[theonefrombrum]

All my life my family have struggled with money, a thing many people have in common, including some of you i would imagine. I live with my dad at the moment because my mom kicked me out and unfortunately he's a gambling addict and what the month brings usually depends on how lucky he gets on roulette on payday. Recently however i discovered poker and found out that i'm really good at it and can be a profitable player.

The thing is, i just can't see myself with a lot of money. From the way things have gone from the amount that i've invested so far, i could be making about £3000 a month but it's like there's a block in me preventing me from doing so. I just can't imagine ME, a person who has never had any real money to speak of having a quite nice amount of it. I just can't imagine being able to look at something that i like in a shop window and having the ability to pay for it. It's like i'm too accustomed to not being able to do so that i just can't take that leap and become someone who can afford all these things. I've made about £300 quid so far and it could be a lot more but like i said, i just can't seem to properly invest and dedicate myself to it.

Does anyone get where i'm coming from and if so do you have any advice so i can be accepting of the thought of myself having money and not feeling weird about it?

[united2000]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
All my life my family have struggled with money, a thing many people have in common, including some of you i would imagine. I live with my dad at the moment because my mom kicked me out and unfortunately he's a gambling addict and what the month brings usually depends on how lucky he gets on roulette on payday. Recently however i discovered poker and found out that i'm really good at it and can be a profitable player.

The thing is, i just can't see myself with a lot of money. From the way things have gone from the amount that i've invested so far, i could be making about £3000 a month but it's like there's a block in me preventing me from doing so. I just can't imagine ME, a person who has never had any real money to speak of having a quite nice amount of it. I just can't imagine being able to look at something that i like in a shop window and having the ability to pay for it. It's like i'm too accustomed to not being able to do so that i just can't take that leap and become someone who can afford all these things. I've made about £300 quid so far and it could be a lot more but like i said, i just can't seem to properly invest and dedicate myself to it.

Does anyone get where i'm coming from and if so do you have any advice so i can be accepting of the thought of myself having money and not feeling weird about it?

You dont have to be like your parents.
My dad has lots of stories how his family was poor when he was young, when his parents unfortunately died, they left him debt to pay off. He retired at 55 after a good career and has a good pension, far different from his parents.

I was the first in my family to get a degree.

I save most of my money. I like cars, so save up and then buy a car. I budget well, for example have a fuel only credit card, which also builds up a credit history for when i want a mortgage.
How about you make a budget spreadsheet, put your expenses in one column and then your disposable income in another. Then you know how much you have to spend and dont really have to worry about it.

You dont have to buy everything you see in the shop window. Even if you have money, you should still look for the best deals online etc

[Kya]

Tbh I feel that I can't and won't have much money for a long time because I follow what my parents told me to do lol

I seriously am not convinced that going to Uni is the key to be better off :/

[somethingbeautiful]

Same. Even when I have money these days I feel guilty for spending it. I end up just saving it and it remains untouched. I guess it's nice knowing that I have something for a rainy day. I suppose I'd rather have it this way than spend it on clothes/phone/material things that ultimately mean nothing. I remember when I was little if my nan gave me pocket money or if I got birthday money it would always go in a jam jar, hidden in my room. I've just taken that to a higher level now I'm in my 20's .

I could us my savings for more education, travel, a deposit for an apartment or something else that will have long term benefit/meaning. I just can't bring myself to spend it because I imagine that I'll end up with no job, no money and wishing I'd saved the money longer. I think being a bit pessimistic is a huge factor - but seeing my parents with little money has sort of made me that way - I don't think I could ever just be complacent about money and feel sure that I'll always have it, hence why I hang onto it when I have it. Spending it on other people feels fine to me though, I like that - just not on myself!

[jimmyjimmyjimmy]

What do you do to get 3000 a month? Thats tons

[Octohedral]

I'm sure you don't need telling this, with your father and all, but be really careful around poker. Only you know if you are genuinely good enough, but all commercial gambling is mathematically designed so that no matter what someone makes, the more they play the more they will lose overall. If you can beat hundreds of years worth of carefully calculated odds, then you are a teenage prodigy and you should put your talents to better use.

Alternatively, you may just be swindling your friends, which is fine, but won't make you big money.

Seriously - if you think you can do it, there are better ways to make money than poker. Start a company, and make millions. Alternatively, try the poker, but go slow, and agree with yourself that if you lose a certain amount you will not carry on. I know how addictive it is.

As for the attitude, it's not actually a bad attitude to have - save your money. Then just gradually buy yourself the occasional treat, and you will get used to not having to worry about it. Half the happiness comes from the feeling of security through knowing you have savings to fall back on. I don't mean to put you down, just to warn you. I genuinely hope it goes well.

[Exodus]

(Original post by Octohedral)
I'm sure you don't need telling this, with your father and all, but be really careful around poker. Only you know if you are genuinely good enough, but all commercial gambling is mathematically designed so that no matter what someone makes, the more they play the more they will lose overall. If you can beat hundreds of years worth of carefully calculated odds, then you are a teenage prodigy and you should put your talents to better use.

Alternatively, you may just be swindling your friends, which is fine, but won't make you big money.

Seriously - if you think you can do it, there are better ways to make money than poker. Start a company, and make millions. Alternatively, try the poker, but go slow, and agree with yourself that if you lose a certain amount you will not carry on. I know how addictive it is.

As for the attitude, it's not actually a bad attitude to have - save your money. Then just gradually buy yourself the occasional treat, and you will get used to not having to worry about it. Half the happiness comes from the feeling of security through knowing you have savings to fall back on. I don't mean to put you down, just to warn you. I genuinely hope it goes well.

Poker is different, since you are playing against other people and not a casino, if you are a good player the more you play the more you will win, there are loads of professional poker players.

But to OP, how did you make that £300? If you just won a big tournament or did well in a cash game then £300 is nothing, if you played loads of $1-2 or from tournaments or 1c 2c cash games and made that then you should be OK, but if it came from a short period of time or a live casino then you will soon experience a downswing and lose it, or find you make a lot less in future, I say this because hardly anyone starts playing poker and wins consistantly, for most it takes at least a year of practice to become a proper winning player

[zara55]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
All my life my family have struggled with money, a thing many people have in common, including some of you i would imagine. I live with my dad at the moment because my mom kicked me out and unfortunately he's a gambling addict and what the month brings usually depends on how lucky he gets on roulette on payday. Recently however i discovered poker and found out that i'm really good at it and can be a profitable player.

The thing is, i just can't see myself with a lot of money. From the way things have gone from the amount that i've invested so far, i could be making about £3000 a month but it's like there's a block in me preventing me from doing so. I just can't imagine ME, a person who has never had any real money to speak of having a quite nice amount of it. I just can't imagine being able to look at something that i like in a shop window and having the ability to pay for it. It's like i'm too accustomed to not being able to do so that i just can't take that leap and become someone who can afford all these things. I've made about £300 quid so far and it could be a lot more but like i said, i just can't seem to properly invest and dedicate myself to it.

Does anyone get where i'm coming from and if so do you have any advice so i can be accepting of the thought of myself having money and not feeling weird about it?

I don't mean to be unduly cynical, but are you working for one of the Poker websites?

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by jimmyjimmyjimmy)
What do you do to get 3000 a month? Thats tons

Basically i'll just be grinding the sit n gos, 6 and ten person. If you're a good player then it's just an easy way to make some good money, there's a lot of fish who play them. Based on 9 hour days, six days a week i've worked out that if i had the same results that i had, i'd be making around about this amount.

(Original post by Octohedral)
I'm sure you don't need telling this, with your father and all, but be really careful around poker. Only you know if you are genuinely good enough, but all commercial gambling is mathematically designed so that no matter what someone makes, the more they play the more they will lose overall. If you can beat hundreds of years worth of carefully calculated odds, then you are a teenage prodigy and you should put your talents to better use.

Alternatively, you may just be swindling your friends, which is fine, but won't make you big money.

Seriously - if you think you can do it, there are better ways to make money than poker. Start a company, and make millions. Alternatively, try the poker, but go slow, and agree with yourself that if you lose a certain amount you will not carry on. I know how addictive it is.

As for the attitude, it's not actually a bad attitude to have - save your money. Then just gradually buy yourself the occasional treat, and you will get used to not having to worry about it. Half the happiness comes from the feeling of security through knowing you have savings to fall back on. I don't mean to put you down, just to warn you. I genuinely hope it goes well.

Thanks but it's really not that sort of game. Sure, there's cases where people play poker and lose money, but sadly they just don't get poker. They'll play a cash game, call a shove with an average hand, see that they're beat and decry it. That's something that i wont be doing. I'm just going to stick to sit n gos and eventually progress to MTTs. But yeah eventually i do want to go into business, i've had this idea which i think is great for a while and to properly plan it out and make a start on it i always wanted an iPad but couldn't afford one so with the money that i'm making from poker i'm going to get one and then work on it.

(Original post by Exodus)
Poker is different, since you are playing against other people and not a casino, if you are a good player the more you play the more you will win, there are loads of professional poker players.

But to OP, how did you make that £300? If you just won a big tournament or did well in a cash game then £300 is nothing, if you played loads of $1-2 or from tournaments or 1c 2c cash games and made that then you should be OK, but if it came from a short period of time or a live casino then you will soon experience a downswing and lose it, or find you make a lot less in future, I say this because hardly anyone starts playing poker and wins consistantly, for most it takes at least a year of practice to become a proper winning player

I started playing the 7 dollar sit n gos on pokerstars and i made that in about a week and half. / don't want to come across as arrogant but at that level i find it really easy to read my opponents and make a decision, anyone who understands the fundamentals of poker and gets a bit lucky will be able to profit, more so if they can think quickly and aren't scared to make big plays.

(Original post by zara55)
I don't mean to be unduly cynical, but are you working for one of the Poker websites?

No of course not. I just know the game and have dedicated many hours to learning it. For the past 5/6 months i've spent countless hours just making observations, jotting down notes in a notebook on theories, strageties etc and just generally improving at the game and only recently i started to play for real money and found out that i could do well. I know it's hard to believe when someone comes at you saying that they can make 3 grand a month from something like poker, but its true.

Anyway guys thanks for your comments but i don't really want to talk about the poker, that wasn't the point of the thread. It's more so that i feel like i can't take the next step and spend the hours i need to really bring in a good profit, because the concept of me having money will just feel weird. It's like, in a way i feel like because of my background i'm destined to be someone who just struggles. It's hard to explain. Everyone in my family would expect stuff from me and i'd just feel guilty that they work hard and bring in an average salary while all i'd be doing is essentially sitting on my laptop.

I dunno, maybe there is no sufficient reply to be said, maybe i'll just have to work on my own issues and in time be more accepting. Thanks for the replies anyway, i always appreciate any help.

[Movember]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
Basically i'll just be grinding the sit n gos, 6 and ten person. If you're a good player then it's just an easy way to make some good money, there's a lot of fish who play them. Based on 9 hour days, six days a week i've worked out that if i had the same results that i had, i'd be making around about this amount.


Thanks but it's really not that sort of game. Sure, there's cases where people play poker and lose money, but sadly they just don't get poker. They'll play a cash game, call a shove with an average hand, see that they're beat and decry it. That's something that i wont be doing. I'm just going to stick to sit n gos and eventually progress to MTTs. But yeah eventually i do want to go into business, i've had this idea which i think is great for a while and to properly plan it out and make a start on it i always wanted an iPad but couldn't afford one so with the money that i'm making from poker i'm going to get one and then work on it.


I started playing the 7 dollar sit n gos on pokerstars and i made that in about a week and half. / don't want to come across as arrogant but at that level i find it really easy to read my opponents and make a decision, anyone who understands the fundamentals of poker and gets a bit lucky will be able to profit, more so if they can think quickly and aren't scared to make big plays.


No of course not. I just know the game and have dedicated many hours to learning it. For the past 5/6 months i've spent countless hours just making observations, jotting down notes in a notebook on theories, strageties etc and just generally improving at the game and only recently i started to play for real money and found out that i could do well. I know it's hard to believe when someone comes at you saying that they can make 3 grand a month from something like poker, but its true.

Anyway guys thanks for your comments but i don't really want to talk about the poker, that wasn't the point of the thread. It's more so that i feel like i can't take the next step and spend the hours i need to really bring in a good profit, because the concept of me having money will just feel weird. It's like, in a way i feel like because of my background i'm destined to be someone who just struggles. It's hard to explain. Everyone in my family would expect stuff from me and i'd just feel guilty that they work hard and bring in an average salary while all i'd be doing is essentially sitting on my laptop.

I dunno, maybe there is no sufficient reply to be said, maybe i'll just have to work on my own issues and in time be more accepting. Thanks for the replies anyway, i always appreciate any help.

i know you dont want to make this thread about poker but i have one quick question! how many hours do you spend playing poker in a day or week, and what is your hourly rate of earnings, approximately? thanks!

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by Movember)
i know you dont want to make this thread about poker but i have one quick question! how many hours do you spend playing poker in a day or week, and what is your hourly rate of earnings, approximately? thanks!

I only started playing a few weeks ago and don't really have a set amount of hours so far. I just play sit n gos when i feel like it, the most that i've played in a day is 8 games and i lost 2 of those, leaving me with a profit of £57, by far my best day so far. On that day i spent a good 6 hours playing but yesterday i only played a few games because i was busy all day and won one of them, leaving me with a profit still but only about 10 quid.

My hourly earnings at the moment aren't great or even good compared to a lot of other players but for the little time that i invest in the game, it's decent.

[SoNottingH]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
I only started playing a few weeks ago and don't really have a set amount of hours so far. I just play sit n gos when i feel like it, the most that i've played in a day is 8 games and i lost 2 of those, leaving me with a profit of £57, by far my best day so far. On that day i spent a good 6 hours playing but yesterday i only played a few games because i was busy all day and won one of them, leaving me with a profit still but only about 10 quid.

My hourly earnings at the moment aren't great or even good compared to a lot of other players but for the little time that i invest in the game, it's decent.

Keep playing, you will soon be experiencing what it's like not to have money again.

[Movember]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
I only started playing a few weeks ago and don't really have a set amount of hours so far. I just play sit n gos when i feel like it, the most that i've played in a day is 8 games and i lost 2 of those, leaving me with a profit of £57, by far my best day so far. On that day i spent a good 6 hours playing but yesterday i only played a few games because i was busy all day and won one of them, leaving me with a profit still but only about 10 quid.

My hourly earnings at the moment aren't great or even good compared to a lot of other players but for the little time that i invest in the game, it's decent.

you made about £10 an hour. thats not too shabby. have you considered going up the stakes? whats the highest entry fee sit n go tournament you can take part in?

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by SoNottingH)
Keep playing, you will soon be experiencing what it's like not to have money again.

(Original post by SoNottingH)
Keep playing, you will soon be experiencing what it's like not to have money again.

No you probably would because you're probably a fish who plays cash games or you know a fish who lost money playing cash games/losing consistently in tournaments and you assume that this is a given for any poker player. It's not, stop being so narrow minded. A skillful player, which i am, can make money and consistently if they apply themselves.

(Original post by Movember)
you made about £10 an hour. thats not too shabby. have you considered going up the stakes? whats the highest entry fee sit n go tournament you can take part in?

No because like i said, i don't feel like i can mentally take the next step. If i wanted to i could and i'd do well, or i could just play a lot more games at the level i play at now and make more but really, i don't want to talk about the poker or get advice for it, i just pointed it out for clarity and it's what the whole thread has been about.

I get it, some people will be jealous and i can't help that but i didn't mention it to try and make people jealous, this is a genuine concern of mine and while its no deadly disease, it's still on my mind a lot and i wanted genuine help, not a discussion of why or how i could make my money.

Probably best if this thread gets closed.

[SoNottingH]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
No you probably would because you're probably a fish who plays cash games or you know a fish who lost money playing cash games/losing consistently in tournaments and you assume that this is a given for any poker player. It's not, stop being so narrow minded. A skillful player, which i am, can make money and consistently if they apply themselves.

LOL at the obvious sales posting. Do the poker companies pay well for these promos?

[ste_mc_efc]

(Original post by Octohedral)
I'm sure you don't need telling this, with your father and all, but be really careful around poker. Only you know if you are genuinely good enough, but all commercial gambling is mathematically designed so that no matter what someone makes, the more they play the more they will lose overall. If you can beat hundreds of years worth of carefully calculated odds, then you are a teenage prodigy and you should put your talents to better use.

Alternatively, you may just be swindling your friends, which is fine, but won't make you big money.

Seriously - if you think you can do it, there are better ways to make money than poker. Start a company, and make millions. Alternatively, try the poker, but go slow, and agree with yourself that if you lose a certain amount you will not carry on. I know how addictive it is.

As for the attitude, it's not actually a bad attitude to have - save your money. Then just gradually buy yourself the occasional treat, and you will get used to not having to worry about it. Half the happiness comes from the feeling of security through knowing you have savings to fall back on. I don't mean to put you down, just to warn you. I genuinely hope it goes well.

Speaking as somebody who has made a reasonable profit from online poker and somebody who worked in a casino for 2 years I'd just like to point out that poker should not be lumped in the same group as blackack, roullette and other casino games.

Casinos make their money from poker in a different way to what they do on the blackjack tables.

In fact it's not uncommon for casinos to lose money on running poker tournaments, in which case they act almost as a loss leader to get people into the casino to play either cash games (which they profit on, unless they are ran horrendously badly) or the table games such as blackjack and roulette.

But it does kind of irritate me to see poker treated the same as these games. There is a skill edge possible. Casinos have an edge in roulette and blackjack, but it's not really considered gambling if you are the casino because of that edge and the fact they can only accept bets of a certain size relative to their assets to effectively recuse their risk of ruin to zero.

The only problem is that the edge in poker isn't quantifiable. People often over-estimate theirs or think they have one when in fact they are losing players, or they have a skill edge but not large enough to beat the rake.

This seemed to get a bit ranty which it wasn't meant to as I actually agree with your final advice. It is still a form of gambling and sensible precautions have to be taken and it can get addictive, arguably the fact it is possible to win at because of a skill edge means that it can be more dangerous that roulette/blackjack, as people can kid themselves into thinking they have just been unlucky and they are good enough to win, leading to excess losses.

[Movember]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
No because like i said, i don't feel like i can mentally take the next step. If i wanted to i could and i'd do well, or i could just play a lot more games at the level i play at now and make more but really, i don't want to talk about the poker or get advice for it, i just pointed it out for clarity and it's what the whole thread has been about.

I get it, some people will be jealous and i can't help that but i didn't mention it to try and make people jealous, this is a genuine concern of mine and while its no deadly disease, it's still on my mind a lot and i wanted genuine help, not a discussion of why or how i could make my money.

Probably best if this thread gets closed.

if you could take the next step and were fairly sure you could win, i dont see what is stopping you. but i cant force you. it is your choice, after all.

i dont understand what the original question is getting at. you have a mental block that is stopping you get money? you should tell yourself that you are getting money in a way most people would love to. most people would love to be able to play a game from their own computer and make a comfortable living off it. tell yourself you earned it and you deserve it. sorry if i misunderstood!

[ste_mc_efc]

As a side note what network/site are you playing on?

stars?

And how big is your sample size so far that you've use to work out the 9 hours per day 6 days a week profits?

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by SoNottingH)
LOL at the obvious sales posting. Do the poker companies pay well for these promos?

That is probably the stupidest thing that i've ever literally laid my eyes on. Ok, how about this... if you're ****, then don't play poker. Am i still 'sales posting'? Did i even mention a specific poker website, or are you suggesting that i'm being paid by the poker community at large to mention an obvious fact that if you're good at it, you can make money.

I know, you think that people who say that good programmers can make a decent wage in software companies are clearly being paid millions by microsoft to spread the word on forums? In fact, in your mind, any time someone mentions the obvious fact that being good at something will invariably produce results in that something, if you work hard, is slyly selling for companies as a whole? Just stop being ridiculous please.

[La Esmerelda]

I know exactly what you mean. My parents aren't that well-off, but they never struggle either, whereas I've struggled sooooo much since starting university (they didn't give me much to cover accomodation which surpassed the student loan) and so I've been in the red ever since. I've had a job for 2 years and might just break through to £0 at the end of my degree but its made me very angry, frustrated and upset. I've had to take out 2 overdrafts at university and have no idea how I'm going to finance my gap year. I'm mostly angry at my parents as I feel that all my other friends got loads more financial support than I did and it has given me a negative mindset when it comes to money which I've tried to correct.

I started reading loads about money and the law of attraction (its a bit out there but keep an open mind- google it if you don't know what I'm talking about) and it certainly has helped me change my mindset-made stop and think about the fact that I was complaining about money 24/7 and always upset and worried. My finances have improved ever since reading that (I'm not saying the two are related but its so much nicer to think positively about money compared to how anguished I've always been). I also started reading other books about money like Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Rules of Wealth-both which emphasise how often we assign all of our power to money, when really money has no value/power, only what we give it. They also emphasise that money is not discriminatory and doesn't care if you're already rich/poor, working class, unemployed etc. I was hesitant as I just didn't think I was the 'type' to get rich but then I heard about this convict who won the lottery straight after serving his sentence, another 16 year old chav who won.

But it sounds like you're doing pretty well anyway, have a look at the things I suggested and hopefully they will help you have a more positive mindset about money. Even though I'm not rich today, I'm determined to make it happen so I won't have to struggle.

Sorry for the long msg and hopefully it answered your question.