A now former high-school physics teacher (I think) named PokerBob (no relation) from 2+2 had some good thoughts on 'going pro'.There is little doubt that this guy will succeed for however long he wants to do it. After reading an earlier rant about how there are too many useless posts about going pro, I thought I'd write another one. I have just gone pro. I have only been pro for 3 weeks. I may end up bust. Who knows. But I put much time into pondering the decision and think my thought process may prove helpful to others considering the idea. I tend to be ultra-conservative in this area, but IMO it is better to be safe than sorry. 1.) Don't quit your job without a back-up plan. I took a one year leave from my job. I am guaranteed my old position back if I so choose. 2.) Have 6 months of expenses put away. BEFORE you start. I am single and have no dependents. I think for those with dependents, a year's worth is a better plan. 3.) Have a 1000BB bankroll for the limit you intend to play. My roll is 3000BB, but I intend to move up soon. 4.) This is the tricky one: Be honest and conservative with yourself about your expected winrate. I concluded I could survive if I won at 0.5bb/100. I don't think this is an unreasonable expectation. If you find you will need to win at 1.5bb/100 to survive, you are likely in over your head. For all the talk on 2+2 of people winning at 2+bb/100, IMO these people are few and far between. And even they run bad for stretches. Sitting down and feeling you must run good every time you play is a recipe for disaster. Scared money is dead money. 5.) Have at least 100K hands under your belt. I have 200K. Knowing your true winrate is going to take many more hands, but in 100K hands you are going to see all kinds of stuff. Not EVERYTHING, but likely enough to give you an idea of the madness that is poker. 6.) Read Inside the Poker Mind. 7.) Discuss your plans with others who you know and trust. Many people don't get it, but I found it helpful. 8.) Once you decide to do it, put it on hold and revisit your decision a month later.

Source: Poker and other Random thoughts