Always have something to fall back on. You could be the BEST player in the world...and not have poker work out. Maybe keep your options open of a career you could be passionate about. IE if you're into music, becoming a music teacher ect. Most importantly though always do something you enjoy. If you love just playing poker now, live in the moment and keep it up, just always have a finacial back up plan. For the most part if your living a life you really enjoy and doing what you love, how could you look in 60 years and regret it? no regrets broooooooooooo. gl.

didnt read. job 100%

the thing about a "job" is if you dont like it youll end up hateing it..so then you have to ask yourself what can you do that you wont hate

I went through the same thought process a few years back. If you truly love poker and you think you can make it, go for it. There are pros and cons to both sides but you have to do what you love.

I was playing about 25-30 hours a week while working and was getting burned out after about 6 months. That's when I knew my heart wasn't in it.

Pros:
- Make your own hours
- Work from home
- Work only as much as you need to
- Chance to make a boatload of money quickly
- It's fun

Cons:
- No guaranteed paycheck
- "Burnout" quite common
- No guaranteed raise and/or track for success (unless you are staked/backed and the person will invest more in you)
- Pay your own healthcare, taxes, retirement etc. which is not guaranteed
- Not fun when you get coolered 50 times in a row

I'm sure that list goes on and on but these were the main factors I took into consideration when I decided to go the "job" route. Another good question to ask yourself is: "Do I still see myself having my heart in it next year? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Life?"

If the answer is yes, go for it. If you have any doubts, talk to those that have been doing it for a while.

you only live once

I'm pushin 30 and poker has been my main source of income since I graduated college 4 yrs ago. If I had it to do all over again I would have started a career right out of college and play poker only on the like Saturdays and Sundays. By now I could have put a shitload of money away, invested, had a nice down payment for a bigger house (wife wants a 3rd kid soon). Instead I had to use my poker winnings to pay the everyday expenses that life brings. Get started in a career and give yourself some stability and security, then use poker as a way to live better than your coworkers imo.

Pokers obv

Most people dont consider that you will be completely lacking job experience on your resume if you play poker for 3-4 years and decide its not worthwhile. I play poker full time, and looking back, it was probably the worst decision I ever made. When I think about all the times I would run rediculously good when I was low on money, I realize how good I actually run. Everyone wont run good and all the people who think poker is a better option than any other job dont take a lot of stuff into account. If you actually have to ask whether or not its a good option to play poker full time and its not a snap decision, the answer is almost certainly get a job.

Job is the absolute worst of every option for income but everyone seems sold on it still lol.

Do what you enjoy. if it's not cards, own whatever you do after that.

enjoy being a slave lol. I'll take 50-70k @ 3pm

Shipthisplz kinda beat me to it, but allow me to explain what lead me to lead this life at this moment and bring some light to why i forgo rational thinking to a point and persue the game i love for a set period of time... (I have a period set out to see what if any route i will decide to take with poker... poker alone, poker and part time job, limited poker and real job, real job and poker as a hobby)

When I left high school for college, I left only knowing what society drilled into me. That high SAT scores and being near the top of the class meant a near obligation to go to college, get a job that pays great (which is miles away from a 'great job' philisophically) etc.

There is nothing wrong with doing that if you're happy doing it, and thoroughly enjoy what you're doing, but if you're not - regardless of whether it's school, poker, job or anything else - that's where things go bad. I found myself lost and depressed simply because I wasn't doing anything that brought me joy, and what really sealed the deal for me was this...

I've now lost two friends I literally grew up with, spent time with at hockey tournaments, in locker rooms, played hockey with since childhood, before their 21st birthday. I hope that the majority of you have never, and will never, experience this, but to spell it out, sitting through the wake and funeral of someone you love is one of the hardest things you will ever go through. Sitting through the wake and funeral of someone that close to you knowing they never got to legally drink in the United States is not only equally devastating, but also a lot more eye-opening.

There's a lot to be said about setting yourself up to succeed, and I don't deny that many of the rationally thought out comments ITT are true for most people, if not all in some form or another. For me personally I know with my prior record academically I can pick right up after this summer and plan to if school doesn't work out in a massive way that makes me continue to put off school, so I guess in a way I do agree with the 'Plan B' argument to a point. But honestly, as cliche as it sounds when everything's ok in your personal life, this life is wayyyyy too fucking precious to waste even a second of it without having a god damn blast. Hope this helps someone find direction, RIP Blez + J-Rent.

~Wiva

Excellent points Jennifer. My biggest concern for many of the younger players who are 100% devoted to poker from an early age is all of the life experiences that they will miss out on. Many of us have build our strongest friendships with people that we met in college/university or through the workplace. In fact, many of us have probably met our spouses through these avenues. The isolation of playing on-line could resonate throughout these players lives. All the money in the world can not buy back these lost experiences.

thanks everyone for the wonderful wonderful responses...greatly appreciated and excellently insightful...i get a hint at whats the best way to go...

special thanks to jennifear for the awesome link...thanks jen

 

Originally Posted by realsharp

Excellent points Jennifer. My biggest concern for many of the younger players who are 100% devoted to poker from an early age is all of the life experiences that they will miss out on. Many of us have build our strongest friendships with people that we met in college/university or through the workplace. In fact, many of us have probably met our spouses through these avenues. The isolation of playing on-line could resonate throughout these players lives. All the money in the world can not buy back these lost experiences.

you're sooo right! thanks

 

Originally Posted by jsagan77

Job and poker seems like the best option IMO. Very few make life changing money w/o donating a lot of it back. All I do is supplement my income with it and I couldn't be happier.

^^this all the way, the best feeling the world is when you're playing poker and you dont give a rats ass about how much $$ you need to make to be profitable for the week/month/yr etcc...... having a job and playing poker as a hobby enables me to fully enjoy the game without the 'grinding it out to pay rent...' feel