Maybe borderline unethical but have your dad open accounts and play on those until you're 18? I'll probably get heat for that comment but a lot of currently strong players were playing underage back in 2000 so its not unheard of. Hell, Phil Ivey played with a fake ID in AC when he was 15 and no one really cares. I also started playing when I was 17 on party poker and pokerstars.

My volume was a mix of PLO of NLHE. I'm actually fairly new to PLO but really enjoy it. I play 4-6 tables optimally, I play 15 tables when I'm rakeback and rakerace grinding. Yes, I recently sold my small business to go back to poker full time. Poker has enabled me to do an incredible amount of things in my life that I otherwise would not have been able to without that money (paid off my tuition, buying a small business, and a rental property). My end game is not to be grinding out poker forever, but it opens up opportunities for me to gain capital and do things with that if I take the smart route of investing. I do still see myself playing larger events from time to time when I'm 50 years old + though just for fun.

That being said, it is a VERY emotional and stressful work if it is your sole source of income. I think poker is much better if you have a regular or part time job and you do it on the side. If you take a year off to pursue it, you'll find yourself being challenged many times. In various aspects of self-esteem, confidence, tilt, bankroll management, and strategy. A streak of winning sessions will put you on top of the world. A streak of downswings will make you question everything about your game, make you forget how to play at all, and make you feel like giving up. All these streaks will happen multiple times in a professional's career. I think its important that you go through this process at least a few times before you ever seriously consider going pro.