davegtt

Must say Im impressed at your honesty, not doing as good as you'd like to have done but kept at it and turned it around when many would have give up after the first couple of months, let alone even quit their job and gone pro. Well done, would be interesting to play at a table with you and compare the skill level from where Im at against someone who classes themselves as pro level. I feel happy at last nights £40 win in the pub (8 of us £5 each every thursday) lol

Leslie

Its a funny thing but I was thinking about you and your choice the other day and was going to ask how you were finding it. I like watching "Texas hold 'em" on the box and was wondering if you were likely to pitch up there sometime. Of course we would not know anyway. Sounds as though you are unlikely to do that anyway.

Glad it seems to be going alright anyway and wish you luck as time goes on.

Les

SiPie

Kenny

Just chatting to Adam and he said he was maybe meeting up with you for a bite of lunch next week.....

Either get in touch or get Adam to give me a shout and I can gatecrash if that's ok...?

Cheers

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I wouldn't bet on it

LG John

Thanks for all the positive posts guys.

Si, I emailed Adam today and asked him to include you whenever we meet up and he told me he planned to already. We'll get something sorted for next week hopefully.

SiPie

Nice one....see you then

dnc

I remember a lot of people on here wishing you luck when you made the decision. It's good to hear the update, warts n all. Good to see you've weathered the storm so far - keep at it.

Full respect to you mate

dnc

jjones

can you not double team/spit roast tables with your brother on the live chat? surely increasing both of our odds.

LG John

Technically I could jjones, I have a live line to him and we play the same site (but different levels). However, it simply isn't worth the risk - just recently I reported two players who I suspected of collusion in this manner and FT suspended both their accounts after months of investigation and redistributed the money to many, many players that they had cheated (inc me). It's simply not worth the risk when you can beat the game straight up.

Also, remember that FT can see all of my HH's and after 100s of thousands of hands there are very obvious patterns and strategies to my play. It wouldn't be hard for them to spot if I was making wild adaptations when a particular other player with a same city IP address was in pots with me.

GC8

Kenny, what's your lass think about this (no security, spending all your time in your kecks in the spare room etc)?

LG John

She gets nevrous about the lack of security, etc as she is a total worrier. I keep pumping money into the joint account though and that keeps her at bay

As for being in my kecks when I get up I have a shower, get dressed and have some proper breakfast so that I feel awake, alert and ready for the day. I don't feel I can perform at my best when I've just walked through from my bed in my boxers.

yoza

When/if you win do you have to pay tax on it ?

Is it (being a professional gambler) a job, in the eyes of money lenders for example ?

I did read all your posts as I found it interesting, yet I cant play Poker, and never have.
In fact I dont gamble at all, what interested me was your drive to make a living from something you like doing.

Do you have a family who depend on your wage ?

CooperS

There's no tax on gambling winnings

LG John

Just me and my finance yoza but we have our wedding in Aug so there is high demand for money at the moment as you'd imagine!

I forget all the exact terminology but professional gambling isn't a form of employment (obviously) but it is also not a trade or a business. It falls in a no-mans land and even if you make consistent money at it in a methodical and calculated manner it is still not seen as a trade or business. Running a bookies would be different as there you set odds for the wagering public and that is a business. Consequently there is no tax on poker even if you play for a living and make millions. However, if you get corporate sponsor and are paid to appear on TV, in mags and at events, etc then that is all taxable income.

As for borrowing money in the form of mortgages and the likes I don't know how they would view it. I have absolutely tons of data that can prove my winnings/losses by the hour, week, year, etc so I guess in 2.5 years time I can prove 3-years income. However, it looks like the best route for me is to keep the LTV rate below 80% and get a self-cert mortgage where you don't have to actually prove your income. Alternatively, I can get REALLY good, make loads and buy a house with suitcases full of cash

yoza

Good luck.

I hope to see you on that late night poker thingie I tend to watch after a skin full of ale...........I dont know why I watch it, because I dont know whats going on.

Tiggs

To clarify the position of gambling winnings and loans etc (as an ex. pro poker player and financial adviser) i can tell you it wont count for anything!

As Saxo says, he would need to go self cert. He has NO true income, he just wins money.

LG John

Woo-hoo, got my new monitors set up today. Well chuffed






Need to get funkier speakers though.

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

well done.............

i read most of your post btw but i didnt read where all this happened, was it in your bedroom or did you get a sun tan?

you are very brave or stupid


i just answered that by reading a bit more of the thread

GaryK

looking good, how you multi-table to 12 is way beyond me, I struggle with 2!

LG John

I played 15 at a time the other day and that was pretty intensive but after 30 minutes or so I felt I was starting to get used to it!! Mental!