Starting to really worry about post poker future..

[MJKR]

I've been playing MSNL for a few years now, started during college and have played professionally since graduating. I have always worried about my future as I am 24 and have never had a job besides poker with a completely blank resume and no connections.

Last year ended great, and this year started out the same, I had an awesome January, thought I had finally corrected some big leaks, had a decent tourney score, but since then have been broken even. My worst months prior to this year were losing $20k (over 20k under ev) and $13k in a month while playing higher (5/10), besides that a bad month was breaking even. This year I've had three months of losing $20k or more, including last month where I lost $40k (MSNL + WCOOP) and had my worst downswing in February+March, and have just matched it again. I am seemingly losing every day, a break even day seems like a good day. I've had quite a bit of coaching, and feel I have gotten much better this year, and even though I will admit I am not playing my best, I do not feel I should be down anywhere near this much. There are no monkey tilt sessions, probably a few spews here and there, but I'm guessing everyone makes mistakes from time to time. Last year I had a solid win rate at 2/4 and 3/6 over a very large sample, and it seems like overnight I've turned into a breakeven player. I understand that games are getting harder, but I don't think they have gotten this bad, at this point I'm lucky to make $10k in a month. Only reason I am even up money this year is my tourney score and rakeback/bonuses.

This has really caused me to start worrying about my future, outside of poker all I've really done with my money is invest in ETFs, so really don't have anything to fall back on. I've set a very achievable modest goal (I usually aim for the moon and fail) to end the year on to make me feel ok about my year. I am moving to NYC in the next few months and kind of worried I will have no job. I do not want some corporate job, as everyone I know who has one is miserable and would rather be a rakeback pro than get some 50k a year cubicle job. I have reached out to some people I know involved in rental properties/businesses/investing looking for advice and after previously telling me how I was wasting my life playing poker, they are now basically telling me that I have the life, and should continue playing poker since they hate what they do....

I have a decent amount saved up, but am not comfortable living off my savings, but since I'm moving to NYC in the next few months I'll probably see my expenses rise quite a bit. I'm pretty burnt out at this point and if I had something else going on the side I think at this point I would focus on it full time at this point. I am really fed up with poker, I hate telling people what I do for a living. It was interesting to others when I was in college, but now that I'm in my mid twenties everyone automatically assumes I'm some degen. I can't take another break since I've had so many this year and actually took one first half of September. It just seems that my poker future looks bleak unless legislation is passed making games incredibly juicy or I am on the downside of some very bad variance which will correct soon (I don't think this is the case). I really have no idea what to do with my life though.

[Probability]

You could be a 50k a year rakeback pro in Thailand and live like a king.

What was your major?

[jupiter]

Why are you moving to NYC?

[JamesMa]

From your post, I would advise you to become a rakeback pro or going back to school for more education or work harder on your poker game and try to beat the games again

[RikaKazak]

You certainly aren't the first guy to go through this, and sadly I've seen the whole spectrum (from guys going bankrupt, to others pulling out of it)

A reoccurring theme I see with the guys that pull out of it is the refusal to accept failure as even an option. I know that sounds like an infomercial ad, but it's true.

[MJKR]

I don't want to move to Thailand

Finance major, don't know if I want to go into that field now though...


I live in NY and have wanted to move to NYC for like a year and half but had other obligations which I prevented me from doing so.

I'm trying to improve my game right now, moved down, cut down tables, started watching some videos and hope to reach my goal over the next two months. But being rakeback pro would only be temporary solution as opposed to getting some cubicle job. Yes I could grind next year and probably break even and make out living expenses, but games will continue to get harder and that isn't a realistic long term option.

I'm at the point now that even if I do turn it around I realize I need to set myself up with something on the side since given current conditions time is running out and I don't want to be stuck trying to figure out what to do. But have absolutely no idea what to do on that front either.

[JamesMa]

I mean as a SNE rakeback pro (check out steel's blog), even if you break even thats still a lot of money from rakeback which is better pay than a LOT of jobs out there...

[piguanitore]

The rakeback at Stars is paid cash into your account ?

[JamesMa]

Trade FPPs for cash but basically yes

[LouisLouis]

Not winning at poker (assuming it's not variance) means you are doing something. Which means you need to approach the game in a different way that you are not used to doing.
Coaching is one thing. Making sure you eat right, get enough sleep, get enough excersize, take breaks when you need to, always making sure you are not hungry or thirsty, etc. These are all things that will help your winrate.
Work harder/different with your game.

I'd never settle for being a RB pro. Sounds like an awfull living and I'd much rather do something more meaningful if that was my choose.

Couldn't you try to get some part time job you liked. That way you can play poker on the side all the while you get more in touch with what the world has to offer.

GL