A dream that never began...

[NicksDad1970]

Do exactly what you're doing. It sounds like you're decisions are very sound.

Go for it!!!

GL

[Dr. Strangelove]

This is pretty simple. Work at the fund, make a lot of money, try to remain frugal. Remember to quit and pursue your other goals.

[g-p]

from poker you are going to know enough to ball all over the world

[CrushinFelt]

If you turn down the opportunity to work at a hedge fund you're insane. DO NOT count on poker for future income. There's no reason you can't still fit in 10-20 hours of poker/week which should still grant you a fair bit of income.

[oscillator]

[ QUOTE ]

BTW, I play like 1/5 the stakes you do, but I decided to spend less time on poker last year to concentrate on my music. I'm much happier for it.

[/ QUOTE ]

* same. i've opted out of some potentially rewarding offers, and quit my job to focus on music. despite the fact that money is tight at the moment, i'm as happy as i've been simpily having the flexibility to do what i love. thats the only thing truly significant to me.

gl with your music burningyen, and with your decisions nyc. regardless of what you choose i really hope you find the time to write.

[B-Man]

I used to be a corporate attorney for a mid-sized firm, and now I am a partner in a hedge fund.

To me the decision is very, very easy. It's hedge fund in a landslide. If the opportunity is as good as you describe, in a few years you could make enough money to never have to worry about it again. Then you can write, play poker, do whatever.

If you find out you hate working at a hedge fund, you can always quit and go back to poker, writing, etc. But if you pass this up to play poker, you may not get an opportunity like that again.

P.S. being a corporate attorney at a firm sucks. I didn't realize how much I hated it until I left. It's a good learning experience for a while, but definitely not a career choice I would recommend to anyone.

[turnipmonster]

[ QUOTE ]
i've realized that to actually be a writer, you have to just write every [censored] day, which for me has been extremely difficult with poker taking up so much of my time

[/ QUOTE ]

for me, and many others I know in the arts, this is not really how the process works. you write because you need to write, or because you really love it, or both. at any rate it is certainly not something you have to make yourself do, and not something that a game like poker would take the place of. in other words, if poker were to go away tomorrow you would probably not fill that hole in your life with writing (maybe you would, but I wouldn't bet on it).

[TheWorstPlayer]

Jay is writing for commercial purposes (I believe) and I dont find it hard to believe that the process there is different from, say, writing a novel or poetry. Just my two cents.

[King Fish]

[ QUOTE ]
Jay is writing for commercial purposes (I believe) and I dont find it hard to believe that the process there is different from, say, writing a novel or poetry. Just my two cents.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very, very different process. You really aren't allowed the luxury of writer's block, your deadlines are much more rigid, and you usually have very explicit parameters when writing for commercial (i.e. marketing/advertising) purposes.

For me, commercial writing pays the bills (though can be fun at times), Long form writing is for myself (usually), and my poker writing is for the birds.

[burningyen]

Some artists like Woody Allen, Sting and Stevie Wonder supposedly write on a set daily schedule, no matter if they're feeling it or not. I think there's a lot to be said for this approach, especially if you have a tendency to get too precious and self-critical with your writing. But whatever works.