I believe it is possible to make money online but you really have to apply yourself, it isnt always fun and it certainly isnt easyI started playing full time poker at the beginning of 2005 and I have kept detailed records of my wins/losses
I had an amazing run during Feb/Mar when I turned a profit of $90k, but I knew that this was just a blip, reality is a little different, but Feb/Mar aside, my online 'earnings' work out to $4470 per month (so far).
A fellow blondeite sent me a PM asking me what my thoughts on 'full time' online play were. For anyone who is interested, I have reproduced my reply below...
Hi, In answer to your bankroll question, I suppose I initially just threw a couple of hundred into an account, and when it was gone I threw in another couple. Remember, at this time, I had no intention of playing poker for a living, I was just trying to see if I could turn a profit. If I built my bankroll up to five or six hundred, I played bigger games, and if I went skint, I dropped back down to the smaller stuff. Ultimately, I tried not to deposit more than 100 per week
By the time I decided to go 'full time', I had already had some success and developed good idea of what games suited me and what I thought was a reasonable expectation. I figured I needed 10k to give it a proper bash. (I only play multis online so the paydays can be quite far apart and you have to realise you will lose a lot more times than you win.)
This brings me to what I consider to be the most important aspects of online play for profit, but please bear in mind that these things suit me and my type of game, you might have to change/modify them to suit yourself.
(1) If you started poker as a live player and had some success this can be a disadvantage. Online players dont have the ability to lay a hand down like live players do, it's so easy to press that call button and they don't have to face the ridicule of the other players face-to-face at the poker table. Also, if they get knocked out they dont have to get into the car, drive home and wait until tomorrow night for another game, so dont try to make moves early, and bet your monster hands big, they will call.
(2) Gather as much information as you can, restrict your play to one or two sites initially, you will find that the same players play in the same games night after night and you can soon get to know their games. Dont play two games at once, dont watch the telly between hands, and concentrate even if you're not involved. Make notes, MAKE NOTES!
(3) Dont make the mistake of playing any old game that's available at the time. The value varies enormously, plan your schedule and stick to it.
(4) Try not to get angry, upset or frustrated. It's so easy to go on tilt but so hard to recognise or admit it. Dont play when you are too tired or have something else on your mind. If your game isn't what it should be, have a day off.
(5) Find the best games, the ones that suit you and offer the best value. Watch out for guaranteed freeze outs that dont have enough entries to make the guarantee. Take advantage of other people's 'bad play times', i.e. 9am on blondepokerleague, when its 3am for the Americans and they are tired, losing, and tilting, or midnight on Ladbrokes when they come back from the pub
(6) Keep records, where you played, how well you think you played, your results, where you make your best profit and your biggest losses, etc. Be totally honest with yourself.
(7) Please keep it in perspective. Don't play with money you cant afford to lose or when its loss will affect those around you.
Regards,
Tom