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What Stakes Must One Play to Make a Living at Poker

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  1. MtMike MtMike is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:24pm)

    While there is huge difference between On Line Poker Players and B&M Poker Players, I am curious as to what you think about "what stakes must one play to make a living at poker"?

    Each poker players "nut" is different (personal living/operating costs)

    On Line poker can involve multi-tabling, but On Line Poker is subject to more cheating than B&M Poker. A poker player can play at a lower limit on line by multi tabling and may be able to grind out a exsistence.

    From my 35 plus years experience at B&M Poker, one must play at least 15/30 limit or 5/10 N/L to make enough money to earn a living at poker. Not many B&M venues offer games at those levels or higher. Such things as hours playing come into effect, along with quality of life.

    What stakes do you play poker, and can you make a living doing so?
  2. hytop hytop is offline

    Dallas, TX
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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:26pm) in reply to MtMike

    Well...personally , I dont want to be to high while I play. I tend to hit one roor load per 500 hands.
  3. MUPokerPlayer MUPokerPlayer is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:28pm) in reply to MtMike

    I play part time (maybe averaging 10 to 15 hrs a week) mid stakes MTTs ($50 average buy in), and I could definitely make a decent living playing just those stakes full time. I'm pretty sure I could keep my average buy in around $50 and net 100k if I could play full time.
  4. Neek Neek is offline

    Boca Raton, FL
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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:29pm) in reply to MtMike

    I have heard of people making a living at .50/1 multitabling online.
     
  5. pikappraider78 pikappraider78 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:48pm) in reply to Neek

    i have a friend who plays 20-25 sngs at once and only plays the 12$ turbos. he crushes them and does pretty well.
     
  6. Gettin Daize Gettin Daize is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:50pm) in reply to MtMike

    I play poker very high.
    2 211 
  7. I_Blade_U I_Blade_U is offline

    Tampa, FL
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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:51pm) in reply to Neek

    PRETTTTTY DAMN HIGHHH
     1
  8. I_Blade_U I_Blade_U is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:52pm) in reply to Gettin Daize

     
    Originally Posted by Gettin Daize View Post

    I play poker very high.

     1
  9. deadpoem deadpoem is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 3:52pm) in reply to MtMike

    how much do you need for living?
  10. stackinsideways stackinsideways is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:03pm) in reply to deadpoem

    atleast an 1/8th every day
     
  11. 1imagine4 1imagine4 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:18pm) in reply to stackinsideways

    You really need to make sure you are sufficiently high before you start to play. Just roll up a nice blunt, smoke it, and start to play. It will help with bad beats and definitely keeps you from being bored.
  12. MUPokerPlayer MUPokerPlayer is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:25pm) in reply to MtMike

    Reword your question from "how high" to "what are the lowest stakes you can play at to make a living...", and you won't get these smart alec answers
  13. ImSoMucked ImSoMucked is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:28pm) in reply to MtMike

    making 100k/year is pretty doable at .5/1
  14. Dyzalot Dyzalot is online now

    Candia, NH
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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:34pm) in reply to MtMike

    As far as tournaments go, a good player could make 50K per year with an average buy-in around $25 online. That's close to a "median living" for an American.
     3
  15. MUPokerPlayer MUPokerPlayer is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:35pm) in reply to Dyzalot

     
    Originally Posted by Dyzalot View Post


    As far as tournaments go, a good player could make 50K per year with an average buy-in around $25 online. That's close to a "median living" for an American.

    agreed
  16. bassmaster bassmaster is offline SCAMMER - DO NOT TRADE

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 4:40pm) in reply to MtMike

    theres this guy i know that made well over 40K online this year with an avg buy in of about $15. he was always high.
  17. flywiithme flywiithme is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 5:25pm) in reply to I_Blade_U

     
    Originally Posted by I_Blade_U View Post

    PRETTTTTY DAMN HIGHHH

  18. pharreal87 pharreal87 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 5:33pm) in reply to ImSoMucked

    the best $12 180 players can make 100k a year with just playing 45 a day at most. prolly about 6-7hrs a day is what it would come out to.
  19. coryneely coryneely is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 5:34pm) in reply to stackinsideways

     
    Originally Posted by stackinsideways View Post

    atleast an 1/8th every day

    i find i make more of a living at 'quarter' limits my friend. but who wants to make $120ish a day?
  20. MarkFSU1 MarkFSU1 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 5:36pm) in reply to Dyzalot

     
    Originally Posted by Dyzalot View Post

    As far as tournaments go, a good player could make 50K per year with an average buy-in around $25 online.

    i was gonna say about $35 abi but I think $25 is fairly accurate...

    id be willing to bet somebody could make 100k/yr grinding the $24 45 mans on FTP as well...
     
  21. nextuniverse nextuniverse is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 7:39pm) in reply to coryneely

    that breaks my soul paying 120 for a quarter

    bought a q yesterday for 40 bones of dope hydro

    long live canada!
     
  22. jdpc27 jdpc27 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 7:51pm) in reply to MarkFSU1

    as far as live goes, most players that I talked too seem to be doing pretty well playing as low as 2/5 cash, with a majority of them playing between 2/5 and 5/10. Some argue that the 2/5 games are so much softer that you actually can do better just playing there. But, at least as a measuring stick goes, for live play, especially in vegas, you have to be able to beat the 2/5 games consistently to even think about playing live for a living. I have heard stories of good 2/5 players making 5-10k a week playing live in vegas, but that would require some serious hours at the table.

    As for online, I think it depends on what you want to specialize in. If you have a big online roll, then one or two big mtt scores seems like the easiest way to take a big roll into a ridiculous roll, but you can also burn through a lot of cash chasing the big scores. In my personal experience, I had over 100k in mtt cashes last year, but was only a breakeven player chasing the big score that didnt come my way. So, If I was trying to live solely off mtts last year, it would have been all for nothing.

    With that said, I think the best idea online is to take a multi approach..either specialize in cash or sng's, and then use some of that bankroll to take some shots in tourneys...to essentially be a grinder at whatever you do. The best approach for either is to be properly bankrolled. If you are going to play sng's for a living, I would reccommend starting with at least 300 buy ins which will allow you to go thru the ups and downs..especially as you play higher...and i would say playing at least 22 dollar or up sng's will allow you to build your roll and earn a decent amount in rakeback.

    I am not much of a cash player online so its hard to say, but my best guess would be that most fulltime cash players play 2/4 and up, albeit there are also a ton of 1/2 grinders, but players that will be able to adapt to the game as it continues to evolve are the thinking players that are usually begin at the 2/4 level.

    MTTS: I agree with the others, you would want to be rolled properly that you could play any tournament from the 10-200 range avoiding the 100 and up rebuys and such.

    Me personally, I began playing fulltime when my online roll was greater than 20k...I build it playing sng's and I use a portion of the profit each month to take shots in mtt's. Volume plus rakeback plus contest bonuses equals a decent clip a month that pays all my bills, but it isn't glorious or easy work like most people think.

    For those that haven't gotten a big mtt score early in their poker career, slowly building your bankroll month by month and controlling yourself throughout the ups and downs while also drawing money out monthly is oftentimes much harder that the jobs most amercians have. Understanding all of that is also necessary to play for a living imho. hope that helps.

    JD
    22 
  23. alexross1977 alexross1977 is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 8:56pm) in reply to MtMike

    i made a decent living playing low/mid stakes mtts [up to 30 buyin on a certain european site] for 2 years. was ranked top 3 in the annual mtt leaderboard etc and was clearing 2-5k a month with little play. small fields and good player notes [and stats on who was good] helped.

    game / site selection ftw imo. plenty of morons on cake etc .. do some shopping around and find your niche imo. it will take a while for u to grind a decent roi on the big sites imo, with sick variance and massive fields, if MTTs are your bag.

    cash, meh, ask the other d00dz.
  24. MtMike MtMike is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 10:41pm) in reply to MUPokerPlayer

    Thanks
    Thread Starter
  25. xxCelticFCxx xxCelticFCxx is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 10:53pm) in reply to MtMike

    i could make a living playing 25/50c/...50c/1 and get more than i would working

    dont think u have to play tht high at all 2 make a living

    obv its not gonna be splashing out thousands but u could get bye
    551 
  26. BKCloutier BKCloutier is offline

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    Jan 2nd, 2009 (1/2/2009 11:47pm) in reply to xxCelticFCxx

    I have seen at least 5-10 players at cake playing .25/.50 no limit playing 12-15 tables,buying in for 20-30 bucks and just playing for their .75 cents a table in rakeback and a few bucks an hour profit. To them getting 10 an hour in rakeback and making 5 bucks an hour playing is more than enough for them. At least 1/2 of them play over 40 hours a week and the others play in the 30 hour a week range. I still have no idea how they can do that day after day without going nuts. I guess to them $30,000 is a decent living.
  27. AFink93 AFink93 is offline

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    Jan 3rd, 2009 (1/3/2009 12:00am) in reply to BKCloutier

    You want to see something sick..

    OPR XMachine888..

    His average buy in is 7 bucks..

    He only has I think 6 4 figure scores with the highest being 8K

    He earned profit of 40K on stars last year... Playing 9K plus tourneys.

    40K isnt horrible.
  28. tcstunna tcstunna is offline

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    Jan 3rd, 2009 (1/3/2009 12:27am) in reply to MUPokerPlayer

     
    Originally Posted by MUPokerPlayer View Post

    I play part time (maybe averaging 10 to 15 hrs a week) mid stakes MTTs ($50 average buy in), and I could definitely make a decent living playing just those stakes full time. I'm pretty sure I could keep my average buy in around $50 and net 100k if I could play full time.

    this
    1
  29. calebku33 calebku33 is offline

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    Jan 3rd, 2009 (1/3/2009 12:37am) in reply to tcstunna

    Depends on what a 'living' is...A good cash player with rakeback could easily grind out 50k/yr playing .25/.50 NL 6 max (9-10 tabling)...40-50 hrs/wk....That might be dreadfully boring, but it's more than possible.
  30. Camz Camz is offline

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    Jan 3rd, 2009 (1/3/2009 1:31am) in reply to ImSoMucked

    i really doubt 100k is possible at .50/1 w/o going insane from the crazy amount of tables/hours youw ould need to put in.
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