Poker, Trading, What to Do?
For some background I'm a junior studying CS at a top school w >100k in profits playing online and live poker. I've been roped into the dream of becoming a trader ever since I started getting good at poker, but I'm not sure how to pursue it. Every thread I see where poker players ask about trading people recommend SIG, Jane Street, Optiver etc. but if we are being realistic most poker players, even online crushers don't have the quantitative skills to pass interviews at these places. I made a final round at one of these, but despite being a CS major I wasn't up to pace with the toughness of the interview questions.
I still am interested in being a QT, but I'm wondering is being a poker player even a real bonus on your resume? Apart from quant shops, are there are other places poker players should look at in finance and specifically trading?
Fuck being a quant, buy into the WSOP and let’s see what your made of
I am next summer, we'll see what happens
Heard DRW sponsors WSOP for 2 best players at the shop
Why not learn to trade your own money? If you're that good, you should give it a shot. Or, just get good at math so you can get a job as a quant.
I have little faith that daytraders can actually consistently make money in the modern market.
Edit: there are always ways to make money in any market whether it goes up , down , or trading sideways regardless of the time span.
This response tells me you have no clue what you are talking abt
Thanks for letting me know, Prospective Monkey.
Not real bonus imo
Can you elaborate?
Some prop shops are less quant, try with those.
Are there any in particular you are thinking of?
Please provide prop shop names for us lazy people thank u lol
Try getting a trading internship at a BB
Going to try that since a lot of people are reccomending. Are apps still open for the big places? Are there any smaller firms that have good programs?
Try for a BB trading desk, probably in a vol product. Much easier than landing a quant/prop trading job (for most if not all desks, although some are significantly harder to get than others), and there are still some really interesting and quantitative opportunities.
Thanks, I'll look into it. Anything I should look out for in terms of keywords and job descriptions? I really don't want to be doing a sales job.
You should've worked for my old boss. Incredibly good poker player but unfortunately didn't do well enough to advance further so went the pro route
go for bb trading, maybe some ER roles will scratch your brain as well. I’m an online player as well so I feel ur pain with SIG, but honestly it’s not as bad at SIG as you think. Maybe for trading its very tough but for their ER team I was only asked one easy math problem as a technical which I got wrong but im just not that bright, you’d be fine with it , good luck
Poker is an interesting thing on a resume and as far as hobbies go will pique some interest but outside of a shop like SIG is not going to be some make or break thing.
If you're putting it there I'd also make sure you are actually good and know what you're talking about (could you hold your own in a game theory discussion about poker? Are you beating midstakes online or just crushing donks at your local $2/$5 game?). As a poker player myself, I've seen it on a couple resumes and been very disappointed with the responses when I asked questions about it; that was definitely a net negative for those candidates.
I do have this going for me - I play primarily online (200-500nl) and have a very good grasp of both poker theory (range construction in specific spots that come up for example), but also have spent time studying toy games that provide insights not just into poker but game theory overall. At my final round at a trading shop although I messed up on the quantitative questions, I felt I excelled in the toy games we played and was able to think in ranges and abstractions for a variety of games. I'd love to chat a bit about it too - I feel the same way where it's very hard to find a poker player irl who is genuinely well studied and capable, regardless of what format they play. I could probably spruce up my resume - I put some statistics like table count, hands played, bb/100 etc. but could definitely try and show my capability in the theory fields as well.
You could definitely lean into that more on a resume. Maybe reframe your poker section to focus less on volume and more on the analytical rigor, like game tree analysis and decision-making under uncertainty
SIG has one of the hardest first round interviews that have nothing to do with poker -it's all math based.
Depends on who reads the application. Shops with less “personality” might interpret it as gambling, red flag, etc.
I would leave it out unless you already have a relationship with the employer (met at an expo, bar, or through a mutual friend)
horrible advice
This might be a controversial take, but here is what I’m thinking:
As you have great CS skills find a not-so demanding remote job that pays the bills and keep trading and playing poker on the side until you become profitable.
Alternatively, you can do a relatively easy Masters degree with a Scholarship and buy yourself some time before jumping ship.
Hope this helps. Best,
Had some interviews at well-known shops and bombed the math-heavy parts, despite being confident with logic and games. What helped me pivot was focusing more on independent strategies and managing small positions with my own money at first, just to get a real sense of what I was decent at (and not just theoretically). Poker helps with risk management instincts, but that’s rarely enough in those interviews. They want deep quant-solid people.
I also started posting more consistently on socials about my trading journey, breakdowns and wins, and even niche poker angles. It actually led to some extra income through affiliate deals and a couple sponsored posts. If you ever get tired of the interviews, might be worth checking how to earn money from social media with the skills and audience you already have.
Surprised nobody really answered the question, you just need to interview prep more. Solve 100s of questions, practice the games and you'll get a spot at some pod shop probably.
Shops with less “personality” might interpret it as gambling, red flag.
horrible advice
Why?
Bro you were born a bit too late my guy. You would’ve done hella back in the 2000s
never mind this post is from months ago
Thanks for sharing!
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