Do they really exist?? Or is every professional playing on a team?
I am looking at the numbers and I just cant imagine someone surviving the fluctuations alone.
Suppose you play with an average bet of $100 (a blackchipper), average advantage 1%(thats pretty optimistic), standard deviation typically 1.15. Suppose you log around 300 playing hours a year at 100 hands/hour - thats 30000 hands. Mean expectation = 30 000 x 100 * 0.01 = $30000 Nothing to be excited about but reasonable, but here comes the killer - standard deviation over 30000 hands = 1.15 * 100 * sqrt(30000) = $20 000 (!) That means with 95% certainty you'll be making anywhere between 30000-2x20000 and 30000+2*20000, so you'd be anywhere between -$10000 and +$70000 and these figures are before tax and not considering the travel expenses, living expenses, etc...
Now thats not a bad deal for a retired man with plenty of bankroll who plays for fun. But a professional who depends on it to make a living and sustain his family?? I cant imagine anyone remaining in the business after a year of work resulting in $10 000 loss.
I can understand pros working in team of 6 or more people, the numbers do add up to reasonable values, but for a solo player, is it possible??

