Poker Writer
The idea of playing poker professionally has broad appeal, but the realities of life as a touring pro aren’t for everyone. The costs and sacrifices necessary to make it as a low to mid-stakes player are a perennial topic in the poker world. That discussion heated up again this week, as many professional players and amateurs chimed in to share their experiences.
Josh Arieh started the flow of conversation after he saw a post that broke down the costs of a trip to the World Series of Poker Circuit in Cherokee. Arieh went back in time to his early days of grinding as a young player trying to make it. He explained how he would try to skimp on lodging costs.
One thing I did on virtually every trip….check bags at bell desk, Play all night the first night, to save 1 nights hotel fee. I was young and full of energy. I had the ‘I’ll sleep when I die’ mentality. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, I just thought I was cheating the system
Why Are Travel Costs Important In Poker?
Most traveling poker players make a living via thin profits and margins. Thus, reducing the cost of travel could make or break a year.
One regular WSOP Circuit grinder shared with PokerScout how travel costs are a constant source of stress for many grinders like him:
I am always checking cheapest rates, comps, flights, rental cars versus Ubers etc. To me, that part of the circuit grind is even more time consuming and stressing than the downswings. I decide before a trip exactly which events I will play, so those costs are consistent for me. The cost of travel and food are what fluctuates and kind of become the wildcard variable to being a poker player.
In some cases, reducing cost is so important that it can come at the expense of health or safety. Many players responded to Arieh’s thread, telling tales of skipping sleep or meals and even potentially putting themselves in danger. T.J. Jurkiewicz shared one such story:
Got off my graveyard shift at 8 a.m. in Newark, drove straight to Borgata and played until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore then slept in my truck. $20 in the glove box for parking and gas always lol.
A lot of the players seemed to look back on the stories fondly despite the extreme measures to save money. Of course, many other stories likely go untold of players who attempted the same thing and eventually had to stop, whether due to finances becoming untenable or simply to refocus on their health.
How Many Circuit Grinders Are Profitable?
Others wondered how many mid-stakes pros even turn a profit after expenses. It’s difficult to say for sure, but it isn’t hard to find stories out there about seemingly successful players who eventually go broke or are buried in makeup.
Alec Robinson posed the question on X:
Honest question…What % of players who regularly travel the circuit do you believe are profitable after expenses?
Nobody will ever have a solid answer. It would require every player being not only being honest about their expenses but accurate as well when tracking them.
The circuit grinder to whom PokerScout talked said he is overall profitable, but he’s had losing years.
I am profitable most years but not every year. I have other side hustles for money as well so it is not the end of the world if I end up in the red for a year but I would not be able to afford multiple losing years in a row.
The margins remain slim out there in the live tournament world. A dollar saved on expenses is a dollar added to the bottom line at the end of the year, so poker players will continue to look for creative, sometimes unhealthy ways, to cut costs.
