I like the idea of this thread, however, you have intentionally or unintentionally skewed you poll right off the bat. Pardon my education sneaking out on me but as a graduate student studying a social science how to properly word a survey/poll was one of the things they really crammed down my throat.
You word the last one pretty tough. "Arm Chair Guru typical of forums," has a pretty negative connotation. Intellectually I can think of many amateur magicians who are not amateur because they lack skill, interest, dedication, or performance ability. They simply have better, real world, jobs. A few quick celebrity examples might be Tony Curtis, Steve Martin, Neil Pattrick Harris, Dick Caveat, and Jonny Carson. All of these guys were well respected magicians who just happened to build fame, and thus their careers, in entertainment. I can think of many Arm Chair Gurus who fit this category....but when it is phrased like that the first thing that comes to mind are the guys who are all talk and no "show."
You also call restaurant and bar magicians "regular workers." Regular worker, especially among middle class people, has a very positive connotation. But seriously, guys who make a career on the lecture circuit are kind of "regular workers" too in a way. So are guys on cruise ships. Even some of those famous TV magicians spent a long time in the trenches doing bars and restaurants(at least in the case of Derren Brown and Cyril.)
As a result, nobody has voted for the Furum Gurus yet and most people have voted for the restaurant/bar magicians. There is no way to tell if those results are accurate.
To answer your question more directly, as an amateur who is seriously considering going pro, my goal is to make a living doing magic. I don't expect to do that without first being able to make a living in small venues like restaurants/ bars / weddings. So for me that is indeed the first step to success. It just isn't necessarily the end of the road...at least in my dreams.
