Joined: Sep '07
Location: Finland
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 94
I think i read somewhere that Angel Largay played $3/6 limit holdem games when he first set out as a professional, and on a pokercast recently someone mentioned they were playing $4/8 limit holdem as their main source of income.
Is it really possible to play at those limits and make a liveable earn (and to build a bankroll at the same time?). (as opposed to just playing around and blowing off steam).( i think largay lived in a caravan at the time with a car battery for light and heating.)
If not what would be the lowest limits you would find profesionals earning their living? $10/20?
(what is the minimum wage in the US?).
------------ I guess it depends on your personal standards. If you have no ambition for any other work & professional advancement in other fields, and you're a decent player, you could probably grind out $10/hr playing 3/6 limit, and eventually move up in stakes/wage, sure.
------------ I know of some ppl in my casino who play 5/10 limit. Not sure how they do it considering the rake. The ones that are pros definetely seem more degen than making a good living though.but i think you can make it living in nl5/10 or maybe nl10/20...
------------ i know someone who plays 200NL (1/2) for a living, 12 tables online for a rediculous profit, sometimes that is. With thousands in rakeback each month though hes always up....so thats the way it goes if you plat so much hands you get hell of a rakeback...
------------ If you could grind $1/2 live for $6-8/hr you'd be making about minimum wage in the US. I'm not sure if you'd be ahead or behind true min. wage after taxes though....but if you got rakeback you can make a good money...maybe...1/2 level is quite small but you can mae it living...
------------ Two years ago, I was inbetween full time jobs, so I worked part-time Tues and Wed. and played 4/8 at the Trop in AC on the weekends. I was able to support myself doing this for 6 months before I started my full-time job. I went basically 3 weekends a month, and was lucky enough to pull $1,000-$1,500 a weekend 3x and $500-1,000 5x, mostly though I either lost a little or won a little. I only allowed myself to lose $150 per session. There was one time when I lost that in the first 2 hands. I sat down, was the BB and before the button even got to me, I was out already, lol. If you can deal w/ being up 5 bets, down 5 bets, ect. for hours on end until you win 2 or 3 big pots, you can do it with limit as low as 4/8. Some of the big pots I won were 30-40BB's. But bring a book, because you will be BORED. You really do need to grind it out.
BTW- I know a lot of people frown on leaving a game just because you are down, but I disagree. It's hard to play at your best when you are losing, no matter what anyone says. That game will always be there in the casino, play it when you are fresh.
------------ I know people making a living playing 2/5 live. If I ever lose my job, I'll be one of them for at least an interim period. and You could make a living playing 1/2 NL online or 2/5 live, but it doesn't sound like much fun to me.2/5 is more realistic 1/2 is childs game so tiny...
------------ Neither does making 70k 9-5 at an office job you hate. Also if you male 70k cash, most people will only claim half of that, so in reality its like having an 85k job on the books.but that 9-5 job is so discusting so maybe you just grind a little...to get 100K i tough but rakeback is the way to be.
------------ Anyone who claims half of what they make is asking for trouble. The IRS can usually figure out if your lifestyle or your bank accounts don't jibe with your stated income.
An audit could dig up other infractions as well. Having more than $10,000 in a foreign account must be reported to the IRS. PokerStars and other sites fit this definition.
I claim all of my cash income, every dollar. Besides it being the right and honest thing to do, the penalties for tax evasion just aren't worth it.
------------ I agree with most of what your saying, But for my situation right now I barely claim anything.... 1. Have literlly no bills to pay. I rent a room paying cash,I have a used car paid off, and have 1 credit card that I never use. So really My lifestyle fits inside a 30k "lifestyle"
2. I play mostly live, so in reality all my online winnings claim.
In a year When I plan on buying my own place, new car, and things like this I will claim more
Edited by TILTTIVILPPI (13 February 2008 @ 07:42 GMT)
Joined: Feb '08
Location: Netherlands
Age: 41 (F)
Posts: 46
ehmmm... what was the question? No seriously, i thought you were trying to get a discussion started on what level a person needs to playy at to make a living out of poker, but there's nothing to discuss because you made it into an article instead of a discussion. I wouldn't know what limits you need to play on, but my guess is that you would have to make about 150€, that's almost 200$ (i think) average a day to make a living out of it. 200$x 30 days= 6000$ minus taxes (dont know what that is in other countries but let's say 50%) =3000$... yes i could live with 3000$ a month. Of course you would want to keep some of the profit on your bankroll as well, but i'm not counting that now. Simply counting what you need to pay rent, electric bill, food and clothes.
Joined: Sep '07
Location: Finland
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 94
What would be the lowest games for NL? I thought i heard one professional suggesting that to play professionally it was best to be able to beat the $5/10 NL games in order to make a go of it. Is it likely that you would be playing against professionals regularly in live $1/2 capped games? or would they be there just passing time?
Joined: Feb '08
Location: Canada
Age: 46 (M)
Posts: 32
Did'nt know what you were getting at ,but i guess its good to make a living at the game of poker period no matter the stakes . I figure if you can be at a high stake,guess u could have a get life living off poker i think . sure would be great for me if could be able to make a living just on online poker alone.
Joined: Sep '07
Location: Finland
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 94
I guess it depends on your personal standards. If you have no ambition for any other work & professional advancement in other fields, and you're a decent player, you could probably grind out $10/hr playing 3/6 limit, and eventually move up in stakes/wage, sure.
Joined: Feb '08
Location: Australia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 312
I play poker for a living and the levels i mostly play are 3/6 nl 6 max and i also dabble in some 2/4 pot limit omaha high. i play around 6 tables at any given time and with all the rakeback and other loyalty i make a good living for myself.
Joined: Dec '07
Location: Slovakia
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 824
You can make living even from 1/2 if you will play more tables .. but you have to have some good bonus like rakeback or some FPP system that really helps in pro carrier
Joined: Sep '07
Location: Finland
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 94
I know of some ppl in my casino who play 5/10 limit. Not sure how they do it considering the rake. The ones that are pros definetely seem more degen than making a good living though.but i think you can make it living in nl5/10 or maybe nl10/20...
Joined: Oct '07
Location: Sweden
Age: 63 (M)
Posts: 210
Yeah I agree with w444x ... you can make a living at 1/2 thats according to me the lowest limits ... but I consider you as a proffesional if you play 3/6 or higher (talking about NL) ...
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Croatia
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1308
In my country minimum wage per day is around $18 or 19$. So I can make a living on a minimum wage playing beginners tables. LOL
Best way to calculate this is take your country daily minimum wage and that will be the start. I did a little research and found that average wage is around 2.200 euros pretax. 2200 - 33.5%=1436/30=48.77
If you want to play around 4 hours a day like i do than you should earn at least 12 euros and I think that you can only tell what limit you must play to make 12 euros. Reason why i did this because you dont want to get caught with some sharks that will suck you out if youre not carefull enough. Maybe it is a better thing to do to play lower limits and you take a roll of the shark and earn your minimum wage there. Much less risk involved, although once youre out of the begginers limits oposition will not change much in its quality only thing that will change is you, being freightened of the higher bets. Im returning to beginning of my post and say I CAN MAKE A LIVING IN CROATIA BY PLAYIN LOW LIMITS. I DONT WANT TO GET INTO EUROPEAN UNION. I need to make $5 per hour to make a living here and i can do that playing on one table at $0.10/$0.10. If i want to make a good living than $0.25/$0.50 would do nice
PS. For all of you thinking about moving to Croatia, one information too. Dont bring your girlfriends, they will only stand in the way.
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Brazil
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 1788
Posted by Predobar: PS. For all of you thinking about moving to Croatia, one information too. Dont bring your girlfriends, they will only stand in the way. Predobar
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Croatia
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1308
Hey fodz. So you are imprisoned. Tough luck. Women here have at least one brother, which usually dont like having his sister going out with married guys.
How are you fodz, ive seen you made that freeroll ribbon for me.
My suckouts have made me theorize about lamer who wrote the client and as we speak theory is slowly turning to cash. When Im in the mood ill take some webspace somewhere and put a zip file with history. Its some really funny stuff how i played and finally broke out of that downfall. In 1 hour or so Ive been playing really stupid game, my $4 buyin raised to $17. Its not the amount that is worth mentioning, but kind of play i was playing. I even called a guy with flush im with trips its turn, allin to make a boat on river. LOL it took a while before he calmed down. Other Hand im calling floped J im holding A J guy raised preflop and is going allin, im calling allin, turn J, river A. Guy had KK. LOL. BTW i caught a flu from my girlfriend so havent posted anything yesterday.
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United States
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 17
i have seen on sharkscope u can search how much money people have made off of certain buyins and theres people that have made thousands just in SnG off of 2 dollar and under buyins
Joined: Dec '07
Location: Denmark
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2644
If you are a winning player at NL100 can manage atleast 4 tables and play min 6 hours pr day you can without doubt live of poker no matter where you live. But I think NL100 is the absolut minimum level to make a living out of it. Good luck guys
Joined: Oct '07
Location: Norway
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 28
Posted by Pokeriswar: In europe where there are no taxes on poker I think u can make a living at 1/2 and 2/4 thats the lowest...
here in Norway we have to pay taxes if we cash out, 10 000 kr or more, thats like 1600 $, But you can acutally cash ut 9999 kr several times taxe free>( Pretty dumb, yea i know
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United States
Age: 51 (F)
Posts: 581
Abdi18 that is the same as in US I believe it is if you cashou $999 you dont pay taxes but $1,000 you pay taxes for I dont remember, never cashed out that much just saying what Ive been told.
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United States
Age: 54 (M)
Posts: 407
I would be happy making $25/hr playing poker. Its easier than working a real job. I also have to quit if i get down early on, or else i will go on tilt also. Still trying to get that nice bankroll going and working on getting the skill and PATIENCE as to do it for a living.
.. but you have to have some good 
