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June 12, 2004
Life As A Pro
Perhaps the most important question I have been asked is what did I learn about playing poker for a living (and life in general) in my one year. First of all I learned that being good at poker is only a part of being a successful pro. I have seen people who I know to be winning players quit their jobs, and even though they love poker it just wasn’t the career for them. The swings can be very upsetting, though at least for me time has cured this malaise greatly. Whereas I was upset greatly when the bad streaks occurred in the beginning, I now can take them in stride (even ones lasting 2 months) without my confidence being too shaken. I have learned that confidence is just as important as poker ability, and that there is a very fine line between confidence and self delusion. You must be able to analyze your own play objectively, realize that everyone plays badly sometimes while not excusing yourself for doing so, and take responsibility for you own results while not letting bad streaks (or your occasional bad play) damage your ego. I have learned that you must adjust your personal life (more from watching friends than from myself) in order to have any shot at success. It is hard to explain to a girlfriend that you can’t go out on Sunday because you have to play in your Sunday $215, because in poker you don’t ever have to play at a certain time but you must retain discipline and play in the most profitable things. It is hard to explain that you need to be left alone so that you can concentrate, and that you need to retain your emotional equilibrium when playing.
It is for this last reason that I have also learned what a wonderful girlfriend I have. Pretty much all of my friends who had girlfriends were unable to resolve the conflict between them and poker. Mine however has been very understanding and we have both worked together to create an ideal situation where she is respectful of my job and I do not let it get in the way of our relationship. It has taken some sacrifice from both of us but in the end has been well worth it, since we get to spend much more time together now and I am not always (or ever) worried about money. She has been very supportive of my choice of careers, even though it is one that is looked down upon by most people. It seems that everyone either thinks you are a degenerate gambler and/or just self deluded a fool who is temporarily lucky and those who are close to you worry about you while those who aren’t consider you somewhat of a novelty. I hope that someday professional poker players are looked upon in the same light as professional golfers, actors, or football players, but I don’t think that day will come anytime soon. Most people seem to think television coverage has helped in this regard, and it may have helped for the people who are regularly on TV, but for the rest of use who are not (some of whom win as much as or more than the vast majority of those on television) it seems to make people think you are the poker equivalent of the thousands of people who move to Hollywood to become famous actors and end up spending the next 30 years as a waitress hopelessly waiting for their big break.
Poker is somewhat like acting in this regard, in that most people who try it will fail and some will never throw in the towel and spend their whole life trying to make it. However unlike movie stardom, poker success does not require notoriety. In my trips to Vegas and other gambling towns I have met numerous people who have spent 20 years or more grinding away at limits no bigger than $30/$60. They may never be on the WPT or ESPN, but they have made hundreds of thousands (some even millions) doing something they love. One big bet an hour at $30/$60 when playing full time adds up to over $120,000 a year and I would guess that there are a good number of people out there doing that. Add in the people doing the same thing online and there are hundreds of successful pro poker players out there. Considering that millions of people play every week this may not be a large number, but it does mean that it can be done.
Most importantly I have learned that poker is the career for me. I have never been the 9-5 sort. Even though I am not sure I want poker to be my sole income for many years, I am sure that it will provide enough money and satisfaction for at least the next few. As I grow my bankroll I will probably want to branch out into real estate, owning a small business or two, and some other things. I do not yet know if I will succeed in becoming one of the top players, but I think I have as good a shot as anyone. I would like to at least play a few major events a year (I have already played 2 this year) and will probably continue to do so for my entire life. Even if I am never good enough to play those white chip games or plunk down $10k for a buy in whenever I so desire I will not be too unhappy. If I can keep making 6 figures annually at poker for the next 20 years I will be able to retire in my early 40s a multi millionaire, with more than enough money to accomplish whatever I wish to in life, all the while being my own boss and working on my terms.
I also feel that I have a good mentality for being a pro. I of course get frustrated with the game at times but I am always able to remain on my A game. I can withstand the bad streaks and not get too optimistic over the good. I have a supportive girlfriend, but even if for some unknown reason things don’t work out with her I will never be the type of person to let my personal life interfere with my job. If I had to find another girl I would find one who was supportive of it or none at all. I have watched friends throw away everything they wanted because they fell too hard for a girl and I am definitely not the type to ever do that. I don’t think you can be if you are to be successful at poker, or probably at anything for that matter. You need to be able to balance relationships and work to be good at anything, and your significant other has to be the same way. I would guess that this conflict is why most people who attempt to become professional poker players fail in the end.
Well there you have my observations, take them for what they are worth. I think this will give some insight into poker and life, and especially that area in the middle of the Venn Diagram where the two intersect. This blog has been a great help to me over the past six months and I will continue to update it often. The readership seems to be skyrocketing and the feedback overwhelmingly positive so I will continue to post as long as people are interested. Thanks for reading.
Posted by themaroon at June 12, 2004 7:30 AM
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