HELP LUTON AND ALSO IS RELEASING DATA ALLOWED

[batch007]

I had a week of work last week and i won my ticket to luton, i earned the same value of my wage for 4 months and i had all day to select my tables selectively.  I have been playing steps really, best way to describe it is that i am confident in my game but i know that lady luck can beat the best of players, also there are going to be games were you just do not get any cards what so every. If i take into consideration that In three games I will win one, i will be beat by luck and one i will not get any play. So with this reasoning I need to play six games to gain a worthy profit for sitting. and  So I started on $5 dollar torns, donk level but experience and I only moved up to $10 dollar torns when i had a bank roll of $150 dollar profit. This would fund 6 six torns at $5 level and 6 at $10 so i could afford to move up a level and still play my regular level with poker bankrolling its-self. When the $10 dollar torns were funding itsself i stopped playing the $5 dollar level. Using ths process i have moved up the levels of play (still playing free roll ) and at a good level. I can fund big torns as well as keeping my regular games. I know i am no pro as the title goes but i am now at a level wish means i earn money. Amteur still but as described above i had a week off work and a could be more selective of games and my mind was channelled to the game, and  as i could play more games my bank roll or the week was good, better than my regular wage. I would love to just play poker and i have the long term form to show i could make it pay but A im worried i would poker myself out, B i know the wage is unstable C my wife would kill me. So im interested what others would advise. Should i use the same principe as i have used a say that when i have the bankroll to fund a year off work then do it as my regular income is covered. I understand what the above said i know the answer, because i am doubtful then im answering the question myself, and i am a sensible person so i would do the right thing but the deep voice in my head says do it. And lets face it thats poker , if i never listerned to the voice at the back of my head i would never make thecalls to win.  dont get me wrong not saying im a pro and never would say that im near that level but i can earn a wage from poker but do i have the confidence to make that step, i think like the above said i have answered that question in asking the question but i would be interested to know when pros or people who make a living from poker decided to make that step.

[AMRN]

You have to accomodate the downswings - they are a fact of life and poker. During those downswings when you consistently fail to win (and no matter how good you are, or who you are, or what level you play it, they are real and very painful), you still need to be able to pay the mortgage and the bills.... and you should consider that a downswing could last as long as 6 months!

I"ve often thought about what it would take to give up and work and take a living from poker, but that"s not going to happen until I can get a big enough win somewhere to pay off the mortgage and de-risk my livelihood, and also give me a big enough bankroll that will cope with a downswing and still support payment of the bills.

In other words, when the price of fuel hits 10p per litre in the UK, and Gordon Brown says something sensible, and West Brom win the premiership..... I might just consider giving up work in favour of poker!

[biffa85]

The other thing to take into account is that during the day the "average" stardard of play is high, then in the evening and over night.

That is not to say you can"t make money during the day, it"s just that your hourly rate is likely to be lower.

Therefore keeping your job as long as it"s normal office hours still gives you the opportunity to play during the "best" hours, without the risk.  If you start to earn as much as your salary during these hours and do this consistantly for a year, then you will likely have a suffient bankroll to give it a go.

I"d also suggest setting aside a weeks annul holiday to give it a go for the whle of that week to see if you adjust and have the drive to play enough hours and give you sufficient return.

[batch007]

i have done that this week, gave it a trail and i find that i am cashing in more in the day and late at night which i can play without work commitment but i need to give it a longer trial. because nobody knows me or my game it is easier to cash in. Do not what to give too much away to why i choose the games i do but i am comfortable at this level. I considering moving to part time work anyway now as financial commitments means i can semi retire ( only 31 i know) but i have incomes that could support part time, freeing up the time and giving it a trial. I think im more worried of getting pokered out.  I need to step my game up but to get to torns and play the curcuit it is hard to find the employment that would give you the time to commit to poker. All holidays are family committed so the only commitment i can give to poker is internet.  Need to take it to the live stage and get expereince because although the money is there at internet level the big money is live.

[AMRN]

Need to take it to the live stage and get expereince because although the money is there at internet level the big money is live.

Sorry but I think you are misguided there.  Consider the cash tables in a casino. You can play one at a time, and are lucky to get through 20 hands in an hour..... wheras online you can play as many tables as you can cope with, and each plays up to 100 hands per hour..... so if multitabling 3 tables, that"s 1200 hands in a four hour online session, compared to 80 hands in a four hour live session.

As for tournament play, there are enough big money tournaments around online to keep most people satisfied, particularly on Sunday nights. Every night on Stars there are a selection of $100+ MTTs.

If you are looking for the WSOP or EPT main event win to get your "big money", you are still several years away in terms of experience, and you could lose a fortune trying. Also, before you can even consider that level, you need to build a suitable bankroll to justify the buy ins.

To make a living playing live, you will spend most of your life at the table, and really need to be in Vegas where the games are on tap. Alternatively, 8 hours per day online grinding the cash - there is a living to be made there!

[biffa85]

Have to agree with ARMN, the big money is online not Live.  Live is where you can make a name for yourself, but that"s for ego not big money and cash tables make more money than tournies.

[batch007]

understand, and agree misguided. On-line is where the money is and the ego is with the live games. just want some recoginition i think but having no experience of live curcuit i was mis placed in believing that is where the money is. thanks for all the advice so far by everyone, im new to poker so need to keep my feet on the ground but my head has been flustered with this damn free ticket. I know that experience is what i will gain and anything else is a bonus but i hope it is not a free taster and i get the bug.