NL 1/2 Making a living?

[BK1248]

[ QUOTE ]
Ur post just motivates me even more now. I can't thank you enough. I'm very dedicated and serious about that and I think I can avoid the aforementioned pitfalls, hehe. I'll just build my live bankroll now so that I will be ready in case of a slow start when September comes.

Thanks for your comments, big boost there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not all about playing well tho, U HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS!! There was a group of 4 of us who hung aroung together, we all did well, they made 150 to 300k a year. I was very diciplined up to this point , maybe year and half ago, i never drank at the casino and had good money management. We started hanging out together and my discipline went downhill.


I blew 10k in the 80-160 game at the Borgata, lost maybe 2k each trip to foxwoods playin NL drunk. That was ok and I was stupid at the time but I corrected that, but my friends would go out 600$ dinners and $200 lunches everyday and they thought they were invinceable i guess. So basically 2 of them blew their whole rolls and are in debt/broke, and struggling and the third has problems also and just got a job after making 500k+ in a year and a half.

Another thing they did was play 200-400 because it was the highest game in the place with Stoxtrader and 7 other 2+2ERS, while im in the best 100-200 game in the country with 4-5 people seeing the flop, but they wont play because 2-4 is bigger, eventho u can earn moe in the 1-2. Controlling ur ego is a big part also. Last year and a half I would never play as low as 40-80 but I hit a big downswing and was still very comfortable but went back to grinding 20-40 at foxwoods just to get some wins under my belt. My friends played 150-300 on a 30k bankroll, lost most of it and played a well known 2+2er ( good game selection for ur last dollar) his last 10k heads up 75-150 omaha and went BUSTO. There is nothing wrong with stepping down and grinding it back out, but my friends are embarrassed to play 20-40 , but i think its better than working.

There is a lot more to being a pro than just being good player, taking losses , game selection , money management and i can say if u master these skills mentally u will have a much easier time playing for a living.

My one broke friend is a 2+2er, hes a really nice kid, maybe he will chime in if he sees the thread but he prolly sold his laptop. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[nldurham13]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ur post just motivates me even more now. I can't thank you enough. I'm very dedicated and serious about that and I think I can avoid the aforementioned pitfalls, hehe. I'll just build my live bankroll now so that I will be ready in case of a slow start when September comes.

Thanks for your comments, big boost there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its not all about playing well tho, U HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS!! There was a group of 4 of us who hung aroung together, we all did well, they made 150 to 300k a year. I was very diciplined up to this point , maybe year and half ago, i never drank at the casino and had good money management. We started hanging out together and my discipline went downhill.


I blew 10k in the 80-160 game at the Borgata, lost maybe 2k each trip to foxwoods playin NL drunk. That was ok and I was stupid at the time but I corrected that, but my friends would go out 600$ dinners and $200 lunches everyday and they thought they were invinceable i guess. So basically 2 of them blew their whole rolls and are in debt/broke, and struggling and the third has problems also and just got a job after making 500k+ in a year and a half.

Another thing they did was play 200-400 because it was the highest game in the place with Stoxtrader and 7 other 2+2ERS, while im in the best 100-200 game in the country with 4-5 people seeing the flop, but they wont play because 2-4 is bigger, eventho u can earn moe in the 1-2. Controlling ur ego is a big part also. Last year and a half I would never play as low as 40-80 but I hit a big downswing and was still very comfortable but went back to grinding 20-40 at foxwoods just to get some wins under my belt. My friends played 150-300 on a 30k bankroll, lost most of it and played a well known 2+2er ( good game selection for ur last dollar) his last 10k heads up 75-150 omaha and went BUSTO. There is nothing wrong with stepping down and grinding it back out, but my friends are embarrassed to play 20-40 , but i think its better than working.

There is a lot more to being a pro than just being good player, taking losses , game selection , money management and i can say if u master these skills mentally u will have a much easier time playing for a living.

My one broke friend is a 2+2er, hes a really nice kid, maybe he will chime in if he sees the thread but he prolly sold his laptop. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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I agree with all of this, I saw the same exact things happen to many people. Guys that were much better than me refusing to move down because they cared what people would say. BUSTO! If poker is your only income you can't worry about what anyone thinks. It is your job, therefore you must treat it the same as any other job. A friend of mine had a tourney score of 400k about 3 years ago. He was playin 2-4 nl when it happened. A year leter he was playing 5-10nl and someone asked him " why u still playing so small?" He said "I play the level I know I can beat and will move up when I am ready." That is correct line of thinking to be successful.

[RocketPiquette]

Nice story there. I know it's not a game of ego, and that problems may/will arise if it becomes one. I play a rocky style online, which I carried to AC when I went there, and it suits me well. I know my limit(s), and I am sure I will learn a lot about myself as the sessions go by. It is very nice from you to share your experience. Thanks again.

[otter]

$20/hour at $1-2 is also doable if you exercise good game selection. $2-5NL will also earn you a nice wage

[Jeffage]

This is a great post and I agree 100 percent. Many people know how to play very well, and many of these same people end up busted b/c they enjoy the status of playing the biggest game in the house and the floorman kissing their ass, the black card lounge, the paper, so much that they can't step back, open a PBR and look at things logically. The whole idea is finding the best spot where you can make the most money with a reasonable amount of risk.

If you need everyone in the room to know your name, don't expect to do well. If you need to experience life changing financial swings every time you visit a poker room, don't expect to do well. If you can't resist the pit or sports, don't expect to do well. Play poker to make money, treat it as a business not as permanent vacation. And know that if you go broke, no one will give a [censored]. No one will care that you used to be a big winner and pulled that sick checkraise bluff. I mean it, no one cares. GREAT post and I think every pro/semi pro or aspiring pro (esp. young) should read.

Jeff

[mucked4u]

Everyone fails to realize the fact that how young people are raised today they have no sense of responsibility and discipline. Therefore success is difficult for them.
They lack in ethical character and maturity.
This is not a putdown just reality.
When your raised without structure in your life you have no foundation.
I know there is decent money to be made at N/L but it takes a rare breed that can put it all together. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Keys Myaths]

Oh, stop, that's not even close to true. We don't have responsibility and discipline...because we're YOUNG. It's not the generation.

Many of us HAVE made good money through discipline and responsibility. No, not a lot of us have it, but the ones who do have succeeded.

Quit making ridiculous generalizations.

[mucked4u]

Keys I would not expect the majority of young people to see my point because they seem to have little concept of right from wrong.
They were not raised with morality etc. etc..
It contributes to how they filter everything through thier mindset including poker.
Again I do not aim to put down anyone .But still I expect replies of attitude like yours and many more.

[RocketPiquette]

I get your point. I have strong confidence I am not of that breed. But, I don't have to plead my case...I just have to go there and succeed. I am not looking for recognition...

[Keys Myaths]

[ QUOTE ]
Keys I would not expect the majority of young people to see my point because they seem to have little concept of right from wrong.
They were not raised with morality etc. etc..
It contributes to how they filter everything through thier mindset including poker.
Again I do not aim to put down anyone .But still I expect replies of attitude like yours and many more.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, we have no morality.

That's it.

I quit my last job for moral reasons. I don't think there's anyone in my MBA program that doesn't contribute highly to the community. A good friend of mine is ridiculed for his religious beliefs on a daily basis, yet continues to preach.

But hey, you want to take all the stories you hear about BAD people and attribute that to "today's society". Ever step back and think that the reason you hear all these stories is the simple fact that there's MORE information out there than ever?

Nah, I wouldn't expect that. Keep expecting as little out of my generation as possible. We're going to shock the hell out of you someday, and you can think of me when we do.