Road to being a pro

[anthonyl]

I left uni to work for a big 5 accountancy firm in 1996 on £12k a year (Outside of London) after graduating in a non accountancy subject and if i was looking to do the same now i would just go straight into work after Alevels and avoid all the debt and come up the other end with the same professional qualifications 3 years earlier and get on the earnings career path quicker.  Out of interest does anyone know what a graduate trainee would start on straight out of uni now in a similar career in 2014?  Just interested in comparing relative debt/salary ratios across the two periods and how they have changed.

How does having £60k of student debt around your neck effect you getting a mortgage even if you have a reasonably well paid secure job at, say, 26/28 years old?

I joined a big 4 after graduating in 2007, starting salary was around 34K GBP including benefits, and overtime (Luxembourg though). EY London back then paid 27.5K, and around 43K when qualified (now, 2014 it hasn't increased).

EY Bham pay around 21K for graduates, and 32K when qualified (same 2007, and again not changed in 2014).

Never known uni debt (as long as its student loan debt) affect any mortgage. I took out a mortgage in 2012 and they just asked for my last 3 months pay slips which showed like 215 GBP coming out per month (there was only 1K left on it, but they didn't ask how much was left, total debt was 12.5K i think as 1k fee per year).

£32k in 2014 for newly qualified ACA with a big 4 firm in Birmingham?  Really?  Pretty sure they were getting more than that back in 2001.

Yeah, 32k for 3 rating (5 rating staff maybe £35k). Pretty High salary for people who would be 25 years old in Birmingham where house prices are like £150k for decent 3 bed, compared to London where you get £43-45k and is £370k for one bed in an ok area in zone 2.

[tikay]

Don't you only play like 20NL?

Either way, don't pay £100 per hour for coaching at your levels. I know a couple of players from Sky that offer coaching and they're 2 of the best cash players on the site, and only charge £30 per hour, both of which I've received coaching from (albeit 1 of them was only for one session) and would recommend them highly. Think whoever is offering it for £100 per hour is trying to rip you off tbh.

Please don't even CONSIDER paying that sort of money until you move up several levels. You are simply burning money. IMO, of course.

[tikay]

Played about 6 hours a day for the last 4 days. Not made any money but definitely feel like I'm going to. Gonna probably get more coaching from a coach I've had before. what is the etiquette on asking a coach on what games he plays and at what stakes and what his win rate is? Feel awkward about doing it but surely it's my right as a customer or no? It's like a 100 quid for an hour which would be a a decent percentage of my bankroll but considering I can then ask him questions on everything for the next 6 months I still think it's plus EV.

100 quid per hour, for someone playing your stakes seems very pricey, I can't really see how you can justify paying this when your starting out. Your learning curve should be pretty steep atm as your still a relative newbie, so just putting in hours you should still get plenty of aha moments. Be careful with coaches, lots of cowboys who specialise in buzzwords

Agree with every word of that.

[tikay]

Personally, no matter how much or little you pay a coach, I think you are perfectly entitled to ask those questions you mentioned.

However........

The important thing if you want to learn, & get better, is that if you pay for the services of a coach, you must take on board what they say. I say that (with the best of intentions, please be assured) as you were asking questions on PHA recently, getting great advice from the likes of Messrs Nicholson, Barnett & PBN, & ignoring it. That makes no sense to me.

I wish you well, & I hope you accept my views in the spirit intended.   

[AlunB]

Without wanting to sound like an old fart, this thread reminds me so much of everyone I knew playing poker in 2005. "Come on lads, all it takes is a little work a few videos and some coaching and we'll be crushing in no time..."

I hope you win the lot OP, but please please listen to some of the advice in this thread. It's very hard and expensively earned for the most part.

[SuuPRlim]

never been a big fan of coaches. just get out in the streets and make it happen

Losing has always taught me a lot more than winning.

[KingPush]

Realised I wasn't gogo enough to be playing as loose as I was so I've tightened up all my ranges and seems to be working a bit more. Also paying way more attention at the tables and making a lot of notes on everyone. People seem to have really weak rages in a lot of spots and I just wasn't exploiting people at all before really. Decided I'm not gonna look at my balance until the end of the month either, should look much healthier when it is + rakeback and points as well.

[SuuPRlim]

Not looking at your hem or balance is awesome to do but so so so hard, tried so many times lol

I just need to know god dammit.

[Lambert180]

Not looking at your hem or balance is awesome to do but so so so hard, tried so many times lol

I just need to know god dammit.

Yeah tried to do the same and its hard. Usually find out your balance when the message comes up to say you don't have enough funds to top up

[Rexas]

Not looking at your hem or balance is awesome to do but so so so hard, tried so many times lol

I just need to know god dammit.

I look if I know I'm winning :p

[PaintingByNumbers]

Realised I wasn't gogo enough to be playing as loose as I was so I've tightened up all my ranges and seems to be working a bit more. Also paying way more attention at the tables and making a lot of notes on everyone. People seem to have really weak rages in a lot of spots and I just wasn't exploiting people at all before really. Decided I'm not gonna look at my balance until the end of the month either, should look much healthier when it is + rakeback and points as well.

Would be impressed by that kind of willpower!

[tteeeeee]

Just read this thread and there was so much good advice and insight.

My two pence worth…  Try and create a lifestyle/income that allows you to play poker rather than playing poker for a living.

I don't think most people could enjoy playing online purely for a living unless you are making at least £70k + per year. Even if thats possible it will take unbelievable discipline  - the daily grind of day sitting in a room on a computer all night cannot be enjoyable - not long term anyway.

IMO there is no way you can trust online poker 100% anyway, it regulates itself so you can't guarantee anything. There will always be a select few who will win big $ but poker rooms need winners, it will always need the elite players for the rest to look up to. Trusting poker sites is no different to trusting bankers in the city… Just my opinion...

in 2014 To make a living from live poker IMO you need to win a big tourney early in your career or a few top 5 places and make a name for yourself- so try and sat in as many big comps as possible, and once your there play well and don't get unlucky.

Online or live making a living in poker you will need some luck regardless - do you want to rely all your future earnings on something that has an element of luck that you can't really control. In life I personally believe in making your own luck from the choices and decisions you make - in poker you can't always do that, sometimes or most the time its the poker gods.

So why not try and create or plan for a lifestyle/income that allows you to play poker rather than playing poker for a living? If you get lucky and win a big tourney early you can always change your plans. Im 35 & I run my own business, its seasonal so between April and November I might work 7 days a week 10 hrs a day but for 5 months of the year I'm more or less free to do what I want. If i want to play poker solid for a few weeks or go on tour I can this allows me to get my poker fix, This is the lifestyle i wanted to create for myself, you're at an age where you can plan what ever you want so what ever you choose good luck to you.

 








 

[pleno1]

Without wanting to sound like an old fart, this thread reminds me so much of everyone I knew playing poker in 2005. "Come on lads, all it takes is a little work a few videos and some coaching and we'll be crushing in no time..."

I hope you win the lot OP, but please please listen to some of the advice in this thread. It's very hard and expensively earned for the most part.

it was definitely true then and probably true now too.

[baldock92]

Don't you only play like 20NL?

Either way, don't pay £100 per hour for coaching at your levels. I know a couple of players from Sky that offer coaching and they're 2 of the best cash players on the site, and only charge £30 per hour, both of which I've received coaching from (albeit 1 of them was only for one session) and would recommend them highly. Think whoever is offering it for £100 per hour is trying to rip you off tbh.

In a standard coaching session what normally happens? Do they advise you whilst you're playing, watch you then give you feedback, etc?

I've always been a believer that just getting out there and playing hands is the best way to learn.

[theprawnidentity]

I've always been a believer that just getting out there and playing hands is the best way to learn.

Could not agree more with this.