good topic to cover. bottom line, don't treat playing poker like a game, you're playing with real money, treat it seriously like it's your job (or could be).
Definitely doable. I lived 2 years playing 2/3 full time about 9 years ago. I wasn’t balling but was able to make a living. I’d like to give it another shot
That ending advice is pretty great. Remember even if you meet the fundamental bankroll and savings threshold, you better be a very solid player. I also think if youre going to attempt this, you should plan on moving to 2/5, then 5/10 ptetty quickly. Remember your bankroll requirements jump substantially!
If you are single and got no one to account for then, Yes. But when you have others to relied on you the 1/3 is too small of a game to put yourself through the daily stress to make it all worthwhile. If those who chooses to do poker for a living, level up your game and play the mid stake. Those mid-stake gms don't run in the Sacramento area, so you basically have to move or traveled just to "work", i.e. Bay area or LA. To grind in the low-stake while having dependents is short-selling yourself. Study the game, build bankroll in low-stake, and finally, don't be a "chicken-shit", Level up and attack the bigger game. Anyone can do it if they put in the work. Best of luck, brother. 👍
the question really is...WHAT is a "pro"? if it is someone that "plays for a living", then YES, but what kind of a living is in question. poker pros have to take care of health insurance, rent, food, utilities, loved ones, car, insurances and any entertainment. also has to survive DOWNSWINGS, their own EGO and playing beyond their bankroll. REALISTIC answer to your question.....almost always...NOPE. i know a few that could, but they ALWAYS play bigger.....using the "peter principle".....they rise to the level of their own incompetence....and invariably go busted when their EGO is not willing to allow them to move down in stakes. your videos are great.
This is a really good analysis Paul. The “pro” definition I was using is “playing for a living.” Which is great to have the freedom but like you said, it’s almost always not sustainable with the Ego part. Thanks for the feedback!
I play a lot of 1/2 and 2/5 on weekends. Or 1/2 table stakes on Friday or Saturday. I consider myself semi professional. My bills aren’t that much. It’s tough with inflation.
your channel randomly popped up in the algorithm for me great vlog! like your style, commentary, graphics, and general flow of the video. well done, mate! -a 1/3 n 2/5 grinder w similar win rate from Ohio.
Not sure if I’m to aggressive but both JJ hands I think in the first one raise it high enough to deny equity to the A3 hand and the second lucky river. But maybe I’m wrong I haven’t played that long
Did it for 5 years before I moved up. California much more expensive than Pa but my overhead was super high kept taking from my roll to pay bills so if anything it’s very possible but moving up will be tough because there’s not much left to add to roll for shot takes. California cost of living plus California rake makes it tough.
Yeah high rake is a mofo, I had to play higher levels because the rake was just ridiculous at the lower levels making it virtually unplayable. Would love access to a softish 3/5 game with reasonable rake.
So here is a problem. You are definitely not an for-fun type of player based on the hands you focus on and the decipline you have on the other hands you didnt show(which i assume u folded most of them and never bluff). Some of your decisions are definitely good learning examples for other amatuers as to how to raise your $ per hour. However, it takes a lot of time to achieve that experience and understanding why those decisions are made. so For you, the answer is Yes. For other ppl who are not at the same level, they are just mostly wasting their money if they decide to follow this.
I think this is a pretty sound analysis. Discipline is the #1 factor in being a winning player or not.. something I didn’t have early on in my poker journey
Great vlog. I play at a place where there are $1/3 pros, but it is highly dependent on a very good player pool. Most of the pros are 2/5 and 5/10, but there are a few $1/3 grinders. From what I can tell from your vlog and Doug's vlog, Capital has a very good player pool and buy-in structure ($1/3 match the stack is very good and hard to find outside of Texas). I am guessing that Sacramento has a very good player pool with few pros and lots of recreational players with a decent amount of discretionary income. Both are necessary if you are going to be a $1/3 pro. Someday I will get up to NorCal to play.
I've decided to go back to some older vidoes since RU-vid is recommending it to me and it looks compelling! You're entertaining, I laughed, I sighed, I learned a lot about feeler bets. Where do you grab your video clips from to insert? I need more side humor in my recordings ;)
Most players won't cope with variance when it hits them. Have they got say 6 - 8 months living expenses and say 100 - 200 buyins at $300. If so, go for it. Your comments / Doug McCusker are pretty spot on.
Best pro/con of poker and planning for swings i have seen on youtube. As a hobbyist at it, I still like to track my win/loss. In Texas there is no rake but card house membership fee and 'seat rental fee'. Would you consider these a wash in your win/loss as most casino players do not bother with cost of rakes?
I would track both totals. Your profit with & without the costs associated. Then you’ll know what your net profit is & if you’re beating the game after all costs associated with
I can assure you ,from personal experience, that it is absolutely possible. I've been doing it, with zero supplemental income, for three years now. You have to adapt, and stay out ofynyour own head, and trust your instincts, often!
@12:47 I feel like the other player should have value bet to keep you in the game. The $100 bet on the river gave up the strength of his hand… good fold.
Great video. I think you should experiment with higher pre-flop raising to try to isolate more. When you have a table full of callers like that then you’re gonna isolate or always have a good pot when you have a good hand
I like this. Last couple sessions I’ve mixed in bigger opens & have gotten zero callers. Then I go back to the regular sizing & get 4-5. Still trying to find that happy medium! Could just be a coincidence as well. Thanks for the feedback
@@NorCal_Poker def depends on the table and each person individually. Try betting a little bit more like 2 or 4 bb more than usual and just keep upping it throughout the session to see how much they’ll call, always adjust to the table. Also don’t forget to punish limpers by raising or reraising even higher when you have a good hand.
Thank you for showing the Sacto casino. Never been there but I'll be hitting a tournament on Sunday just to check it out. And then go climbing at Pipeworks.
I guarantee you that you can’t be a poker professional on that level.Maybe on 5/10 and above you make a profit but even then you have to be tough player.Look all of those pros who playing for years almost everyone is broke.Most of them have backers that’s why they are still in the game!.
I think it’s possible at $1/3 match the stack which is basically $2/5+, but it’s definitely not a lavish lifestyle that seems worth grinding for with all the stress involved. Thanks for the feedback!
Man the 1/3 in upstate ny. I can guarantee you that if your a good player you can easily make a few grand a night if you can overcome some variance. Alot of fishes with money and its match the stack
I can say it would depend on what a poker pro would need to net monthly to become a poker pro. My monthly nut would require me to win $10k a month. Which at 1/2 or 1/3 it ain’t happening. If I was a single dude living in Buffalo NY I’d say yes cause your monthly nut might be around $3k …. A year’s salary in a savings account would be stupid for me due to $120k invested would be a better option after 10 years I’d be playing much higher stakes. Congrats closing on the house which you’ll see comes with plenty of projects and less time to play
You need a lot of improvement but you’re doing good for a new player. You can tell by how you speak that you are unsure of where you’re at a lot of the time. Try to realize where you are. Have a reason for all of your action. Your reasons should be logic and reasoning. Keep up the play. You’ll get better the more you keep learning!
To be honest with you bro I feel you with JJ hands, sometimes I just fold them right away to save my heart attacks after flop and turn with hitting anything 😅😅❤ Nice plays anyway good luck brother.
5 sessions? Play with a variance calculator, you can run good/bad for 150k hands. Thats months and months and months of daily grinding. You can be hot for weeks on end, then brick for a month. 5 days is meaningless data set..
The sample size is woefully small. My guess is in the long run the best one could do is about 10-15 an hour... these 5 session were way over any reasonable expectations.
I beat the local $1/2 game for $19/hour for 2 years. Doug Mccusker (another vlogger at Capitol casino) has beaten this game for $40/hour + for years on end
Here's how you play JJ. If RFI, raise. If facing RFI just smooth call OOP, if IP 3-bet. You're mostly looking to hit a set. If you get 4-bet just fold, especially at 1/3.
Most players are poor at seeing ev and winning hands separately. If you lose 4 out of 5 hands but have positive ev overall from the one win , then it may not be a bad play. JJ are the 4th or 5th most profitable hand but you need to learn how to play poker with them!
I have a question at 24:50 he had two pairs of T and 5 but U had only a pair of Q, how did U win? I'm a beginner that's why I didn't understand what exactly happened??!
Dang, $500 dollar buy-in for a $1/$3 table.....that's a lot....here in San Diego that buy-in is more for a $2/$3 table or even a low buy-in for a $2/$5 table....
I think 5 sessions is too small of a sample. I think you need 20K hands to overcome statistical variance and see the true trend (law of large numbers). 20K hands @ 25 hands/hr would take 800 hours of play. If you play 40 hours a week, that would take 20 weeks. Do you consider how much you pay in rake/table-time? How much do you tip? etc.
I agree. It was a small unreliable sample size mainly used for content & to get a small snap shot if it’s possible. I think 800 hours of play is a great sample size
The bomb pot head when you had aces.When he calls on the flop it's pretty polarized that he has a four and I think you're seventy five dollar call on the turn might be a waste because he's not better anything there other than the four
Absolutely impossible to become a pro player playing at $1-$3 because of high rake and high variance. And you are trading your time for money without any guarantee for a paycheck. Therefore, it would be better you get a 9 to 5 job or move up in stakes, $5-$5 stakes would be the minimum stakes to play for a living as a poker pro.
@@NorCal_Poker I’m in Sacramento and have only played progressive Hold Em against the dealer. Very interested in playing at Stones for the $300 max buy in. Hopefully I’ll see you there! Love the videos and how you speak slowly and explain your process. 🔥
Why would you ever bet all-in on a 3-club flop board, when one of the 3 other opponents is likely to have any 2-club hand? You left yourself no back door to bail if you choose. Part of a winning strategy is to limit your losses when possible, and this hand clearly demonstrates that.
2/5 you can make money. Just depending on action. I was playing 1/2&1/3 last night and have tons of action. I made $750 just a little over 4 hours. 2/5 I average 1k-1.5k winning
5:30 Some simple math for you about bomb pots. You have 8 opponents they each have two cards. 8x2=16. There are two fours left in the deck. The odds one or more opponents have a four is 100% minus the odds no one has a four. We can figure out the odds no one has a four by multiplying the odds each individual card is not a four giving us the following formula as 45/47*44/46*43/45*42/44*41/43*40/42*39/41*38/40*37/39*36/38*35/37*34/36*33/35*32/34*31/33*30/32=.4301 1 minus that is 57%. There is a 57% chance that someone flopped trips. Plus the tiny chance someone has 55. Your aces are garbage on this flop, betting money on the flop, then calling turn is lighting money on fire. But you shouldn't need to do the math to figure that out exactly, you should just see your opponents have 16 random cards and there are two fours left in the deck and not like your hand.
Thanks for the breakdown. I did think he’d call/bet overpairs on the flop/turn for protection which is why I floated. Was not calling a river bet. Appreciate the feedback!
Raising to 15$ with Jacks over 2 limpers at Cap Casino is sillyness......this should be a limp/reraise after one of the others raises, and if they don't raise just setmine and fold for 3$
Facts. This was more of an experiment to get a feel of playing 5 days a week. My thoughts on not making it a sole income for the pure risk factor is why I don’t recommend it! Best for supplemental income at the $1/3 level
This is a game for that usually the cheap grinders play and try to make 50-100 a day That they try to eat off of uneducated players or recreational players They take a beat and act like the world is ending To make it real you definitely need a larger limit or go play blackjack
I disagree. $1/3 players are bad enough that a good player should have a huge edge. If you put in enough hours (e.g., 150-200 hours per month), you should pretty much never have a down month. The big thing will be whether you consistently put in the hours. If I recall correctly, Doug McCusker claims to be earning something like $50/hour in that game at capital casino. That sounds high but plausible. On the east coast (rake not drop), I expect competent players to earn at least $25/hour in $1/3, but I don’t have a good sense of what the upper bound is on a consistent win rate. If you told me there’s a pro out there earning $75/hour at $1/3, it would not surprise me. When you move up, your *expected* hourly might be higher, but your edge will also be lower, so the variance will also be higher.
@@pokertroll320 Doug crushes the game at Capitol. But it’s not his only source of income & he plays an amount of hours where he’s at the top of his game. Putting in 200 hours a week with no benefits in a high cost of living place like CA isn’t the best lifestyle. I’m all for people going for it though
@NorCal_Poker yeah, I’m not suggesting it’s a great way to make a living - side hustle for me only. But I’m mostly replying to the variance/stress aspect. I don’t think the variance is really that a big concern big concern given how crushable the 1/3 game is. And given that a straightforward style is effective, you don’t have to stay that sharp - putting in 8 hour days does not seem hard to me. While you miss out on some potential profits, you could even get away with basically never paying attention and playing super tight. Sure, it’s boring AF, but is that worse than a normal 9-5 job? (I’m always surprised when the dude who hasn’t played a hand for 2 hours puts in a huge preflop raise and gets action, but somehow in 1/3 they often do. ) So maybe you can somewhat consistently get something in the $60-120k range without benefits for a year of work. That’s great if your alternative is a minimum wage job or some salaried job that pays $40k/year, but it’s not good compared to a typical salary for someone with a college degree. As for Doug, (1) Doug does not appear to be doing anything special in his vlogs, i.e., he’s not a super elite player, and (2) he also doesn’t seem to be cherry-picking times of day or table selecting excessively. His play style should be easily reproducible. That said, given that he plays so few hours, it’s not clear whether his win rate is partly due to some run good-he could be realizing a win rate of say $50/hour when his true win rate should be closer $30/hour.
You didn’t need to play any sessions to answer this question. Your 1/3 game is a match the stack which isn’t normal. It’s basically a 2/5 game. Go find a max $300 buyin 1/3 game and get back to us
Fair point. I beat the local $1/2 for $19/hour for 2 years consistently & played during the day. Night time it could be done, but I would never want to live on scraps just to chase a “dream”
You'd be a fool to play 1/3 NL for a living. A good player can expect to earn$15-$30/hr. Not enough imo, considering you don't get any benefits and if you get sick, you'll be royally screwed, no pun intended. The variance is also high so you could potentially go on a big downswing and have no income for the month. This also doesn't take into account that playing poker for 40 hours a week is dreadfully boring and your earnings likely will go down as you won't be as sharp. 2/5NL is the lowest stakes I think you can consider when playing professionally.
I’m trying out to see how much I can make from playing poker besides working full time too. So far I’ve played 158 hours since 01/03/24 profit $16744 (play 1/3). My goal is $50k by the end of this year
I’ve talked about this with one of my poker buddies. JJ & AK are monsters in higher stakes poker but in low stakes against people who never fold; it’s best to keep pots small & get value on good boards
cool vlog its a loner life to play poker, its a negative for any lady to be attracted too. your health matters poker will steal it from you. the seats the room, food ,etc.. come to vegas see how you play against the regs out here...
That’s the main reason as well I just recommend it as a side hustle. As a full time gig, it just sounds depressing to be honest. Can’t imagine the stress as well
@@NorCal_Poker come to vegas you see plenty of denial players. day in day out sitting in a poker chair. they rent a room no social life 90% out of shape.
5 sessions is too small. Way too small. You have to calculate it. First, its hands per hour. You are dealt between 25-30 hands per hour. Lets just assume, you get dealt 30. Second part is your personal winrate. I played poker professionally, a very good winrate online is ~3-5bb/100, crushing the game is like 8-10bb/100, such a winrate is probably not sustainable on fullring nlh, more in games like HU or PLO6max. Lets assume, you are a crusher of the highest order. Lets assume, your opponents in a live low stakes game are close to braindead, resulting in a sick winrate of 30bb/100. You play 10 hours. You are dealt 300 hands. You crush for 90bb, equaling 270 bucks. Your hourly is 27 dollars. If you are a sick player. If your game is fast enough. If your opponents are complete idiots. Lets just say you get dealt 20 hands/hour, and have a 15bb winrate. Maybe the more likely scenario. You see where this is going?
5 sessions was just for content. I know consistent winners at this game for $40+ per hour. Granted, they pick time of day, etc. Nevertheless, I would never play $1/3 full time
@@MCFoultierI just started playing this game so I’ll let you know how I end up. I know fellow vlogger Doug Mccusker consistently beats this game for $40/hr +
@@NorCal_Poker Try either Artichoke Joes in san bruno, or Lucky Chances 5 minutes down the road in Colma. Both joints usually have millionaire asians playing cheap limit poker all day hoping for the jackpot. Bonus hands are paid off, as well as aces cracked.
