Becoming a Professional Poker Player

This article is for the recreational poker player that aspires to become a full-time professional.

Poker may seem like a cool job with a glamorous lifestyle, but is that really the case? Read on to see if you are ready to turn pro.

The Benefits of Playing Poker for a Living

First, let's start with why anyone would want to become a professional poker player. If this is obvious to you then skip to the next section!

Choose your own hours - if you don't feel like working today, you don't have to!
You are your own boss - there is no one ordering you around.
You get all the freedom that you want - it is possible to wake up whenever you feel like it.
You can make more money than people your age, with relatively less effort.
There aren't many jobs in the world that are as fun as poker.
You can make huge sums of money in a very short period of time - everyone loves a quick buck!
If you move to somewhere like the UK, poker is completely legal and you don't have to pay any taxes on your winnings.
You can be lazy and disorganized, yet still make a fortune! This is something you simply can't get away with in the real world.
You are able to fulfill your dreams. In life, you should do what you enjoy the most. Most people grow up wanting to be an actor, tennis player, singer etc. Professional poker is an alternate route to one of those glamorous careers.
How Much Do You Really Enjoy Poker?

OK let's begin!

If you are reading this, you have probably played poker 'a bunch' and are quite enjoying it. But do you want to play poker 5-6 times a week for the rest of your life? It may seem like poker is the only thing you want to do right now, but in a few years' time you may think otherwise!

Also take into account the variance involved. It is possible that you may have been running above expectation. In poker, downswings are inevitable and you have to be able to handle it. Downswings can be very tough and cruel. Be prepared for them, because no matter how good you are, it will happen to you.

You need to be completely immersed in poker and know about pretty much everything related to poker. You need to have that urge to play poker every single day if you want to become a professional poker player.

What Skills Are Required To Become a Professional Poker Player?

Another factor to consider is how good you really are at poker. Are you really cut out for it? Most people aren't. Here are some of the qualities that you need to become a successful professional poker player:

Have good temperament, discipline and self-control.
You need to be fairly intelligent. You don't need to be a genius, but if you are always bottom of your Math's class then reconsider your career.
Have a reasonable mathematical background - you need a general understanding of odds and variance.
You need to be competitive, but at the same time be able to put your ego aside.
Good analytical skills.
Good at reading people.
Have a good knack for games and gambling. This is similar to in business where people talk about having a good 'business acumen' - the term sounds a lot like bulls*** but in fact it matters enormously!
You should generally be a positive person.
Able to handle pressure.
Be able to pick yourself up during bad times.
The Realities of Life as a Professional Poker Player

When you turn pro, you need to keep improving constantly. Most professional poker players keep on improving after they have turned pro. You need to constantly put in the hours and keep studying the game.

Generally, poker and social life do not go hand in hand. But if you can find the right balance between poker and life then that is a bonus. You need to ask yourself how you will be viewed by domino99 family, friends and the community in which you live in. Ignore this last advice if you don't care about what others think of you!

Forget about what you see on TV. Life of the average professional poker player is not quite like the poker players that you see on the World Poker Tour or the World Series of Poker. Prepare for a long grind.

Just imagine the professions like actors and footballers (soccer). At the very top, there are big rewards and they are mostly overpaid. But for the majority, it is a grind!