Originally Posted by thenonsequitur
My thoughts: Playing poker professionally has a certain romantic appeal to it, and I can't say I don't love the idea, but when it comes down to it, it's a lot like the next job. I prefer to keep it as a stress-free but profitable hobby.
I was a professional freelance website developer for a while, and I doubt poker would much different in a lot of ways. It got to a point where I got lazy because I controlled my own hours, eventually didn't actually enjoy my work, and was always stressed about money. Now I have a 9-to-5 (still doing website development), and all those problems are gone; I enjoy my work, can't get lazy or I lose my job, and I'm never stressed about money.
I wouldn't want to ruin my poker experience by going pro. Not to dis anyone who is pro--I think it's a respectable endeavor. This is just my personal thoughts on it.