Earning a living playing poker 1 year later.

[dwedeking]

[ QUOTE ]
Poker is NOT a business. It is playing a game for money. Businesses provide products and services. Poker players provide nothing, they simply take advantage of peoples gambling vices. Which is cool. I do it too.


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't place my self worth based upon my job or business. Business to me is a way to provide financial support to me and mine so we can enjoy the things in life that we have. While I see the upside to providing quality goods and services (just smart business) I don't get all giddy that the family down the street was able to buy XYZ from me and feels better because of it. In this perspective I can see where poker could be that income source for someoneelse. I've contemplated poker as a pro (but realize that my skill is not to that level) and the way I looked at it is it could be an income generator without much financial outlay or long term ties (there is no inventory to sell or leases to get out of if you decide to change professions). I see poker as a profession much the same way as I view actors/actresses. They provide little substance but can be entertaining.

I understand your point now about resume's. This has never been a fear for me because I never worried about getting a job due to the connections I've made in business and so worry little about resume's or pleasing the small minded in the world. Another one of the benefits of being independent.

So without the whole "making the world a better place" (which I don't subscribe to anyhoo) I see many simularities to the mental process that goes into preparing yourself for independent financial income whether it be from poker, golf or a traditional business.

Looking at the OP's process in planning I think he was very responsible in his family's welfare. They had an alternative income to make sure the essentials were covered, they had a game plan, they had controls to verify of the plan in route, and goals to judge their outcome (damn, that almost sounds like a business plan [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ).