serious answers please (poker winners)(and losers)

[Longy]

I have put down i know im in front as the winning alot definition of 1k-2k is just out of my range.

If you think about 1k a week is 52k a year the equivalent of a 90k a yr job when you take into account that poker is non taxable. It is quite possible to be a professional and earn less than that.

Myself being an example, I earn more than i would probably would in any other job i could currently get.

[SupaMonkey]

I am number 3 by I' Zimbra's definition. I don't keep records but i haven't had to reload for over a year.

I only play tourneys, two reasons really; 1st, i feel that playing cash is just trying to take cash from people and is slightly pointless (in a competitive sense) and 2nd, It is easy to manage your bankroll when you know exactly how much you are going to lose in any given tournament (well except rebuys of course). I think if i played cash, i would have had to reload a few times because of drunken internet sessions.

[M3boy]

OK, inclucing EVENT tickets won - I am way up online, and live to for that matter.

However, not playing for a living, I too have the tendency to sometimes play above my roll (with withdrawing plenty, has left me to go "broke" online 3 times now) - especially live. By this I mean, if I want to play a £500 event, and I have £500 spare, then I will go and play it - prime example being recently at Brighton.

The times I have gone "broke" (online) has (I think) been down to "variance" - coupled with playing above my roll.

I am a recreational player in that I play for luxuries, NOT necessities - so bankroll management is my weakest link.

[SupaMonkey]

Good thread btw.

[rudders]

play to supplement income ie part time- have won more than my day job pays so far this year (did the same last year too). I keep records of all games so know this is 100% accurate. Mian thing- I enjoy playing and wouldnt play otherwise- but also enjoyed the caribean holiday, new car new garden etc. I now know that July/ august are not good months for me- prob because am on holiday during both months.

still enjoy my day job(s) though.....

[suzanne]

mmmmmmmmmm im not sure

I started to play poker as a pastime and played $1 crapshoots for years loosing LOADS but thought of it as a hobby that I could afford.

Since joining Blonde my game improved by loads and I moved up to the $5 which I found I could play and WIN.

After building up a nice bankroll (by my standards) I tried more higher stake stts, mtts and cash and blew the bleedin lot.

I am now trying to get back on track coz I know im good enough to win at the $5 level and I will be more cautious this time before I move up.

I have to admit though I broke my promise to myself tonight and "borrowed" £20 from neteller to play in the $1k on blonde......you can only play so many $1/2 stts before you go mad or give up.

I was DESPERATE for a decent game but what a nightmare........I was playing like a $1 player at the start before I gave myself a good slap.

I managed to make the $$ and dispite my 4 rebuys I left $100 up.......so $5 tables here I come.

I am definatly a loser up to now but I hope to win it all back 1 day and more important I know I can.

Question        I am one of those sad gits that keeps everything and have all my bank statements for the last umpteen years........should I count up how much I have lost in the past?

One part of me says NO its money gone...another part of me would love to know and then 1 day when I get it all back I can pat myself on the back and say bloody well done!!

Decided to tick win sometimes

[tantrum]

I have lost so far $15k.   My game is so bad, but I have money to burn and I believe  that one day I will learn how to play and will win back my loses. I like having fun at poker tables, and money don't matter to me. Sometimes I win sometimes I lose, 
It is better to lose it at poker tables then in the bars.  I don't take drugs/drink alcohol/i don't shop so poker is the hobby I decided to spend my money on.

I treat this as a hobby and don't have problems with the fact that I lose.  I am sure one day I will win it back, if only my luck would change.....

[ACE2M]

After the previous thread on the same subject i thought i would find out for sure how i stand overall, i requested deposits and withdrawals details for my 4 main accounts. So far i have received 2 back, on one i am a few k in front without including seats won (this would put me well over 20k in front) and i have had this account for about a year and 4 months.

On another which is connected to sportsbook it took me a while to break it down (against money used for other gambling from the same account) but thanks to several big scores i am 7k to the good on withdrawals against deposits, i have played poker on that account for a little over 2 years.

Although i don't keep records for live as i consider it a luxury and play when i feel like or have the spare cash, on a rough estimation i put myself a few K ahead on tournaments and showing a reasonable but not massive profit on live cash games.

I don't play for a living although i would love to. If i get a large bankroll going i tend to withdraw large chunks and buy myself something or live the high life for a while but have a problem where i don't dropdown at this point to a sensible level and spunk the rest trying to get another big score quickly.

I also tend not to build slowly, i just keep a float up from stts and cash games and keep entering tourneys as i feel or as i sattelite into them and keep doing this till i have a good run.

Good thread.

[matt674]

2004: http://www.thepokerdb.com/pokerstars/player.php?id=3929&startMonth=01&startDay=1&startYear=2004&endMonth=12&endDay=31&endYear=2004&submit=Search

Ended the year with a good profit, an excellent start to the year (unfortunately not covered in the site) gave me the bankroll to pick and choose which tournaments i wanted to play and with no expenses such as hotels and travel to worry about playing online the year ended profitable. Used some of the money to play a few festival events at Blackpool and the Vic without much success.

2005: http://www.thepokerdb.com/pokerstars/player.php?id=3929&startMonth=01&startDay=1&startYear=2005&endMonth=12&endDay=31&endYear=2005&submit=Search

Slightly better year results wise especially with the WSOP package added as well but not as much profit as the previous year. Still ended the year well in the black but unfortunately by using up most of my holiday entitlement going to Vegas for the WSOP it meant i didnt play any live festival events during the year.

2006: http://www.thepokerdb.com/pokerstars/player.php?id=3929&startMonth=01&startDay=1&startYear=2006&endMonth=12&endDay=31&endYear=2006&submit=Search

Year got off to a bad start and lost a fair chunk of the bankroll during first 3 months of year, started playing lower levels till getting some good consistent cashes then managed to get things back slightly on track with the odd good result in april and may. Also won package to WSOP main event during april but decided to stop playing online end of june and july in build up to going to Vegas and withdrew my remaining bankroll from pokerstars. Since returning from Vegas i havent played as many of the big tourneys as i did in the past, a change in personal circumstances means that i haven't made a big deposit into my online account in an attempt to try and build a decent bankroll back. Trying to build it gradually by playing at lower levels but without much success at the moment - overall this year i'm down if you dont include the $13000 package i won for $33 as i didnt cash in the WSOP but then the memories were well worth it!!

Overall since i started playing i'm well in profit even though my online bankroll is now next to nothing, the profit i've made in the past i've done silly things like investing in property and stuff. i'm going to have to go back to being a reckless monkey again who puts gambling first one day - but it will probably be next year.............

[jakally]

Been playing 15 months, purely online.

Was a losing player first 7 months (-£1.6k), and break even (give or take a couple of hundred pounds). for next 5 months.

Started keeping better records (i.e. for every table / tourney played as opposed to just P&L) 3 months ago, and am now making a profit.

£1.6k up for STT's, £0.4k up cash, and £0.5k down MTT's.
Was £1.9k down in cash games after 7 weeks, but better records helped me plug a few glaring holes in my game.

My weakness is MTT's, in that I love playing them (particularly Sunday night jobbies) but I am absolutely woeful.
However, similar to some previous posts, as I am not trying to do this as a job, I reserve the right to have as much fun as I can (and to bring pleasure and amusement to others!!).

Jak.

[Sark79]

the profit i've made in the past i've done silly things like investing in property and stuff.

Nope, not silly in my view.  You have something that will increase in value with property.  That is sensible, it is better buying property than spending it on female monkeys and buying all your monkey friends banana milkshakes everytime you see them.  Not many people have two houses at 31 or 32 yrs old like you do.

[matt674]

Nope, not silly in my view.  You have something that will increase in value with property.  That is sensible, it is better buying property than spending it on female monkeys and buying all your monkey friends banana milkshakes everytime you see them.  Not many people have two houses at 31 or 32 yrs old like you do.

But i'm a gambler, its in my blood!! I'm not supposed to be doing things like this i'm supposed to be living life on the edge not knowing where or when the money for my next bet will appear!!

Playing poker has taught me good bankroll management though so i dont think i could ever go back to "good old days" 

Quite soon though i'll have to put the money towards something else - but thats for another post in the not too distant future.............

[Sark79]

marriage?   moving overseas?   mass monkey cloning project to take over the World?    Setting up an antiques business?   You are taking your shot at being a golf pro on the American tour? 

These all cost money.  Am I on the right path?

[Tonji]

sell the 2nd house Matt, & go & play the High Stakes game!!!

[thetank]

Having a modest bankroll can be no fun.

But it's much closer to a barrell of laughs than having no roll whatsoever. Stick to yer guns Matt