Champion of Poker

It seems so easy and everyone is doing it. Just play online poker for a few months, earn a lot of money, and then announce to your friends and family that you are known a professional poker player. Not so fast! There are a number of things you need to consider before you become a professional poker player. We are going to examine some of those things in-depth and dispel a few myths in the process.

The Truth

One thing I believe most aspiring professional poker players need to understand. That is that most people that attempt to become professional poker players are going to fail. That is about as straight forward and to the point as I can get. It is highly unlikely that you will be successful in this endeavor. Second, the life and lifestyle of a professional poker player is nowhere near as glamorous as it seems on TV. Sure, shows like the World Poker Tour show poker players sitting at the final table and in cameos with brief bios on each of them. That is not reality. The glitz and glamour of the game are just that.

Those are production values and not necessarily how every professional poker player is living. In fact many professional are constantly borrowing money from backers and other players just to stay in action. The truth of the matter is that only the top echelon poker players are able to play the game comfortably and without backers. Lastly, it costs in the neighborhood of $500k+ per year in buy-ins and travel expenses to play all of the major poker tournaments. Are you good enough to win at least $1 million or more every year on the tournament trail?

Have a Plan

I honestly believe one of the biggest problems that aspiring professional poker players have is that they do not have a solid plan. As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan you plan to fail.” Well, there is a whole lot of truth in that saying. I believe the first thing you have to do is have enough money for living and expenses for at least 1 year. I know a lot of people say 6 months but that is cutting it awfully short. One bad run can tap out your expenses in that period of time. Having enough for a year really gives you an opportunity to endear a bad run or two and still remain stable financially.

Play within your bankroll. I cannot emphasize this point enough. The key difference between a successful professional poker player and an unsuccessful one is bankroll and money management. Successful players play within their bankroll. Let’s face it. Most professional poker players supplement their income with cash games. There is simply too much variance in poker tournaments for a professional poker player to solely relay on them for income although there are some exceptions. This means that if you are playing cash games you need to earn at least $30 per hour to maintain a decent living. Preferably you want to earn around $50 per hour or better. That means you are going to be grinding it out in various $40/$20 or $20/$10 games on a daily basis earning your daily bread.

Be Honest with yourself

You really need to be honest with yourself about your ability and what it will take to be successful. If you are struggling in the $2/$1 game you have no business thinking about being a professional poker player. However, if you are doing well in the $5/$10 game and have held your own in the $20/$10 game and can do it consistently then you have potential. But potential does not necessarily mean you have the makeup to play professionally.

Can you take a bad beat for a couple of thousands and maintain your composure? Are you smart enough to know when you are beat and lay down the worst hand? Are you capable of changing gears often enough to keep players from putting you on a hand? Can you be OK with not being around friends and family for extended periods of time? Can you beat the stakes you are already playing at now? These are all questions that you need to answer confidently about your game. You need to be honest with yourself and your own assessment of your ability.

Any way you look at it becoming a professional poker player can be a daunting task. There are no guarantees but there is plenty of money and glory to be bestowed upon those that endure and are able to grab the brass ring. Are you good enough to go pro?

Curtis Mayfield III