"The Cons of Being a Pro" by Wein

An interesting article/blog post by 'Wein' at tournamentpokeredge.com. This is a good counterpoint to the "glamourous" way that pro poker is portrayed on television and by various poker sites... Though some pros are able to strike a balance between successful, profitable poker and living a full, interesting, and social life, many are not. I think I'm happy enough not becoming a professional poker player.

The Cons of Being a Pro

Back to the Grind

Things have finally settled down for me somewhat; I'm back in MA staying with my parents, and can finally concentrate on making/saving up some cash. The last few days have marked my first dedicated, scheduled grind since early June.

I've started shifting from regular speed games to turbos this month, and this weekend made the jump up to playing the $22s regularly. The results have been very pleasing as I destroyed the game this weekend, making as much in three nights as I did all last month despite running slightly under EV. I believe that focusing on playing Friday-Sunday nights, playing slightly higher and slightly faster (turbos), game selection, and a fresh, clear head have been the deciding factors in this weekend's positive results. Let's hope things continue to go well.

July Results

Considering the low volume, this month went very well. I spent almost the entire month across the country in San Francisco and Oakland, visiting friends and scouting the area for a possible move. I had a blast, but I also spent a bunch of money, and squeezing in a few sessions here and there helped to offset the cost of travel significantly. I paid close attention to game selection, and also played evenly and with a clear head, as I felt no pressure to play at times when I wasn't up for it.
Interestingly, my ROI is weighted down by poor performance in the $10 regular speed games, in which I broke nearly even. In the $11 turbos and up, I did much better.

July Results
Total Games: 126
Total Profit: $345
Hourly Rate: $8.70