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  #51  
Old 11-30-2007, 05:49 AM
Cooper Cooper is offline
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Location: 2/4$ NL
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Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

I'm not a full time Pro, I work 8 hour daytime just like all my friends (08.00-16.00), I try to fit in 2 hours of poker daily for 14-18 hours per week.
I normally play 400NL/600NL (4-5 tables) for about 6 PTBB, this usually sums up to 25-30K hands per month for a NET ranging from 2-3000$ up to 10K$ on a good month.
Since I'm not fully dependant on the money as I already have a decent salary I dont cash out but keep it to build my BR so I can move up to 1000NL in a few months with 40-50 buyins.

/Cooper
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  #52  
Old 11-30-2007, 06:07 AM
AceCR9 AceCR9 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: railbird coaching, $100/hr
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Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i feel like it has definitely affected my social life. its hard to relate to your college friends when you are making a lot of money and dont really have any commitments, its very unusual to say the least. i try to hang out with friends from time to time, but i feel like i just get along better with poker players who can relate to my own situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

so so true, I feel so akward talking about... life... its like im bragging when im talking about my latest purchase or my latest trip - I have no idea if they see it that way, but that's how I feel. I mean, obviously people brag about the TV they are getting and how they saved up for it and that's cool, but when I'm talking about the latest thing I got, it's like the latest in a string of large purchases or like they know it didn't take me long to get it or whatever.

Or like, talking about work or life in general can be hard too. Talking about the great job they have lined up for the summer that they might make 15k at and like sure I can talk about it, but it's really awkward when chances are I might have won (or lost) that amount the night before.

[/ QUOTE ]

we've had threads before where it became apparent how different income levels are in different areas of the world/country.

I am sure for some online pros who make say, 300k+ a year, this isn't a ton of money. but in a lot of areas 100k is a lot of money, so it can be very uncomfortable when everyone your friends with or know makes so little compared to you, yet they are very happy with their lives.

stuff I might buy on a whim are items that pretty much everyone i know would have to save up/set aside money for. I refuse to feel bad/guilty over this as Ive gone through a lot to get to where I'm at- yet sometimes its tough.

also when you tell people your a pro, and they know you make good money doing it- they assume its very easy because you sit @ home on the computer and play a card game. meanwhile you can't explain or tell them that in the past week you've lost more than their annual income.
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  #53  
Old 11-30-2007, 08:37 AM
ocklind ocklind is offline
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: K-PAX
Posts: 363
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

- How many hours of cash game play do you guys (and gals) try to log every week ?

I try to play as much as I can! From the hour I get up (around 11) to the hour my girlfriend comes home from her work (around 6). And I eat/freshen up for like 1 hour. So I play like 5-6h's per day. Obv w/ the occasional break for events, shopping, sports etc.

- How has playing cash games affected your sleeping cycles ? How has it affected the social aspect of your life?

I sleep waaaaaay more now then when I studied. I get 9h sleep almost every night.

- What kind of $ / hour are some of you maintaining ? (please mention stake and # of tables played)

Not a clue, playing from 3/6 to 10/20, mainly 5/10 though. Never had a losing month so far. I can add that I aim for 5ptbb, I can only achieve this at 3/6 so far though.

- How do you guys pay yourself? Do you do a fix amount of $ per week ? Do you tell yourselves '' i will withdraw X$ when my bankroll reaches X$ ''

If I need cash, I cash out some... =)
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  #54  
Old 12-01-2007, 02:32 AM
Phase2 Phase2 is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 17
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

Wow, this thread really delivers. Thanks to all for your replies.

Few points id like to make:

- i do keep in shape, currently playing ultimate frisbee once a week, going to do join another weekly league (frisbee or soccer most likely) so i get to socialize/excercise all at once...i also plan on doing a lot of snowboarding this winter. I also do either pushups / chinups or ab work on the daily.

- I feel really bad talking about what i do now... at first, I was honest with my friends. THey would ask 'how is poker' and i would tell them. But then I feel bad saying i made more friday night then they are going to make in 2weeks of work :/ I would also tell them if i lost, but most people dont understand when i say i lost 1k last night ... usually get some speeches about gambling and how its so wrong to lose 1k in a night , to be careful etc.

So now, when I meet people and they ask what I do I will tell them im a stock broker. I sorta am, my stock is my poker-skill and i am betting on it.

Past few weeks I have been reserving 1 night of the weekend to partying/drinking while the other is reserved to pwn donks who have been partying/drinking.


Thanks for all the comments, i will update when i hit 100k hands [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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  #55  
Old 12-01-2007, 02:50 AM
jfish jfish is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: what else is on my mind grapes?
Posts: 8,150
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i feel like it has definitely affected my social life. its hard to relate to your college friends when you are making a lot of money and dont really have any commitments, its very unusual to say the least. i try to hang out with friends from time to time, but i feel like i just get along better with poker players who can relate to my own situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

so so true, I feel so akward talking about... life... its like im bragging when im talking about my latest purchase or my latest trip - I have no idea if they see it that way, but that's how I feel. I mean, obviously people brag about the TV they are getting and how they saved up for it and that's cool, but when I'm talking about the latest thing I got, it's like the latest in a string of large purchases or like they know it didn't take me long to get it or whatever.

Or like, talking about work or life in general can be hard too. Talking about the great job they have lined up for the summer that they might make 15k at and like sure I can talk about it, but it's really awkward when chances are I might have won (or lost) that amount the night before.

[/ QUOTE ]

we've had threads before where it became apparent how different income levels are in different areas of the world/country.

I am sure for some online pros who make say, 300k+ a year, this isn't a ton of money. but in a lot of areas 100k is a lot of money, so it can be very uncomfortable when everyone your friends with or know makes so little compared to you, yet they are very happy with their lives.

stuff I might buy on a whim are items that pretty much everyone i know would have to save up/set aside money for. I refuse to feel bad/guilty over this as Ive gone through a lot to get to where I'm at- yet sometimes its tough.

also when you tell people your a pro, and they know you make good money doing it- they assume its very easy because you sit @ home on the computer and play a card game. meanwhile you can't explain or tell them that in the past week you've lost more than their annual income.

[/ QUOTE ]

its funny how alike we are lol.
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  #56  
Old 12-01-2007, 06:47 AM
dirtytricks dirtytricks is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 523
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

Good thread!

I play poker only in spare time. I work 40 h a week. I have 6 years at university and have a very attractive job that is ok but not exciting.

I try to play 15000 hands a month mostly 4 tabling. I have slowly moved up levels since I started playing cash games 1 year ago and am now beating 400NL for 4-5 PTbb which means about 150 dollars an hour and about 5000 dollars a month on AVERAGE. I have had only 1 break even month ever.

My social life pretty much the same as before but I miss some more spare time. I work out less and dont watch TV anymore. Girlfriend complains a little but it works out ok. Ive got ZERO new friends by playing poker.

I cash out a little now and then which I spend on holidays, buying a new computer etc. Mostly building my bankroll.

My goal is to consistently beat 1000NL. I dont have any desire to be a high stakes player now but who knows...

I make more by playing poker 10 hours a weak than my fulltime job, which doesnt bother me since I really want something else to do also. I never talk about poker to people at work or with my family, its kind of tabu. I have a few friends that play, but noone professionaly.

Im pretty sure I would have quit job if I was uneducated and the job really bored me. I WILL HOWEVER strongly recommend not doing it before you beat 1000 NL over a big sample and you have a really big bankroll. By having a job and steady income its so much easier to handle the swings.
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  #57  
Old 12-01-2007, 07:10 AM
Animus Animus is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The dark wind\'s howling
Posts: 85
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

My man, I just keep it cool and roll wit it.
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  #58  
Old 12-01-2007, 07:59 AM
Subfallen Subfallen is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Worshipping idols in B&W.
Posts: 3,398
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

[ QUOTE ]
My man, I just keep it cool and roll wit it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like how you couch your thoughts in italics, as if the surface reflecting them is wrinkled by the phantasm of a soft breeze from wonderland. [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
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  #59  
Old 12-01-2007, 06:15 PM
DevinLake DevinLake is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 6,022
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

[ QUOTE ]
Balancing school and poker is tough. Thing holding me back from going pro, I would probably become more alienated and lose a lot of important social interaction. It does frustrate me that dumber people are doing better then me in school. I am still doing okay, but I realize a mediocre 3.0-3.5 gpa, from a [censored] university is never going to land me anything ideal in the future.


[/ QUOTE ]

Your gpa helps you get your first job and that's it. After you work for a couple years no one will ever ask you what your gpa was.
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  #60  
Old 12-01-2007, 06:50 PM
DevinLake DevinLake is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 6,022
Default Re: Cash game pros - lifestyle (and numbers) questions

From reading this thread I a few thoughts, not of which will probably run together in any sensible order:

- You live in Canada, and because you are talking about snowboarding in November there is a good chance it is western Canada. This is ideal for someone that wants to maintain resemblance of a normal life. Why? Party Poker. Peak hours at party poker are like noon-6pm MST. Since I've moved to Calgary, I love that I can play the majority of my hours during the afternoon and then do a later night session if I feel like it. Many of you Americans could do this as well, playing some of the euro sites.

-social life: Having just moved to a new city, this is one thing that is a struggle. I've joined a couple hockey teams, but all that's going to do is maybe meet me a couple drinking buddies or so. But most the guys are married.

You certainly don't have an easy social network like you would with a real job or when you are in school. So, you have to actively search out new things to do. I'm constantly looking for interesting activities that are going on (festivals, shows, etc). I went to a professional bull riding competition a couple weeks ago lol. Unfortunately, I don't have a broad range of interests so I haven't done much. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

But, I am going to be taking an avalanche course in the new year and will be looking for other like minded activities to find people that have similar interests.

-age: I think there are pros and cons to be a young internet player (I am not one, 29). Being young means you have lots of flexibility, and I high tolerance for risk. If you screw up you can easily explain away your year or two of a poker pro as an experience builder. You can also go back to school and still be young when you graduate.

However, all your friends are young too. At this point in their lives, they are not settle in their careers. Many work service industry jobs, and have strange work schedule themselves. So, sitting in Mon-Friday playing poker every night is more anti-social because often there is mid week stuff going on.

I, on the other hand, am old. People that I know are mostly settled in their careers and most have mon-fri 9-5 jobs. So, not doing anything social mon-fri is completely normal. I just make sure I don't miss out on anything on the weekends because of poker. I actually rarely play poker on the weekends.

-volume: I don't play a lot. I should play more, but it's tough to motivate myself when I'm currently making more than I ever have, more than any of my friends, and more than both my parents combined.

But, I don't let it bother me. I'm very happy with my lifestyle. Money isn't a concern. If I want to fly home for a week, I can any time I want. If I want to go to vegas for the weekend, I could. If I want to take off mid week and go skiing for a few days, I can. And I don't feel guilty. That's why I'm playing poker. If I had of just concentrated on my career, finished my masters, etc. I'd probably be making similar money but with none of the flexibility. For this I am happy. Of course, I want to make more to compensate for the risk that goes along with play poker for a living, but that'll come with time.
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