An Ape and a notebook, how long will it take?

[redsimon]

You need to get to Vegas next time you have 12 days off!

Really worth it?

Games in London are clearly great, without the spew/ mtts I would've had a +4k two weeks....

Hard to believe that gets beat by Vegas, esp with a loss of two days and 800 on flights... Need to be playing 2/5, 5/10, 10/20 if I go to Vegas surely?
Not rolled...... Yet.

About £600 for flights, sure you could make plenty at $1/$2 with less spew, hotels probably work out less and its not London as well

[jgcblack]

suggestions/ ideas for me in vegas....

other than stay away from lil'd?




By this i mean I want to go, this year... but if I do I want to do it right.

4-5 days playing professionally... (cash games probably, might try a tournament a week or something)
and 2 days playing or resting or touristy stuff...

rinse, repeat, enjoy x3/4.

I can definitely get 15-20 days off for a mega first trip, I don't know if that's a ludicrous idea.. but after having just been to London for two weeks and attempted a version of it.  I know I can make it work and have the discipline to be professional... only question is do I bother to go Vegas, or just rent a room in London?

[scotty77]

I think that the games in London are the best in the world actually for 1/2 2/5.

BUT if you can arrange to be out there during WSOP time where you will be around 20/30/40 Brits that you know from Blonde/card rooms etc then its a no brainer.  There is so much to do during WSOP time and so many legends to do it with.

[jgcblack]

I think that the games in London are the best in the world actually for 1/2 2/5.

BUT if you can arrange to be out there during WSOP time where you will be around 20/30/40 Brits that you know from Blonde/card rooms etc then its a no brainer.  There is so much to do during WSOP time and so many legends to do it with.

True story, only problem is im not a balla, legend or rolled enough to try to be.  I didn't push Vegas last year (could've scraped it) and I dont think I should this year.  If I dont go this year, build, build and next year im looking to go pro - I could do Vegas comfortably then.

Last thing I want or need is 12 months learning to chill, control and build... To then go to Sin City and splurge my nuts metaphorically and literally all over the place.


The games in London are - goood!

[paulhouk03]

I think that the games in London are the best in the world actually for 1/2 2/5.

BUT if you can arrange to be out there during WSOP time where you will be around 20/30/40 Brits that you know from Blonde/card rooms etc then its a no brainer.  There is so much to do during WSOP time and so many legends to do it with.

True story, only problem is im not a balla, legend or rolled enough to try to be.  I didn't push Vegas last year (could've scraped it) and I dont think I should this year.  If I dont go this year, build, build and next year im looking to go pro - I could do Vegas comfortably then.

Last thing I want or need is 12 months learning to chill, control and build... To then go to Sin City and splurge my nuts metaphorically and literally all over the place.


The games in London are - goood!

I think your a legend JB

IMO keep grinding 1/2 in london

pretty sure there are games around the world which are much softer than london

[pleno1]

next year im looking to go pro

What!?!?!?

Why would you even contemplate going pro? It would truly be a ridiculously bad decision. You have a job that pays well and its very unlikely that people can make poker work as a full time job. Furthermore to be a live pro you need so so so much discipline, Jakally like, to be able to maintain your long term edge and EV and thats something that is just really hard to train.

You have a good job, get paid well and can spend your wages on poker, just treat it as a recreationally hobby that you enjoy and sometimes make money with, I wold seriously suggest not to even contemplate "going pro".

Who knows where poker is even going to be in a few years, high chance the government starts taxing heavily and everywhere is segregated, online is tough and after 3-4 months (maybe even 6-7?) you still haven't got past 10nl properly, games where you would "make a living" are genuinely tough and the guys in those games are doing things you wouldn't even comprehend (not from a strategy pov btw) leaving a really well paid job to go to Vegas and the fucking mirage when who knows where poker will be in 10 years would be a criminal decision.

Come on mate, wake up and smell the coffee, you have a life better than so many people, be realistic and build a career rather than spending so much time on poker and wanting to turn pro.

[JustinSayne]

I strongly agree with Pleno.

2013 games are tough. You have a awesome job allready. If you were at tescos making 12k a year I would say otherwise, but you are certainly set up pretty nice.

On another note, do the cash games run during the day in the week at the Vic or nearby casinos?

[kinboshi]

24-hour cash games in London.

[tight4better]

If you were at tescos making 12k a year I would say otherwise

 

[dwayne110]

Hi John, I've read your diary and find it really engaging.... you wear your heart on your sleeve and are not afraid to leave yourself open to criticism with your honest posts, which is refreshing! However, I strongly suggest you listen to Pleno and consider the amount of profit you'd actually need to make to justify leaving your current job. If you're earning even £30k+/annum can you confidently say you can earn this in profit, year on year, particularly with the added dynamic you'd be reliant on your poker winnings to pay the bills? Personally I'd need to have minimum £100k behind me to truly feel comfortable in giving up the day job! Keep it as a hobby, whether you want to consider yourself a part-time pro or whatever.... you'll play better knowing you have a solid income behind you.

[pleno1]

also, just because you get $30,000 atm, doesn't mean you wont get $200,000 year aftr year in 20 years.

[George2Loose]

Bit patronising pleno. If JB wants to give it a shot think he should. Always gonna be jobs

[pleno1]

Bit patronising pleno. If JB wants to give it a shot think he should. Always gonna be jobs

I'd tell every friend the exact same thing and I'd hope they'd tell me too if roles were reversed.

[JustinSayne]

Horrible thing to say, but I would offer 10-1 on John maintaining the same standard of living in terms of salary and overall well being if he went pro in 2013.

Its nothing bad on John either. He just happens to have a very good job.

Its no walk in the park to make £20k+ a year from poker and still have hair left by 2015

[Marky147]

Bit patronising pleno. If JB wants to give it a shot think he should. Always gonna be jobs

If John does the kind of job that I think then there aren't always going to be jobs like that. Have to be absolutely mental to chuck in a very good, well paid and secure job to grind poker nowadays imo...

I'd also imagine that he has promotional prospects too, which workout much better than moving from 100nl to 200nl 

All speculation and just my opinion of course...