Becoming a poker pro is a goal many aspiring players dream of achieving. If you want to learn how to be a poker pro, it’s essential to invest time in understanding the game’s intricacies. This article will provide you with valuable insights and techniques that can elevate your skills.
Becoming a Professional Poker Player
In November, the entire convention center of Resorts World Casino was taken over by online poker giant PokerStars, as players from around the world converged on Las Vegas to take their shot at a massive score on the poker operator’s North American Poker Tour. Many players dream of parlaying a big win into a career betting and bluffing full-time at the tables, but that’s not always a great decision.
Chris Moneymaker’s epic win at the World Series of Poker in 2003 saw the poker amateur win the biggest event in the game and score $2.5 million in the process. He won an $86 online qualifier to earn his spot in the event and then was featured hour after hour on ESPN and earned the envy of every home game player around the world.
While many now dream of ditching that 9-to-5 and heading to the local casino or card room to earn a living, the reality of playing full-time comes with plenty of uncertainties, financial swings, and skill sharpening. Skillset spoke with some in the industry about the reality of hitting the tables full-time.
Raising the Stakes
Finding success in that home game with friends is a long way from winning on a bigger stage. Chances are that many of those in your own game may not be at the same caliber you might find when hitting the casino cash game tables or traveling the tournament circuit.
Today’s players spend hours at the tables and plenty of time hitting the books, working on their skills. That can include using solvers (computer programs to run various hand scenarios), coaching, online study grounds, training videos, and other hand analyses and exercises to brush up on the latest theories and math behind the game.
This may seem exhausting for players who simply enjoy the fun of winning a few bucks from friends. James Hartigan has worked as a PokerStars commentator for years and has seen just about everything in the game, including the ups and downs of turning pro.
Becoming a Poker Pro Isn’t Easy
“There’s a lot of work that goes into it,” he says. “I’ve never had the desire to make my living playing poker. I understand it appeals to many people and wish them good luck. They need to understand that in today’s age, with people’s understanding of the game and game theory, you have to put as much time into studying, working, reviewing, and learning as you do playing.
“If you want to be successful, if you want to be competitive, if you genuinely want to play this game to make money, you have to work at it. It is a job. You don’t just walk up, sit at the table and
play anywhere.”
Hartigan notes that even solid players still face significant variance, including losing streaks, regardless of their skills.
“That’s something I wouldn’t be able to cope with,” he says. “That idea that if I have a bad day at work, at least I know I’m still going to get paid at the end rather than having a bad day at work and losing money. But that’s one of the things that appeals to me. There are people who want to play this game professionally, and they can play it professionally, and then they sit right next to people for whom it is entertainment. It’s fun. But it’s a hobby, and that’s what it will always be to me. It’s a hobby I love.”
More Than Just Poker
During the poker boom, any player winning a few bucks or with name recognition often earned an online poker sponsorship. These sweet deals offered the chance to play at glamorous casinos around the world.
That jet-set life saw many players dream of grabbing their 10 minutes in the spotlight – with quite a few deciding life at that day job wasn’t so bad. Today’s sponsored pros are expected to bring more to the table. These ambassadors already have a platform via streaming their online play on Twitch, poker vlogs on YouTube, or as social media personalities.
PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot has been a streamer for years and has won millions online. The Canadian pro never believed how significant a role Twitch would play in his chosen career.
Looking Back
“If you would have asked me or any of my friends when I was 20 years old, there would have been zero shot anyone would have said that I was streamed,” he says. “I had to make social media accounts just to stream. I didn’t have a Twitter. Lastly, I didn’t do anything that you would do if you were going to be a streamer or social media man. That just happened, but I would not have thought 15 years later I’d still be doing it, to be honest.”
For those looking to get into the game full time, Talbot, 33, suggests taking a slow approach to avoid some of the pitfalls if they have no other source of cash.
“I think easing your way in for most people is going to be the way to go,” he says. If you have some kind of steady income or job, just play poker for 10-20 hours a week and phase more over time with studying. Unless you’re young and you don’t have much to lose. You have nobody else in your life that depends on you or anything like that. You have a couple grand and decide whether to go to college or whatever.
“Then you can just kind of go all in. I would say give it like six months and try to grind really hard. I would say bankroll management is always huge, setting aside amounts of money, or having some kind of income for rent, living, etc.”
Nuts and Bolts
Not many know the life of a poker pro first hand like Jonathan Little. The 39-year-old has reached some of the highest levels in the game. That has included $9.4 million in live tournament winnings and two World Poker Tour titles, including earning Player of the Year in 2008.
Little also works as a poker coach and writer and has authored numerous strategy books about the game. He recently outlined some real challenges players should consider before going pro – from insurance and taxes to family concerns, occasional time off, and other aspects of life.
Little says players must really delve into the math to determine how much they hope to make per hour to live comfortably. A winning night at the tables against friends may not be sustainable against tougher competition. Some real-time paying will tell the tale if this life at the felt is the right decision.
The Life of A Professional Poker Player
“You may find that you enjoy poker as a hobby, but not as a job,” Little recently wrote in Card Player magazine. “I suggest taking some vacation time away from your job and playing poker as you would if you were a professional before quitting your job. This will tell you what it feels like to play poker daily.
“In the end, if someone hates their 9-to-5 job and wants to play poker, they are probably going to do it. Do your best to make sure the decision is correct because if you are wrong, you may be left with a squandered year and no money.”
Becoming a poker pro is a goal many aspiring players dream of achieving. If you want to learn how to be a poker pro, it’s essential to invest time in understanding the game’s intricacies. This article will provide you with valuable insights and techniques that can elevate your skills.
