Hey guys!

I recently had a rude awakening when black friday hit. I would always tell people,"Online poker is never getting shut down." Well, I, like most online players, was wrong. I luckily graduated college (don't know how) with a mechanical engineering degree. I always told my mom, whom I was living with after I graduated, that I was looking for work and playing poker on the side to pay for bills, student loans, food, etc...But I had no intention getting a job. As long As I could grind out enough money to pay for shit and have the extra to buy tons of shit, I didn't need, I was happy. Also, why the hell would I get a job at that time in my life. A real job was a "trap." If I got a job I wouldn't have the freedom that I always dreamed of. Online poker gave me that freedom. Anytime I wanted to, I could just leave and visit family, friends, take a vacation, whatever I wanted. After living this life for about a year and a half I actually got pretty burned out. Poker was still fun, because it was a challenge, but I started to treat it like a job. When you're forced to make money playing poker it can become frustrating when you don't hit those big scores. So when black friday came and I couldn't log onto my account I literally panicked. First of all, I had loans and bills to pay. I couldn't ask my mom for money because she would consider me a complete failure. So what the fuck do I do? Well I did have a credit card at the time that I had been paying for about a year (Don't ask me why I didn't pay it off when I had the money). So I found out that I could actually take out like 300 dollars. So what did I do? Well, I headed for the nearest casino, about 2 hours away and played at a live cash game. Down to my last $100, I actually came back and banked like $1200 at 1/2. This gave me some breathing room. After doing this for a couple months, I realized this wasn't a sure thing, and I couldn't play everyday because the Casino was so far away. So I moved to my Dad's place which was an urban area with plenty of jobs. I figured I would just get a waiter job at some restaurant near by while I looked for a "real" Job. I did this for about a month then finally landed a job right near my dads with a yearly salary around 45,00 with benefits. I didn't really care about the starting salary because I was looking for the first job I could get.

Anyway, after working a typical 9 to 5 for about 4 months now I gotta say its really not all that bad. It's so nice to have a steady paycheck coming in every two weeks. Also it's helped me to budget my money. I've learned not to just spend money wildly on shit I don't really need. Also, its nice to know that my day starts at 8 and ends at 4:30. With poker you never know how the day is going to go, how long you'll be playing, how much you'll lose, how you'll feel afterwards. There is just so much instability with poker. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the unknown, but at some point you need some stability in your life. You need to learn how to plan. You need to have direction about where you want to go. Its soo hard to learn this things while playing poker professionally because so much is left to chance. I don't mean getting lucky, I just mean most players don't have great direction because its tough to have direction in poker. I for instance just wanted to make enough money to eventually play live tournaments then become a millionaire. Seriously, that's such bullshit! Its a nice dream, but most dreams don't come true without hard work, planning, discipline and direction. Having stability in you're life will really help you in the long run. So much has changed for the good since I started working.

Now if online poker suddenly came back would I play? Hell yes I would. And I really think I would be a much better player. I've learned so much since I stopped playing. The toughest parts of poker, like discipline, are hard to learn while playing professionally. Now, I wouldn't quit my job, but I would def be logging in some hours at night a couple days a week.

I wrote this because if you are like me, you were dreading getting a "real" job. I just want to let you know its not bad, its actually a really good thing. If you're considering moving like I did, think twice. I know you're thinking a real job isn't for me, but I was the same way. I would give it a try and if things don't work out you can always go back to your original decision to move. Just something to consider. After getting a job you'll learn things about yourself you didn't know before. And like I said it will give you that direction in your life that I feel everyone needs.

Hope this helps...and good luck at the tables lol!

It isn't that bad...as long as the school grind is worth it. Honestly, if I come out of this with 60k debt (which is about normal) and can't land a job that allows me to move up to bigger and better things, I am really going to hate it. I mean, the gf got a 30k job and won't go much higher, but that's all she cares about. I want a lot of toys and vacations in my life, so a real job that pays well+ benefits plus being able to play some type of poker on side for paying off extra debt/all the extra toys will be awesome. Real jobs aren't horrific unless you haven't graduated....then you could be working stupid ass shifts like 4pm-1am or something. The only thing I dread is being like my friends who work 8-5...they come home, and are tired (not from working hard), so they go to bed early and basically the day is shot. I see myself getting 6 hrs or so a night for the rest of my life (maybe less once I have kids), just because I will stay up late with poker. However, I can't imagine my life without poker. All of the extra benefits it brings cashwise, big or small, is worth it. I just wish I knew where my career would be going. Poker I kind of knew, as you can't go tremendously far besides more money/sponsorships I guess. Oh, and I can't wait for weekends off. Just quit my job where I was up at 6am on weekends. I can't wait to just be a normal part of society...like M-F are designated as workdays for most people, then get crazy on the weekends. I can finally say TGIF!

 

Originally Posted by swd805

Real jobs suck dick

you ever had one?

 

Originally Posted by swd805

Real jobs suck dick

for sure this

 

Originally Posted by smithgraham

you ever had one?

Yes I have, I entered the work-force at 15 working at a pet store cleaning rat shit out of cages, then moved on to an oil change job sweating it out in a toxic environment working the lower bay (underneath the vehicles). After that worked a gas station job for a while before quitting to focus on school. Also worked as a telephone sales job and then into customer service. Moved on to a HVAC job working for an alcoholic asshole of a boss that I eventually walked off the job after 2 years with a meltdown between the two of us. Since then I work as a plumber in shit trenches and with black goop splattering my face, tampons and real live doo doo loaf.

How about you?

 

Originally Posted by swd805

Yes I have, I entered the work-force at 15 working at a pet store cleaning rat shit out of cages, then moved on to an oil change job sweating it out in a toxic environment working the lower bay (underneath the vehicles). After that worked a gas station job for a while before quitting to focus on school. Also worked as a telephone sales job and then into customer service. Moved on to a HVAC job working for an alcoholic asshole of a boss that I eventually walked off the job after 2 years with a meltdown between the two of us. Since then I work as a plumber in shit trenches and with black goop splattering my face, tampons and real live doo doo loaf.

How about you?

Prolly why you hate it...you are working shitty ass jobs that anyone in their right mind would hate compared to poker. I can see most of the online community single the rest of their lives with no kids so they think poker is the means to everything. Boozin it up when you're 65.

EDIT: Last part may or may not apply to you, just stating in general.

 

Originally Posted by bef99hwk

Prolly why you hate it...you are working shitty ass jobs that anyone in their right mind would hate compared to poker. I can see most of the online community single the rest of their lives with no kids so they think poker is the means to everything. Boozin it up when you're 65.

EDIT: Last part may or may not apply to you, just stating in general.

I dont hate all "real jobs" I actually dont mind the plumbing job because Im a foreman and make good money. But I dislike the concept of careers, working 40-60 hours a week doing something that you dont love doing, for an awful boss for 40-50 years just to retire when you are old. I wanna live life now when I am young, not defer "life" to the future. I will never go down the corporate road in life, life is too short to sell your soul like that. The people who are posting about how everyone should get a real career have some great points, and its probably the best path for a lot of people but not necessarily for everyone. Also would be interesting to hear from all the people who grinded out a "career" for years and years just to be fired or layed off and left out in the cold.

I've worked multiple restaurant jobs, I've worked at Best Buy, I've done freelance computer repair and brand development. <--that was all in high school. Right after graduation I flew in the USAF for four years and had a blast. It was fun, but the thought of taking pointless orders from people who were given positions of authority over me and being told where I'm going to live and when I'm going to fly/deploy/etc just didn't sound at all like the way for me to live life to the fullest. So I separated in June, 2011. I then went to Vegas for a few weeks during the WSOP and had (pretty decent, actually) success. I took a few more trips out there in the coming months and overall spent about 2ish months in the last seven grinding it out live. While I wasn't grinding it out in Vegas I was mostly traveling around the states seeing family and friends and researching how to start online businesses and other entrepreneurial endeavors. Now I honestly don't care about going to school and getting a degree, but I found an awesome school in Thailand that would still accept me for spring term (I applied in November). So here I am, going to this super chill uni, in this amazing tropical country, as my current means to living life to the fullest. I'm still working on my entrepreneurial projects and should really be rolling with those within the next year. This summer I will either travel to Macau or back to Vegas for the WSOP for a few weeks to make my money to travel and live the next few months. I might even take next semester off of school and travel or play poker or maybe just play poker for a few months and then take a few months of mini retirement and/or go help out some random orphanage somewhere. Who knows? Who cares? As long as i continue to assess my situation and live life to the fullest.This whole mentality of working a 9-5 with only a few weeks off during each year and then waiting for that time when you're 55+ years old so you can finally start enjoying your life <-- Makes absolutely no sense. It's really important to understand that, no matter what you believe about an afterlife, we only have ONE CHANCE at this life. Once we die, all of these current, conscious sensations and feelings, experiences, knowledge, pleasures, any type of sense or input into these amazing minds of ours will just be gone. That's it. Why not maximize every single waking moment with the most positive choice, input, feeling, whatever it may be? It's so "comfortable" and "normal" to get a "real job" and go help make some random person rich, but why? One. Chance. At. Life. Might as well LL2TF.

/rant

 

Originally Posted by Haze33

LOL, yea 100k per year with benefits, company care, corporate expense account and matching 401k really sucks, the reason you idiots say real jobs suck is due to the fact you can't get one, just a fact.

Stfu. You have no idea everyone's personal situation. Some people literally can't get jobs. Is your post a level, are a spoiled brat college kid? Are you familiar with the current job market? If there was any seriousness at all to your post I don't need to elaborate, you labeled yourself.

I hope you and people like you keep your cushy jobs & bringing money over here for us, thanks!

idc

 

Originally Posted by Haze33

LOL, yea 100k per year with benefits, company care, corporate expense account and matching 401k really sucks, the reason you idiots say real jobs suck is due to the fact you can't get one, just a fact.

I guess the downside is that it turns you into a complete fucking elitist cunt, just a fact.

 

Originally Posted by swd805

I dont hate all "real jobs" I actually dont mind the plumbing job because Im a foreman and make good money. But I dislike the concept of careers, working 40-60 hours a week doing something that you dont love doing, for an awful boss for 40-50 years just to retire when you are old. I wanna live life now when I am young, not defer "life" to the future. I will never go down the corporate road in life, life is too short to sell your soul like that. The people who are posting about how everyone should get a real career have some great points, and its probably the best path for a lot of people but not necessarily for everyone. Also would be interesting to hear from all the people who grinded out a "career" for years and years just to be fired or layed off and left out in the cold.

I can't disagree with your post more.Are you talking about kids who slept in class during their years in uni & then decided that career it's not for them?? I studied, i gratuated & got a job in international company & currently studying for my MBA.& yes i love what i do . Obv it's not for everyone,but the same applies to poker.Many young people think poker i so cool & then get dissapointed when they can't become millionaires overnight.
People make their own choices & i'm not here to flame people who play poker for a living,but don't make it sound like it's impossible to make a career( & i mean a good one).

 

Originally Posted by bwalz

Firs off you live across the pond so were talking apples & oranges. Second, I didn't say it was "impossible", I said its basically unappealing in many ways in the US as others have pointed out. I agree that for some people & situations it is a good thing but not for everyone.

I wasn't referring to your post.Situation is not much diff here,but haven't met many people who would struggle to get a job with decent education.

 

Originally Posted by swd805

Yes I have, I entered the work-force at 15 working at a pet store cleaning rat shit out of cages, then moved on to an oil change job sweating it out in a toxic environment working the lower bay (underneath the vehicles). After that worked a gas station job for a while before quitting to focus on school. Also worked as a telephone sales job and then into customer service. Moved on to a HVAC job working for an alcoholic asshole of a boss that I eventually walked off the job after 2 years with a meltdown between the two of us. Since then I work as a plumber in shit trenches and with black goop splattering my face, tampons and real live doo doo loaf.

How about you?

If I were you I would hate life and not my job.

 

Originally Posted by Haze33

LOL, yea 100k per year with benefits, company care, corporate expense account and matching 401k really sucks, the reason you idiots say real jobs suck is due to the fact you can't get one, just a fact.

Hows life waking up at 5am everyday to do the same thing everyday kissing ass to your boss just to live for the weekend?

 

Originally Posted by smithgraham

I can't disagree with your post more.Are you talking about kids who slept in class during their years in uni & then decided that career it's not for them?? I studied, i gratuated & got a job in international company & currently studying for my MBA.& yes i love what i do . Obv it's not for everyone,but the same applies to poker.Many young people think poker i so cool & then get dissapointed when they can't become millionaires overnight.
People make their own choices & i'm not here to flame people who play poker for a living,but don't make it sound like it's impossible to make a career( & i mean a good one).

Sounds like you might be one of the few then. And remember everyone is different, not everyone wants the same thing out of life, some people take an unconventional life path and are very happy with it. BTW Im not currently a poker pro, I only used poker as my sole income for the 4 months of 2011 leading up to BF but theres a lot of other options for those that dont wanna go the soul draining route in life.