Going professional in pokerThere comes a time in every winning poker player’s career when he/she will seriously consider going professional, that is, playing poker for a living. Naturally, as enticing as it may sound, being a professional poker player is not an easy thing to accomplish. If you reckon you won’t have to hit the treadmill every day, 5 days a week, you’d better think again. Chances are, you’ll be in for an even worse treadmill than before. The very nature of Texas Holdem is such, that you’ll have to put in the hours just like in a regular day-job, but of course, if you’re thinking about becoming a pro, you probably already know that. The most important things in winning poker are patience and discipline. You’ll need twice s much of both than ever before, when you become pro. You have to be prepared to push your poker to the limit. Do you have an idea what staring at a computer screen for hours on end, can do to your eyes and to your mind? It can quite literally drive you bananas. It’ll often happen that no hand will hit you for hours. If things like that tend to push you over the edge and to make you tilt, you’d better forget bout becoming a professional altogether. You have to bring your best game all the time, no matter how hostile the circumstances are, and you have to stick to it, even if the situation further deteriorates. There are a bunch of other disadvantages to the setup too, like: - You won’t actually have a fixed income, so if you’re the kind of guy who usually makes plans on money he hasn’t earned yet, be prepared to face some major disappointments. It’ll often happen, that at the end of the month you’ll come up empty-handed, and it will also happen that you’ll be in the – column. If you cannot absorb fluctuations like that, again, you’re not poker-pro material. - Be prepared that you’ll most likely play all day long. Some players who play large limits, may not have to stare at the screen all day, but those guys are a privileged few only. Your average pro will grind it out all day, multi-tabling at low limit tables. Not quite the glamorous job that you imagined huh? - Because of the continuous grind you’ll be engaged in, you’ll have little time left for your family. You’ll also need to be on constant search for edges like poker bonus offers, a good rakeback deal and so on. Naturally, the drink is not all bitter. You’ll never be tied to a fixed schedule, you’ll wake up any time you like and you’ll play poker when you feel like it. Make no mistakes though, if the lack of commitment turns you lazy, forget about playing poker for a living. At the end of the day, the whole thing comes down to discipline. Most people will never be disciplined enough to treat bad beats as everyday events. If you are emotional about your poker, don’t play, and don’t aim to become a professional because it’ll only lose you money. Copyright 2002-2008 © Odds in Poker LTD. |
|
