You’ve likely dreamt of quitting your day job and going full-time with poker as someone who is decent in it and likes it very much. The proposition is tempting. Who won’t want to make a living doing what they enjoy? There’s one thing to keep in mind: poker is very demanding. It’s important to make an informed decision if you want to consider becoming a professional.
You can decide if professional poker is right for you after you have evaluated all sides we’ve considered. So, let’s begin.
Perks of being a professional player
The joy of doing what you love
People who play poker professionally do so because of this reason. Nowadays, one of the most common aspirations is to be able to earn a living by doing what one loves, whether it is poker or something different. Some professionals are in it only for the money. Even though that is true, if they felt they were not enjoying it, they would not continue to play. For people that do not have a passion for poker, poker is too demanding a profession.
Successful poker players don’t play it because they are good, they play because the strategic complexity of poker fascinates them. This is the motivating factor for them to study as much as they need to succeed.
There are also several top tournaments they can engage in, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP). They can check the WSOP 2022 schedule to know more. These tournaments ensure that poker players can test their skills against top players across the globe.
Flexibility and Freedom
Every profession offers the benefit of setting your hours. Depending on the player pool’s tendencies, you’ll be incentivized atparticular times, but in the end, you make the choice. You’ll be able to avoid fatigue and stay motivated if you have this freedom.
Additionally, you’ll be responsible only for yourself. The level of freedom offered by professional poker is very rare today. It won’t be easy, but it will be worthwhile. There will still be work to be done. In contrast to those around you, you won’t have to worry about anyone.
Earning Potential
You can still make money playing poker online if you reach a high skill level. Since rake and reward structures have changed, the profitability has decreased, but it is possible to earn an hourly wage. It used to be easy, but now it’s harder.
These days, breaking into and starting in micro stakes – 2NL through 25NL – is one tough challenge facing aspiring pros. Micro stakes players have a hard time winning regularly because of high and low Rakeback in today’s games. A skilled player, will likely always be able to make money from live poker. On average, online players are far stronger than live players.
Live poker is often played in casinos, which may attract people who play poker primarily for gambling rather than for skill. Live poker may also appeal to people because of its social aspects. No matter what the reason, this trend doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.
Downsides of being a professional poker player
Variance
A major drawback of playing poker for a living is the randomness of the game. This is what prevents anyone successful at beating a game from completing it. Two things make it challenging:
The first way is financial. A downswing can decimate your bankroll and make it impossible to play poker. If you intend to continue as a professional, then managing your bankroll properly is essential. Having adequate financial protection will enable you to survive downswings.
Variance presents another challenge in the form of emotional upheaval. It is possible to stop playing the game because you are sucked out, or want to make every turn into a nut hole. This can affect your level of motivation.
Difficulty assessing win rate
Every poker player should be aware of their win rate. It is difficult to predict the downturn if you do not have a good idea of your win rate. Low win-rate players will experience a lot more downswing than those with high win rates.
Live players can also have a hard time estimating their win rate. A large number of samples cannot be provided without a large number of hands, and there is no tracking software.
The problem is similar for online tournament players. Tournaments can be challenging to analyze, even with tracking software, since they have much greater variance than cash games. As a result, tournament players’ decisions are based on chips, not real money. Therefore, players in live and online tournaments need to be extremely careful when determining if they are ready to play full-time.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve come away from this article with a better understanding of the benefits and hazards of professional poker. There’s no need to rush if you’re still uncertain. Increase your playing time and see what happens. Keep playing as a hobby if you’re still unsure. In the end, poker doesn’t have to consume all your time. There can still be emotional and financial rewards without it being a job.
