The State of Poker: My Assessment (Part 2)

Part 2: Where am I and Where Am I Going?


NOW:

A couple months ago I was feeling very introspective about my poker game. I was struggling at the time and didn't know where my poker "career" was going. During this time I came across a couple articles by Alan Schoonmaker concerning how best to plan your poker development. I ended up with 4 goals to accomplish before I moved to Thailand and had to quit playing poker. These goals were 1) Build my bankroll to $3000; 2) Win a multitable tournament online; 3) Feel comfortable playing $1/$2 No Limit Holdem; and 4) Win on my next trip to Vegas.

I did a pretty decent job with these goals. My bankroll surpassed $3000 without me even realizing it. I won a blogger tournament to take down my first multitable tournament. Also, I played a lot of $1/$2 at various casinos and felt very comfy by the end. My only shortcoming was winning at Vegas. I broke dead even. I was only able to put in 2 sessions but I won $100 the first time and lost $100 my second.

I'll give myself an A- in meeting my goals. I am where I want to be at this stage but still want to get a lot better. I'm sure I'll be rusty when I get back late 2007 but I have a good foundation laid.

SO WHAT AM I?

There has been a quiz on the blog for quite some time now. I originally posted it because I thought the idea that I could be considered a professional poker player was cool and wondered how many people might consider me this. The final results for the poll are: 6 votes for professional player, 7 for semi-pro, 4 for amateur, and 1 for none of the above. If you asked me right now, I would say semi-pro. I don't think I should call myself a professional until I can/need to rely 100% on my poker winnings.

WHERE AM I GOING?

I honestly have no idea. Especially since I don't even know if online poker will be legal when I move back to the U.S. I have a few inklings though as to which direction my poker career could turn.

The first is that I will like living out in the jungle and will go back to school and try to make a career out of doing field research on wildlife. If this is the case, poker will probably be relegated to hobby status and I will never play as much again as I have the past 10 months.

The second option is that I will come back and find a job somewhere in Southern California hopefully. Then I will continue to pursue my semi-pro poker lifestyle for entertainment and supplementary income. This is the most probable path I think. Also, this will allow me to work towards getting good enough to play at a professional level later on in my life.

The third and least likely option is that I will take my shot at professional poker right away. This would involve me living in a place where the cost of living is really low and grinding away for hours every day online. I would have to have only minimal expenses for the first few years as I build up my bankroll and save up money to live more comfortably on. If this road is unsuccessful I could fall back to option two. However, if this is successful I could see myself perhaps moving somewhere tropical and getting a nice beach bungalow there. Then I could play online poker or visit the local fishing grounds (aka the local resort and casino) all the while living in paradise. Doesn't sound like such a bad life to me.