It seems like my best choice(playing for a living)

[Felting]

As most of you know I've been a truck driver for several years. Last Friday I had to come off the road for the second time in 6 months do to health issues(cardiovascular in nature). I don't see myself returning to that profession.

With that being said, my only other work experience of any length was as a restaurant manager. Problem there being that if I can't handle truck driving do to health problems what makes me think I can handle a much more demanding job such as running a restaurant.

I really do believe I could make a living playing poker and I live in an a place(California) where there is more then enough action to go around. I've got a bankroll that's appropriate for playing 3/6 FL and 1/2 NL but I also have someone willing to stake me so I can play higher. A move to Vegas is not out of the question either.

I'm very disciplined in my play, definitely a TAG. I've proven for several years now that I can win at both FL cash and NL tourneys. I've only played 14 sessions of NL cash total, but so far I'm up at that too.

Okay, now's the time to tell me not to. But please, also tell me anything that would help me succeed if I leap off into this. Also, if any of you have experience with either staking someone or being staked, could you share the details of the arrangement. (i.e. who was responsible for the losses? How was the winnings cut?)

[jimmer]

I say give it ago, but make sure you have fixed boundries and are true to yourself.

I lost my job a few years ago and my wife and I discussed the possibility of me making a living out of it. We decided I would put aside enough money to pay for three months mortgage on the house and enough for to cover the bills etc. (because that's all I could afford). What that meant is; I had two months to make it work & another month to find a job if it didn't.

I was playing a pretty solid game at the time so was quite confident it could work, but I lost money on day one and when my wife returned from work and asked how i got on - I was already starting to feel under pressure to perform and come up with the goods. (She never put pressure on me at all though, it was 100% me that did that.

I played for a few more days and won a bit here and there, but was already playing catch up.

My advice for you would be to set your targets far, far higher than the amount you need to survive. Therefore if you only make 30% of your monthly target you still have enough to pay the bills and buy food. If however you get close to your target - you earn a good living and start enjoying life. There is no point chosing this life if you are struggling to make ends meet.

My opinion means nothing though - as i said - I only did this for a few days when I couldn't find work.

Good luck with whatever you chose and sorry to hear about your health.

[golddog]

I think Jimmer's advice is solid; make sure you have boundaries.

On the health side, are there things you can do to improve your cardiovascular health which would allow you to keep working?

Best of luck. I hope whatever decision you make is the right one for you.

[Felting]

On the health side, are there things you can do to improve your cardiovascular health which would allow you to keep working?

Yeah, I did, I lost 80lbs in 5 months and vastly improved my diet. Once I went back on the road I couldn't always eat the way I needed to so my health slide down hill in just 7 weeks. So it looks like I just can't handle the trucking lifestyle anymore.

Went to the Palace tonight, played 2/4 FL(only game they had going) and left up $132 after only 4 hours of play.

[miaowmiaowchowface]

time to learn PLOLZ

[lwestatbus]

Wow, some interesting personal insights here.

Jimmer, it sounds like you ran into some massively crappy variance. The timing sucked but I admire your discipline to stick to your parameters.

For Felting, Jimmer's experience is what you probably need to allow for. I've played a LOT of $2/4 FL in Vegas and it is an absolute crap shoot. I'd sure not make any life-changing decisions based on that experience. Have you thought of becoming a male escort? Good luck.

[Felting]

well, poker won't be my only income. Looks like I'm going to be declared permanently disabled and I'll be maxed on that based on my earnings history. Been playing 4/8 kill 08/b and 500max NL since my last post. Up significantly at both so far.

[HalfSugar]

Been playing 4/8 kill 08/b

Presumably that's a 8OB cash game, eg it is raked? If so, stop. 4/8 is a hard enough game to beat consistently due to the rake and with it being a split game, you can probably multiply the rake by about 1.8 effectively making it all but impossible to beat.

Split cash games either need ~half rake or no rake with a reasonable hourly fee.

After a 9 hour 3/6 HORSE cash game session at the Mirage I came out $1 up mostly due to the number of raked chopped pots in O8 and Stud-8. I appreciate that with 60% of the rotation not split games I also must have played pretty bad in places but you get the point!

[Felting]

Been playing 4/8 kill 08/b

Presumably that's a 8OB cash game, eg it is raked? If so, stop. 4/8 is a hard enough game to beat consistently due to the rake and with it being a split game, you can probably multiply the rake by about 1.8 effectively making it all but impossible to beat.

Split cash games either need ~half rake or no rake with a reasonable hourly fee.

After a 9 hour 3/6 HORSE cash game session at the Mirage I came out $1 up mostly due to the number of raked chopped pots in O8 and Stud-8. I appreciate that with 60% of the rotation not split games I also must have played pretty bad in places but you get the point!

My play mix has been 80% NL and 20% O8b. Mostly play the 08b game till the NL game gets started. Maybe I'm just running really good but it's been profitable so far. It's a very loose/soft game. Average 6 to the flop and 4 at showdown. The rake is 10% up to $4.

[HalfSugar]

I appreciate that if it really is "four to each showdown" that it could still be profitable but since every pot is going to be high enough to be raked by $4, you will still be very lucky to turn a long run profit. It might not even be possible due to the losses/quarterings/showdowns with two players.

You get the logic, right?

[lwestatbus]

I appreciate that if it really is "four to each showdown" that it could still be profitable but since every pot is going to be high enough to be raked by $4, you will still be very lucky to turn a long run profit. It might not even be possible due to the losses/quarterings/showdowns with two players.

You get the logic, right?

These Vegas low limit games are in a world of their own. It isn't that Vegas is the only place where you see this but it is still typical. Felting's description of "6 to the flop and 4 to showdown" is in the range I've encountered. Also, I've played $2/4, $3/6, and $4/8 at multiple venues (not just Vegas) and I see the same thing as long as these are the lowest stakes in the house. E.g., the Bellagio 4/8 plays a lot like the Suncoast 2/4.

I think that these games are beatable with a pretty simple strategy:

1. Massively expand your range of opening hands. Don't be stupid but loosen up.

2. Bail on the flop if you miss it. Most players won't notice this pattern and it will be clear to you which ones do.

3. If the board pairs deuces count on somebody having a deuce in their hand.

Variance is a bitch but I did pretty well with this strategy on my last visit while playing an absolute minimum of hands due to a week's worth of horrible starting cards, even in view of Rule 1 above.

But...there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of making a living at these stakes. But let me caveat this. Most of my play was 2/4 at the Suncoast as I needed to stay closer to the parents. Moving up to 4/8 on the Strip could change these results.

You need to also learn to deal with the wild aggressive players that show up regularly, especially at the strip venues.

[HalfSugar]

I'm specifically talking about hi/lo games here, nothing to do with whether a low limit game is beatable.

If we play an Omaha-8 hand and each put in $40 by the river, $4 will be raked leaving a pot of $76. If we chop the pot rather than one of us scoops, we each make $38. By playing the hand, we have BOTH lost $2.

Rinse and repeat that enough times and you cannot beat these games imo.

[lwestatbus]

I'm specifically talking about hi/lo games here, nothing to do with whether a low limit game is beatable.

Ah, ha!!! I barely understand Hold'em and don't venture near any others.

[Felting]

I'm specifically talking about hi/lo games here, nothing to do with whether a low limit game is beatable.

If we play an Omaha-8 hand and each put in $40 by the river, $4 will be raked leaving a pot of $76. If we chop the pot rather than one of us scoops, we each make $38. By playing the hand, we have BOTH lost $2.

Rinse and repeat that enough times and you cannot beat these games imo.

I'm taking your advice, playing the 3/6 kill hold'em till the NL game opens up each evening.

[HalfSugar]

Good man.

How are kill games by the way? I've never played one. Do you find that players intentionally go for back to back wins to create a kill pot and are therefore easier to pick off or do people not really care and if they create a kill pot, so be it?

I feel like there will be enough players trying to be the big man who wins two in a row that there could be some pretty soft spots in those games.