So I'm taking the plunge...I am now a professional poker player.

OK, so this isn't exactly "news." I actually made this decision at the end of my fall semester last Friday, but have been a little busy to make the official announcement. It took me a few months to finally make the ultimate decision, but at this point in my life, I feel this is the best path for me.

I've heard literally every angle of this from so many different people. I had to weigh the pros and cons carefully:

Pros:
--I'm doing something I love.
--I'm making more money than I would in any job now and most jobs even if I had a degree (granted, poker is not guaranteed income).
--I haven't been this happy or relaxed in my entire life.
--I am my own boss and make my own hours.
--I save a lot of time and money by not going to school.

Cons:
--I'm missing out on a degree.
--I'm off my dad's medical insurance plan by dropping out of school.
--I become fairly isolated by playing poker, even if it's not much of a change to my lifestyle at all.
--It's not guaranteed income.
--I upset and disappoint many people close to me.

I was completely torn on this decision until last Friday. After coming out of my last class, I had a meeting with my advisor/former economics teacher, Professor Christopher Ball of Quinnipiac University. Ball had known me since spring semester, and is someone whose opinion I respected. After a near 2 hour converastion, he had convinced me of several things. The first is that I need to do what makes me happy. While my parents and even other poker players (including Taylor Caby, a close friend of mine who was one of the top lobbiers for me to go back to school) may tell me school is the "right" thing to do, that is far from the truth. The "right" thing is to do what makes me happy, and right now, that's poker. Even if I went back to school, there's clearly no desire on my part to do anything. It would just be a waste of time and money because I wouldn't be putting any effort into it. My focus is poker, and I should nourish my mind. If I think I can do this full time, I should be taking a shot at it. Even if I failed, I can always come back to school one day. I was so surprised to here Professor Ball's reaction to be completely in favor of poker, and since he articulated everything so perfectly, I knew what I had to: it was time to take the plunge.

It has taken a few days but I finally got my parents to come around to it. Even if they are always a bit disappointed I didn't become the first member of my family to go to college, I know they support me 100% on my decision. They even bought me a new monitor, are helping me set up a new office, and hooked me up with an accountant to work on my taxes and investments.

There are many others in the poker world, who have helped me reach the point where I am at. I would like to specifically thank (in no particular order):

1. Taylor "Green Plastic" Caby for being like an older brother to me through the good and the bad. Even though you wanted me to finish up school, you told me you know I can be successful in poker, and that means a lot coming from you.

2. David "Gaucho2121" Paredes: David's been a friend of mine for a few months now (he'll even be rooming with me in Bahamas in 2 weeks). He was another guy who was in favor of me going back to school, but has continued to offer me a lot of support.

3. Ole School: Helped me realize being a poker player is financially do-able, as well as helped me keep things in perspective.

4. Stacy "Stayceacee" Matuson: While she only came into my life very recently, Stacy has taken on the role of my "big sister." While she was also a firm believer in education, she provides me with a lot of support and advice in both poker and everyday life.

5. Annette: What more can I possibly say about this girl!?!? By far, my biggest supporter in both down times and good times. She's there for me everyday and has done so much to help me grow as both a player and a person. As truly amazing she is as a poker player, it's not even close to how amazing she is as a human being.

While I am very nervous to be taking this step, I am also cautiously optimistic. I've felt for a long time I could do this and am now ready for my chance to prove it. While I'm certainly not a superstar, I feel like I've made a ton of progress. In 3 weeks I've gone from being unranked to #57 in the top 100; I won a triple crown; I was hired as a guest pro at Cardrunners; I get to go to Bahamas in 2 weeks; I'll be on the P5's podcast next month; I'll be in Card Player magazine sometime early next year; hell, I even have railbirds now! I think if I can continue to grow, the sky's the limit and I can be a successful poker player for many years to come. The first week was actually a little rough, but I made up for it by winning the 30r on UB last night (had to through that little shill in there; makes me feel better). But, anyway, the journey has to start somewhere, and I'm starting that journey right here, right now.

Thank you for listening to my rant, and I will see you at the tables.

--Jason

GLGLGLGLGLGL you seem liek you will be very successful, helluva supporting cast and you were nice to me when i talked to u in chat on CR.

Best of luck to ya, Jason

I've seen you play a few times and I believe you can make it..dont let the stress of being professional get to ya, just keep playing your A game and I think you'll make it just fine

I'm working on several contingency plans:

1. I'm starting to invest some money in hopes of a supplementary income.
2. I'm going to try to learn more about the "business" side of things, and maybe one day use that knowledge to pursue something in poker from the business side.
3. I'll be 21 soon enough and only live about an hour from Atlantic City. In other words, I'll play live.

The one thing that I have to say to people (of all ages) that are starting to do this for a living is to please make sure you keep or find a balance in your life. The best thing you can do is to move in to a house or apt with some friends (ideally "normal people" who don't play poker) so that you can get some social interaction and have some pressure on you to get out of the house and do stuff most nights. If you are in a relationship or enter into one, make sure you set aside some time thats just you and her b/c nothing breaks up a relationship like having your nose stuck inside a laptop constantly.
It's so easy to fall into a trap of playing poker tournaments 14 hours a day because they are fun and profitable, but if you do you'll either get burned out in a year or two, or you'll turn into something of a social recluse who never participates in social events and during the rare times that you do go out you'll be the annoying guy who only talks about poker hands (eeeeew).

if you knew he diidnt have the A, why dont you just re raise all in on the flop?

cause then he couldnt turn pro, Cornsense (or is it comsense..letters run together for me lol)

I'd prefer not to give any numbers, but let's just say I have a VERY comfortable bankroll.

Good luck sir, make sure you shower every morning like Roofluss!

It's good to follow your heart, but don't burn any bridges.

You can always finish school later if you have a change of heart or Fortune.

good luck

A huge gl from me. Like many, Ive been silently watching your progress, I enjoy your vids on cardrunners and I have great respect for someone who is doing something because it makes them happy, not because theyve been told they have to do it or because its the done thing. I hope this thing goes great for you.

I have always found these post to be very interesting. It is not our job to tell you good decision, but obv we should wish you GOOD LUCK! And I do hope it works out for you.

When I grew up, I had an Uncle who was a very succesful entrepeneur in business. He had no money but became a very succesful developer and is to this day. I looked up to him and he gave me a blueprint for success. I followed what I considered the blueprint and it worked for me.

So I noticed that GP was someone that you looked up to, and I am also a big GP fan. He has been able to go to school, run a business, and crush the cash games. He has stayed hungry and wants success beyond what he has currently achieved-he views this as only the beginning. Muddy and him have the ingredients. They have a work ethic, they believe it is about choice and success is probable if you keep applying yourself.

So I was wondering and I think alot of the young guys might want to know your thought process- why not follow that blueprint? Maybe school has changed but 4 to 8 credits a semester use to be like "no school". Why not go to Phoenix U. and do it online? Also, were you not already playing 10 to 12 tourneys a day while going to school?

Like I said, I wish you the best of luck and hope that all the cards are paint all the time when you play (except against me), but I really am interested in your thought process, and what made you realize that you could not follow the blueprint of your succesful mentor.

Also, when I first read this I thought you and Annette were getting married, but thought gosh their young-LOL

Jason,

First and foremost, i wish you good luck with whatever the decision brings, pro poker or not.. But I am going to have to disagree with the decision, and attempt to present the argument against, because this is a poker forum with predominantly poker enthusiasts, and mostly younger people 16 - 24 ish i guess.. you are going to get 95% good lucks and everyone telling you that you are the next poker superstar. Which... you may very welll be, we dont know..

But here is my view, please don't take it as a negative, please try and view each point and see if it has value or not to you.....and just add it to your decision process.

I will present some things in the context of your pros and cons, then present my opinion on what you should do.

Pros:
"I'm doing something I love."

I can never, and will never disagree with this....

--I'mmaking more money than I would in any job now and most jobs even if Ihad a degree (granted, poker is not guaranteed income).

This is a short sighted and incorrect statement. You may be right about any job that you can hold at age 19, will not pay you as much as poker now. But a degree, a job, turns into a career if you play it correctly, and the money earned from a job should not be viewed as what am I earning today, but what the career path will bring me in terms of sustainable income in the future. Most jobs in any industry, you start at the bottom, working a lot of hours for what seems like small pay. My industry as an example... started out of school in consulting at 50k a year, moved into investment banking 3-4 years in, I wont go into numbers to much, but lets say I fully expect to be making 7 figures consistently by the 35 - 40 range, and from that point forward. I am 29 now. Now that may not be the case for every career out there, but you cannot discount a career you havent even explored yet. In addition, buidling experience, a network of contacts, leads to other business opportunities down the line. The exposure and hard work put into a career always pays off in the long run, it cannot be compared to taking what you earned this month from poker * 12.

Poker is NOT guaranteed income... i hope you understand the full ramifications of this... I believe you do. Also, I would like to point out that as you progress in your poker career, you cannot have the expectation that you will win more and more and more. The prize pools will not grow much, probably level out, the number of players in big events and online... lets say it stays about here. Given this, unless you become exponentially better, you will probably make the same amount from poker (or less) at age 30, as you do at age 21. Same with 40..... A career...you can certainly project earnings to increase over time, with a much higher degree of confidence than poker. No need to expand on this... you get the picture...

--I haven't been this happy or relaxed in my entire life.

Cannot argue with the happy part, but I think there are plenty of guys out there who have been pros a while who can give you the burn out stories, and what affects pro poker for years will have on you. I am not one of them, so i won't pretend to be. Seek out a pro for about 5-8 yeras and talk, which you may have already.

Relaxed.....I can see that. I am going to assume you are living home, no bills, no mortgage, no kids. When the only thing to worry about is whether to check raise a flop or not....and what girl to date... life is great !!!! Unfortunately... you will get older, you will have a house with bills and a mortgage, you may get married, you may have kids... etc etc... Are you prepared to play poker for 2 years, 5 years, 20 years? Not saying you need to make or can make that decision now, but it MUST factor in your decison to toss out school and other potential careers. Lets say you play poker for 5 years and burn out.. are you really going to go to college at 25, after 5 years of freedom, sleeping late, vegas strip clubs,... Are you really going to write term papers. Based on what I read about your current attitude towards school,.... I dont think you will have the right motivation to go back to school and put in that 4 years.

Poker is a variable game which we are not in complete control of...ie US Govt....please always remember our friendly govt when assumig online poker will always be there. It may or may not (i hope its stays of course) BUT you should factor that dependency in your long term decesion... ie.. ditching school and other career potential. It will be much harder for you to move into a job after college at age 28, than it will at age 21,,,both in terms of your salary expectations / willingness to start at bottom, and also your motivation given you have been independent for years.

--I am my own boss and make my own hours.

Isnt it great? But tell me... Are you really that disgusted with working for someone, what experience do you have so far in this regard. Being your own boss is great, waking up whenever you want is great. But there is absolutely no shame in getting up at 6am to get to work, no shame in working for someone... Hell... I will most likely work for someone my whole life, and make plenty of money doing it, and not really ever get to disgusted with my boss. Its not as bad as it seems Jason...its just a part of life, social interaction with people in the workplace, your boss, dealing with complicated situations... its what makes you grow, what makes you who you are... OK, no more of this blah blah stuff.... work isnt so bad...

--I save a lot of time and money by not going to school.
Not a legit reason in my opinion.. School is an investment in your future, and X dollars you can earn given the path you choose, for most careers, degree is expected. I wont even get into all of the others reasons to go to college... yet... :)

Cons:
--I'm missing out on a degree.
Your missing out on a degree, an experience, and a place where most all of us have "grown up". There is a lot to be gained by going to college, please reconsider.

--I'm off my dad's medical insurance plan by dropping out of school.
Just make sure you understand the implication of this, if you happen to get sick or need a hospital stay, lets just say its like staying in a suite at the Wynn, $ wise. Also, please recognize the insurance costs when you have to pay for yourself.. and for your future family.. its a lot, without the help of your employer, which in general usually absorbs all those costs.

--I become fairly isolated by playing poker, even if it's not much of a change to my lifestyle at all.
Good point... this will only become more important as you get older, and when most people will be expanding their circles and experiences with college and work, you could become more isolated. But this is up to you, you can insert yourself in those circles even without college...like some others have said, do your best to get around a group of non poker players......

--It's not guaranteed income.
Kinda went through this already... but just to rehash... are you ready for the variance, the downswings. Just a hypothetical.. What happens if you play for 2 years.. doing ok, then hit a massive downswing that drains your bankroll.
Then what? would you..
1. Give up poker, go to school, start the process just some years later
2. Borrow money to keep playing poker, creating debts with no dependable way to pay back
3. Attempt to get a job minus a degree, taking anything that comes to support your bills and yourself.

Listen.. thats the gloom and doom scenario... but its very REAL Jason... Just saying you MUST be prepared for it. Just in case....

--I upset and disappoint many people close to me.
All you....

The "right" thing is to do what makes me happy, and right now, that's poker.
You really need to change your thinking on this.... You are justifying the Pro Poker decision with this logic.. what makes me happy, must be right. This is not a good way to justify the choice. In actuality, ther is no RIGHT decision. Would it make me happy to quit my job and be a daytrading poker player all day, sitting on the beach.. sure. Is it the RIGHT thing to do? NO WAY. Instant gratification is not the correct way to justify a decision that has GREAT implications on your life for the next 10 YEARS, not the next 2 months. Poker is just a small part of what will make you happy overall in life, you just havent been exposed to alot of those yet, i just think you should take teh poker = happy part out of this decision. Being happy at your job is a great thing.. and if you can swing it, great.. But it cannot be the only thing that justifies the decision on a career / job.

OK, I have tried to provide some reasoning around your points.. i hope I have given you something to think about. No more rambling... here is my opinion on what you should consider doing. with the points / reasons to go with it.

The assumptions / points..
1. You are 19. You cant play in most live events for at least 2 years. You cant play live in AC daily until 21.
2. Online poker is still up in the air in terms of its long term viability (to a degree) we all are hoping it plays out well
3. You can attend college with your parents supporting you
4. Online poker is available 24 hrs a day, most large tourneys are geared toward East Coast Nites...and Weekends, in terms of schedule.

Opinion: GO TO COLLEGE...
You will gain an awful lot from college in terms of social experience, understanding of the options and choices out there in the business world. You can get a degree, and even focus on business, which will only HELP manage your prospective poker career is you choose it. Now for the good part. Everyone here will agree that they never had any more free time in this world like they did WHEN they were in college. Classes 3 days a week from 10am - 4pm.. maybe even less. You can lay out the schedule of your choice. And you will have PLENTY of time to get decent grades worrying about school until 5-6pm most days, (occasional extra studying for finals of course) . Given all of this, you can STILL play all the poker you play now, all teh cash sessions you play now, and all the MAJOR tourneys nitely and weekends. Jesus, I graduated in 99, missed the start of online poker....I would have killed to go out all nite saturday, and wake up for the Sunday majors, what a life...

You are 19.... you cant go to AC anyway...GO to school, have the time of your life. You can arrange a schedule to sleep plenty, get decent grades, and you WILL have all the time in the world to play a full poker schedule.. You will be rich, on campus, with girls everywhere, living what will no doubt be the best years of your life. ANYONE who says you wont have time to get to class and play all the poker you want is complete BS, I did it, with a double major.. and still had time to kill.

Outcome:
1. You get a degree, maybe an important business degree
2. You are protected if poker doesnt work out
3. You graduate around the time you can hit the casinos and live events anyway
4. When you graduate, you still have every option open to you to go Poker full time (even though i will argue it can always be played along with a normal job)
5. Your family is happy
6. YOU will be happy you went this route, and had the BEST of BOTH WORLDS

I am telling you Jason... you can have it all...

I took a lot of time to write this on Christmas Eve.. because I believe its a far more important decision than most, I hope you put the same time into considering my points...

Best of Luck,

Michael ..... ginzorella

Omg the annoying guy who talks just about poker hands...man i think i was almost him but all my friends like poker its not like im talking about poker to some hot chick. I'm not that boring at all. However it kind of scared me cause think i was turning into him. I'm disconnecting my comp for the next week peace out