Turned in My Badge (Long Farewell)

[Hoi Polloi]

QTip's decision: +EV

Impact on 2+2: -EV

Thanks for everything you've given, Owen. You may feel like you've been a taker but there are many of us here who would argue otherwise. And you deserve everything you've taken from me either in the forums or at the tables.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[QTip]

SpyDog and RamRod:

I still enjoy the game. It's really a time issue that I'll be facing. This job will require more hours and night work as well. This will make free time a premium and used to spend time with the family. I'm still hoping to get some playing time in here and there, but I'm sure it will be difficult to do.

[Octopus]

[ QUOTE ]
BANKROLL, BANKROLL, BANKROLL. It can't be stressed enough. If you don't stress it, it will stress you. I've been underrolled the entire time, imo, with several thousand BBs and 2 months expenses.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have chatted with QTip nearly every day for nearly the whole of his run as a poker pro. From what I have learned from him in that time, this is by far the most important.

If you do not have several months in living expenses saved, you are courting failure as a poker pro. It is not just 300 or 500 (or 1000) BBs that make a bankroll for a pro. Losses that big may (will) happen eventually, but they are not what is going to knock you out. It is the constant erosion that comes from your expenses. Running break even for a couple months will crush you just as surely as a big downswing will if you do not have back-up savings.

On a personal note - I will miss talking poker with QTip every day. As with so many others, I am a better player because of it.

Good luck.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
ps, what do you think your bb/100 is at that game?

[/ QUOTE ]

With my recent horrible results included, I'm guessing my long-term bb/100 at the 2/4 full day game is ~1.7. The difference between that and the ability to find better games at nights and weekends, imo, is easily worth 1bb/100. If you're 9 tabling 2/4 for 40 hours a week, it wouldn't shock me at all to see that difference equal to about $45k/year (assuming a decent rb deal). With poker, the life of a vampire is, without question, the way to go. However, not a lifestyle I was willing to have at this point in my life.

[chief444]

[ QUOTE ]
The difference between that and the ability to find better games at nights and weekends, imo, is easily worth 1bb/100.

[/ QUOTE ]
I second that. And personally I think 1/100 is an understatement...especially for those who play a lot of tables. This is another reason that playing full time is fine for those who are young and single but not so attractive to others.

[lozen]

[ QUOTE ]
Fast Food
Cleaning Furnaces and Ductwork
Janitor
Gas Station 3rd Shift
Delivering Pizza
Building Cabinets
Preacher
Painter
Human Resources
Receptionist
Staffing
Administrative Assistant
Sales Support
International Business Support
Market Research
Software Consultant
Gambler
Sales


[/ QUOTE ]

Preacher?

One word Vasectomy and good Luck.

[wuwei]

Owen,

Best of luck as luck as you and your family are going through these changes. I hope the new job works out great for you. It's been a pleasure getting to know you a little bit the past couple months.

Take care,

[Jake (The Snake)]

Octopus,

For most people, that is probably true. However, a much bigger negative impact could occur if you don't pay attention to #7, taxes. My guess is that someday soon we will see a whole group of 2+2ers reporting that they are being audited.

Qtip and Chief,

Not too long ago I was slightly surprised you thought that the impact was that high (I guessed it was closer to .5/100). Now I am completely in agreement that it may actually be greater than 1/100. There's a very good reason why good live players never experience anything near the downswings reported online.

[Hoss Ballgag]

[ QUOTE ]
I played almost exclusively the worst hours to play...almost all weekdays and 9-5.

[/ QUOTE ]

So as a beginner, I am assuming the best to play is Weekends and 5 to post-Midnight? Why is this...the drunks and gamblers come out?

[MoreWineII]

From someone who's said this exact same thing, at least for me, at some point you tend to drift back at least temporarily from time to time. It's nice to have poker as your slave for a change, instead of the other way around.