Playing Live Poker for a Living

[seabass]

I recently lost my job and in order to pad my income while I look for another one, I am trying to play poker. Over the past year I have done better in live games than online cash games. I do do ok in online tournaments though. I am trying to figure out how much a decent player can make monthly playing 50 hrs a week. (I understand that there will be variance, but I am looking for an average)

a. 50 hrs/wk at $1/2 NLH - 300 max
b. 50 hrs/wk at $2/5 NLH - 500 max

[Albert Moulton]

I would guess that if you are a good, patient, and disciplined player relative to the field that you could make at least $20/hour for a total of $1000/week playing at whichever level (1/2 300 max or 2/5 500 max) has the most action.

Some weeks you'd make a whole lot more. But some weeks you'd get smashed for 5-7 buy-ins, or more. So, make sure you have a big enough bankroll for the variance.

[Nicky Balls]

if you play smart LAG at the casino then u could make up to 400 a day. when i went to turning stone i played smart LAG and bluffed alot when i knew my oppenents didnt have it i would make a killer

[Rek]

[ QUOTE ]
if you play smart LAG at the casino then u could make up to 400 a day. when i went to turning stone i played smart LAG and bluffed alot when i knew my oppenents didnt have it i would make a killer

[/ QUOTE ]

And now you want staking? Just spend a week doing the above and you will have $2800

[TheChad]

omg, do not play 50 hours/week. You will hate life after that.

[phydaux]

yeah, one of the advantages of playing poker for a living is that, if you're good enough, you only have to "work" 4 days a week, six hours a day.

[Nsight7]

Seriously, you would really be grinding.

I want to ask though, what limits were you playing online? How many hands do you have online from which to draw the reasonable conclusion that you are better offline than online?

[hoosiertim]

I'm a limit player so I cannot speak to your win rate. But more than your skill, your bankroll mgmt is what seprates the winners from the homeless poker player

[Johnny Hughes]

Here is a brief excerpt from my upcoming novel where the main characters are discussing this question:
Matthew "Slick" O'Malley has been a Texas road gambler for fifty years. He wants to teach his nephew, Dylan, everything about poker: its strategy, culture, language, history, pitfalls, songs, movies, books, gambling joints, and web sites.
"Did you ever want to be anything other than a gambler?” Dylan O'Malley asked his uncle..
“There's no percentage in regrets, boy. To me, it's always been about time, not money. I found early on that I was up for about fifteen hours a week of hustling as a gambler. I have always watched everyone hurrying off to work. Not me."
Dylan had saved $250,000 in poker winnings in two years. He said, "I love poker. I can't see going back to renting my life out by the hour. I can go anyplace I want all over the world and no-limit Texas Hold 'em will be there waiting for me. It's the purest form of freedom.". Texas Poker Wisdom, a novel, by Johnny Hughes