How much would you need to go "pro"?

[CashMoney]

I was talking about being a "pro" gambler with a buddy of mine and he asked me a question. "How much of a bankroll would you need to be a pro gambler and not have to ever work again?"

My answer...."Give me a roll of $200K that I could use just for for picks and I would never work another day in my life."

With a roll of $200k I figure I could make between $50K and $75K. So what's your answer? How much of a bankroll would you need to turn "pro" (If you're not already.)

[flyingillini]

I can't wait to hear the responses in this thread.... Carry on....

[pavyracer]

$200,000 minimum.

[fsugolf]

11,543,798.55 exactly

[lakerboy]

My starting bankroll 7 years ago was 50000 its now over half a million but I have 3 businesses and just do this for the high of betting large amounts and coming out on top. I'm a capper I can cap games that mean something to me I'm not all over the board like some people.

[durito]

15k

[Bread]

Zero. Make friends with dumb ppl.

[Jimmy0607]

So you are saying that your first deposit was 50k lakerboy

[lakerboy]

So you are saying that your first deposit was 50k lakerboy

Jim I have NEVER deposited I play local my asian bookies will allow up to 10k on anything.

[rm18]

$50 but you have to grind low stakes poker and props at first only

[Poker_Beast]

Nothing, just start with a $100 Oddsmaker freeplay contest and tear it up from there

[durito]

My starting bankroll 7 years ago was 50000 its now over half a million but I have 3 businesses and just do this for the high of betting large amounts and coming out on top. I'm a capper I can cap games that mean something to me I'm not all over the board like some people.

can you get me an account with your locals?

[konck]

1 Million bet progressive

[jjgold]

Go get a job instead and save yourself a life of misery and being on welfare

[head_strong]

200K lol that would be a nice start, I started with 5K I saved from college and have lived off that now a little over 2 years.....it all depends on your win percentage and how you manage your money.

[pokernut9999]

$50 and if you always get the best number you will never work again.

[lakerboy]

can you get me an account with your locals?

sure anytime

[Dark Horse]

Use your records from the past years, and determine the bet size that would have paid for all your bills.

[Iceman]

I did it with 30k this past year. I very confident that I could do it with even less if I had to, probably as low as 15k but that would be cutting it close as your profits would probably equal your bills for most of the year when playing in that range. Meaning your bankroll doesn't grow and that can be hard on you to say disciplined, etc...

I do feel if one plays enough volume, plays year round and within the proper pct of his bankroll per play, has the right outs and knows what they are doing, etc.... Then they should make in the neighborhood of 100-200% or so as long as his bankroll is UNDER 100k.

In a perfect world a 200k bankroll would be awesome and would make things way easier but it can be done for a tenth of that, IMO.

[paco]

A chip and a chair

[jackpot269]

Go get a job instead and save yourself a life of misery and being on welfare

jj for some reason i feel you are the authority on this

[Casperwaits]

I am on my way to Vegas as I write this to try this exactly. I worked all summer long bartending to save what I felt was the necessary amount to make it as a "pro". I saved a little over $9,000 and that includes my first 2 months rent and travel and clothes. I am pretty sure if nothing else, I can make a decent run at it with that bankroll.

[pdx107]

I am on my way to Vegas as I write this to try this exactly. I worked all summer long bartending to save what I felt was the necessary amount to make it as a "pro". I saved a little over $9,000 and that includes my first 2 months rent and travel and clothes. I am pretty sure if nothing else, I can make a decent run at it with that bankroll.

hell its worth a shot at least
I wish i had the ability to save the same kind of cash and do the same, even though i live in a gambling town..... id love to not work daily

[jattanz]

Even a 10 Million Dollar Bankroll will do you no good if you can't pick a winner to save your life...

[jackpot269]

@ least 200k but 250 would be better

[SBR_John]

I was talking about being a "pro" gambler with a buddy of mine and he asked me a question. "How much of a bankroll would you need to be a pro gambler and not have to ever work again?"

My answer...."Give me a roll of $200K that I could use just for for picks and I would never work another day in my life."

With a roll of $200k I figure I could make between $50K and $75K. So what's your answer? How much of a bankroll would you need to turn "pro" (If you're not already.)

Good post. You also need to figure in taxes.

I personally believe that I can average about a 30% return on my bank roll. Not all my return would be from gambling. There are preferred stocks like RBS-PS that will pay around 13%. If I had a bankroll of say $300k I would put $100k to stocks and bonds to get a fairly safe 10% return. Thats 10 grand, my baseline expenses. I'd use the $200k with my min bet $400 and max bet $900, avg bet would be $600.

[durito]

I'd use the $200k with my min bet $400 and max bet $900, avg bet would be $600.

Where do you get those numbers?

Max bet of <.5% isn't very optimal. At 200k you should be able to do 100% a year.

[SBR_John]

I know a few who can triple their bankroll. But..... people, most people bet smarter when they are not short stacked. Have a big bank roll but dont bet it like a gambler. Wait for the right games and keep your unit size small. There is nothing wrong with making 30% on $300 grand.

[jattanz]

Have a big bank roll but dont bet it like a gambler. Wait for the right games and keep your unit size small.

The sportsbook is forced to deal with each and every game played every day of the year, you do not have to. Therefore, it is to your advantage to concentrate your efforts on a limited number of games and/or sports.

[durito]

You should be betting every +EV wager you can find and occasionally even some -EV.

If you know what you are doing you can easily make 10,000 wagers in a year.

[Sam Odom]

This is strictly a math question. How much $$$ do you need to live well on per year? What is your win rate (ROI)? Then do some simple math and find the BR needed.

[durito]

I would suggest starting with 10k. If you can't turn that into 200k in a couple years, you'll never be able to do this full time.

[WileOut]

I would suggest starting with 10k. If you can't turn that into 200k in a couple years, you'll never be able to do this full time.

I don't know much about professional gambling, but..

10k to 200k in 2 years means you increase by 10 fold every year. So on that pace you would turn 200k into 2,000,000 the next year. So in 3 years you would have turned 10k into 2 million dollars. Then the next year 2 million would be 20 million (I recon you would have to start hiring beards and things like that, or move to another country just to get that much action down).

In 5 years you would have turned 10k into 200 million. This pace is assuming you are betting spreads and totals, not prop bets. I would think it would be impossible to continue on that pace betting props.

At that pace you would own the world in 20 years. What I'm getting at is that it seems like 10x increase a year isn't necessary to make a living doing this, or to show that you have the ability to "make it".

I don't know if your post was sarcastic or not either.

[durito]

You hit on the problem when you mention props.

There is a lot of very easy money out there. But, once you make it you are kicked out of all those books. The first 100k is the easiest. Once you take a book for 10k, they aren't gonna give you a 45% free play ever again, most won't give you anything but a kick in the ass.

The bigger your roll the lower the return. 100% return per year is what you should shoot for once you get up towards 6 figures.

[WileOut]

My math was off too. Sorry. The increase is between 4.4 and 4.5 per year. But thanks for the clarification.