There was a time when being a professional poker player may have seemed farfetched, and only a handful of well-known figures were actually able to earn a living solely by playing. But with all the different options open to players today, playing poker as a professional is more accessible than ever.
However, while you might be the best player among your circle of friends, and may have won a few tournaments here and there, making a living as a poker player isn’t easy. It demands a lot of discipline, a proven system, and knowing common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Beyond this, there are also a lot of poker games. Many of them have many terms in common, others do not. To prepare yourself have a read of this poker glossary to familiarise yourself. Now, let’s take a look at what it takes to make a living playing poker.
Make Sure You Have a Lot of Hands Behind Your Belt
If you think you’ve played enough hands to play professionally, you probably haven’t. Most successful professional poker players have played thousands and thousands of hands before they got there. But getting this amount of hands in a short period of time can be difficult if you’re playing at a local casino or have occasional games with your friends.
You best option is to play online. Playing online will give you a good idea of what kind of hands you can expect. You’ll also understand the basics of betting. You’ll be able to try different systems and see how they work.
Furthermore, the wide variety of tournaments and game options online will allow you to play tons of games and hands without spending too much. You should try entering as many small tournaments as you can and take the opportunity to learn. You’ll be surprised at the amount of experience you’ll be able to get solely by playing online. But you also have to find a way to play offline games as well so you can understand table dynamics, start noticing some tells and clues, learn how to bet live, and also learn how to keep your composure.
Be Ready for the High and the Lows
Getting from amateur to pro can take a long time, and sometimes, players never really get out of the amateur phase. You have to be ready to do the groundwork necessary to be consistently successful. And you also have to be ready to accept the lows and not get too over excited when you’re hot. Difficulty oscillates greatly when it comes to poker, and you can suddenly go cold just after a hot streak. You also have to take the time to analyse your hands and other people’s as well afterwards so you can make adjustments.
Know the Basics
Before you start looking at systems, you have to know some of the basics of the game and some of the biggest sins as well. You have to understand how your position influences your betting. An ace with a poor kicker might seem like a great choice when everyone before you have folded and you’re in a late position, but you also have to be ready to fold if you’re early, since there might be so many hands that could beat you after that point.
You also have to understand which hands you should always play, and which ones you should avoid at all costs. Not only that, but you have to know when you should chase flops, turns and rivers, even for one in a million hands like a Royal Flush.
This article shows exactly what are probabilities of getting a flush on the flop, turn or river are: https://www.888poker.com/how-to-play-poker/hands/royal-flush-poker-hand-ranking/. For example, the chances of getting a royal flush before the flop are minimal, and no one should bank on that. But if you have an open-handed royal flush draw on the turn or the flop, then your chances jump at around 4%. So, in this case, chasing a royal flush could make sense considering how committed you are to the pot, and who’s in the hand with you. Depending on how big the pot is, the odds might actually be worth it.
Choose Your Game and Competition Wisely
Depending on your level, you’ll have to choose the people you play with wisely. It’s always better to punch down when it comes to poker, even if the odds are smaller. But you also have to be aware of sharks that may be playing the same game as you. That’s why live small odds money games are a great choice for beginners who really want to play professionally.
Money games allow you to leave games whenever you want and manage your losses. However, on a downside, you could lose all your payroll on one hand and have to go home. Tournaments allow you to stretch your money for longer, but the pay-out isn’t necessarily better since you have to win when it comes to sit and gos, or get to the money rounds for bigger tournaments.
Another great thing about live money games is that you can leave as soon as you make a big hand. Some people will even sit and wait for one type of hand only and bank on it. For instance, you could wait for pocket face pairs only, or Ace connecting flush draws. These will allow you to know with almost certainty when you have the best hand, and you could either fold if you get nothing on the flop, bet if you’re getting a flush draw, or tap and put pressure on the turn. These are the type of low risk, high rewards hands that could end up paying when playing cash games.
One more point in favour of cash games is that you can gauge the level of experience at a table pretty quickly and see if the waters are getting too hot. You can always move to another table or another casino altogether. Some casinos attract more inexperienced players then others. Pick your time of the day as well. You’re more likely to bump into pros at 3pm on a Wednesday than on a Saturday night.
Conclusion
If you want to make a living as a poker player, be realistic, and start with baby steps. Learn the game, take the time to study it, and make sure that you have the temperament and self-discipline needed to make it.