To study or not to study?

Well imo a degree is way overrated. Yes you can have a nice international career and make a ton of money that way,

The simple fact is that 90% of ppl that finish some random degree in economics or some other crap like that are either unemployed or grind their boring 9-5 jobs waiting whole year for those 3 weeks off and all that for about 1-5k$ a month, depending on where they live.

Someone also mentioned that you have to play nl600 for poker to be +EV. Thats right out retarded. Personally i don't consider myself a talented or even a very good poker player just an average nl100 reg with a 4bb winrate + 2bb in RB. Thats a total of 6bb putting in 1200hands/h for a 75$ hourly. I believe anyone with an at least an average IQ and some decent work ethics can achieve at least that in poker and if you don't have that you won't achieve anything significant with a degree either.

Dont get me wrong, im not at all against getting a degree, especially if you really want to work in a field your studying for. Getting a degree for reasons of making a lot of money however is definitely not max EV. Getting a degree and later on a job will never make you fuckload of money, it will give you a decent living with relative safety. But i don't agree with ''getting a degree won't hurt you''. It will hurt you financially. If you make 75$/h and spend 1000h a year for school then school actually cost you 75k a year. You just have to decide if its worth it and if you want to give poker a try wasting a year or 2 really isn't the end of the world.

And no, i don't really do this because i make more money, its mainly because it gives me a freedom to do what ever the F**k i want, I work my own hours, i can take a vacation tomorrow if i want to with out having to beg my boss for a day off and if i feel like getting drunk at 1pm on monday i can do that as well

Education especially finance, will give you a lot more options than poker when you're 41+ or at any age down the road. Stick to the books if you[re smart

I think I'll finish this year and take a 1 year leave at University. I have to apply for it before September, so if I go busto in summer I can still go back to studying;)

then, we will see...

@MatejM47:

generally I agree with what you said, very valid point about financial harm.

Originally posted by tolari
I think I'll finish this year and take a 1 year leave at University. I have to apply for it before September, so if I go busto in summer I can still go back to studying;)

then, we will see...

@MatejM47:

generally I agree with what you said, very valid point about financial harm.

To quote Al Capone " that's using your head for more than a Hat Rack"

"Stole" this one from a fellow members blog. Hope he doesn't mind.

Funny pic yet so true and with a deeper meaning behind it.

I am in my last year also but I will do anything to NOT put my degree into use. It is just not how we were taught. -> Study hard/be a good student, get a good job, big house with white fence + a family.

It is more like -> get ur degree - work ur ass off for an avarage pay, get in debt so you can maybe buy a condo (nowdays even a loan is hard to get!!!), then brake your back while someone is getting rich.

F*** that, this game is the only good investment in my future and I am sticking to it till I drop.

love the pic haha!♦

how many of you advocates of playing poker for living have read "Rich Dad Poor Dad"?;)

practically all of your arguments where in this book.

Originally posted by Gregor86

It is just not how we were taught. -> Study hard/be a good student, get a good job, big house with white fence + a family.

It is more like -> get ur degree - work ur ass off for an avarage pay, get in debt so you can maybe buy a condo (nowdays even a loan is hard to get!!!), then brake your back while someone is getting rich.

F*** that, this game is the only good investment in my future and I am sticking to it till I drop.

Inspiring! And I totally agree!

But I think poker is not the only way to step out of the general career path, it is comparable with entrepreneurship and taking risks that lead to get a bigger pay-off in the long run and even more important, self-fulfilment.

Finish your degree dude.

Students have loads of time to finish their degree and play poker on the side. That way you'll always have something to fall back on should you need it

Originally posted by MatejM47
But i don't agree with ''getting a degree won't hurt you''. It will hurt you financially. If you make 75$/h and spend 1000h a year for school then school actually cost you 75k a year. You just have to decide if its worth it and if you want to give poker a try wasting a year or 2 really isn't the end of the world.

In theory yes, in practice there's very very few that would play additional 1k hours instead of studying so in practice it would cost you way less. And you can easily play 1k hours a year while studying.

Earning let's say 100k year instead of 75k wouldn't rly make difference in your overall well being so it's not as big of a deal unless you are really in need for money for some specific goal.

@nightfrostaSS: when someone choose to attend school, studying becomes its main activity. its not only the hours you spend in classes that count, you need to factor in time spent travelling to and fro from school, preparing for school, studying for exams, researching for projects, getting physically and mentally tired from school related activities or happenings, etc. all these is going to consume your time and take you away from playing your A game at the tables.
yes, not all those hours will be fully utilised at the poker tables, but that is great since there are more important things to do than just playing poker.
and these stuff should take precedence! example spending more time with your love ones! the life EV you get is waymore than the extra $ EV u get anyway
i completed my degree two years ago. by the time i realised that i wanted to quit, i was pretty much pot committed already.
i did banking and finance. before i started the course, i thought i would learn about how $$$ works and how i could some how learn something that would help me make $$ for myself but after attending the lessons, i realised that all i learnt was skills to make $ for banks but not for myself.
then when you ask me now what do i remember, i remember absolutely nothing! i would probably have to relearn those stuff on the job and then again, i could have easily pick them up on the job without having to learn it before!
i also realised that formal education eventually only leads you to a job. thats it. it has no influence on one's success whatsoever. if you want to achieve something in life you have to go prove your worth. having good grades to show is only a small part of it. we never learn anything useful for ourselves when we do our formal education. we learn how to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. but does it make us a better person? does it teach us how to handle personal finances? or how to mend that broken relationship with your wife? or how to behave in social situations? or how to prepare us for raising a family? you can be a PHD doctor for all you like but u can still be fucked in all those stuff.
and those are what people judge you by. if you have a big company today and you are looking to hire a CEO, would you higher one that has a 10 year track record in management or someone who has studied and taught management for 20years? it's not even close!

life is short. 1 year over a expected 70year lifespan is relatively short, but who's to say we are going to live up to 70??? we could be gone tomorrow who knows? make the choice you wanna make, don't let the others sway you away from getting to what you really want.

hope u make the right choice. gl

@supeyrio:
I started studying mainly because I wanted to experience studying in itself, I mean people, sense of community before preparing for finals, and erasmus - always wanted to do it. It's just a great social thing to do.

But now, in middle of second year, with vision of coming to my home country:D(its not bad just boring) I don't see anything exciting on horizon for next 5,5 year if I stay on uni and focus on working exp. and CFA.

As you said beside 1 or two courses I didn't learn much from classes (my grades are above year average, not perfect thou). And I kinda feel that I could learn the way I do for finals in 1 month without any need for classes. So for 6,5 month I waste time anyway.

And nowadays if you really want to be an expert in some field you should just learn on your own.

Originally posted by MatejM47
Well imo a degree is way overrated. Yes you can have a nice international career and make a ton of money that way,

But i don't agree with ''getting a degree won't hurt you''. It will hurt you financially. If you make 75$/h and spend 1000h a year for school then school actually cost you 75k a year. You just have to decide if its worth it and if you want to give poker a try wasting a year or 2 really isn't the end of the world.

And no, i don't really do this because i make more money, its mainly because it gives me a freedom to do what ever the F**k i want, I work my own hours, i can take a vacation tomorrow if i want to with out having to beg my boss for a day off and if i feel like getting drunk at 1pm on monday i can do that as well

Don't confuse cost with value Down the road when you do give a f$$k,the value of your degree (especially finance) will far outlay the cost.

As far has knowing people who have a degree and are unemployed, that's the same as saying a poker player is a fish based on 10 hands. Take your sample over the last thirty years and compare .And while you compare that, compare people with any degree vs poker players and see who's more wealthy.

But there's somthing to be said for being young and not giving a f$$k

Originally posted by gp00053

As far has knowing people who have a degree and are unemployed, that's the same as saying a poker player is a fish based on 10 hands. Take your sample over the last thirty years and compare .And while you compare that, compare people with any degree vs poker players and see who's more wealthy.

thats the same as saying there are way more losing players than winning players in poker so stop playing poker.

Originally posted by supeyrio

thats the same as saying there are way more losing players than winning players in poker so stop playing poker.

I'm not sure what you mean or what you're comparing

If you like your studies and you see a perspective in your subject, finish the studies. I personally studying, but I don't think that I'm going to work average full time job all my life. I love poker, but I must have plan B, because anyone can't say where poker is going to be after 2 3 or 5 years, maybe the government of your country will release the law, which restricts online poker or one more purple Saturday will happen. Studies don't disturb for me to play poker, I know that I'll play more than 1mil. hands this year and If I wouldn't be studying, I don't that I would still play more, than I do now.

Skills >>>>>>> qualifications.

Originally posted by gp00053

Originally posted by MatejM47
Well imo a degree is way overrated. Yes you can have a nice international career and make a ton of money that way,

But i don't agree with ''getting a degree won't hurt you''. It will hurt you financially. If you make 75$/h and spend 1000h a year for school then school actually cost you 75k a year. You just have to decide if its worth it and if you want to give poker a try wasting a year or 2 really isn't the end of the world.

And no, i don't really do this because i make more money, its mainly because it gives me a freedom to do what ever the F**k i want, I work my own hours, i can take a vacation tomorrow if i want to with out having to beg my boss for a day off and if i feel like getting drunk at 1pm on monday i can do that as well

Don't confuse cost with value Down the road when you do give a f$$k,the value of your degree (especially finance) will far outlay the cost.

As far has knowing people who have a degree and are unemployed, that's the same as saying a poker player is a fish based on 10 hands. Take your sample over the last thirty years and compare .And while you compare that, compare people with any degree vs poker players and see who's more wealthy.

But there's somthing to be said for being young and not giving a f$$k

You really seem to be in love with your degree in finances But your getting me all wrong. The only point i tried to make is that deciding to go for a degree will cost you something right now. And you can't be sure if your degree is going to make you a lot of money at some point just as you can't be sure if you might be crushing nosebleeds sometime in the future.

But you are right if your good in finances you can make more money then playing poker, but still most ppl with a finance degree end up being glorified accountants. Its not like your be balling it up on wall-street anytime soon just because you finished some random degree in some random country.

You can tell if a fish is a fish within 10 hands.

Poker wasn't around for 30 years so im not sure how you want me to make comparisons, but for the last 10 years there's a bunch of players with very consistent results.

IMO skills, knowledge, idea's & money to be able to start your own business has far better EV then finishing a degree and getting a job and go from there.

Originally posted by MatejM47

You really seem to be in love with your degree in finances But your getting me all wrong. The only point i tried to make is that deciding to go for a degree will cost you something right now. And you can't be sure if your degree is going to make you a lot of money at some point just as you can't be sure if you might be crushing nosebleeds sometime in the future.

But you are right if your good in finances you can make more money then playing poker, but still most ppl with a finance degree end up being glorified accountants. Its not like your be balling it up on wall-street anytime soon just because you finished some random degree in some random country.

You can tell if a fish is a fish within 10 hands.

Poker wasn't around for 30 years so im not sure how you want me to make comparisons, but for the last 10 years there's a bunch of players with very consistent results.

IMO skills, knowledge, idea's & money to be able to start your own business has far better EV then finishing a degree and getting a job and go from there.

I'm in love with making money, quit school in 7th grade, went back when I was 35 to get a degree in business, Been playing poker since I was 12, I'm 62

Iwasnt trying to disrespect you, just wanted to offer my opinion based on a lot of experience in both business and gambling(hard learned). Again no disrespect intended, but you may want to get more than 10 hands on someone before you label them a fish.
anyway good luck with whatever you decide

you are Polish? play poker, make a few k a month in USDs and live like a king.

decision would be harder if you were living in Norway or Britain, where wages are much higher, so your opportunity cost will be less.

I'm not sure how hard you need to work in school. I'm studying my 3rd year final semester in Singapore, and I am able to maintain 4.1 GPA (out of 5) with minimal effort, only last minute cramming for quizzes and exams while not studying at all at home during regular school period. I probably spend 4-5X more time on poker than school.

If you can do it like me then you shouldn't quit school. If not maybe you should re-consider.

You should also think about your true potential. Do you see yourself as someone who could become a winner at midstakes? Or at least NL200 at the very least. I wouldn't want to risk it all if I was only able to beat NL100 at a low winrate and if poker suddenly dies 10 years down the road then you are gonna get screwed big time.

Having qualifications brings with it other qualities than money. Your overall quality of life depends on these tings too. For example, if you are lucky enough to really like say, math, then an academic career might not bring in the nut money, but it will bring pleasure. Many people have poker for an interest, and really enjoy playing. But, I dont think this is the same thing really.

Are you sure grinding 10 tables will be interesting in 10 years?

Being an accountant might not be that interesting either, but at least you will have a choice in the future.

/Johan =