Screw it All, I'm Going Pro

FishSticks · #1 04-04-2007, 12:35 PM

SSNL - I need some support and advice. I love a good trainwreck as much as anyone, but I'm asking folks to treat this thread seriously and try to refrain from mean comments (boohoo etc).

I'm 26, live in Upstate NY, and I work in IT. I went to school for Comp Sci, and now I have a management position at a VoIP company. I make decent scratch (50k+ and fair bennies), but I HATE my job. I don't like it at all. In fact, I'm sick and tired of a desk job in general, and I don't even think I like IT. I got into this because I was always good at math and science, so people told me to go into engineering/technology fields - and what the hell do you know about these things at 16 years old (I graduated HS early).

Today I put in my 2 weeks notice, and I'm saying [censored] it all and going pro.

I'm fairly confident in my ability to support myself, and my woman makes about what I do so that will help if things go poorly at the tables for me. I've played a good amount online, but not as much as some of people here. I don't have my PT at work, but I reckon I've played less than a million hands (but certainly hundreds of thousands). I'm pretty sure of my winrate, earning potential, etc. - and I don't believe that playing 4 hours a day is going to burn me out terribly either. I love being able to work when I want, where I want - all the alluring stuff that draws people to this. If I fall flat on my face, well, whatever - I guess I'll have to go get a real job again (should be easily doable).

So, guys, help me out and tell me I'm doing the right thing by chasing a (foolish?) dream and leaving the grind behind. I don't have children to support btw, and I do have a bit of cash saved up. So many of my friends and family don't really understand how poker works, and plenty of people kind of think I'm flushing away a good career because I had a lucky day once at the blackjack tables. Does anyone living off poker feel me here? Does anyone close to you view it as a poor life choice on your part?

So, please throw some words of wisdom and encouragement my way. Although I feel good about my numbers, I still have some measure of fear and anxiety leaving my comfort zone. Help me out boys!

Fletcher19 · #2 04-04-2007, 12:36 PM

gl man

luckybacon · #3 04-04-2007, 12:37 PM

my best advice is just dont do something you dont like. If you dont like your job then it shouldnt be your job. Money only takes you so far in life, you dont want to be stuck being miserable. Whether its poker or whatever, I was you the best of luck

Suigin406 · #4 04-04-2007, 12:40 PM

i wish u the best of luck in this...i won't ask for specifics, but i hope u understand winrate as well as the other concepts, though it looks like you do...

it's nice to see u have a solid education, so u have a fallback option, so this is a nice cushion to have...

u already put in notice, but i would have suggested taking a sizable vacation and see how you like playing poker on a full time basis before rushing into anything...

either way, good luck and keep posting and reading these strat forums, they help...

CobraGoat · #5 04-04-2007, 12:40 PM

GL....but... why not try to find a more appealing job? Or, since you will only be working 4 hours a day try to create some other form of income for yourself that you would enjoy?

I dont know. Part of me is jealous but another part thinks you will be going from one grind to another. In any case, best of luck.

Mike MacIntosh · #6 04-04-2007, 12:44 PM

This has bad life decision written all over it.

Novles · #7 04-04-2007, 12:45 PM

gl bro. i'm thinking about this

EddieRooo · #8 04-04-2007, 12:45 PM

GL.

You need to earn a fair whack at SSNL after tax for it to be better than your job. And sitting down to play for 8 hours a day can get pretty boring when it becomes routine. But if you can take a shot and see how it goes and still have some sort of job to go back to (ie based on your experience) then there no reason not to.

FishSticks · #9 04-04-2007, 12:46 PM

Thanks guys. I recently turned down a job for close over 60 doing VoIP Engineering, but I realized I just don't [censored] like this crap anymore. I'm good at it I guess, but I don't like it.

My two main hobbies/passions are playing guitar and playing poker. I still jam all the time, but playing out once in a while can't pay the bills. To be blunt, I'm very lazy. Getting up whenever and working a short day and spending more time with my gf, dog, doing home improvement stuff, extra time for jamming - it all sounds good on the surface, but I'm still nervous.

Also, I work kind of long hours as it is, so I'm looking forward to playing poker while not mentally exhausted (FPS here I come!)

Edit: For the guy that saying it's a big mistake, I appreciate your candor, but realize I'm coming here because I need some support (even from Internet strangers), as this is a scary thing for me. 50k/year is only like 4k/month, and it doesn't seem on the surface that it will be *that* difficult to squeeze in 40-50k hands and easily hit that number. I'm more worried about my play suffering because of the added stress, and worried about turning poker into something I hate because I *have* to do it.

cbboy · #10 04-04-2007, 12:50 PM

Well, good luck man. I hope it all works out for you. I'm sure you can do it. You might as well do something that you enjoy instead of being miserable at your job. Oh, and there isn't such a thing as a "foolish" dream. If you want to do it, I say go for it and see how it goes for you. Good luck!