I have a few friends in LA that do it - go to a casino for like 8 hrs - play it totally safe, only bet when you're gonna win and then you have lots of free time to take on gigs....

Some of them have gotten good enough that they even ended up playing a house game withe some big actors...

Anyone else taking this approach?

I play poker full time in Los Angeles and online, when I'm not working as an editor or VFX supervisor.

It is VERY challenging, and do not believe what people tell you regarding win rates.

The truth is that you need a significant chunk of money as a bankroll, and that needs to be coupled with very significant skill.

And here's the rub: as actors, we have a skill in letting our emotions out. In poker, you have to fully constrain your emotions.


IMPORTANT: Emotions in poker will DESTROY you.


I do NOT recommend it as a side job unless you have the significant capital to set aside as a bankroll.

Here's an example: In "winning Tough Hold Em Games" the author (Stoxtrader) indicates a need for 1000 BB in a limit game as a minimum bankroll.

If you play a 4/8 limit game, that means you need an $8000 bankroll.

In a live 4/8 game in Los Angeles, you can expect to make about $16 an hour if you are a VERY sharp experienced pro.

So, $8k roll (that you cannot use for other things), to make $16 an hour.

Good deal? It's tough. Trust me. I know very sharp pros that have gone for MONTHS without a profit. It is a very tough racket.

At the same time I love the game, and it does pay my rent when I am on hiatus.

SO:

If you are seriously considering it, then you need to STUDY very hard:

Read: Small Stakes hold Em by Miller/Sklansky as a start. Then there are dozens of other books you need to read, and a couple coaching site you should join.

Join the free website twoplustwo.com and get involved in discussions with other pros. learn what other books to read, and learn how to control your emotions, and develop the skills needed to survive the game.

MOST IMPORTANT: Do NOT think this is some way to easy money. IT IS NOT. Playing poker professionally requires discipline, patience, continued study, and loads of cash.

Right now, with the deflated economy, the really bad players (where all the money comes from) have largely left the game. That leave all the other pros. You want to compete against other pros? NO! You will get slaughtered.

If someone here is really interested, I will offer a list of must read books. Otherwise, focus on your ACTING, and whatever reliable job you can have. Poker is far from the road to financial independence.


Best of luck

Andy

quote:

play it totally safe, only bet when you're gonna win

There is "no such thing" as only bet when you are going to win. you bet when you have the "best" of it, but even then, bad players can get lucky on you and you lose. (this is called a bad beat).

And it happens A LOT.

In poker, you are rarely better than an 80% favorite even if you play very very tight. You can go weeks or months without a substantial profit. Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying or misinformed.

Be very careful - profitable poker requires substantial skill, beyond playing "tight". And long term profits are not easy to achieve.

Best of luck

Andy

AndySomers speaks the truth.

I would say for 99% of people, it's a bad idea. It's one thing to play every now and then on a weekend, quite another to rely on poker as an income.

Truly, if you want to make any sort of living, you're going to be there for more than 8 hours a week. It really is a grind. Not only do you have to beat the other players, you also have to beat the rake---the amount of money the casino takes out of every pot.

Also consider the rest of it. This is a job with no health insurance, no sick days, no 401k, no benefits of any kind. And good luck getting an apartment after putting "poker player/actor" on your rental application.

quote:

Originally posted by Sarah Nicklin:
I have a few friends in LA that do it - go to a casino for like 8 hrs - play it totally safe, only bet when you're gonna win and then you have lots of free time to take on gigs....

Some of them have gotten good enough that they even ended up playing a house game withe some big actors...

Anyone else taking this approach?

Work on your craft, F poker.

quote:

Originally posted by KillerInstinct:

quote:

Originally posted by Sarah Nicklin:
I have a few friends in LA that do it - go to a casino for like 8 hrs - play it totally safe, only bet when you're gonna win and then you have lots of free time to take on gigs....

Some of them have gotten good enough that they even ended up playing a house game withe some big actors...

Anyone else taking this approach?

Work on your craft, F poker.

It's the survival jobs section DUH. Not everyone is a trust fund baby and here we share ideas on how to avoid being on the street. Hence the title SURVIVAL JOBS.

I actually know a friend that makes about $1200 a months playing poker so while I think it unlikely, it's not actually a horrible idea.

Yea you can do it, but it's easier being an extra FWIW.

I can't live on 1200 a month that doesn't even cover rent, lol.

Regardless, Poker is NOT a "steady" income, and DOES take significant skill, and emotional control.

I wonder who your friend is... probably played with him... for 1200 a month,, how many hours does he put in and at what limits? You know?


Andy

He does it on addition to other work- guess what, DEALING poker LOL.

quote:

Originally posted by miss stone:
He does it on addition to other work- guess what, DEALING poker LOL.

ROTFLMAO !

Well, then it's true he makes his income from poker!

lol

But seriously, I've been playing since I was SEVEN. It's a game I love and I play hundreds of hours a year.

One thing I can tell you - never EVER believe a poker player's claims of win rates. Unless they keep records of all sessions in a log book, (I do and most pros do), then those claims can't be believed. Variance is a bigger factor in the game than most players want to reconcile with. Sure you can go for months, and make solid cash - but you can also go for months and lose - even the best players I know experience terrible swings.

I recognize that the kind of person that is attracted to acting is also attracted to things like poker.

And I'm all for you trying it out.

But don't expect to make money for a long time. Getting a job as a dealer,, you'll learn much from the game as an observer, but until you study and play for a LONG time (I'm talking years), don't expect to win.

Instead, expect to pull your hair out, get an ulcer, spew money like a monkey and... well, you get the picture.



Hmmm.. maybe I should give poker lessons. Hey ! That's it! Forget what I said! I'll teach you for $75 an hour!


hehehe


Andy

Poker is the $$$hit, it's just like life, and acting is just like life, I love them both.
You can make coo money. At least $100 a week, that may not be alot, but it sure does come in handy.
Not to mention, while I'm on set, I find many down times to get on Pokerstars or something.
It's also a great combination to be a patient poker player while watching movies.

You don't just bet when you have a winning hand.
Compare poker to everything in life, choices, decisions, bluffs, a sure thing, high odds, low odds, percentages, possibilities, outcomes, predections, (tells,reads,(judgeing)). Lies, everything.
"Lifes a game, about chances, the unpredictable where uncertainty rules." Paradice

I could go on...networking is tremendous, so many different people, from different places of the world. Poker is the $$$hit!