To become a professional poker player is not an easy task and requires plenty of self motivation and perseverance to be truly successful. Players require skill, experience and a fair amount of luck to receive the required cards at the right time to win a match. Sometimes players find it hard to sustain themselves on a month-on-month basis and take it up full-time or part-time to meet their expenses while taking part in local and national level poker matches.
What it takes to be a professional poker player
Before deciding to become a professional poker player learn its intricacies and regulations thoroughly to avoid disappointment. There are different types of poker games played across casinos around the world and trying to learn them all can prove to be a tricky business. You must develop expertise in one form of poker and be prepared to play high stakes to become a successful poker player. Poker requires abundant motivation to sustain yourself through tough periods when you are constantly losing or a game is put on hold just when you are winning. If during this time you see a stock broker friend taking a fat bonus home it is disheartening and can shake your self-confidence and focus.
Poker also requires a certain amount of self discipline and control and seasoned gamblers make money as they know when to quit a winning hand with earnings instead of playing tilt and losing all your day’s earnings. Playing high stakes is the best way to make money in poker, but you should understand your limitations and stop chasing losses. Developing and changing your strategies are an essential step towards success in poker. Always play your game with creativity to keep your opponents guessing and confused so you can forge ahead. Every casino has its own set of experts who are well aware of their ground regulations and advantages so be quick to adapt to new challenges for ensuring a win.
A successful poker player has to have nerves of steel to remain unemotional through his small wins and losses and stay focused on the big picture to attain professional success.
Why so many wannabe pro poker players fail
Poker players who have adopted the game as their main source of income have lost out in the long run due to lack of foresight in managing their finances and understanding their limitations. Players who are able to plan their expenses and set a definite sum of money every month for poker related activities like poker coaching and playing small practice games wherein money can be made easily can play long term.
Poker players sometimes have important financial priorities in life which do not let them take chances with their earnings and require steady income to meet these obligations. They are then forced to take up full time or part-time jobs and are unable to concentrate on playing poker which slowly ruins their focus. Long time poker professionals have existed as they have been able to understand their limitations during a downswing phase and know when to back out after breaking even instead of throwing good money behind bad ideas. A player should be able to recognize between good and bad days and be able to withdraw and try at a new place instead of losing it all.
Since professional poker requires complete dedication and focus, players must learn to control their urges for alcohol which flows freely in all casinos. Some players who are not used to this tend to indulge in it during a bad run and forget about their personal financial limitations.
Lack of preparation also puts a stop to professional poker players as they are unable to sustain themselves in the same manner during good and bad runs. Most successful poker players who have won at grand events have been practicing for 5-6 years and have emerged successfully out of rough and winning phases.
Final thoughts on going pro
If an amateur poker player is interested in becoming a professional then he/she should be dedicated to the game and devote all their time and attention to it like a tennis or football professional. Before deciding to take poker as a full time job give yourself 6 – 7 months and a limited sum of money to play which will remove all seconds thoughts.
Keeping an honest record of all sessions played during this time with detailed statements about losses and wins at each game will be a form of eye opener. It is advisable to start young if you want to be a poker player, as then you will have more time to learn the tricks. Learn to control yourself during a loss making spree by pulling up your stakes and quitting.
Players should understand that games are going to get tougher every year and professionals will also be getting better every year, so it is best to reach a level of expertise before trying to strike out as a poker professional. With new players entering the foray every year who have honed their skills playing online poker the competition is also getting smarter.
Looking at the way in which rules of professional poker is changing and new casinos are opening up in Vegas and elsewhere, the future looks bright for amateur players who have won huge stakes. Under these circumstances a poker player has to control his impulses from making rash decisions and focus on playing games where their chances are much better.
If you are determined then making poker a profession is not an impossible feat as many have proved in the past who have managed to build their fortune on it. A professional can continue in this game till old age if he continues to improvise and work on his game with every match. Learn other card games too and have a backup plan ready to stop poker from consuming your life.