I played for 7 years cash then I was tired of the ups and downs and I made the great decision to go back to school and become a registered nurse. I can pick my own schedule with nursing and poker now. Any money I make in poker and job I put towards investing. If I’m on a down streak I just take a little break and work some nursing shifts until I make up what I lost. So I’m always moving up. I also got tired of grinding at a poker table everyday and spending my life like that. I’d rather walk my dog in the park and enjoy more balance instead of spending everyday in a casino. And nursing gives me a sense of purpose helping others which poker never gives me. So the combination of emerg nursing / poker (I prefer plo currently) / investing is a great combo for me and it’s made me much more successful than I was just playing poker.

As a 40yo who has played poker for 20 years. . . . I feel this.

I ran into Conrad at the Orleans one evening during the WSOP. I had been watching Only Friends daily at the time so when he walked by my brain automatically recognized him as a close friend. . . . A weird circumstance that I've never experienced. Without even thinking I approached him as he walked past as if I've known him for years. I can say he was extremely down to earth and welcoming. I remember him making the concious effort to ask my name and genuinely cared. Super stand up guy.

It was nice meeting you Conrad!

"It wasn’t easy and I mismanaged my roll and my life so poker sucks"-Conrad

I’m 36, been a successful live & online player for over 15 years. Moved away from playing full time this year. I wish I fully pivoted after Black Friday.

The HONESTY is so refreshing. Thank you for posting this despite the possiblity of getting flack from the poker community. The truth is the truth and with so many vloggers trying to portray just the fantasy and the up side of poker it's important that we also show the downsides which are very real. If playing poker for a living was that easy no one would ever leave. The smartest and best players have built other things and Phil is a great example of that. I met Conrad here in LA a few years back when WSOP was at the Commerce. I look forward to more from this podcast and to Conrad figuring out what direction to go from here and finding his path.

I dig this type of interview.  I'd like to hear more from "Pros" who are looking for a way out.  I started playing back in 2003, and stopped 2011 b/c of black friday.  This forced me to get my shit together and get a career, and now I enjoy  poker as a side hustle.  I play a lot in LA and you can see so many of the same 5/5 grinders who are trying to do this for a living, and have falling into the trap of being stuck where they are, looking for a way out.   It's nice to hear some of the stories of people who were able to avoid the trap and escape into some normalcy.  Love the content.  I just got my skill game hat, thanks for the free vibes socks!

Great episode with some great advice that a lot of people need to hear. About 25 years ago, I graduated college with an engineering degree and started my career. That was the same time I found poker and got obsessed with the game. I came so close many times to quitting my job and becoming a "full-time grinder", but never actually did it. I continued to learn the game and just became a profitable weekend warrior for decades. Fast forward to today, seeing the life I have created, and thinking back to that point early on, I am so thankful that I never made the switch.

I see some of these young vloggers that are quitting college, or quitting their "6-figure jobs", to live out the poker pipe dream. Conrad said it best, if you aren't the top 1%, this game is just a super grind. The issue is that there is no barrier to entry, and a lot of young people just think that they will be part of that 1% without considering the odds of that actually happening. At the casino I play at, I still see a bunch of the same grinders that I saw back in the day when I wanted to make the switch. They didn't become the 1%, and their life is just a super grind. Some in their mid 40's, back living with their parents, at the casino everyday on the 2/5 and 5/10 grind. I wish more folks would watch this video and really really listen to the message. It would save them decades of lessons learned. So many of them have these dreams of being the next Phil Ivey when they really should be focused on being the next Bill Perkins.

The poker dream is becoming the whale in the game!!!!! Being a full-time mid-stakes grinder is a poker nightmare.

Girl leaves him for being a break even reg and now all sudden it’s the games fault 😂😂

I appreciate your content. You're the only platform exploring all aspects of the game. It's brutally honest.

Man I miss Conrad and only friends! Loved this episode. Best of luck in your new ventures Conrad

I was a pretty successful cash game player for a long times.. More ups than downs, but I experienced it all.. The reason I quit is because I was approaching 40 and I envisioned myself being 60 and still going to the poker room almost every night.. It actually made me shutter..

I’m 53 now, and no regrets.. It was the right choice for me..

I believe Conrad is mostly a tournament player, that’s gotta be 10x more stressful on a girlfriend vs being a prof cash game grinder. Who wins n keeps records n can show his girl that poker is a business. I’ve played vs Conrad in $1/$3 3 or 4 times over the years. I noticed he never stays very long a table. Always quick sessions

Chip Reese also “never had a plan”  rip Chip 🙏🏽

Yo Johnny I've always been a good fan and it was always amazing to run into you over at 7 mile Casino but yeah I definitely feel this I was grinding La 555 poker games for over 8 years while supporting two kids and a stay-at-home wife, and it was the most stressful place I could ever be looking back. Long story short I moved to Albuquerque and hit two bad beat jackpots within a year at the Sandia casino and use that money immediately to start a box truck business. And now I have found so much success that I never thought was possible outside of Poker and I'm so busy I may be play 10 hours a month LOL.  I love the game but it's such a relief to not have to deal with those types of swings even though entrepreneurship has a lot of the same roller coaster scenarios poker has anyway much love Johnny keep bringing the Heat

I feel this guy. I told my friends it was a manic depressive lifestyle. I enjoy playing occasionally much more than when I played every day.

Always believed in you JV. Peppermill used to do the Run It Up tourney that I think you were at a few times. Unfortunately the 7th edition was called off due to lockdowns, etc. Just when it had picked up steam and was starting to bring alot of great names to the event, you included. We havent seen numbers like that since then, but have the Poker Palooza tourney twice a year which has a great turn out as well. Good to see you starting these vlogs back up, because the stories are always great. Everyone either still playing or not has one, and we appreciate everyone you being on, including Conrad. Good luck to you and your family goong forward and to all the others out there grinding away at the felt to get it done.

The thing is that most will feel the same way working any other 'career' also. Saying this as someone who has some both, you'll always have the 'grass is greener' mentality.

Dope interview. Conrad shed some real light on the mental struggles and ups and downs you go through chasing success in tournament poker. When I first started I wanted to play professionally and considered quitting my $150k/yr job but after two years in and every bad beat imaginable yeah I’ll keep my day job and stay a recreational player like the super pros like to call us.

shame the algorithm disallowing channel growth. great production, informative content and chill vibes. keep going. hopefully you crack thru.

Good to see both of you! Great convo.