The poker tips and bragging thread

Originally Posted by zbromer

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Totally depends. Some of those big names, like Ivey, who are known to be high stakes cash game players and are totally focused make a fortune. However, there are plenty of stories about similar types of players, like Doyle Brunson, who has won millions at the poker table and lost millions in an instant making stupid sports bets. Other guys like Matusow has a history of struggling to stay afloat. Stu Ungar, who was probably one of the greatest poker players ever, died broke and was always backed, because he didn't have the cash to play. Actually, I think you'd be surprised to know how many big names are backed, because they don't have the bankroll to play high stakes.

I really think a lot of it depends on how focused they can be with their lives. Negreanu seems to have it. Matusow doesn't. A lot of the skill that allows these guys to have the balls to make millions playing poker is the same thing that makes them blow it on other stupid gambles.

I've heard some of these stories about Matusow. Does that mean he's not as good as his fame would suggest or is he simply messed up in the head? Is the reputation of his skills high?

even Hellmuth is only alright.

I hate playing online. The whole point of the game is to be at the table with the people you're playing against. For me, anyway.

Once upon a time I western union'd $2000 in scholarship money to Pokerstars. I subscribed to Card Runners to improve my poker skills, and I ran it up to $15k playing 1/2nl 6 max in a month. I transitioned to higher stakes as I continued to grow my bankroll, and eventually I found myself playing 5/10nl way underrolled and underskilled. After tiliting away a few grand, I took to the 25/50 tables and was determined to go to 100k or go bust. I had cashed out most of the money and had ~15k left in my account. I ended up playing some really gross heads up pots. I remember one against thaj2005 (forget the exact numbers in his name) and I had KQ. he raised and I 3bet pf, flop is KKT, I bet, he raised and I shipped. He snap called, turn came a 7 and river was a 3. sure enough he had K3. Cya 10k pot. I then proceded to lose another 10k to him in about 10 mins. Good times, teh pohkerz.

I have lots of good poker stories from when I played 6 days a week as my summer job a few years back.

^ you owned 1/2 pretty fast!

Originally Posted by StephenHero

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How much do those big poker stars make a year excluding endorsements? I know they have their swings, but is it closer to high six figures, low seven figures, or up near high sevens? Guys like Helmuth, Ivey, Negranu, etc...

I wouldn't underestimate how much money these players make in a year. Phil Ivey is beyond sick, and he literally wagers millions of dollars at a time when he plays craps. People speculate that he could be worth close to half a billion, conceivably. He, along with others, have major stakes in FTP which is a multi-billion dollar business. His online wins amount to slightly less then $20 mil since the games have been tracked. A fraction of his live winnings.

One rumor I heard that seemed to have a decent amount of credibility was that Tom Dwan had won 10 mil in one night at Bobby's Room. Considering the stakes they play and the wealthy people they play with, 10mil in one night is possible.

Originally Posted by kelvinsense

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^ you owned 1/2 pretty fast!

I guess. This was over 2 years ago, and the games were still somewhat soft.

Tom Dwan is scary.

Originally Posted by kelvinsense

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Tom Dwan is scary.

Yeh, total elf-like poker beast. I dunno if the public is familiar with him at all or if they realize that he is arguably the best NL/PLO player in the world. Not to mention that he is as sick as Ivey is. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the durrr challenge, but he put up 1.5mil to a challengers 500k saying that they couldn't beat him 4 tabling 200/400 or higher NL/PLO over 50k hands. Laying 3:1 to any person in the world is a pretty bold challenge.

Used to play online and got up to grinding 2/4 pretty successfully, now i spend a lot less time on poker and im playing live.

The amount of fishes in my live game is unbelievable. The 10/25 game is a gold mine, but im taking it slow and playing 2/5.

I think when you get serious about poker the amount of information that you had no idea about before is amazing, like how to balance your ranges and exploit other people's, etc...

Originally Posted by StephenHero

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It seems to me that to play those high stakes cash games effectively, the players could either benefit from or need to have to have an inherent disregard for money to some degree in order to be able to prevent themselves from buckling under the pressure. That would obviously make them somewhat vulnerable to shortsighted financial risks and bankruptcy. It's an interesting mix.

I dont understand it personally. It would be impossible for me to plop even 100 on a single bet let alone thousands and more these guys do. The money is just too hard to come by to be tossing it around like its nothing.

Just look at Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. Made millions, gig at CBS, the works, and then left his kids nothing at all. Anyone see the 30 for 30 on him? At the end of his life old producers were having sympathy lunches with him and he was begging one of them for 40$.

You need a certain mentality for a professional card playing lifestyle, but like many other things in real life, you only hear about these people's wins, not the losses. I'd be willing to bet that more of them are destitute than successful.

For me, 100$ and a night playing cards is fun. I could give a **** if I lose that much. Cheaper than dinner with da wife, any more, and I'm thinking about and thus ceases to be fun.

Originally Posted by StephenHero

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I've heard some of these stories about Matusow. Does that mean he's not as good as his fame would suggest or is he simply messed up in the head? Is the reputation of his skills high?
No, the skills are high. It's his incredible irresponsibility. Here's an article that kind of explains how he operates: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-...-matusow_x.htm Literally days before he went to jail, he won $250,000 in a WPT event. He admits to losing all of that in jail, making sports bets. If it makes sense, it's almost because his skills are so high that he has money problems. He knows that he can always make a lot of money playing poker. He knows he's that much better than other people. He just can't curb his spending, gambling, and other bad habits outside the poker room. Read about Stu Ungar. He's probably the best example of amazing talent and skills, but with no self control.

Originally Posted by zbromer

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No, the skills are high. It's his incredible irresponsibility. Here's an article that kind of explains how he operates:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-...-matusow_x.htm
Literally days before he went to jail, he won $250,000 in a WPT event. He admits to losing all of that in jail, making sports bets. If it makes sense, it's almost because his skills are so high that he has money problems. He knows that he can always make a lot of money playing poker. He knows he's that much better than other people. He just can't curb his spending, gambling, and other bad habits outside the poker room.

Read about Stu Ungar. He's probably the best example of amazing talent and skills, but with no self control.

So what does it tell you when a guy does x for a living. When he gets home, he continues to do x, and then on the weekends x again?

Obsessive compulsive? Addition? Degenerate gambler?

Look, when you have skills and use them and profit, then you're good. If you squander the profits on stupidity then you are a loser. You might as well not have the skills and just pump gas.

There are lots of skilled losers out there.

i'm in vegas for the summer, who wants to bankroll me for the full venetian deep stack series?

barring that you can find me at the venetian playing 8/16 mix on the weekends during the series

also, i'd play in a SF pstars sit&go (subscribing to this thread)

Originally Posted by idfnl

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I dont understand it personally. It would be impossible for me to plop even 100 on a single bet let alone thousands and more these guys do. The money is just too hard to come by to be tossing it around like its nothing.

Just look at Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. Made millions, gig at CBS, the works, and then left his kids nothing at all. Anyone see the 30 for 30 on him? At the end of his life old producers were having sympathy lunches with him and he was begging one of them for 40$.

You need a certain mentality for a professional card playing lifestyle, but like many other things in real life, you only hear about these people's wins, not the losses. I'd be willing to bet that more of them are destitute than successful.

For me, 100$ and a night playing cards is fun. I could give a **** if I lose that much. Cheaper than dinner with da wife, any more, and I'm thinking about and thus ceases to be fun.

If the bet you make is going to yield a positive expectation over the long run and $100 is a tiny fraction of your operating capital then making the bet shouldn't affect you at all. I know media glorifies poker as a game where you read souls and gamble it up but the reality is professional players aren't much different from securities traders or entrepreneurs. They seek out profitable situations that won't put large portions of their operating capital at risk. Those who play casino games or play stakes higher than their skills or bankroll can handle are taking the worst of it.