Perspectives - (to younger posters with smaller bankrolls)

[Clayton]

As some of you guys know, I posted a long entry a few days ago wondering what I could do with my 6k roll, having been on a rollercoaster with the mid-stakes NL games and getting chewed up and spat out at 5/10 and 3/6. There were some great replies from others, but most importantly I understood that for a job where I am grinding out a wage, there really aren't many other jobs out there quite like mine for a 19-year old when it comes to making real money.

While trying to log in to my blogger account from a different computer, I found my old blog from last Semester here.

There's a lot of interesting stuff in there, but I had completely forgotten where I came from as little as 8 months ago. I was just getting adjusted to college life, but it seems just like yesterday when I was taking my first semester courses and chasing blondes downtown.

What hadn't occured to me now was my bankroll being in the hundreds, not thousands back then. And I was playing 11's and small stakes limit. The posts are similar, but the games and the stakes are alarmingly different.

This semester I've won and lost pots that were more than my entire worth last semester. I've come a long way, thanks to my own determination and the help and advice from 2+2.

Those of you reading this in high school or college, seeing yourselves on low bankrolls, thinking about working at some place like Hallmark or Publix, there really is nothing quite like playing poker for your source of income at this age. The sky is the limit, and if you fail you're no different than every other broke college friend of yours. Play smart, reply to a lot of hands, post a lot and you can go from a roll of $500 to a roll of $10k in zero time with the right level of talent and patience.

I know it. I see all of you micro players in here and I am certain the next group of MLG's, CardSharpCook's, Ansky's, and Gobboboys will come from a select few of you. It is absolutely astounding how quick you can build a roll, because I don't consider myself as anything outstanding compared to my peers here and Ive still managed off okay.

Cliff notes: Young people with small rolls, play well and play a lot and you will be surprised at how quickly you can succeed and get to making real monies. Don't think in the too-short term. A year may seem like nothing, but to a poker player it is practically a lifetime.

[tubasteve]

How about going from a roll of $200 to a roll of $1200 to a roll of $200?

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Thank god for 150BB 2/4 downswings then tiltmonkeying at NL100!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edit: Nice post btw. If only I could win a damn tournament.

[Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
How about going from a roll of $200 to a roll of $1200 to a roll of $200?

[/ QUOTE ]

Been there, done that. My last semester of high school I built my roll up to $1400 and almost puked it away. This time last year I had $300 to my name, and put it onto Party to 4-table the .5/1 limit game.

[gobboboy]

This is a great post, and not just because I'm mentioned in it. Almost anthology worthy.

[DawnToDusk]

I am in college myself and thankfully at this moment in life, I don't have to worry about my financial situation. So playing cards this summer is definately what I plan on doing and building my bankroll. And if I try to keep pace with my goals for this summer, the sky is the limit. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

But at the same time I get a sense from you that you are advising those who are considering working this summer for a financial lifeline to play poker is actually a bad piece of advice.

I was once in that boat and had I decided to play poker as opposed to work I would of had a lot less money for my schooling and as a end result woulf of been under a lot more stress throughout the year with working part time and going to school full time. Maybe expanding on your advice (cuse I really do think it is good [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ) is to say be patient. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

If you find yourself at the point in the road where you can take a shot and say "This is the summer where I am going to support myself from poker and HOPE it works out" or "I can work hard this summer and support myself financially in the future," please choose to work. I know for a fact that because I worked a whole summer, and decided to play poker the next summer to support myself I was able to 1)dedicate more time to poker 2)play with a bigger bankroll and 3)have better results in turn causing me to profit more.

So again, great advice from Clayton, but if you ever find yourself saying "This is the summer where I am going to support myself from poker and HOPE it works out" then please work. You shouldn't ever find yourself saying HOPE because it is only going to put unnecessary pressure on you and if you fail at supporting yourself, then you are going to be in a bigger jam in the future.



P.S. - GL to all of you out there who are going to play poker this summer to support yourself. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[silencee]

I agree with Clayton completely, though I am one of the younger players.

I've played for almost two years now, I believe. Before three months ago, I fluctuated between $50 and $900, buying a $400 computer and an iPod in the process. I read the books, but I didn't make an effort to put them in effect.

Then about three months ago, I got serious about reading this forum and re-read all of the books. I started looking over hand histories. I played single table tournaments at Bodog, using their bonus, from $50 to $2000 over two months or so. Then I bought a laptop, and got staked about $1000 by my father (normally I wouldn't accept this, but he could use the help and my bankroll was hurting due to the laptop purchase).

Then about one month ago, I found this forum and decided to start playing MTTs seriously. I always had more fun with those than STTs, I just never had the bankroll to do it.

Anyways, point is, thanks to this forum, some good luck and the books I read, I managed to win two tournaments this month, jumping my bankroll up to about 14k.

I don't want to disclose my age, as I think that could potentially be -EV, but as long as you keep at it you'll make the improvement you need to take your game to the next level, even if it takes two years. I'm definitely not a great player yet, probably not even a good one, but as long as you stay unsatisfied and continue to try to be satisfied, things can only get better.

I'm rambling. I only came in here to say I'm an example of what Clayton was talking about when he says it's astounding how quick you can improve and build a roll.

[Clayton]

DawnToDusk,

I feel that anyone who says "This is the summer where I am going to support myself from poker and HOPE it works out" is a loser. I put $300 into Party over working at a job like Best Buy (which I did the previous summer) because I told myself "I am going to make a lot of money from poker". There was no ifs, ands, or buts.

Though I wouldn't recommend that to everyone, I would contend that anyone who ever thinks "This is the summer where I am going to support myself from poker and HOPE it works out" lacks the confidence necessary to withstand bankroll swings over a long period of time. They value things more in accordance with luck as opposed to busting ass and putting in hours.

Also, job versus poker: If you're between 18-22, you can do both easily. I just chose poker because I chose NOT to have a normal job. But those in more restricting financial situations can do both with little problem, so long as it's established that "THIS AMOUNT" is solely dedicated to poker and "THIS AMOUNT" is garnered from a real job and can not be touched otherwise.

[sunrise]

Great post. I am one of the younger players too and this is quite inspiring!

You're right about the jobs, but I think having a regular job, even if part-time has other qualities which can be beneficial to a young person. First of all it helps with the social life. It's important to have multiple skillsets in life so that one can always switch gears if necessary. Also a regular job may be a stepping stone for a career which a young person may go into. I suppose this is assuming that the young person is not going to be a pro poker player for the rest of their life.
Of course I think one could be a pro poker player and also have other careers, or perhaps switch on and off between poker and other different careers throughout life.
Diversity is healthy imo.

[DawnToDusk]

Totally agree. I was just double checking to make sure we didn't tell some poor hopeless HS kid who is going to college that he/she has to pay for next year to play poker and in turn they make no money and are just broke as joke for college and under all kinds of stress. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Great post by the way.

[10K-in-Clay]

Last june I deposited $50 and started grinding out at the lower limits I was working a job at a french fry trailer for income and just playing poker for fun. By the end of the summer i had $2000 and realized that this could be more than just for fun. This year was my first year in university so i didn't have a lot of time to play poker (i'm taking engineering and thats a [censored] of work). Regardless i played a few mtts every now and then and worked my roll up to 5K.....This summer i will be only playing poker [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. I just got out of school 2 days ago and definately look forward to grinding it out. So far soo good too....been playin for 2 days and already won a 20/180 on stars and been doing well in the cash games. GL to everyone this summer!!!