During a conversation we recently had with Team PokerStars member Vanessa Rousso, we discussed her law degree and the probability that she will never see the inside of a courtroom on a professional basis. Very few people will get the option to either be a very good lawyer or an excellent professional poker player. We love Vanessa, but she is an absolute freak of nature: one of those annoying people who are good at whatever they do. For most people being able to choose between a conventional career and a life as a professional poker player is simply not a luxury available to us.
Most people have the advantage of being really good at one marketable skill. This doesn't mean they don't have a plethora of other talents, but despite the fact that someone is a pretty good model builder, nobody is going to pay them a living wage to do that. For most of the population the game of poker is a little aside from the normal run of their lives. They enjoy it: they are good enough to make a little money on the side, and it satisfies their competitive drive. The mistake a lot of people make is trying to make poker their main source of income.
For every Vanessa Rousso, Greg Raymer, Erica Schoenberg, and Chad Brown there are a ton of people who have lost everything trying to make a go of a life in professional poker. The best advice that can be offered on this topic is know your limits, let your bankroll dictate whether or not you are ready to walk away from a job as an engineer, lawyer, or zoo keeper.
Of course if your job involves the words "clean-up on aisle three" or you're working for the Clinton campaign, feel free to explore alternative career options like poker.
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