So you want to become a poker professional and earn a living? Everyone sees money and luxurious lifestyles when you think about professionals like FedorHolz and Daniel Negreanu.
Thousands of gamblers wager each year in hopes of replicating Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 win at the World Series of Poker.
There are ups and downs in becoming a professional poker player, and it’s better if you know them first before you take the first step.
Most people have no idea what it takes to play Texas Holdem poker for a living, and the quote “It’s a hard way to make an easy life” sums up the reality of professional poker players the best.
So let us caution you about a few things you think about before choosing this path.
Things to Consider for a Professional Poker Player
Work Ethic and Commitment
The general public has little regard for poker players as professionals.
Most parents are scared when their child tells them they are abandoning their job, school, or both to pursue a career in sports. You cannot deny the amount of effort and brainpower required to become a great player, regardless of how you feel about the morality of taking money from other game players.
One might make a fortune with very little poker knowledge and expertise at the beginning of online poker.
But now, you must have a good work ethic to make a living at poker. The reward may be a job with lots of options and freedom for those who got what it takes to put in the time and effort.
It takes a significant amount of dedication to become a professional poker player. You must dedicate your entire heart, mind, and soul to the game for extended periods.
Be careful not to equate your success at the poker table with your sense of worth because you will experience significant downturns, regardless of how good you are. It would help if you balanced other activities in your life, such as friends, pastimes, exercise routines, and travel, to enhance your quality of life.
Devaluing Money
Being a professional poker player sometimes severely forces you to undervalue money. Being frugal becomes impossible when money leaves your possession that rapidly.
Many purchases feel free because they don’t affect them emotionally. As gamers age, they occasionally develop better money management skills, but it still poses a struggle for many. New players should have this in mind during the start of their careers.
Constant Search for Games Suited For You
If you plan to make a living playing poker, you must constantly assess which games offer the highest hourly win rate, given your skills and expertise. Games that used to be uncomplicated money don’t stay that way because the poker scene is continuously changing.
For instance, one could make an average of $15,000 a month in a poker game in the past. But by today’s standards, the lack of knowledge and skill in poker may affect your income if you play the same game as it becomes more complex over time.
The Poker Player Ceiling
The greatest level of stakes you can beat is something that most players don’t mention when discussing how their revenue has a ceiling. Poker players rely on good games and outsmarting their rivals.
They’re stuck on the stake below it when they can’t beat that level. There isn’t much room for improvement.
The regulars who play at a certain level of stakes undergo a significant turnover every couple of years.
Most regulars from the 5/10 games who played two years ago are either playing 2/4 or quitting the game altogether.
Some professional players reach their income ceiling and then see their income decline as the games get harder to beat over time. Still, some have the talent and work ethic to keep winning at the stakes as the games get more challenging.
Yes, you can put in the time and effort to learn and improve, but other players will always be doing the same thing.
Moving up in stakes whenever there is a brief run of success and winning multiple buy-ins is a common error players make.
Most of the time, they lack the skills necessary to win the more challenging games with more significant stakes, and as a result, they frequently lose a sizable sum of money in games they have no business participating in.
Conclusion
Reviewing your outcomes over time with significant sample size is an intelligent technique to determine if you’re prepared to become a professional poker player.
It will take a lot of time to see if you can make it as a professional poker player. There are a lot of factors that you should consider if you want to make a living out of playing. The best way to know this is to play poker for a while and note the things you like and do not like about the game.
With enough playing experience, it will be possible for you to determine whether you can win games and, more crucially, why you are losing. Based on this information, you can decide whether you’re ready to play poker full-time and what level you should start at.
Try playing poker online at GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room, and start building up your experience to see if you can make it to the big leagues.
Sign up at GGPoker today!
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