From a distance, when you watch professional poker players work, you can tell a lot of them are having fun, and why won’t they?
They make all their money from a game that may have been seen as a hobby for some of them in the past and now they travel the World doing what they absolutely love.
You see these things happen and you ask yourself, “How can I become a professional Poker Player?” “Is it even possible to become a professional Poker player?” The answer to those burning questions is yes.
Yes, you can become a poker pro and you can live and work like a poker pro, travel the world, quit that part-time job and live a wonderful life, but the journey to becoming a professional player is a long one.
Becoming a professional Poker Player means that you will have to create room for personal improvement at all times because the Poker scene is a warzone.
Playing Poker professionally means doing everything and working as hard as possible to be one step ahead of your competition at all times.
You may admire watching Poker players turn up for tournaments and play poker to win huge amounts of money but the level they have gotten to was as a result of multiple hours of work, research, practice of strategies, video study and possibly even sleepless nights, all for the love of Poker.
If you do not like Poker to the point where you can play for long hours non-stop and enjoy the experience, then you might want to quit trying to be a pro and look to be a more recreational player.
If you want to be a part of the few who make a living playing poker, either in the online poker circuit or in your attempts to reach the World Series Of Poker, then we have some tips you will find useful.
Know the Rules
A fundamental part of becoming a good professional poker player is knowing the rules of the game, obviously.
This may not be the case for everyone as some Poker beginners may already have a knowledge of the rules before making the decision to play poker.
However, if you fall in the (mainly younger aged) category of beginners who have little experience, knowing the laws that govern online poker, Texas Hold’em poker, 7 card stud, Omaha poker and so on, will get you on your way.
Texas Hold’em rules (online poker and live games)
As mentioned before, there are many poker games that you can play which have rules you will need to follow. However, we will only introduce you to the rules of Texas Hold’em poker, the most popular poker game out there.
Because of its popularity, it is a good place to start learning to become a professional poker player as you will be able to find a ton of poker strategy concepts that work for you on your road to picking up steady wins.
When a new round begins, one player receives the dealer button and becomes the ‘dealer’ (regardless of whether he or she actually deals the cards or not). The dealer button is rotated one poker player clockwise every hand.
Two poker players left of the dealer have to pay the small blind and big blind respectively. These are predetermined bets which must be paid before any cards are dealt.
Every poker player is dealt two hole cards (or cards placed face down), starting with the player to the left of the dealer going clockwise and with one card at a time.
The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind going in a clockwise direction. Each player will have the option to fold, call or raise.
After the first betting round, the dealer has to burn the top card of the deck by discarding the card in case it was seen by other players and put three cards face up (the community cards) on the table. This is called the flop.
The player seated directly to the left of the dealer button going clockwise starts the next betting round. All the players can choose to check, bet, fold, call or raise (the last two can only happen when a poker player has bet in front).
The Turn comes after the flop. The dealer again burns the top card and flips one card face up which sums the community cards on the table up to four.
After this happens, another betting round begins.
After the Turn comes the river. Once again, the dealer burns the top card of the deck then deals the fifth community card face up on the table to begin the final betting round.
The last player to bet or raise in the last round will show their cards first but if all the players checked, then the player to the left of the dealer button has to show their hand first and then going clockwise.
The poker player with the highest ranking poker hand wins the pot
Every player can pick any five cards of the two hole cards and the five community cards to make his or her best five card hand.
To get more acquainted with other rules, there are plenty of online poker websites on the internet to choose from.
Research and Understand the Game
One of the very important aspects of becoming a great online professional player is having an understanding of the games you are playing.
For example, you’re a Texas Hold’em cash player, that means understanding the details of position, bankroll management and table selection.
If you intend to play poker in live tournaments, you’ll need to study up on where the best value is and how you can the most out of your trips. That means finding good hotel packages and accommodation deals that will help make your bankroll go farther.
If you’re in the US and want to make real money by playing poker online tournaments, you will need to possess sufficient knowledge of the best online poker sites for cash games.
Closed mouths don’t get fed. You need to be inquisitive in order to grow in this game so talking to other pros and grinders to pick their brains can be crucial for you.
Learning from the low-level poker pros who are just making a living can be crucial at the beginning.
If you want to get to their level and eventually surpass them, you can add the knowledge they have about playing poker into your Arsenal.
As your level continues to grow, so should your thirst for knowledge. It is crucial that you not only put your money where your mouth is for your bets but you also invest money in your education.
There are free resources online that are helpful for a player looking to learn poker strategy.
However, to become a successful professional poker player, you need to invest in an instructor and subscribe to poker training apps, attend seminars and masterclasses that are led by coaches who regularly play at the highest level in the poker world.
Consistency
Becoming a poker pro consists of playing long hours, doing tons of research, watching footage and hitting win rates, especially at the beginning. Poker players need to put in the legwork and have set goals.
If your preference as a player is to participate in live cash games, you must come to a decision regarding an acceptable win rate.
Your win rate is the average number of big blinds you’re winning for every 100 hands you play.
For example, a win rate of 10bb/100 means you are winning the value of 10 big blind for every 100 hands dealt.
Based on experience, any figure over 10bb/100 is good, but you should make that your minimum target and be much more ambitious as you aim for long term success.
If you are playing poker tournaments, you always have to be aware of your Return on Investment (ROI).
This is the percentage you are earning in winnings subtracted by your tournament buy-ins.
Good online poker tournament pros will have an ROI somewhere around 15 and 20%. Anything higher is very good.
Hold’em Manager, for example, is a good app you can use to keep track of your Return On Investment.
Do not quit that Job just yet
To be a successful poker pro, you need to have realistic expectations.
If you want to start playing poker, you need to make sure you have a stable source that generates enough money for you to sustain yourself while learning to play poker professionally.
Instead of quitting you can request for a holiday at your job for a week or two and spend the next 14 days playing poker and studying poker.
It is a clever way to find out how good you are as a player while still earning money. That is when you will know if you are ready to become a professional poker player or not.
You might be motivated, inspired even, at the prospect of entering online poker tournaments, playing cash games to make more money, watching live games and taking poker courses during the free time you have but motivation will only take you so far and certain realities begin to set in.
Like how after hours of learning to improve your game, you suddenly lose all concentration.
Or when you lose multiple buy-ins in your first week and the motivation you initially had dissipates.
Not everyone will go through the same experience when they try this though. Some will go on a winning streak in those two weeks, with a winning hand in most, if not all of their games while others will win and lose in equal amounts during that period.
At the end of the 14 day period, take time to reflect on the games you played, how you performed while playing tournaments, the toll it took on you and if you will be able to handle it in the long run.
When making this decision, you have to be completely honest with yourself.
Another way you could go about finding out if you can have a career playing poker professionally is to make Poker a part-time job for some time, maybe a year.
This is another way to test your feel for professional poker while having the safety net of your job.
To combine your regular job with playing poker part-time is definitely a tough task but playing online poker is an even harder ask. This time you spend can be crucial for your potential transition into becoming a full time player.
After a good spell playing the game you prefer, like poker tournaments, cash games, or Spins, you’ll be much more familiar with the good, the bad and the ugly sides to playing poker for a living.
Have good bankroll management
Sensible bankroll management is the one thing you most definitely have to master when learning how to become a professional poker player.
Your bankroll needs to be big enough for the buy-ins as well as when you go on a losing streak. Having reserves is important.
You have to use online satellites well if you are a tournament player. Online Satellites provide a great way of earning a tournament entry for a small outlay.
Most importantly, you must not forget to pay your taxes. Professional poker players in the US are liable for income tax on winnings so you have to have a good record no matter the situation.
Learn How and When to Bluff
Poker is a game of luck and so you won’t always be given a favorable hand to start with.
This makes learning how to bluff an important part of your poker education.
It does not matter what level of poker you are playing at.
Whether you are just a recreational player or you play tournaments, Sit ‘n Gos or cash games, you need to learn to steal the blinds and be more aggressive pre-flop.
Poker players are required to think on their feet in order to make the most of any situation. If you can, create an intimidating presence at the table and prey on weaker opponents.
Take Care of yourself.
When you become a professional poker player, Poker becomes your entire life.
More often than not, you will find yourself sitting at a computer monitor for 16 hours straight as an online player and as a live tournament player, you might be playing competitive poker for 12 hours a day throughout the duration of the tournament which could be several days in a row. Poker is mentally draining.
The nature of the game can put serious wear and tear on the body and the mind so taking care of your body and mind should always take top priority. Constant diet and exercise will help you stay sharp.
Prioritizing your mental health prepares your mind for the unpredictable nature of Poker.
Every poker player will lose every once in a while, others lose every time so accepting that such things happen in poker is crucial for becoming a pro.
The Pros and Cons of Playing Poker Professionally
PROS
Money
When you wanted to learn how to play poker, money was a major deciding factor, I’m sure. Being a solid professional poker player will increase your quality of life in a game that has almost unlimited earning potential. The best part is, all your winnings are yours.
Freedom
Being a poker player also means being your own boss. This means you are free to do whatever you want.
Competition
When you get better as a professional, you will want to test your prowess against strong opponents. Competing with other players means that you learn new strategies that your opponent is using as well as improve your own game. a
Traveling
Playing poker in Spain, France and other glamorous countries is a huge perk of being a professional poker player but you have to get to that level first. Poker will help you travel the world .
CONS
Mentally draining
Even though this game is really fun, poker is mentally taxing whether or not you are not fully prepared in all parts of your game. Tides can turn in poker and you need to have a solid understanding of this fact.
Hours and hours of study and practice is followed by hours and hours of tournaments. This cycle keeps going and a lot of sacrifices would have been made. Your commitment to poker, especially when you are trying to be better at the game will come at a cost. Your mental strength is constantly tested and you will need discipline to overcome.
Social stigma
The first thing people think about when they see a poker player is “this person is a degenerate gambler”. Outside the Poker scene, professional players are seen as gamblers and it causes rifts in friendships and family relationships. At the end of the day, your decision to be a poker player is a personal one which, in the end, your family may end up acknowledging.
Play Responsibly
As much as things like having a good strategy, knowing the rules and studying the game are important, you must always think about the future and know when it is time to call it a day when playing.
Do not -and I cannot stress this enough- do not chase losses, it rarely ever ends well for you.
You have got to love what you are doing
There are a lot of jobs around where you can achieve a good amount of success even if you do not love what you do. Poker is not one of those jobs though. You have to LOVE playing poker.
You have to love it when its good and you have to love it when it is not. If your love for this game is not unconditional, you most certainly won’t make it in the long run. Loving poker unconditionally isn’t easy and not everyone is built for this.
It is only natural to go on a bad run when you play poker at any level.
When you play for a living, the bad beats are not far away but you have to accept those spells are part and parcel of what having a poker career is all about whether you like it or not.
Accepting this as gospel isn’t easy for most but to be a top poker player, it is a must.
Sometimes the demands of this game will make you choose between some life events and spending time at multiple tables, and watching games. To get good at poker, or anything at all in life, it goes without saying that you will have to make sacrifices.
