Published on September 6th, 2007 4:55 pm EST
Most of the people that read this site probably fall into the category of occasionally playing poker while holding down a full-time job or going to school. Compared to the overall total pool of online poker players out there, there are very few that actually grind out a living playing poker.
I was away this weekend and someone posed the question to me: if you could turn professional tomorrow, would you?
The answer to them with an instant "no." After thinking about it for a day or two, I would still say no.
So let's put forward this scenario for you. If you had six months worth of expenses in the bank to pay your bills and a decent sized bankroll online, would you play poker for a living?
Obviously the answer will vary, largely depending on how old you are, how many dependents you have, etc. I am guessing that most 19-20 year olds would immediate jump at the opportunity, but as the older you get, the less likely someone would be to want to turn pro.
When formulating my answer, I considered the following:
1) Dependants. When considering the fact that there are other people that depend on me, I don't think I could stomach not having non-poker income coming in.
2) The mental wear and tear. Poker can wear on you pretty quickly. If you have a bad day or bad week full of bad beats, it can definitely become a drag on other aspects of your life. Everyone has bad days at work, but at least you're still getting paid for it.
3. Poker probably wouldn't be fun anymore. I love poker. However if I played poker for a living, I know that it would become more like a job and less like a game to me.
4. It would lose my interest after a while. Playing cards day in and day out? In terms of mental stimulation, I think that it could get a bit taxing after a while. Personally, I would go bananas playing 60-70 hours of poker a week and not doing anything else, but that's just me.
So how about for you? Would you go pro if given the chance?
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Filed Under: Miscellaneous King Articles
Most of the people that read this site probably fall into the category of occasionally playing poker while holding down a full-time job or going to school. Compared to the overall total pool of online poker players out there, there are very few that actually grind out a living playing poker. I was away this weekend and someone posed the question to me: if you could turn professional tomorrow, would you?
The answer to them with an instant "no." After thinking about it for a day or two, I would still say no.
So let's put forward this scenario for you. If you had six months worth of expenses in the bank to pay your bills and a decent sized bankroll online, would you play poker for a living?
Obviously the answer will vary, largely depending on how old you are, how many dependents you have, etc. I am guessing that most 19-20 year olds would immediate jump at the opportunity, but as the older you get, the less likely someone would be to want to turn pro.
When formulating my answer, I considered the following:
1) Dependants. When considering the fact that there are other people that depend on me, I don't think I could stomach not having non-poker income coming in.
2) The mental wear and tear. Poker can wear on you pretty quickly. If you have a bad day or bad week full of bad beats, it can definitely become a drag on other aspects of your life. Everyone has bad days at work, but at least you're still getting paid for it.
3. Poker probably wouldn't be fun anymore. I love poker. However if I played poker for a living, I know that it would become more like a job and less like a game to me.
4. It would lose my interest after a while. Playing cards day in and day out? In terms of mental stimulation, I think that it could get a bit taxing after a while. Personally, I would go bananas playing 60-70 hours of poker a week and not doing anything else, but that's just me.
So how about for you? Would you go pro if given the chance?
--
Filed Under: Miscellaneous King Articles
