so i'll have a law degree soon...

[Henry17]

Flashback to 1999 and I'm basically in the same situation as OP. I could take an articling position at a Bay St firm or keep doing the sports betting / poker. Given I had already summered at a firm 2nd year I knew I did not like law. The practise of law represented 70-90 hour week for a tiny fraction of my income as a law student / gambler. The decision was easy I stayed in school accumulating more degrees I'd never use.

My advise would be finish the law degree. I have found it useful in that it gives me a certain level of credibility. Saying "I went to law school but now I bet on sports / play poker for a living" just seems to go over much better than just "I bet on sports / play poker". Mind you that was 99 and poker has gained a lot of legitimacy since then.

You are in first year now. I'd try to get good enough grades that you would get a summer position after 2nd year. That way you have your own first hand impression of what working in a major firm is like. That way you can make an informed decision at the end of year 3.

Other things that I'd take into consideration is the fact that 18 months is not a long time. I'd research how hard it would be and what you'd have to do to return to the practise of law should poker not work out for you. It might be very hard to impossible to get into a major firm after an absence.