I have been in the middle of many debates over the years regarding whether it is better to stay in college or put school on hold to pursue playing poker full time. Usually, the person who is in this predicament has a valid argument for choosing either option and is yearning for some solid advice for what to do. It may seem like an easy decision one way or the other, but I know from first hand experience that there are a lot of questions that need to be addressed before making a crucial life decision like this. “Luckily” for me, I did not discover online poker until I was a junior in college or my decision to finish school might have been different.

Like many online players, I quickly discovered that I could make more money playing poker than getting almost any part-time job. The freedom to “work” when I wanted, go where I wanted, and do what I wanted were all great reasons to play poker as a job instead of working for the man. Even playing low limits, it was easy to maintain a higher income than almost anyone I knew. With a tough discipline and countless hours of hard work, I found myself consistently beating the games I was playing, and the thought of giving up school to play full-time definitely crept into my mind from time to time.

Ultimately, I ended finishing school and received my degree in business. Even with the great monetary success that soon followed for me after college, including a win in the Sunday Million, I would never be where I am today without playing poker AND finishing college . Here are some reasons why I recommend balancing both poker and college to anyone who is thinking about giving one up.

1. FLEXIBILITY: Going to school and playing poker can be extremely flexible if you schedule it correctly. I had plenty of time to play poker since I only had to be in the classroom about 15 hours a week. I didn’t take a single online or summer school class and I still got my degree in 4 ½ years. It would actually be a lot easier today for students that can take online classes because they have even more free time for poker. Schedule your classes around times you want to play poker and you’ll be fine.

2. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Employers are looking for a college degree and some real world experience. If you can prove that you were successful playing poker and also did well in school, it will actually give you a leg up to someone who has just done one or the other. I am a really good example of this. By treating poker as a business the last few years and also getting my degree, I was fortunate enough to get a job in Global Wealth Management with a top 30 fortune company. I was able to easily relate my experience as a poker player to the real world, and was literally hired on the spot for a really competitive position. I can honestly say that without my poker and college experience, I would have been wasting my time even applying for my current profession.

3. SELF IMPROVEMENT: You learn a lot about yourself during the hard times you encounter during college and poker. If it were easy to play poker successfully and go to college, everybody would be doing it. The personal satisfaction you get when you finally finish school is really indescribable. It’s not that getting a degree is the toughing thing in the world, but you’ll be proud of yourself for sticking it out and finishing.

4. LIFE CHANGES: When you're young, single, and don’t really have any expenses it is easy to live off of even small winnings playing poker. Even if you only have a relatively small ROI, you can still live the “good life” when you only need to support yourself. The reality is that life changes and even just a few years after college, your situation may drastically change. What happens if you get married? Have children? Have a bad run of cards? Expenses go up? There are tons of other scenarios that could play out where playing poker full-time could not work out as easy as it may seem sometimes. Getting your degree is a huge backup plan for the unexpected situations that could arise in the next 60 years you’re alive.

My last point is probably the most important aspect to think about when making the decision to finish school or not. Even the most successful players will encounter many life situations over the years that cannot be controlled. Like I have said before, playing poker is about making the right long-term decisions and not making decisions based on what happens in the short-term. When you choose to flat out quit college for your “short-term” poker success, you’re going against exactly what you have taught yourself to become a successful poker player.