and communicator wouldn’t be that hard. Problem is years of poker tends to turn people into sour faced unhealthy looking introverts.

Again.....although it seems to fly by most of you....if you are single and want to dedicate your time to the game.....what’s wrong with working and poker? I played 30 hours a week around 06-07 with a six figures pretty intense job

You won’t consider its because it’s not actually poker u love, it’s being a lifestyle degenerate with nothing to offer

Not at a job you’d want unless you’re ok with entry level service jobs for roughly min wage. Do it if you want but without significant savings you should at least have have a plan b.

Even working at a casino is something.