I used to work in customer support taking phone calls. I once chatted with an older bloke from somewhere in USA who claimed to have made a living playing poker, never having had a real job.
He said "You don't even have to be good at poker. You just have to be better than the people you are playing with."
It's true. There was a short time in the early 2000s where playing online with even a vague knowledge of stats (or a calculator) and a conservative playstyle could net you a very comfortable living.
I knew a couple that did that, old hippies and math geniuses, they raised a kid and have a pretty nice house. It's basically sticking to a formula that eeks you out a bit of profit over a long period. It seems worse than working a real job to me.
Any time I find myself in a casino it's the only thing I do, I almost always win some money but I can't imagine relying on something like that for actual income. I've heard many stories of people having mental breakdowns during extended cold streaks.
Counterpoint for live poker specifically - it's incredibly cathartic taking a whole bunch of money from an obnoxious trust fund kid.
Yup, it's the only game at a casino where you can have positive EV (other than some rare exceptions like counting cards at blackjack and such). But you don't just have to be better than people around you, you have to be better enough to overcome the rake.
it's interesting to track the evolution of poker strategy over the decades, slowly changing from a vibe-based stylistic approach to a rigorous statistical one, then over the last few years shifting to mostly studying solvers.
poker has an element of competitive skill, and also since you're playing against other gamblers and not the house, you're not gonna get ejected for winning.
I used to work in customer support taking phone calls. I once chatted with an older bloke from somewhere in USA who claimed to have made a living playing poker, never having had a real job.
He said "You don't even have to be good at poker. You just have to be better than the people you are playing with."
Wild.
It's true. There was a short time in the early 2000s where playing online with even a vague knowledge of stats (or a calculator) and a conservative playstyle could net you a very comfortable living.
Then the bots started. But it was fun.
I knew a couple that did that, old hippies and math geniuses, they raised a kid and have a pretty nice house. It's basically sticking to a formula that eeks you out a bit of profit over a long period. It seems worse than working a real job to me.
plus in most instances you get to breathe cigarette smoke the whole fucking time at the tables
Not here. The casinos are run by the government and are smoke free. They run the casinos but electricity is privatized.
Any time I find myself in a casino it's the only thing I do, I almost always win some money but I can't imagine relying on something like that for actual income. I've heard many stories of people having mental breakdowns during extended cold streaks.
Counterpoint for live poker specifically - it's incredibly cathartic taking a whole bunch of money from an obnoxious trust fund kid.
Yup, it's the only game at a casino where you can have positive EV (other than some rare exceptions like counting cards at blackjack and such). But you don't just have to be better than people around you, you have to be better enough to overcome the rake.
it's interesting to track the evolution of poker strategy over the decades, slowly changing from a vibe-based stylistic approach to a rigorous statistical one, then over the last few years shifting to mostly studying solvers.
You should check out Why do I choose this for a living
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
I am pretty sure "making a living playing poker" is just a way to put money laundering income on your taxes
poker has an element of competitive skill, and also since you're playing against other gamblers and not the house, you're not gonna get ejected for winning.