{"id":23708,"date":"2019-03-22T18:06:06","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T19:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=23708"},"modified":"2019-03-25T14:50:00","modified_gmt":"2019-03-25T14:50:00","slug":"if-new-jersey-online-poker-is-dying-how-are-these-two-making-a-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/if-new-jersey-online-poker-is-dying-how-are-these-two-making-a-living\/","title":{"rendered":"If New Jersey Online Poker Is Dying, How Are These Two Making A Living?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent news from New Jersey<\/strong> has touted the fact<\/a> that NJ online poker is in trouble. However, at least for two grinders, rumors of the death of Garden State poker have been greatly exaggerated.<\/p>\n

Smaller fields in the Garden State<\/h2>\n
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Michael St. John<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s 10 p.m., and 28-year-old Michael St. John<\/strong> is staring at his computer screen. His eyes are following the action, and his hand is a whirlwind of clicking as he navigates 16 online poker tables.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny more than that and I tend to sit out of my games,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause I\u2019m a professional at wasting my time banks.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the nightly routine for St. John, who plays a few sites at once with hopes for a nice tournament cash. When he busts out of one tournament, he searches for another,\u00a0all the while keeping his eyes peeled on the other active tables.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0may seem like a scene from the heady online poker days in the mid-2000s. But in fact it\u2019s 2019, and St. John is among the small group of poker players who are making a living in one of three legalized online poker jurisdictions in the US.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not nearly as easy today as in those days of massive online player pools and plenty of poker marketing and promotions; although, St. John makes it work.<\/p>\n

As a Pennsylvania transplant who lives in Gloucester City<\/strong>, he\u2019s a regular on PokerStars.com<\/strong>, BorgataPoker.com<\/strong>\u00a0and WSOP.com<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some positives of playing in New Jersey is that the fields are smaller, which lowers the variance,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can be frustrating at times though because some games are filled with 80 percent regulars, making the games more difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m always up for the challenge. I like to think I hold my ground pretty well.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He\u2019s doing more than holding his ground<\/h3>\n

February turned out to be a huge one for St. John. As a result, he won the battle for the PokerStars\u2019 New Jersey Player of the Month <\/strong>for February 2019.<\/p>\n

His big month included several deep final table runs in the site\u2019s Winter Series<\/strong>. The top 60 of PokerStars\u2019 monthly leaderboard share $7,500 in prizes, which can be redeemed for tournament entries. St. John took home the top prize of $1,500 to continue his tournament grinding.<\/p>\n

As a poker player for seven years, St. John learned the game from a friend and instantly fell in love with the strategy and action.<\/p>\n

Studying is a big part of his poker routine.\u00a0He says he works on his game eight to 10 hours a week, going over particular hands and seeking to plug leaks in order to strengthen his game.<\/p>\n

However, St. John stresses the importance of\u00a0getting away from the game at times.\u00a0St. John enjoys traveling, playing basketball, cheering on the Philadelphia 76ers<\/strong>, and spending time with his girlfriend.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoker can be a monster at times and it\u2019s easy to get wrapped up in it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to have a positive type of balance in your life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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