Playing Poker as a Pro

Are you ready for the ups and down of a poker life? Are you depending upon poker to pay your bills? If you are considering making poker your profession the first hard fact you need to realize is that you aren't going to win every time. I don't care what your results have been in the past; inevitably you are going to run into some sort of bad streak. Can you handle it? Being prepared for that bad streak is one of the most important parts of being a poker pro. It means having a bankroll to withstand the bad streak. It means not going on tilt when the losses start coming. It means not playing over your head. So many players go right off the deep end when things start going bad. Don't let that happen to you.

As we continue to look at what it takes to be a professional it still all comes down to discipline and preparation. We can talk about bankroll, money management, and experience, but without discipline none of that means anything. Let's look at each of them though, so you can be fully prepared. How much money do you think is required to play as a pro? It is more than you think. The simple fact is that once you go pro there is no guaranteed income each week; there is no insurance, nothing to fall back upon. That means your initial bankroll needs to be large enough to cover at least six months of bills, plus your game playing needs. That is a large bankroll to have. Let's say you were making $40,000 a year at your regular job. Six months means $20,000 for bills. Make sure you have another bankroll for your poker playing. That should mean at least 10 times your session bankroll. Let's say you take $1,000 to the table; then you need to be prepared to have a $10,000 bankroll. That means your total bankroll needs to be $30,000. Not many players are ready for that type of commitment.

Money management goes right along with discipline when it comes to playing poker. You don't want to be playing at a $10/$20 table when you have only a $1000 for your session. I believe you need at least 200 times the big blind if you are a professional. Many players take far less than this to the table, and it is a major problem. Be prepared to play at the proper level for your bankroll and your experience level. Speaking of experience, it would be a very good idea if you have spent a great deal of time testing out your skills as a pro. How can that be done? Test yourself out for a month. See if you can pay the bills, and more by playing as a professional. Take a vacation from your regular job and see what the grind of professional life is like. Consider it a test drive.

Whatever you decide about going pro, remember to take your time, get prepared, and do the work. It is always better to test something out first before jumping in headfirst.