You've got to take some chances and know when you're beat and know how to get certain advantages.

A lot of people these days are too ambitious their sights are set too high at the start and they end up diving in too deep, quitting their day job too soon. They move to Vegas or wherever, make an all-or-nothing commitment before they're ready, and burn out.

The biggest thing when you're playing live is that you're sitting across from the player and can get a detailed impression of how they're acting, and whether they're expressing strength or weakness. Online, it's much more about betting patterns and you're using a much narrower range of cues to what they're holding and thinking.

I'd work on my game online and at casinos, build my bankroll, find good games, and try to put myself in a position to keep winning and earn a steady income.