Introductions

Hi all!

Let me introduce myself. My name is JP, and I'm an amateur poker player ever striving to become "pro." I've always found it funny that some of the self-proclaimed "pros" in the casino still have day jobs and only come into the poker room to make spending money. Others that I've come across do not have the bankroll to legitimately call themselves "pro" in my eyes. I'll explain in a minute, just let me finish my introduction.

I live in Louisville, KY, and play 3-5 days a week at Caesars Indiana. I also play on FullTilt and Poker Stars. I'm one of the "Moneymaker-boomers," meaning that I didn't start playing poker 'til I saw the 2003 WSOP on ESPN. I did, however, start playing soon after that aired, mostly in home games and freerolls (both live and Internet). I started playing for real money about a year ago online, and started playing in casinos about 4-5 months ago. Started at the $4-8 limit holdem game, then jumped to the $1-2NL holdem table. Recently, I've been frequenting the $2-5NL holdem, though they only run that a few times a week (while I'm there, that is). $2-5NL is the biggest regular game we have, and where the best NL players play. Sometimes, when the "crazy Russians" come to the casino, they start up a $5-10NL game, but that's not too often. Consequently, I've never played that game. I've also sat on the $1-2 and the $1-2-5 PLO. We have a huge PLO game ($30-60 I think Edit: AA said it is $25-50 with a $100 mandatory straddle) that I'll sit on one day... just not today.

I'm starting this blog for a number of reasons. First, I think it'd be a great log/journal/whatever for me in the event that I do turn pro, I can look back and say "Man, remember when I couldn't beat Caesar's $2-5 game?" Next, for all the players that are in my position right now, this blog may play a role in their/your transition to the big leagues. If so, then I'll gladly advertise your sponsors... for a nominal fee of course :) And finally (at least for the purposes of this article), to help me remember my mistakes so I don't make them again!!!

So, about these "pro" players who don't have a bankroll. My friend, AA (I'll be referring to AA a lot throughout the whole blog) and I met a really nice guy at our recent WSOP Circuit event who had allegedly just turned pro a few months before and was wearing a WSOP Circuit ring. He said that he had been to a few events before this one and so I asked him "Hey, I'd like to go pro one day, how much of a bankroll did you start out with when you made the jump?" He said that all he had $900. This struck me as odd, but whatever. So AA asked him "What limits do you play?" referring to cash games. He told us "Oh, I don't play cash games." I chimed in "Oh, just satellites?" "No," he said, "I just buy-in to the tournaments straight. Yeah it was kinda hard until I won the $500NL event because the room is $70/night and I've been here for like 15 days. If I didn't hit that, I would have just gone home."

Wow. After a few calculations, AA and I figured out that he had spent at least $140 of his $900 bankroll on the hotel room. He said that he played the first event, which was $200 (since he doesn't play satellites), leaving him with $560. The next day was the $500, which he won. Had he not won, he would have an amazing $60 to get back home to wherever home was. That's assuming that he didn't eat, though he may have been living on comps.

How many "pros" are like that? Most pros use the "6 months expenses" benchmark as the necessary bankroll to become pro. I would say that you'd need to have the 6 months expenses PLUS additional bank to actually play your table games. My definition of being "pro" is that poker is your primary source of income, and that you have enough bankroll that you can survive a long stretch without a win. That guy didn't even have enough to make it through two tournaments if he lost. He may be a good poker player, but I don't think he's a pro just yet (winning the $500 did add about $50K to his bankroll though). Crazy? Yes.

Maybe he's just not good at bankroll management.. or maybe he's filthy rich outside of poker. :)

...but he has a WSOP ring.. and I don't!