Who does not enjoy playing a homegame with his friends in their free time or playing real money at the online poker table? Many of these hobby players dream of a big hit, as Chris Moneymaker did in 2003.
This qualified as an amateur for just $39 for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and won the tournament in the end for a prize money of 2.5 million dollars. Is not that tempting? In addition, as a poker professional, you can divide your own time, travel to the most beautiful destinations around the world and pursue your favorite activity, the poker game.
But the step from hobby to “dream job poker pro” seems infinitely far away and difficult. At the same time superstars like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey have started small at some point. Our experts from wisheus answer in this article “How do I become a poker pro?” Questions like: What are the successful players doing differently? What brought you to where you are today? What can we learn from them? What do you have to keep in mind when deciding to become a poker pro?
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Making the right decision – with all the consequences
The decision to become a poker pro should not be taken lightly. Every player has to realize that as a poker professional he has to make a living and should earn more money than in a normal job. You have to be aware that you have to invest just as much time in the profession of poker player as in a normal job.
So certainly at least 40 hours a week. Maybe more. In addition, the working hours are different. Often, especially at the online tables, you have to play long at a stretch or even at night. Eight hours of poker a day can be very tedious, especially if you play at several tables.
Also, you have to know that the profession of a poker professional has become much more difficult in the past few years. The poker landscape has changed and games that used to be easy money are often hard to beat today. Anyone who paves the way for the profession of poker player must bring a lot of patience and a lot of time. Because just the first steps are very difficult and first successes are only very slowly.
The right attitude
A very important point to Become a Professional Poker Player is the attitude. Behind a successful career at the poker tables is a lot of hard work and an iron discipline. Only those who dedicate all their energy, passion and dedication to poker, as well as being involved with heart and soul, can be successful for years.
In addition, a poker professional must cope with the natural fluctuations, the ups and downs. Especially downswings that can last a long time and break a big gap in each player’s account are hard to digest. But they are part of the life of every poker professional. It can happen that you worked extremely hard and still lost $10,000 at the end of a day or tournament.
Bankroll Management
Poker pro In order for the aforementioned downswings not to jeopardize a career, good bankroll management is necessary. This means that players have their budget under control and do not risk more in a tournament than they can afford. The most important rule is never to invest more than 1% of the bankroll in a tournament. Based on the bankroll, the levels are determined on which can be played and which are also beatable.
Often players make the mistake of moving up to the next level if they win for a while. In many cases, you are not yet prepared enough to play in a higher league. So you lose more money at the end, than you won before, because you went up too early and romped around in games for which you are actually not ready.
Strategy & Games
Indispensable is the knowledge about the game and a continuous training. But all the necessary skills required by the game must be acquired in most cases. There are countless poker books and strategy articles to read, and to watch as many poker videos as possible. Also the exchange with other players and professionals is elementary.
Often poker is about being familiar with complex topics like statistics, probabilities and mathematics. If you are not a natural, you can only acquire this knowledge through hard work. Only then can you create a game plan that tells you how to behave in which situations.
In addition to the knowledge and the strategy is another recipe for success on the way to the professional: play, play, play and gain many experiences. In poker, exercise definitely does the trick. So it is as much as possible to play online but also live.
Conclusion
For those who have the makings of an above-average player and who are willing to invest a lot of time and effort, as a poker professional, you’ll get a job with virtually unlimited freedoms and great earning potential, which should not be easily labeled a dream job , The way there is incredibly hard. Few players can really live on poker today. The move definitely wants to be well thought out. The absolute prerequisite is a good start-up capital and a plan B if the long-term success does not materialize.
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