Can it be done

[Talking Poker]

Ok, I'm caught up.

I'll be honest with you... Chasing bonuses is NOT the way to make a living from online poker. Simply put, it's not worth it. There come a time in everyone's bankroll (when they are winning a lot of money) that they realizes bonuses are effectively nothing. Ok, if you chase them ALL, you may grab an extra $2000-3000 per year or something.... maybe even $5000. But what is that at the end of the year? It's nothing.

In order for someone to become a professional player, $5000 a year needs to be nothing to them. It needs to be a good night... or a decent week... AT THE WORST, an average month.

I don't NOT take bonuses when they are offered to me, but I don't play elsewhere to chase them any more. I most definitely DO think that players at lower limits and with limited bankrolls SHOULD chase bonuses, but what I'm saying is when online poker becomes your primary source of income, chasing bonuses will be the last thing on your mind. You'll be focusing on finding the best games and sticking to them, whether there are bonuses available on that site or not.

[jimmym]

TP we were thinking investing 10k on your comments do you reacon 60k would be the amount needed, the very most we could afford to lose in the year if worse was to happen would be $20k £15000, before I would have to return to work. Personally do you think this is enough. Obviously I would be looking into having a planner up and running of what tournys schedules ect to enter play in ect.

Who knows we may meet in a wsop in coming years.

[JDMcNugent7]

I personally think u will HAVE to learn to play and consistantly win at cash games if u want to do this professionally - and at decent limits too - unless u are just a crazy good tournament and SNG player - cash games it is very possible to win a good, and consistant amount of money , this can't be said for MTT's - and i guess SNG's u can win at a pretty consistant rate, but cash games are where the consistant money is at.

[2Tone]

Sorry man, I know this is not what you asked for, but …

Don’t do it.

Take the advice of Phil Ivey
(, the other posters on our forum and 2+2, and re-consider.

If poker is enjoyable now, it won’t be if you are doing it 40 hours a week. Even if you did enjoy playing for 40 hours a week, knowing that paying your bills depends on not getting sucked out on could ruin that fast.

If you want to play more poker, that’s great – go for it. Take a two week holiday, and put in 80 hours in front of your laptop if you want. Or join a bunch of us at the WSOP – I’d love to buy you a beer. And if you want to take a shot at higher limits, 10k would certainly allow you do so as well.

But putting the pressure of earning your living playing poker, especially without a long and proven track record, is most likely a mistake. I don’t mean to be discouraging, but it would be irresponsible to advise anything else.

That said, I would also imagine that rake back would be much more lucrative than bonus clearing at the volume of play you are talking about. The only bonuses that might be worth it are the massive ones at HollywoodPoker, which you’d basically have to play full time to clear anyway. You might also want to check out occasional TP poster O Doyle Rules, who is trying to organize some benefits for extremely high-volume players.

Best of luck, and I look forward to hearing about how it goes no matter what you decide.

[Boobie Lover]

It should be noted that to take advantage of bonuses, you will be forced by most sites to play cash games. The exceptions are Pokerstars, Full Tilt, Bodog, and PokerRoom network. Pokerstars is doing the VIP thing, so don't expect a bonus, um, ever.

I agree with the sentiments of the above posters that at some point bonus whoring just does not make much sense. I would recommend reading post on bonus whoring and why they become futile once you move past micro limit play.

[eejit101]

I agree with TP when he says bonuses are not worht going after. However, i see noone has mentioned rakeback... There is a site offering 45% rakeback on all tables over 0.50/1, and if your playing for a living then this is surely the way to go? This rakeback isnt my making, its something i know someone is doing, and its on the prima network.

Surely that would be a big factor in playing for a living? correct me if im wrong

[Boobie Lover]

For a player to make a living they have to play on the big sites. The Prima network is the home of the biggest cash games on the net (watch mahatma sometime), but the majority of the mid-high limit games, are basically non existent on that network.

I would say the only poker room that offers rakeback that has some game selection is UB

[PShabi]

Don't forget about Party Poker!!!!!

You just gotta know where to look.